A sleepy, morning mist hangs over the trees like a shimmering veil as Aribelle stands at the doorway to Nubnoria, shifting nervously as her gaze flicks to and fro.
She tries to look calm, maybe even elegant, but her excitement betrays her in the twitching at the edges of her mouth and the muttering under her breath as she rehearses formal greetings.
Even the forest seems to share in the thrill of her excitation. Leaves rustle with barely a breeze, branches quiver with barely contained delight, and trees hum in undulating tunes, as if gossiping amongst themselves.
Aribelle's cheeks flush and her heart flutters as he watches a carriage, drawn by mighty, black steeds fade in from the mist, rumbling through a small path weaving between the trees.
As it approaches, a door flings open with a bang and a short robed figure leaps out with a squeal of glee.
"Aribelleeeeee!"
"L-Luna! The carriage!"
Aribelle's shrieak of concern barely registers in Lunara Duskvale's mind as she comes barreling toward her best friend and mentor like a summer storm with legs. She flings herself onto Aribelle with a near-tackle, wrapping the young Lindbergh in all her limbs.
The impact nearly knocks Aribelle off her feet, and does knock most of the air from her lungs. She steadies herself as she heaves for breath, Luna's crushing embrace further complicating her ability to breath.
"Luna!" she huffs. "You lunatic! A normal greeting would suffice!"
"I missed you too much, Ari!" Luna mumbles, her face deep in Aribelle's chest.
"I missed you too, Luna." Aribelle sighs, but her voice is thick with joy. "But seriously. You could have gone under the carriage."
"Meh. Details…" Luna scoffs, flicking her hand as she pulls away from Aribelle, grinning from ear to ear. The young, raven-haired, half-elf radiates with happiness, her violet eyes beaming as she looks at Vaela.
"I was worried about you!" Aribelle says, her eyes narrow and serious. "With you snooping about the Guild, looking for evidence. You could have—"
"I got expelled." Luna shrugs, barely listening to Aribelle's worries as she stares in wonderment at the forest around her.
"What!? Luna! What about—"
"I don't care. Honestly! They're just a bunch of old farts repeating the same song and dance for centuries, away. No innovation! No courage to explore! I just couldn't stand it without you there."
Aribelle shook her head, smiling. "You're just impossible."
"Wonder who I learnt it from." Luna winks.
They stroll through the outer glades of the magical forest, sunlight weaving like ribbons through its leaves and branches bending down to listen in on their secrets.
"So," Luna says, clearing her throat as they duck beneath some vines. "A prince. Quite the catch, Lady Lindbergh."
"Seriously?" Aribelle sighs, rolling her eyes.
Luna cocks a brow and gestures around her. "You've been whisked away to a forbidden forest, living in a magical palace with a tall, dreamy royal that protects you like you're his treasure. Ah! Look! You're blushing!"
"Am not!"
"You're practically a tomato right now." Luna chuckles.
"We've… shared some moments." Aribelle smiles. "But that's all. Maybe if things were different. If Arienne wasn't missing and the Guild wasn't trying to have me executed. Maybe… I could think of Orwellin in that way."
Luna nodded with a disappointed sigh. "He does seem to care about you."
"He does." Aribelle smirks coyly.
"Ha!" Luna giggles, pointing at Arienne. "He's turning you into a tomato!"
"Shut up, you toad!" Aribelle pouts with crossed arms.
As they delve deeper, the forest begins to change around them. Strange fungi emerge from the undergrowth, luminescent plants jut out from mossy growths, and tiny floating balls of pollen pulse with a vague glow.
A mushroom twists towards Luna as she passes, eliciting a shriek from the half-elf as she drops to her knees and inspects it intently. "What are you!?"
"No!" Aribelle scowls. "Don't touch anything. Especially moving plants that… shouldn't… be moving." she utters as she watches the mushroom tilt its top toward them.
"But it's humming! Oh Gods! I think this might be the cutest mushroom I've ever seen!"
Then the mushroom begins to glow.
"Ah! It's glowing now!" Luna squeals in delight.
"Which usually means death! Please refrain from exploding yourself before we get to the palace."
"Walking through a forbidden, mythical forest and I can't even poke things." Luna pouts. "You're no fun!"
Aribells turns to her with narrow eyes and her expression solemn. "Laylee probably wouldn't like you meddling with her home."
"Who?"
"Laylee…" Aribelle says with a smug grin. "The Lady of Leaves. Keeper of this forest."
Luna gasps. "W-What?"
"The daughter of a Great Spirit. Very powerful. I only spoke to her once though. Very brief, but… what an experience."
"She sounds absolutely awesome!"
"That, and terrifying." Aribelle adds.
They eventually emerge from the trees and stand at the edge of a lake cradling a massive willow tree in its glittering, perfectly-still waters. And the willow itself cradles a palace of glass and gold-weaved stone.
Luna's mouth falls open as the full magnificence of the structure comes into view.
"You've been living there?" she squeaks, overwhelmed by the magical, seemingly impossible sight.
"Yes." Aribelle chuckles, cheeks flushed.
"And you haven't fallen for him? When he's spoiling you rotten and treating you like you're already his queen!?"
Aribelle smiles softly as she gazes out at the palace, a view more perfect than a painting.
"Maybe I am." she sighs dreamily, her voice barely more than a whisper.
"Hurry up and marry him! Gods above! Look at it… it's impossible… how!?"
They cross via a bridge of glistening water that arches over the lake like a rising moon. Inside the palace it is quiet, save for the soft songs of sprite-birds flicking between the living branches that line the palace walls and the gentle sounds of water flowing beneath their feet.
Aribelle leads Luna to a room that had been prepared for her, her luggage and possessions already delivered while they strolled through the forest.
As soon as they step inside, Luna shuts the door and grabs a roll of parchments from her robe.
"I managed to snag these before they gave me the boot." she smiles smugly. "I copied everything I could. Notes, reports, diagrams. Anything related to the teleportation incident and the expedition. I don't think there's anything that can prove your innocence outright. But something's definitely off."
Aribelle leans over a table and unrolls the parchments, tracing her fingers across the diagrams and Luna's wild scribblings.
"This spell sequence… it's missing two-layers of incantations." she says, her brow creasing deeper as she reads. "And the stabilization crystals for the gate aperture aren't nearly enough to maintain an ingress this size—"
"Exactly." Luna cuts in. "There's too much missing here. They're deliberately hiding something."
"Forbidden magic and constructs." Aribelle sneers.
"But why?" Luna asks, shaking her head.
She begins talking through various theories as they pour over her notes, animated and fiery as always. Aribelle can't help but smile as her friend's presence reminds her of happier times.
Luna, despite the danger and weight of everything she had been thrust into, was there, by her side, stubborn, brilliant and impossibly brave.
Aribelle fell onto her friend and wrapped her into a tight embrace.
"W-What are you—"
"Thank you, Lady Duskvale." Aribelle whispers. "For always being there for me."
"O-Oh… o-of course." Luna stutters as her cheeks turn bright red. "Always. Obviously. You're only, like, the second most important person in my life… but definitely the cutest." she mutters, the last part slightly under her breath.
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing!" Luna squeaks. "Just happy to be here."
Arienne smiles softly and the two bury themselves in scrolls and theories, their quiet, warm bond ever strengthened.