Flight of the Five Swans
Finished Chapter 40

Ayden

Severaldays later, Ayden stepped into the gardens and walked down the well-known pathtowards the pond. He felt a hint ofrelief when he came into view of the water. There was only one figure sitting in their standard place on the bench.

Raia.

While Ayden would never havedreamed of reinstating the swan curse on Raia’s sisters, he could not deny thathaving them around in human form made it more complicated to get an audiencealone with Raia before their departure. Not to mention adding King Gustave’s presence into the mix. Hemade it downright impossible.

Yet at that moment, Ayden knew fora fact that the rest of the Kyorian royal party were readying themselves fortheir journey back to Kyoria that day. King Gustave was overseeing the packing up of their carriage, and Aydenhad counted at least four of the princesses milling around in the courtyard aswell, though he could not tell their names. While the women all looked and acted very different from one another,Ayden had quite simply become too accustomed to them in their swan forms. He had thus far found it difficult, evenoverwhelming, to learn the princesses apart from each other in their humanforms—aside from Raia, of course. Aydendid not think it likely that he would ever confuse her with any of her sisters—even her twin.

A mere glance around the courtyardhad been enough for Ayden to realize that Raia was not milling among the othermembers of her family. Somehow, Aydenhad known that he would replace her in the gardens one last time. And here she was. Raia did not turn to look at him as he satdown beside her on the bench. She kepther gaze firmly fixed on the reflective surface of the pond, now empty of itsformer avian inhabitants. For a longmoment, neither spoke. Then Raia brokethe silence.

“About that night—“ she began, andAyden knew instinctively to which night she was referring: the night that Soranhad arrived, when Ayden had all but suggested that they run away—together. The night that she had turned him down,refused him so that she could stay with her swans.

No. With her sisters.

“I know.” Ayden said, interruptingher before she could do anything so foolish as to apologize. If anything, he felt that of the two of them,he surely had more reason toapologize than she did. He hadn’tbelieved her story when she’d initially tried to tell it. He’d laughed it off as a joke or a fairy talethat she had invented. Oh, how wrong hehad been!

Ayden shifted on the benchslightly. “And…that one afternoon…” hestarted to say. But this time, Raiainterrupted him.

“I know.” She saidmatter-of-factly, the tone of her voice sounding throaty. Just as Ayden had yet to get used to Raia’ssisters as humans instead of swans, he had also not yet become entirelyaccustomed to actually hearing Raia speak. While it felt like a special treat every time he heard the sound of hervoice, he still found himself itching to write messages to her as they had donebefore, when he had believed her to be mute.

Raia cleared her throat and thenlooked at him for the first time. “Soyou know,” she said, her words mushing together as she rushed to get them allout at once. “I just need to stay withmy sisters…for now. Just for now.”

Ayden looked into her grayeyes. His heart clenched—a feeling thathad slowly become more and more familiar in the time since he had met her. He nodded, his eyes softening. “I understand.” He told Raia. Ayden hesitated before saying rather reluctantly, “It seemed as thoughthey were all about ready in the courtyard.”

Raia nodded and rose to her feet,glancing around the Ithcarian gardens one last time. The two of them walked silently back down thegarden path towards the castle doors, making their way to the entryway and intothe front courtyard.

The other members of the Kyorianroyal family were gathered in a cluster at the bottom of the palacestairs. King Gustave had already mountedhis horse, while the other five princesses stood waiting their turn to climbinto the spacious Kyorian carriage. KingNaaman stood regally off to the side, inclining his head politely as eachprincess embarked. With a jolt ofsurprise, Ayden saw that his mother, Queen Melani, was also present to see theKyorian royal party off on their journey. She sat in a wheeled chair beside her husband with the ever-presentJhonatan standing behind her.

Ayden and Raia appeared at the topof the palace steps, drawing the gaze of nearly all of those gathered in thecourtyard. One of Raia’s sisters brokeaway from the rest and mounted the stairs towards them. Ayden could not help but recognize andidentify Thaleia from the rest of the sisters. Not only was she was Raia’s twin, she had also been the sole princessleft with a feathery remnant of the swan curse. The fabric of her cape did not quite cover thefeathers of her left arm, making the feature almost impossible to miss

“There you are!” Thaleia exclaimed,slowing down as she approached the two of them. “I was just about to come replace you.” While she spoke to the both of them, Ayden knew that she was mostlyaddressing her sister. Thaleia glancedat Ayden quickly before asking Raia, her tone serious, “Are you coming?”

Raia nodded affirmatively, andThaleia’s face filled with noticeable relief. She looked again at Ayden, and her expression was slightly friendlierthan it had been mere moments before. “Keep in touch, Ayden.” She told him in complete sincerity. “Really. We won’t bite. Anymore, at least.”

An impish light filled her eyes atthis joke. Ayden could not help butremember the many bites he had received from the sisters when they had yet beenswans. In fact, he highly suspectedThaleia to have been the most likely culprit for the majority of thoseinjuries, though he had yet to inquire as to whether his suspicions werecorrect. He nodded at Thaleia with asmall smile, and the Kyorian princess scampered back down the stairs towardsthe carriage. Raia followed her twinmore slowly, descending the stairs to meet the Ithcarian royal couple at thebottom. Ayden followed her slight figurewith his eyes before walking down the steps to join her.

He reached the bottom just as Raiawas saying her goodbyes to his parents. She curtsied respectfully to King Naaman, then crouched slightly andenveloped Queen Melani in a gentle hug. Finally, she turned at last towards Ayden, and Ayden knew that the timehad come for them to say their goodbyes as well.

He hesitated slightly beforepulling out a small slate and chalk from the inside pocket of his vest. Ayden scrawled a short message on the slatewith the bit of chalk, and then held it up so that Raia might read the words,as she had done countless times overthe past several weeks to communicate with him.

MayI write?

Raia smiled on reading the shortmessage. Without responding, she tookthe slate and chalk from Ayden, erasing what he’d written in order to write herown response.

Ofcourse.

Ayden reclaimed the materials oncemore to pen another question.

Andwill you write back?

“Every time.” Raia said out loud,holding his gaze. She spoke at a volumeonly just above a whisper, as though trying to ensure that he would be the onlyone to hear her, though his parents stood but a few steps away at most. Herfather was even closer, if that was possible—a fact that made Ayden rathernervous. Still, Ayden felt a distinctfeeling of relief at her confirmation, however shy Raia seemed to be in givingit. This was not to be their goodbye—atleast, not their final goodbye. They would write each other. They would keep in touch, and possibly evenarrange a visit. Ayden felt ratherhopeful at the thought.

Raia drew a deep breath and steppedup on her toes, brushing Ayden’s cheek lightly with her lips. “Goodbye,” she whispered in his ear. Then, cheeks flushed at her own daring, sheturned hastily away from him and climbed into the Kyorian royal carriage withher other sisters.

The door closed behind her. King Gustave inclined his head towards themall once more before nudging his mount forward. The Kyorian carriage rolled after him towards the palace gates. Ayden watched it until all traces of thecarriage—and of Raia inside—had disappeared completely from view.

Once the carriage was gone, Aydenturned to his parents. A hint of a smileplayed around Queen Melani’s mouth, as though she already knew exactly what hewas planning to say.

“You must excuse me, Mother,Father.” Ayden said to them, bowing deeply. “I have a letter to write.”