And as the goddess fell from the sky, the people below cheered, all but one.
The Rise and Fall of the Stars, various authers
Adelina Amouteru
It is almost time.
From my domain up in the stars, I can see everything down below, except those in the Underworld.
I was once there. In fact, I even perished there.
It's almost midnight. The tiny dots that are humans are barely visible. I can almost see a specific person . . . a specific person with dark braids.
My heart leaps.
I want to call out to him, but it's not midnight yet. I am frozen in the sky as a constellation.
I see Magiano unpack his bags and sit on the ground, strumming his lute and humming. I see him drumming his fingers on the ground, waiting, waiting . . .
And then, the time has come.
My constellation lights up like a set of lanterns. The brightest star glows, glows, glows. My very heart seems to glow. Perhaps that is what makes the bright star. And then I feel myself leaving the heavens, returning once again to mortal land.
My feet touch the ground. The glow around me fades. My constellation in the sky winks out of existence, as if it was never there in the first place.
"Magiano," I whisper. My voice is the faintest touch of a whisper, so quiet I can barely hear it. I walk to him and smile.
"Mi Adelinetta," he whispers. He smiles, stands up, his lute forgotten. The beautiful melody cuts off, and he strokes my scarred eyelid.
"You shouldn't have done that," I whisper. My voice is thick with emotion. "It was a beautiful song. What were you playing?"
" 'The River Maiden's Lullaby'," Magiano whispers. A smile plays across his face. He leans closer. "You know it, don't you?"
With a pang, the name strikes me. Of course I know it. Why didn't I recognize it earlier?
Magiano smiles. "Come with me, mi Adelinetta."
He leans in, and his lips brush mine for the tiniest second. I take a sharp inhale, wondering if the kiss was accidental, but Magiano's mischievous look tells me otherwise. He comes back for another one, real this time, and much longer.
"Violetta," I say when we pull apart. "Where's Violetta?"
"She's waiting for you," Magiano whispers. He picks up his lute and his clock and stuffs them in his bag. I watch, my Sealand silks flapping in the wind. How long ago I wore these silks and was able to call myself queen. I wait for the whispers to say, oh, and how you enjoyed it. Don't you want to sit on that throne again? What has your sister done to get the throne, when you have bled and sacrificed for it?
But they don't speak, and then I realize that my powers are gone.
Magiano catches me shivering. "Cold?" he asks.
I start to shake my head, even though I am cold. I don't want to overwork Magiano. For a fleeting instant, I wish I had my old powers back so that I could weave an illusion of me not cold over my chattering teeth and pale cheeks.
Magiano lifts an eyebrow.
My shake changes to a nod.
"Yeah, I thought so." Magiano pulls a thick blanket out of his saddlebags. "I only brought this and a handful of pillows. I don't want to go too hard on my horse. Packed light."
I can only nod. Magiano swings himself up on his horse and offers me a hand. "Want to come up?"
I accept his hand. Magiano clicks his tongue, and the horse gallops off.
Sleep threatens to overcome me. I lean against Magiano's warm shoulder and my eye starts to close.
"Sleep," Magiano whispers, stroking my silver hair. "We will be there in the morning, mi Adelinetta."
I can only nod. Before I know it, I'm fast asleep.
Violetta Amouteru
"Is there any news?"
"Your Majesty, we are not entirely sure yet. Please be patient -"
I rub my eyes. I might be a kind and loved queen, but my patience will not stretch until here. "I'm done with being patient," I snap. My long dark locks fall over my face, hiding the bags under my eyes. "Stop beating around the bush. Give me some direct answers for once. Where is Magiano?"
Sergio hesitates. "We do not know, Your Majesty."
"Fine." I turn around and stomp out of the throne room, retreating to my chambers. I know that this is not how a queen should behave, but when it comes to my sister . . .
It's been one year after Adelina's temporary death. One year since I've been made queen. My people have loved me - they still do. But maybe they were just loyal to me because they were glad to see the end of a queen like Adelina. She's not evil. I stand by that. But she could be a bit cruel sometimes. Her desire for justice for malfettos helped give birth to her cruelty.
Little did my people know, Adelina is not dead.
Day after day I stare out my window, often imagining a boy with olive skin and long dark braids riding to my palace on horseback with a girl with silver hair behind him. My lips often form his name: Magiano. But more often:
Adelina.
I sigh and flick off the lights. I collapse on my bed, my eyes closing and sleep threatening to overcome me. When Adelina was queen, it had looked so effortless. I rub my temples.
I give way to sweet dreams and soft pillows and downy blankets.
