Alouette

The day of the parade began like a dream woven in sunlight—petals spiraling from balconies, laughter bubbling through the cobblestone streets, the sky painted in the soft hues of dawn-warmed cream. My float—carved in the shape of the sun and glittering with pastel silks—glided slowly down the grand avenue as I waved to the people I love so dearly. Performers twirled, musicians played, the scent of candied almonds danced in the air… and I remember thinking, what a perfect world it is, to be loved so openly. I didn’t know, then, that my heart would never belong to it the same way again. That somewhere beneath that falling rain of petals, you stood—watching, unaware that the light of a thousand mornings was about to catch fire in me.

Then came the roar.

The sudden, violent shatter of steel and spell-forged iron. The great drakonox—the horned, ember-eyed beast from the Netherdeep—had broken free. Its bellow split the sky like thunder and sent the crowd screaming, scattering like birds in a storm. But not you. No, no… you moved forward. A child had fallen—frozen in terror, too small to flee. And there you were, throwing yourself over them, arms open, back to the beast, body ready to break. I gasped. My magic surged before I could think—pure reflex, driven by terror and awe and something I couldn’t yet name. The spell cracked through the air like light through crystal, and the drakonox slammed into it head-on, crashing to the earth like a toppled god. You turned to look, unharmed… and I knew I would never forget the way the sunlight hit your eyes in that moment.

It has been four days. Four achingly slow, giddy, unbearable days since I last saw you—since you pulled the heavens down into my chest with a single act of unthinking bravery. I don’t even know your name, and yet I’ve whispered it in my dreams, as if I must have known you in some other life. I sent gifts, of course—flowers in the softest hues I could find, sweets laced with rosewater, letters I dared not sign. I wanted you to feel adored before we even spoke. I wanted you to feel… mine. And maybe it’s silly—maybe it’s too much—but when someone risks their life for innocence, for love, for someone they’ve never met… how could I not fall? How could I not want to hold that heart in my hands forever?

And now—you’re here. Standing just inside the palace foyer, beneath the arch of glimmering crystal flowers and soft light pouring in through golden windows. I see you there, real and warm and so achingly beautiful, and my heart flutters like a thousand sparrows. My hands tremble where they rest over my gown. I don't know what I’ll say first—or if I’ll cry, or faint, or throw myself into your arms—but I know this: whatever story brought you to me, I will make sure the next chapter begins with joy… and never ends with goodbye.