The following morning, the palace was already in motion.
Queen Lysara had somehow transformed an engagement into a national emergency.
Tailors hurried through corridors carrying bolts of silver and emerald silk.
Jewelers arrived carrying velvet-lined cases.
Florists debated arrangements.
Chefs argued over menus.
Musicians rehearsed in distant courtyards.
Somewhere inside the palace...
Someone was already crying over seating assignments.
Jax quietly excused himself before anyone could hand him another list of responsibilities.
...
Several miles outside the capital, the Kingdom of Etherevalis' western fortress overlooked a narrow mountain pass.
Its towering walls had guarded the kingdom for centuries.
It was here the elves had chosen to place the first Gate.
King Thalorien stood beside Jax as engineers, military architects, and mages studied the construction site.
"We considered placing it inside the capital," the King explained.
"But every advisor worthy of the position reached the same conclusion."
He gestured toward the fortress.
"If another kingdom ever marched through one of these gates..."
"They would first have to conquer this fortress."
Jax smiled.
"I would have questioned your judgment if you'd done anything else."
Several generals exchanged surprised glances.
"You approve?" one asked.
"I do."
Jax pointed toward the walls.
"My cities have soldiers guarding both sides of every Gate."
"The Gates connect people."
"They can also move armies."
"Protecting them isn't distrust."
"It's common sense."
The generals visibly relaxed.
Construction began immediately.
Massive enchanted stones were measured.
Mana channels carved.
Crystal anchor points aligned with painstaking precision.
Jax moved among them like a veteran engineer rather than a merchant.
He corrected measurements before mistakes occurred.
Adjusted support angles.
Suggested reinforcement patterns none of the elven architects had considered.
More than once an engineer quietly erased his own notes and copied Jax's instead.
By midday...
The impossible slowly became reality.
The first Gate inside the Kingdom of Etherevalis was taking shape.
...
Not far away...
Queen Lysara had organized an entirely different event.
"If the men insist on working," she announced cheerfully, "then we shall entertain ourselves."
Her eldest son laughed.
"You've planned something."
"I always plan something."
She turned toward Llandra.
"Your father tells me your brothers still believe they can outshoot you."
Llandra smiled gracefully.
"I've improved much since I left."
Her eldest brother snorted.
"I remember a little sister who couldn't beat either of us."
Llandra's smile never faded.
"I remember training."
She folded her hands behind her back.
"I'm not the young girl you teased and ridiculed anymore."
Her second brother grinned.
"Confident."
"I've earned a little confidence."
Queen Lysara clapped happily.
"Oh, I do love this already."
Within minutes, the royal archery grounds had filled with spectators.
Soldiers paused their duties.
Engineers wandered over from the Gate site.
Even the workers stopped to watch.
The rumors had spread.
Everyone wanted to see whether the stories of Princess Llandra were true.
...
Her eldest brother stepped forward first.
Five arrows.
One after another.
Thwip.
Thwip.
Thwip.
Thwip.
Thwip.
Three struck the inner ring.
One landed just outside center.
The fifth buried itself perfectly in the bullseye.
Applause followed.
A masterful performance.
The second brother matched him.
Four arrows clustered tightly around the center.
One found the exact middle.
Even tighter grouping.
Their older sister followed.
Elegant.
Precise.
Every arrow struck true.
None missed.
The Queen smiled proudly.
"My children have always been gifted."
Then...
Llandra stepped forward.
Silence settled across the range.
She accepted Starpiercer.
Closed her eyes.
Took one slow breath.
When they opened again...
Everything else disappeared.
The first arrow flew.
Dead center.
The second struck beside it.
Perfect.
The third nestled so tightly between them that from a distance they appeared as one.
The crowd applauded politely.
Excellent shooting.
Then Llandra looked farther down the range.
Much farther.
Two hundred yards away stood a much smaller target.
None of her siblings had attempted it.
Missing before the royal court was simply unnecessary.
