Behind My Shadow - Book Three

24. For All That We've Been Through

"You were bloody brilliant, My Alice!" Queen Lyna praises, enveloping me in a hug. "Congratulations, Adara!"

It's time to travel again. We've all been hanging out here around the arena for the past hour, waiting for my magic to become semi-stable before we resume the long trek back to the Palace. I still feel like I'm on the sugar high of my life but my skin has stopped glowing for the most part and now the bands of lightning under my skin flash much slower and the intervals between them is much longer so I guess I'm as stable as I can be before my sixth Labor tomorrow.

"Aw, thank you!" I quickly embrace Queen Eastyn next. "I feel really bad about defeating you guys though!" I admit with a blush.

"Oh, don't think anything of it, love," Queen Eastlyn laughs. "It was an honor to go head-to-head with an Alice in the arena! I can remember being young and wishing I could join my mother when she was battling a teenage Adarina in the ring. It looked thrilling!"

"What was my mother's animal soul spirit?" My heart always feels wistful hearing others talk about Adarina. I can only learn about her now through other people, so I'm always dying to bring her up.

"A unicorn, like the other Alices before her," Queen Eastyn tells me. "It isn't ordinary for an Alice to have an animal soul spirit as unique as yours, my dear. Normally all Alices inherit their mother's animal spirit."

"You're very special, Adara," Queen Lyna tells me with a smile. "I can imagine you will do marvelous things for Raetri once your reign begins."

"I hope so," I humbly bow my head. I really hope so.

♣ ♦ ♥ ♠

I'm back in the Royal Diamond carriage with Quill's moms. My Alice carriage (which is empty) leads the long caravan through the temperate forest, closely followed by Cornelius' carriage and Quill's. Everything has been pretty uneventful going to and leaving the arena so now I wonder if I'm just paranoid.

At any rate, I'm finally beginning to relax. I've already completed my fifth Labor and I still have the whole day ahead of me. Of course naturally it'll be full of training and by tonight there'll be yet another party but still, I'm glad to have gotten my Labor out of the way early today.

Our carriage rattles over a huge, arching stone bridge stretching across an enormous river. I smile as I peer out of the window, the river is full of whitewater rapids. The light from the sun reflecting off the river casts hypnotic silver patterns dancing across the carriages that rumble over the bridge.

I let the curtain over the window slide shut again and turn to face the Queens. "So, not to sound like a brat but, is there another party tonight?" I ask with a sigh. "No offence to anyone but I'm kinda sick of parties. There's one every single night!"

Eastyn laughs. "You sound just like Adarina!"

"Really?" I brighten.

"Oh yes, she despised parties. She was always sneaking away to avoid them."

"Yes," Lyna rolls her eyes. "She was typically always sneaking away with you if I remember right," she gives her wife a look.

"What?" Eastyn laughs again. "We were best friends! And sometimes snogging partners, but still! Best friends!" She laughs and playfully shoulders Lyna who rolls her eyes with exasperation.

"You and Adarina were besties?" I smile with delight.

"Oh, gods, yes! We practically grew up together," Eastyn sighs happily. "Those were the good ol' days. We used to ditch our royal classes and go horseback riding all day, camp out under the stars all night and dance and sing like witches by a bonfire."