"The Morning After the Announcement."
The sun rose over Faelinor, spilling gold across cobblestone streets, but the light felt hollow to Celosia. She moved through the market square with measured steps, her skirts brushing against crates of apples and woven baskets. Villagers bustled around her, voices rising in cheerful chatter, but every laugh felt like a blade pressing against her ribs.
"The bridge of peace," they whispered. "How noble of her."
The words made her stomach twist. Noble. Dutiful. Leashed.
She paused by the fountain, watching the water ripple and catch the morning light. A boy tripped over his own feet nearby, and a woman laughed at him, but Celosia only saw the weight of her father's decree hovering above her: "My daughter shall be betrothed to the son of the Southwind chieftain."
Even the fountain seemed to mock her, reflecting her hollow gaze back in a dozen distorted fragments.
From across the square, Kiyoshi noticed her, naturally drawn to her presence. But something had changed. Her visits were shorter, her smiles more fleeting, her eyes carrying a storm he could not calm. The urge to protect her twisted in his chest, mingling with a creeping helplessness.
Rajieru, leaning against a stall and pretending to inspect a basket of apples, noticed Kiyoshi's tension before Kiyoshi himself did.
"You've been staring holes in the dirt, man," he called, voice teasing but edged with concern.
Kiyoshi ran a hand over his face. "I just... don't get it. Why does she have to—"
"Because that's how Faelinor keeps the peace," Rajieru cut in quietly, letting his gaze sweep the square. "You think anyone here gets to choose?"
The words landed hard, heavier than the morning sun. Kiyoshi's jaw tightened, and for a heartbeat, he felt the faint hum in the air—the subtle pulse of mana that always seemed to stir when his emotions sharpened.
Celosia brushed past, her skirts sweeping the cobblestones, eyes fixed straight ahead. She didn't acknowledge them, but Kiyoshi caught the faint furrow of her brow, the tension in her shoulders, the quiet rebellion in her stance.
Rajieru smirked, nudging Kiyoshi. "Time to do something about it, don't you think?"
Kiyoshi looked after Celosia, then back at Rajieru. "Yeah," he said softly, almost to himself. "Time to do something."
And for the first time since the announcement, the market didn't feel quite so hollow.
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Rajieru's Idea – The "Trial of Worth"
By midday, the heat of the sun pressed down on Faelinor, but Kiyoshi's cabin felt colder than ever. He sat on the edge of the wooden floor, staring at the wall as if it could answer the questions circling in his mind. The announcement of Celosia's arranged marriage had left him hollow, and the distance growing between them gnawed at him like a persistent shadow.
The door slammed open. Rajieru stepped inside, a grin too wide for the gravity of the day.
"Alright," he announced, waving a rolled parchment in the air. "We can't stop the engagement—but we can delay it."
Kiyoshi blinked. "You sound like Ceng-tae when he's about to do something reckless."
"Not reckless," Rajieru said, leaning over the table to unroll the parchment. The faded symbol at the top shimmered faintly in the sunlight: the Crest of the Ancients. "Traditional. Long ago, Faelinor had a custom—a sacred test for arranged unions between villages. They called it the Trial of Worth."
Kiyoshi frowned. "Trial of... what?"
Rajieru's grin widened. "Worth. Suitors prove themselves through tests of spirit, magic, maybe even courage. If the Chief approves it, it buys us time. And who knows? Maybe someone unexpected wins."
"You're saying we... drag her into some old village ritual?" Kiyoshi's jaw tightened. "Wouldn't that make things worse?"
Rajieru shook his head. "No, no, you don't get it. The Chief has to follow tradition if we frame it right. It's the law of the land, Kiyoshi. We aren't breaking anything—we're upholding it. Clever, huh?"
Kiyoshi rubbed his forehead. Clever sounded a lot like dangerous.
Then, footsteps at the cabin door made them both freeze. Celosia's voice, soft but cutting, drifted through.
"You two are impossible," she said, stepping inside, arms crossed. "You'll get yourselves exiled before this week is over."
Rajieru gave her a cheeky salute. "Better exiled than married off to some self-righteous prince."
Kiyoshi met her eyes, his expression serious, jaw set. "Then it's a fair price," he said quietly.
