AN: The music for the final paragraph in this chapter is James Paget's Ascend. When I was planning it, it was the song that I listened to. And, practically the whole time I wrote it. It is well worth listening to and can be found through YouTube or Google.

We never know how high we are
Till we are called to rise;
And then, if we are true to plan,
Our statures touch the skies—

The Heroism we recite
Would be a daily thing,
Did not ourselves the Cubits warp
For fear to be a King—

Emily Dickenson

Chapter 38: The Ascension

He took her to their room, where they would have the privacy they so desperately needed and bid her to sit on the bed. Skyla didn't fear attack, for all the guards' caution. She could not help but feel that Skyclone will honour his deal at least and stay off his full attack until midday.

"I was the first to break the line of succession," Skyler was telling her as he moved to a section of the wall, his back turned towards her. "The Skyswirlstone has been in my family for generations. My father, my grandfather and his father before. Generations of kings, carrying the power that could grant or rob anyone in this wingdom of flight. It has proven to be a powerful weapon today. It can destroy one of those monsters but I was overwhelmed. Perhaps when there are less, it would be easier to pick them off, one by one. There is a Sergeant Blair in the ranks – he showed good strategy. He and his team also took some down."

Skyla was staring at him humbly, watching him take the stone from the royal sceptre and press it against the wall. They had shared this room for years but it surprised her when a panel opened, revealing a hidden jewellery box.

"Skyler…" She began but he turned and motioned her to be quiet.

"If he has some help, from the stone and these, then maybe – this war can still be won."

Skyla watched as her husband revealed the contents of the box, holding the five golden feathers to the light.

"Skyler, if we start another assault now – Skyclone might accelerate his timeline and attack sooner."

Nodding, Skyler brought closed the box and put it in her hands.

"I know," he said. "He will expect retaliation. But, you said these creatures are not very smart. Without direction and leadership, they might be even easier to take out." He tapped the box. "Do you know what this is?"

Skyla did, her mind reeling.

"I don't know of anybody who can take these," she said. "Faolin's brave but…" Her husband shook his head.

"These are not for any in this world," he said. "That is important for you to know, Skyla. Those who are chosen for these feathers must be worthy. They must deserve the right of flight. Dancers from your world whose worth of spirit will make them soar. Your school was such a wonderful idea."

It was, Skyla thought mournfully. I had worked so hard, had employed the right teachers in the past couple of years. Now, it will all go to nothing.

"Alima…" She thought of the woman suddenly, left alone there none the wiser. She probably sensed the wingdom's distress, but had no way of coming here.

"Yes," Skyler was saying. "She must be called. My mother is practical and her presence will be calming. She is the second strongest woman than I know and you two work well together. You will have to rebuild. The damage to Sky Hive is great – he took down our weakest, perhaps to break our spirit."

Skyla frowned and shook her head putting the jewellery box aside. "Skyler, I don't think Skyclone will spare me," she said. "He will certainly not spare you. And I intend to be by your side…"She felt a desperate tinge of hope. "Maybe I can still get through to him."

"You will not."

His tone made her inexplicably angry because it was so calm. It wasn't a command, simply a statement of fact.

"Skyler…" Skyla began, but her husband shook his head and sat down beside her, taking her hands as he put the Skyswirlstone down beside them.

"We lost today, Skyla," he spoke quietly. "Because he had ten years to prepare for this and we, not even an hour. We were caught off guard and we lost." He sighed. "I should have hunted him down in his exile and imprisoned him for his sins but I didn't, because I was too much of a coward to face my brother. You spoke so easily of your short comings and your failures, Skyla, but truly, they were all mine and I am willing to pay the price for that." He picked up the stone and slipped it into her hand, its edge smooth and impossibly cold against her calm. "But he cannot have the stone, Skyla. Promise me that, my brother must never have the stone."

Breathing out, Skyla looked into her husband's eyes.

"What are you asking of me, Skyler?"

Enclosing her hands in this, Skyler brought them to his lips and kissed them.