Llandra raised her bow.
Released.
The arrow vanished into the distance.
...
Thunk.
Dead center.
A murmur swept through the crowd.
She drew again without hesitation.
Released.
The second arrow struck the first...
Splitting it cleanly down the middle.
Silence.
Then—
A gasp swept through the spectators.
King Thalorien slowly lowered the enchanted viewing lens.
"...She couldn't do that before."
"No," Vaelrith replied quietly.
"She couldn't."
...
Her eldest brother stared for several long seconds.
Then laughed.
"Again."
Llandra smiled.
"As you wish."
Royal attendants released enchanted wooden birds into the air.
They darted wildly in every direction.
Fast.
Erratic.
Nearly impossible to predict.
Llandra drew.
"Multi Arrow."
Three arrows shimmered into existence.
She released once.
Three birds shattered simultaneously.
Gasps echoed across the field.
Without pausing...
She drew again.
Three more arrows.
Three more birds.
Perfect.
Again.
Again.
Every shot.
Three birds.
Three hits.
Not one missed.
Soon only five enchanted birds remained.
They scattered in completely different directions.
One climbed.
One dove.
One veered left.
One disappeared behind another.
The final bird spiraled unpredictably through them all.
Even her brothers frowned.
There was no clean shot.
Llandra smiled softly.
"Unlimited Quiver."
A single arrow appeared.
Then another.
Then another.
Until five rested between her fingers.
She drew once.
Released once.
Five silver streaks crossed the sky.
Every bird exploded into splinters.
The range fell completely silent.
Not one target remained.
...
King Thalorien looked slowly toward Vaelrith.
"For weeks..."
"You have watched this yourself."
"I have."
"And before that?"
"Months of reports from the Royal Veil."
The King's eyes returned to his daughter.
"You told me she had grown."
"I did."
"You neglected to mention this."
Vaelrith allowed himself the faintest smile.
"I feared you would think I was exaggerating."
The King chuckled.
"I now believe you understated it."
Vaelrith said nothing.
For weeks he had watched the Vixens personally.
Before that, months of reports from the Royal Veil had all painted the same impossible picture.
Every report ended with the same conclusion.
Stronger.
Faster.
Again.
He still had no explanation.
Only questions.
Questions that somehow always circled back to one man.
Jax Darquebane.
...
Llandra lowered her bow.
Her eldest brother approached first.
For a heartbeat she wondered if he was about to demand another round.
Instead...
He wrapped her in a hug.
"I surrender."
She laughed.
"So soon?"
"I value my pride."
Her second brother shook his head.
"I don't."
He picked up his own bow again.
"Now I have to train harder."
Their older sister smiled.
"Good."
"I was getting tired of beating you two."
Both brothers looked offended.
"You never beat us."
She shrugged innocently.
"I didn't say at archery."
Their wives burst into laughter.
"Oh, don't start," one of them teased.
"You've both been waiting years for this."
Another grinned at Llandra.
"I have to admit..."
"It is rather satisfying watching your little sister humble the two of you."
"We're never letting them forget today."
"Oh, absolutely not."
Dinner conversations for the next decade had just been decided.
The brothers groaned dramatically.
Queen Lysara laughed so hard she had to dab at the corners of her eyes.
Even King Thalorien's regal composure cracked into a broad smile.
Llandra looked around at the people she loved.
Her family.
The people she had spent her childhood chasing.
Trying to match.
Trying to surpass.
She had always believed she had improved.
Jax had believed it.
The Vixens had believed it.
Vaelrith had reported it.
But standing here...
Seeing the expressions on her brothers' faces.
Hearing their admiration instead of their teasing.
Watching her father stare in quiet amazement.
She finally understood.
She hadn't merely caught up.
She had gone beyond every expectation anyone—including herself—had ever placed upon her.
For the first time...
Even Princess Llandra Silverthorne was shocked by just how far she had come.