𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 | 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐏

Chapter 21

The castle was quiet as the sun dipped below the horizon, bathing the war room in a soft orange glow. My new family and friends were safe. Most of them, like Mermista and Perfuma, had refused the invitation to stay the night at the castle in order to check on their respective homelands. Shame...

I left the war room and shuffled along the corridors. One room with a slightly opened door revealed Spinnerella sitting at a vanity, staring at her reflection, as Netossa stood behind her and brushed her hair in slow, methodical motions. They both looked dead tired, like they could fall over from exhaustion at any moment. Yet they continued until Spinnerella's hair was free of knots and tangles. I watched as Netossa set down the brush and placed a soft kiss to the top of her wife's head, making the other princess smile.

I blushed and moved on, feeling as though I just watched something not meant for my eyes. But the small domestic gestures and comforting routine reminded me of love. It suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't seen Glimmer or Adora since the celebration was over. I had lost sight of them.

I rushed back to Glimmer's room, sighing heavily when I saw Bow sleeping on one of the cushioned window seats. Glimmer flashed me a bright smile, teleporting in front of me and giving me a big hug, but there was still someone missing. "Have you seen Adora?" I asked, loud enough to jar Bow from whatever dream he was having. 

The archer shouted in alarm, flailing under the blankets for a moment before he caught sight of us. "What?" He asked, eyes still cloudy from sleep. "No, I haven't seen her since the party calmed down a bit." I looked over at Bow, he shook his head. "I haven't seen her. I immediately raided the kitchen and then passed out here after the battle."

I looked around the room anxiously. There were piles of clothes scattered around Glimmer's room, nowhere in the mess was any sign of the sword of She-Ra. "Adora hasn't been here either, (Y/N)." Glimmer whispered to me. My heart started to beat a little faster. 

Where could she have gone? How could no one have seen her? Why wouldn't she at least tell Glimmer where she was going?

"Check the stables." Bow murmured, already falling back asleep. "She likes talking to the horses." I nodded, apologizing to him and kissing Glimmer's forehead before running out the door and down the hall.

The stables were located at the back of the castle, near the entrance to the kitchen. At these hours, there were always people milling around the palace grounds, either doing their jobs or trying to get a glimpse of the royal family. Now the yard was deserted. There was barely any light left in the sky and I had to squint down at my feet to make sure she didn't trip on anything.

The stable door was propped open and I could hear a soft voice coming from inside. I peeked inside and found Adora stroking the face of a chestnut-colored mustang. Her clothes were torn and her face had streaks of dirt and blood smeared across it, and she seemed to be favoring one of her legs over the other. But she was still standing, the sword of She-Ra strapped to her back like usual.

"Adora?" I said from the doorway.

Adora jumped slightly as she turned her head. Now that she was staring directly at me, I could see she had been crying, her tears cutting through the dust and grime on her cheeks. Her eyes were distant, like only her body was here and her mind was a million miles off.

"Hey (Y/N)." She said, her voice raspy and rough. "Do you need me in the war room?" I cocked my head. "Adora, you've been out here for hours. Everyone is either asleep or still celebrating." The blonde warrior nodded. "Guess I lost track of time. Did I miss anything important?"

I shook my head and took a few steps forward. "I was worried about you. Nobody has seen you since the battle ended and I wanted to know if you were okay." Adora looked at me with a blank stare. Her hand fell from the horse's face and she looked down at her boots. "I think I was bleeding earlier."