"I am asking you to live wife," he said. "I am asking you to protect the wingdom and keep the stone. I am asking you to rebuild." She pulled away from him abruptly, dropping the stone to the floor in her fervour to get rid of it.

"And what of you?" She demanded. "What do you intend to do?"

The calm never left his face and it frightened her that she understood where it came from. She had felt the same when Skyclone enclosed his massive hands around her throat with the promise to kill her. But, to see it on her husband's face…

"I intend to meet my brother," Skyler said simply. "And end this, as myself and all who have come before me should have. It is the path that fate chose for me."

Pacing wildly, Skyla denied the truth she saw right in front of her. "You cannot say that," she said. "You cannot! Skyler, this is madness. You will die."

He nodded, not denying it. "Yes," he said. "But this way, my death will mean something. Think, Skyla – why do you think you were chosen to be heir after me, why did fate allow you to rightfully inherit the stone even while I was still alive. Somehow… This was always the path, it was always meant for you. You will take the stone and you will be the Queen this wingdom needs. Here and into the future where my dream is for you to have peace in this reign unlike any the wingdom has known for generations."

She didn't cry. She couldn't.

"And what of you?" She said. "You will simply sacrifice yourself? How will that mean anything? You face him without the stone, Skyler, and he will simply kill you and come for us."

The man she had loved all her life shook his head. "I will trap him in a deathspin," he said. "And I will take as many of those monsters with me. It is what I, and I alone, can do. To save you." He sighed. "To save all of these people. I swore to protect them."

Still… No tears. What's wrong with me? Skyla thought. What is this? Acceptance? Rage, you dimwit. Rage!

"And what of that which you swore to me, Skyler?" she whispered. "What of your promises? We were… to spend a lifetime together."

Skyler stood up slowly and picked up the stone again, slipping it into his clothes to keep it safe and close.

"I have spent my lifetime loving you, Skyla," he said. "I have served you, as I vowed all those years ago. And I am still doing so. I will not see you die. I will not see any more of our people die." His features shifted for a moment. "Unless that is what you truly ask of me. Unless you see us use the stone now and abandon them. We can retreat to that world and Skyclone can never follow us."

Skyla felt as if she was punched in the stomach. Breathing out sharply, she put her hand to her mouth and turned away from her husband so that he could not see her break. It was impossible to say how long she stood like that until she felt his hands touch her shoulders and turn her back to him.

"We cannot do that," he said with a sad smile. "Can we?"

"No," Skyla breathed. "No." Meeting his gaze again, Skyla wondered if she would ever be whole again.

"Now," Skyler said softly. "Will you promise me this, Skyla Zavere? Keeper of my heart and love of my life, will you promise me that Skyclone will never have the stone?" His voice dropped. "And will you promise me that you will live for the both of us? And those we promised to protect?"

Tears found her then, silent tears that leaked from her eyes as her soul broke inside her.

"I promise," she spoke quietly and said no more for there was nothing left to say. No argument to give, no denial. Nothing that she said in that moment could mean more.

Skyler squeezed her shoulders then kissed her forehead.

"Then come," he said. "Be with me, here on this night for it is all that I can give you. The last I can give you." His face tightened and then Skyla saw it too, the tears in his eyes. His heartache and sorrow. He had been a king before her but now, he was simply a man.

"I am sorry, Skyla."

888

They told no one of the plan, in fear that it might reach Skyclone's ears and ruin the element of surprise. Nor did they sleep, because time had become precious beyond words. Skyla and Skyler tried to stay alone with each other for as long as it was possible, only surfacing when Faolin came to call them, saying that the people were starting to become uncomfortable with their lack of appearance and needed reassurance. It was hard for Skyla to leave the room, but Skyler encouraged her to freshen up and come with him. Still, when they were by the door, she found herself reaching out and grabbing his arm, drawing him back. Looking at him she found herself forming the request in her mind, the demand to take them both to the realm beyond their. She could not bear to lose him and now as they were about to cross the threshold into a reality where that will happen she couldn't make herself leave.

But, for all her anguish, she could also not say the words knowing that if she asked it of him, Skyler would do so.

