Chapter 8
Part One
Morning arrived beneath the branches of the World Tree with a quiet grace unlike anywhere Adrian had ever known.
He awoke not to the bustle of servants rushing through palace corridors nor to the distant clang of armour echoing from training grounds, but to birdsong. Hundreds of voices greeted the dawn together from somewhere high within the endless canopy above, their melodies weaving naturally with the gentle murmur of flowing water that drifted through the palace itself. Warm rays of sunlight filtered between countless emerald leaves before slipping through the wide windows of his guest chamber, painting soft golden patterns across polished wooden floors that still carried the rich scent of living cedar.
For a long moment...
He simply remained where he was.
Listening.
Back on Earth, mornings had often begun with traffic outside his apartment or the familiar buzz of his phone demanding attention before his eyes had even properly opened. In Stonehollow, the day usually started with hammering, merchants unloading wagons, guild requests waiting on his desk and someone inevitably knocking on his office door before breakfast.
Here...
The forest decided when morning began.
He smiled to himself.
"I could get used to this."
A soft knock interrupted the thought.
Three gentle taps.
Not hurried.
Not impatient.
Just enough to announce someone's arrival.
"Come in."
The door opened quietly.
Princess Elaris stepped inside carrying a small woven basket resting comfortably over one arm. Morning light caught her golden hair as she smiled warmly.
"I hope I didn't wake you."
Adrian laughed.
"I've been awake for a while."
"I suspected as much."
She held up the basket.
"Our cooks prepared breakfast."
Adrian blinked.
"...For me?"
"For us."
She corrected gently.
"My father has a habit of beginning work before sunrise."
She sighed with affectionate amusement.
"And if we wait for him to finish..."
"...breakfast becomes lunch."
Adrian chuckled.
"I know someone like that."
"Oh?"
"My Guild Master."
"He forgets to eat."
Princess Elaris smiled.
"My father remembers."
"He simply forgets the time."
A few minutes later they found themselves walking through one of the palace gardens, each carrying a warm pastry while the early morning air remained pleasantly cool beneath the endless shade of the World Tree. Dew still clung to flowering bushes lining the winding pathways, while gardeners moved quietly between beds of herbs and blossoms that seemed to grow almost effortlessly beneath their careful hands.
Adrian glanced toward the woven basket.
"This is incredible."
Princess Elaris looked over.
"The pastry?"
"The hospitality."
She smiled.
"My father believes visitors remember how a kingdom makes them feel long before they remember its politics."
"I think he's right."
"I think so too."
For several peaceful minutes they simply walked.
Children hurried toward lessons carrying neatly wrapped books beneath their arms while elderly couples strolled through the gardens feeding brightly coloured birds that landed fearlessly upon their shoulders. Somewhere nearby, musicians practised quietly beneath a flowering archway, their melodies drifting gently across the palace grounds.
Eventually Adrian spoke again.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Yesterday..."
He hesitated.
"...everyone seemed curious about me."
Princess Elaris looked ahead.
"They were."
"I thought so."
She nodded thoughtfully.
"When the forest reacted..."
"...people became frightened."
Adrian's expression softened.
"The Sovereign Collapse."
She looked at him.
"We didn't know what to call it."
"We simply knew..."
"...something ancient had awakened."
Her voice remained calm.
"No one expected..."
She smiled.
"...someone who apologises to injured birds."
Adrian laughed.
"I've noticed that story spread surprisingly quickly."
"You helped."
"It seemed like the right thing to do."
"I know."
She looked at him with quiet sincerity.
"That's why nobody here fears you anymore."
The words surprised him.
"...Anymore?"
She nodded honestly.
"At first..."
"We did."
She gestured toward the endless forest surrounding the capital.
"Our oldest guardians have protected Verdant Reach for centuries."
"When they all looked toward the west at the same time..."
She paused.
"...people imagined the worst."
"And now?"
Princess Elaris smiled.
"Now..."
"...they're simply curious."
They reached a broad overlook where the palace gardens blended naturally into one of the upper terraces of the World Tree. From here Adrian could see almost the entire Emerald Capital stretching beneath them, alive with the gentle rhythm of another ordinary morning.
Merchants opened stalls.
Children hurried across suspended bridges.
Forest Wardens changed shifts with relaxed smiles.
Everything carried on.
No panic.
No fear.
No whispered rumours following him through the streets.
It felt...
Normal.
Adrian realised something.
"I haven't seen anyone stare."
Princess Elaris laughed softly.
"Oh, they are."
He looked around.
"They're just very polite about it."
Footsteps echoed behind them.
Theron's unmistakably deep voice arrived before he did.
"There you are."
The enormous elf emerged from a nearby pathway carrying Frostrender across one shoulder as though the enormous weapon weighed little more than a walking stick.
"I've been looking everywhere."
Princess Elaris smiled knowingly.
"You checked the kitchens first."
"I did."
"And?"
"They lied."
"They told you breakfast was over."
"They underestimated me."
Adrian grinned.
"Did you find any?"
Theron proudly produced an entire loaf of still-warm bread from somewhere inside his travelling pack.
"I came prepared."
Princess Elaris sighed dramatically.
"I genuinely don't know how you do that."
"It's a gift."
"No..."
She smiled.
"...it's a mystery."
Theron tore the loaf neatly in half before offering one piece to Adrian.
"You'll need your strength."
Adrian accepted it.
"For what?"
Theron's smile widened beneath his beard.
"The King asked me to take you somewhere."
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"The dungeon?"
"Not yet."
Theron shook his head.
"Someone."
Princess Elaris' smile became almost amused.
"Oh..."
"I almost feel sorry for him."
Adrian looked between them.
"...Should I be worried?"
Theron considered the question.
"For your safety?"
"No."
"For your patience?"
"...Probably."
Adrian frowned.
"I feel like neither of you are telling me something."
Princess Elaris laughed.
"We're not."
Theron nodded toward the winding forest path leading away from the palace and deeper into the World Tree's countless gardens.
"Come on."
He adjusted Frostrender across his shoulder before beginning to walk.
"If you're going to understand Verdant Reach..."
He glanced back with a knowing smile.
"...you first need to meet the only person in this kingdom who occasionally argues with squirrels..."
He paused thoughtfully.
"...and loses."
Adrian blinked.
"I'm sorry..."
"...what?"
Theron simply continued walking.
"You'll see."
Princess Elaris quietly covered another smile before following him.
Adrian sighed.
"...I have a feeling that's becoming a very common sentence around here."
The morning sun continued climbing through the emerald canopy as the three disappeared deeper into the gardens, where somewhere beyond the winding paths and ancient trees, a woman named Mirelle was about to introduce Adrian to a side of Eryndor he had never imagined existed.