Celosia exhaled sharply, frustration and gratitude mingling on her face. She wanted to argue, but a part of her knew they were right. Something had to change—or at least, be bought more time.
Rajieru rolled the parchment back up, sliding it into his bag. "We've got one week. That's all the notice the Chief gives for these things. After that... we see what happens."
Kiyoshi nodded, tension coiling in his chest like a spring. A plan was forming, risky and uncertain, but at least it was action.
And somewhere in the back of his mind, that faint hum of unstable mana tickled at his senses again, almost as if it recognized the challenge coming.
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"Confrontation with Chief Hokuto."
The council chamber smelled of polished wood and candle wax. Lanterns hung from the ceiling, casting long, flickering shadows across the walls. Kiyoshi and Rajieru stepped in, parchment in hand, hearts pounding in different rhythms.
Chief Hokuto sat at the head of the long table, his posture rigid, expression unreadable. Around him, the elders whispered quietly, eyes flicking to the two young men as though measuring every step, every breath.
Rajieru squared his shoulders, placing the parchment on the table with a firm tap. "Honored Chief Hokuto," he began, voice steady despite the tension. "We come with a proposal rooted in the old ways—a Trial of Worth for the union between Faelinor and the Southwind settlement."
Hokuto's gaze fixed on him like iron. "You believe you can meddle in matters of state by invoking ritual?" His voice was calm, but sharp enough to cut through the room.
"Not meddle," Rajieru replied smoothly. "Uphold. Tradition demands that any union, especially one meant to bind villages together, may be contested through a test of spirit and magic. We request the Chief's approval to honor the custom."
Kiyoshi watched silently, jaw tight, aware that one wrong word could undo everything. Celosia stood behind them, barely daring to breathe, her fingers twisting in her sleeves.
The Chief leaned back, silent for a long, unbearable moment. Then, finally, he spoke. "Very well. The Trial of Worth will be held one week from today. If the gods favor your 'tradition,' then let them show it."
A ripple of surprise ran through the chamber. The elders murmured amongst themselves, some nodding, some frowning. Hokuto's eyes remained sharp, but there was a faint crease in his brow—a warning, not approval.
Rajieru allowed a small, controlled smile to tug at the corner of his mouth. Kiyoshi felt the weight of the moment settle on him like armor. The trial was set. There was no turning back.
Celosia let out a quiet breath she hadn't realized she was holding, meeting Kiyoshi's eyes for a fleeting second. In that look passed a mix of gratitude, fear, and determination.
Outside, the wind picked up, rustling through the council chamber's open windows. Somewhere, faint but unmistakable, a hum threaded through the air—a whisper of mana, stirring in anticipation of what was to come.
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"Quiet Resolve."
The moon hung low over Faelinor, spilling silver light across the river's surface. The water reflected it in soft ripples, like scattered fragments of glass drifting downstream. Kiyoshi sat on a smooth rock near the bank, shoulders hunched, staring into the water.
Footsteps approached. Celosia's presence was quiet, almost hesitant, but Kiyoshi sensed her immediately. She stopped a few feet away, hands clasped in front of her.
"You shouldn't have agreed to this," she said softly, voice barely louder than the whisper of the current.
Kiyoshi's gaze flicked up, meeting her eyes. "Then I'd be doing nothing," he replied, his voice calm but carrying an edge of steel.
Celosia frowned, stepping a little closer. "And what if doing something costs you everything?"
He shrugged, a faint smile brushing his lips. "Then it's a fair price."
She studied him for a long moment, the tension in her shoulders easing just slightly. For a moment, they didn't speak—just the quiet sound of the river and the distant hum of the village at night.
Kiyoshi's eyes traced the moon's reflection in the water. The hum of mana lingered faintly in the air, almost imperceptible, like it was waiting—watching. Neither of them noticed it fully, but the current seemed to carry it downstream, teasing the edges of what was coming.
Celosia finally exhaled, leaning just enough to rest her hand lightly on his arm. "Thank you," she murmured. "For not standing by."
Kiyoshi's hand twitched toward hers, stopping short, unsure if she wanted more than comfort. "We'll get through this," he said quietly, more to himself than to her.
The river flowed on, carrying with it the reflections of the moon—and the silent promise of the Trial of Worth yet to come.
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