He saw her pain and allowed her to draw him closer so that he could wrap his arms around her. He embraced her tightly, running his hand through her hair before he planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Be strong, wife," he said. "Be as strong as I know you are." He kept his arm around her and gently pushed her out of the door.

"I want you to use Faolin as much as you can," he spoke quietly as they walked towards the halls where their people were. "I trust her above all here. And…" He smiled slightly. "She loves you. She will be a strong pillar to lean on. As will the rest of the council though I would like to caution you against Malakai. His political ties to the other noble families but he was also a friend to Skyclone once. He has not forgotten that your family was merely farmers."

Skyla nodded numbly but couldn't contribute anything to the conversation, her mind numb. She clung to Skyler's arm looking around her in a daze. She only came to herself a little when she saw the woman from Sky Hive sitting in a corner, her features pale as she clung to the blanket that had been draped around her shoulders. Skyla wondered if she had slept at all and, found herself squeezing Skyler's arm.

"I will join you shortly," she said. "Do what you must do, husband." She hesitated. "But don't go without seeing me again. Please." Skyla couldn't imagine how she would say good bye to him and forced herself not to think of it. He saw who she was looking at and smiled at her. It pained her how much she loved him in that moment and quickly walked away, going over to the woman and kneeling down beside her.

"Esmerelda," she spoke softly, drawing her attention away from the wall that she had been staring at. "How are you holding up?" She looked at the cup to find that it was still half full of thick honey. "Have you eaten?"

Blinking out of her stupor, Esmerelda looked up.

"My queen," she spoke, placing her hand over her heart and inclining her head in respect. "Yes, your servants have been kind," she sighed. "Very kind." She looked around her then back at Skyla, her eyes focusing on her.

"Have you eaten, my queen?"

Skyla smiled politely, hoping the woman would see to as an answer but, to her surprise the Sky-Hiver shifted reached out, cupping her face in her hands. Skyla didn't move as the woman looked at her then caressed her face, almost as one would a lover. Looking away from Skyla, she reached down and picked up the cup, pushing it into her hands.

"We are considered very primitive by the standards of most here," Esmerelda said quietly. "And, compared to these lives, I guess we are. We gather honey, we tend our flowers and look to the seven giants to guide us. We store food for the winter. Sometimes we don't store enough and then we faced with the death of our children, for they are always the ones to suffer the most. We mourn as one for we are of one mind." She smiled sadly. "But we are also many and living together as we do, we learn to read each other and understand everybody's needs. It is so important because it strengthens our unity. And, that is what we need for the next season and the next winter. Strength and food." She smiled at the queen, embarrassed. "Food is strength and you have not had any. Please, take mine. And know that you will insult me if you don't. It is… our tradition." Her eyes became sadder as she looked in the direction that Skyler had gone.

"We also know loss," she said. "We are intimately acquainted with it." She squeezed Skyla's hands around the cup.

"I am sorry for your loss, my queen."

Her tears were close to the surface of her heart, but Skyla managed to keep it at bay. She brought the cup to her lips and found the honey to be warm. The sips she took were reviving, giving her the strength to smile at Esmerelda.

"There is no such tradition," she pointed out. "Is there?"

The bee-like woman smiled at her. "No," she said. "But my advice on strength stands."

Skyla nodded, took another sip then gave it back to Esmerelda. "You need this more than I," she said. "But thank you." She took her hand and squeezed it. "I will help you rebuild Sky-Hive," she pointed out. "I promise."

Nodding, the woman squeezed her hand back. "I will keep you to that," she said. "Thank you for stopping by me, Queen Skyla. It means a lot. All that you have done." She looked beyond Skyla, prompting the woman to look around. She wasn't really surprised when she saw Faolin standing behind her and had the courage to smile at her friend.

"You are not my lady-in-waiting anymore," she said and patted Esmerelda's hand. "I will come to check up on you again," she told the sky-hiver. "Take some of your own advice and eat." She turned and accepted the hand Faolin offered her to pull her to her feet.

