A Court of Wings and Fate

4. Familiarity

The artwork above is not mine.

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Mikael sat in a brightly lit corner of the library. Firelight danced on the hearth beside his chair. He was attempting to finish up his book on the War with Koschei. Already, he'd stumbled across another tome that caught his interest and he was eager to start reading it.

Mikael closed his book shortly and set it aside. He loosed a contented sigh, gazing out the window. The moon was full and stunningly bright this evening. This was one of the many reasons he loved his home in the Palace so much. It was situated high enough in the mountains that it sat above the clouds. The stars seemed close enough to touch. Perhaps if he could fly high enough, he could reach the moon.

Ameer often said it made him feel secluded. That was another reason why Mikael loved it. Up here, he was hidden from the eyes of the world. He could relax and not worry about the rebukes and insults that awaited him elsewhere. The Palace was a refuge. It was his home.

He remembered the first time he'd seen it while flying. Ameer was guiding him by the arm, holding him steady while he adjusted to the weight and movements of his wings.

The sun rose behind them, washing the opalescent stone that formed the Palace in a golden glow. Pink clouds floated around the sprawling towers, verandas, archways, and bridges that linked different parts of the Palace together. Vibrant periwinkle morning glories bloomed around pillars. Mist had cast a dazzling sheen over everything.

Mikael remembered seeing Thesan standing out on a balcony, watching their lesson. To him, it had seemed like the sunlight was searching out his father in particular. He hoped that one day, it would search for him too.

The library door creaked open, drawing him out of his memories. Mikael twisted and found Thesan approaching. He settled into a chair close to Mikael's.

"More magic lessons?" Mikael raised an eyebrow.

Thesan shook his head. "I was thinking about our conversation from yesterday and it reminded me of something," he said. Thesan drew a small frame from his pocket and held it out.

Mikael took it carefully. His lips parted in surprise. "Is this..."

"It is. Your grandmother gave it to me just before she passed. She told me that you deserved a way to remember Samanya too. You were so young then, though, and I wanted to give it to you when you were older. I suppose I forgot." Thesan's face flushed red with embarrassment.

Mikael studied the portrait of his mother intently. He had no memory of her at all. She'd died during his birth and her mother, his grandmother, brought him to the Palace. He ran a finger along the smooth outline of her cheek.

While he was the spitting image of his father in terms of hair, eye, and skin color, his features were more like his mother's. He had her almond shaped eyes and full lips. Her hair was curly, like his. Mikael shifted his wings subconsciously as he studied Samanya's.

"How did you meet her?" He asked quietly.

"It was during a rough patch in Ameer and I's relationship. We decided to take a break, but I became depressed and lonely. I went out one night and met her at a dance in a village called Oriens," Thesan explained.

"We danced and talked and I spent the night with her. It became a regular thing. It lasted for about four months. One night, she told me she loved me, but she knew that I wasn't truly happy with her. She told me that I needed to reconcile things with Ameer. Your mother...she was a smart female. I knew she was right, so I listened to her. I fixed things with Ameer and was content that Samanya and I could remain friends."