The safe house was a tavern in the border town of Greyhaven, run by a woman named Mira who owed Kieran her life twice over. She asked no questions when they arrived just before dawn, bloody and exhausted, leading them instead to a hidden room behind the wine cellar.
"You can rest here," Mira said, her weathered face impassive. "But only until nightfall. Darius's men have been through twice already, searching for a princess with dark hair and royal bearing."
"Thank you," Elara managed, her voice hoarse.
When Mira left, Elara collapsed onto the narrow cot, every muscle screaming in protest. She had never known such exhaustion existed.
She woke to the smell of food and the late afternoon sun filtering through cracks in the wooden walls. Kieran sat at a small table, the mysterious journal open before him, his expression troubled.
"You should eat," he said without looking up, gesturing to the plate of bread and cheese beside him.
Elara sat, suddenly ravenous. Between bites, she studied the man who had saved her life. In the better light, she could see he was younger than she'd first thought, perhaps thirty, with the kind of scars that came from surviving more than one battle.
"Tell me about the magic," she said finally. "Tell me why I should believe any of this."
Kieran closed the journal, meeting her eyes. "Three hundred years ago, your ancestors ruled not just through strength of arms, but through the power of starlight itself. They could heal, they could protect, they could see truth through lies. The magic was a gift from the celestial realm, passed down through bloodlines carefully maintained through generations."
"I know the legends," Elara said impatiently.
"They're not legends. Your great-grandmother was the last to manifest the full power. When she died, your grandfather suppressed all knowledge of the magic, fearing it would make the royal family a target. He was right to fear, but wrong in his method. You cannot suppress starlight, Princess. You can only delay its rising."
Kieran opened the journal to a page covered in astronomical calculations and diagrams of constellations. "The alignment happens once every century. Three days ago, the stars that granted your family their power returned to their appointed positions. And you, as the heir, will begin to manifest abilities whether you will it or not."
Elara wanted to dismiss it as fantasy, but something stirred in her chest at his words, a warmth that had nothing to do with the fire. She remembered the moment in the forest when Kieran first found her, how her hand had grown warm against the tree bark, how the ice had seemed to retreat from her touch.
"If this is true," she said slowly, "if I have this power, why doesn't Darius simply kill me? Why the elaborate coup?"
"Because he needs you," Kieran said grimly. "The magic is tied to the bloodline, but it can be transferred through certain dark rituals. Darius doesn't just want the throne. He wants the power that comes with it. And he's willing to do anything to get it."
A chill ran down Elara's spine. "Then we can't let him find me."
"No," Kieran agreed. "But we also can't run forever. You need to learn to control your abilities before the Awakening completes. Without training, the power will be wild, unpredictable. Dangerous."
"And where do we find such training?"
Kieran smiled, a hint of mischief in his expression. "The Silvermoon Enclave. A sanctuary of mages hidden in the northern mountains. If anyone can teach you to master starlight, it's them."
"And if they can't? Or won't?"
"Then we fight anyway," Kieran said simply. "Because the alternative is letting Darius win. And that, Princess, is not something I'm prepared to accept."
Elara looked at this man who had given up everything to save her, who believed in a future where she reclaimed her throne and her power. She didn't know if she could become what he believed her to be. But she knew she had to try.
"To the Silvermoon Enclave then," she said, raising her cup of water in a mock toast. "May the stars light our path."
Kieran's smile widened. "May they indeed."
Outside, night fell and new dangers stirred. But for this moment, in this hidden room, Elara allowed herself to hope.