"Your husband told me to assist you," she said simply. "And I will not go against an order of my king."

Skyla smiled bitterly, thinking of the secret that Faolin had held from them about Skyclone.

"I have no doubt," she said dryly. Would telling us have spared us this? Do I lay my husband's death at your feet?

When her friend didn't let go of her immediately, but kept a hold of her hands, Skyla studied her features and felt a sudden ache.

"You know."

Foalin nodded slightly, squeezed her hand and then let her go wordlessly. Her features were very stoic but Skyla could tell that she was upset. It was one of the advantages of having a friendship that survived decades of hardships and joy.

"Where do you need to go now, my queen?" Faolin asked. "With what do you require assistance?"

Skyla didn't speak immediately but simply looked at her before she sighed and looked around the rest of the palace.

"I don't need help," she said. "But many of these people do. Let's do a few rounds, make sure all have food and have been cared for." She thought of something. "Get some of the other council members to start with a survey. Find out who is missing members of their families, or neighbours. Let's start finding volunteers who will assist us with doing the same."

Faolin nodded, started to leave then hesitated. "I am not to leave your side, my queen," she pointed out. "King Skyler's orders."

Taking a deep breath, Skyla shook her head. "I am not the one leaving," she said simply. "And your duty is to me." She looked at her. "Trust me now to do what is right. Trust in my strength, Faolin."

The older woman studied her intently, then nodded slowly.

"As you command, my queen," she spoke softly and curtsied briefly. "But call if you need me, I am here for you. You are not alone in this."

888

And then there was no more time.

They came together just before noon as Skyler explained to his people that he was going to go and negotiate with Skyclone. That he had come up with a way to reach an accord with the tyrant and that they will all be safe. Skyla stood by his side, her hands folded together, partly to hide the pouch she had been wearing since they left the room where the Skyswirlstone now lay safe.

There were concerns but Skyla could see the true measure of the respect that their subjects had for her husband for none questioned him and all seemed to fully believe that they would be alright. Some came to him to wish him well, to shake his hand and offer encouragement.

You are stronger than your brother… We know you will save us…

The weight of it was almost too much to stomach but Skyla kept by her husband's side, hating every moment but wishing that she would never forget it. Or, how he looked here as he was about to face his own death. She walked with him to the entrance as he prepared to go, a fake blue stone in his hand to be offered as a diversion. Many touched them on their way to the entrance but – when they were close, all retreated respectfully, giving them space. When Skyla turned to face Skyler, she found herself at a loss for words.

How do you say good bye?

"I will always love you, Skyler," she found the words finally. "Every hour of every day. I will never stop loving you."

Reaching out to touch her face, Skyler's smile was filled with all the sorrow and regret in the world.

"It is my wish for you that you will," he said. "One day. It is my wish that you will find love again, Skyla. Companionship. I don't care in whose arms it is, but find it and cherish it. I do not wish for you to be alone for the rest of your life."

You don't leave me much of a choice.

"I will… have your memory to guide me, Skyler," she said. "I will be alright. I will do all that you have asked me." She could not help but give him her own sorrow filled smile. "But not the last. I will never love again."

He closed his eyes and seemed to accept it. Drawing her closer, he first kissed her forehead, then brought his lips down to hers as they shared their final kiss. It drew her breath away and tore her heart out but Skyla shed no tears as they finally drew away from each other. Still looking at her, Skyler slowly flew up though before he could go Skyla took his hand and held it. He didn't pull away, but hovered above her, waiting for her to let him go.

Skyla didn't care for the time, but stood there, clinging to him as she tried to make herself breathe without the thought of him doing it with her. She looked back at the people around them and saw… awe on their faces.

Then, she saw Esmerelda standing amongst them and remembered her promise to the woman.

I will help you rebuild.

She turned back to her husband, squeezed his hand and then released him and he flew off to where they could see a gathering of monsters and spec of the man who waited for him. Skyla turned around, away from them.

Away from the worst that blood and hate could do.

And, away from the man she loved.

888

To Be Continued…