Ayla remembered the day her tattoo appeared, an intricate flock of delicate, lifelike birds twining up her left arm.
And she remembered Desta's #shriek as her twin sister's tattoo appeared at the exact same moment, a swarm of interlaced bees, a unique mirror to her birds.
#vss365

Although the girls shared the same birth, they were near polar opposites. Ayla was light, blonde hair and blues eyes, where her sister Desta was dark, brown hair and eyes so deep they were nearly black. Yet Ayla was the calm one, #grave in the face of the terrible news.
#vss365

Until her sixteenth year, Ayla knew her fae life could be #eternal, barring death in battle or a terrible accident. But on that day, she learned there was another way, for neither tragedy befell her mother; the queen of two hundred years simply gave up being & faded away.
#vss365

Ten years later, Ayla swore she could still feel Desta's #warm tears soaking into her dress as the profundity of the situation took hold, for although their father still lived, it was the women of the royal family who reigned in the Spring Kingdom and ruled the skies.
#vss365

Ayla couldn't help but examine her tattoo at the memory, the birds emblazoned on her arm #raven-black against her pale skin marking her as queen until she either bequeathed the throne to her own daughter or passed on.
A rustle in the brush brought her back to the present.
#vss365

"If you grip that bow any tighter, it'll #fuse to your hand," said Desta, rising from her crouch to pluck the felled grouse from the brush.
Ayla grinned. "It was your turn anyhow. Half the kingdom: half our meals."
"You know we'd starve if that were the case," Desta said.
#vss365

"Your aim suggests otherwise," Ayla said, indicating the grouse and the arrow piercing its neck.
Desta tugged at the #cuff of her leather glove. "I am passable. Hunting was mother's gift, and you inherited the raw talent."
"One mustn't excel at everything, dear sister."
#vss365

Ayla knew how the feeling of inadequacy must #grate on her sister's nerves, for she struggled with her own insecurities, often pushing beyond her limits and expecting perfect performance regardless.
A queen never showed her weakness, and Ayla excelled at appearing strong.
#vss365

Sometimes Ayla envied Desta her softness, but the empathy and ease with which her sister showed her emotions did not come naturally to Ayla.
Ayla saw a failed #crop and went to work devising a solution, whereas Desta was the first to offer comfort in the time of crisis.
#vss365

A milky #haze descended to brush the treetops as Ayla cut a path deeper into the forest, Desta on her heels. She had the trail of a deer and occupied herself with the hunt to distract herself from her heavy thoughts. Unnatural darkness crept in the further they went.
#vss365

Soon, Ayla lost the deer's trail, but something was there. She could feel it; the birds felt it. For a moment, she thought she caught sight of a stag, antlers dipping from sight followed by a #trim waist, but when she looked again, it was like it hadn't been there at all.
#vss365

In the eerie silence, Ayla worried the mere #tread of their boots would alert whatever beast lurked in the trees to their passage. She pivoted to signal Desta to stop, but when she turned, her sister was already halted several paces behind, her tattooed left arm extended.
#vss365

At the same moment, a giant boar, larger than any Ayla had ever seen, burst from the trees, trampling a path that would #crush Desta. Ayla's heart constricted, for her sister made no move to get out of the way or defend herself, eyes transfixed on whatever she had found.
#vss365

Ayla screamed Desta's name as she drew an arrow, but it was as if she hadn't #spoken. She fired, letting fly three arrows in quick succession, willing the air to part in their paths for increased speed. All three hit true, embedded to the fletching in the boar's left eye.
#vss365

The giant boar dropped only a hairsbreadth from Desta's outstretched arm, and for once, Ayla allowed her emotions to govern her actions, running to her sister's side rather than contemplating how she would reprimand the #trolls responsible for animals within their forest.
#vss365

Ayla touched Desta's shoulder, and her sister blinked several times and dropped her hand to her side. Ayla could have sworn Desta's fingers had been extended, but they were now in a tight fist. Shaken, she helped Desta stand and they began the #march back to the palace.
#vss365

Upon their return, Ayla felt so ill at ease, she commanded the palace guard to close the gate, watching the huge door thunderously #crank closed with trepidation. As far as she knew, the gate hadn't been shut in over a hundred years, since peace united the four kingdoms.
#vss365

Spring & sky, summer & fire, autumn & earth, winter & water; all the kingdoms ruled in harmony, keeping to themselves after the 100-year war. The battle had been over for so long, none recalled it entirety, and like the #wind, the memory of it vanished with its passing.
#vss365

Ayla knew her mother had remembered; the former queen had seen the rise and fall of empires, borne witness to the start of the war. But she was the last of the Grandari, the first fae. So Ayla could only work to preserve the peace, a duty #drilled into her since childhood
#vss365

The enormous gate hit the ground, raising a cloud of dust, and Ayla forced herself to face Desta. A dull ache #pounded at the base of her skull, but standing there wishing her mother were alive to provide her with answers wouldn't do anyone any good.
"Gather the council."
#vss365

A guard ran to do Ayla's bidding, but Desta simply stood where she was as if in a daze. Ayla grabbed her sister's stiff upper arm and led her into the palace, the chill of a sudden #draft caressing her bare arms upon entry.
"You should wash and change," Ayla suggested.
#vss365

"Can you manage it?" she asked.
Desta merely nodded in response, and not wanting to press her, Ayla left to ready for the council meeting herself. In her chambers, she tugged her bow from her shoulders, shucked her dirty clothes, and #plucked a dress from her wardrobe.
#vss365

Checking the fall of her gown in the mirror and wiping a smudge of dirt from her cheek, Ayla thought of how she and Desta used to #jive and taunt one another, their differences simultaneously making them argue mercilessly and unifying them as two halves of a perfect pair.
#vss365

Ayla felt as though she might #bust, like her earthly form would disintegrate into a million pieces from the sheer stress. She'd already lost her mother, and today she nearly lost her twin. Ayla steeled herself; whatever happened, she and Desta would overcome it together.
#vss365

As usual, Ayla would #play her part as queen, unbending in the face of whatever perils the future held. So she stood tall in front of the council, Desta close at her right hand, and stared into the eyes of the twelve delegates seated before her in a sweeping semicircle.
#vss365

Desta took her hand, squeezing her fingers. Ayla wished her sister would #refrain from such gestures, yet she tightened her own fingers in response. No sooner had she done so than Desta collapsed. A collective gasp escaped the council members and several rose reflexively.
#vss365

No one moved. The very air stilled. When Desta stood, her eyes were an unnatural shade, so pale it was almost as if she had no irises at all.
“Mark this #date,” Desta said. “If you choose to follow me, today shall be remembered as the day the Spring Kingdom was saved.”
#vss365

As Desta spoke, Ayla noticed the strange gem, a blood-red agate, on a chain at her sister's throat. She was about to #tackle her sister to get the stone away from her when Desta turned to address her directly.
"They sky is not big enough for the both of us, dear sister."
#vss365

"She's gone #raving mad," said Ethemriel, one of the eldest council members, as the rest began to whisper among themselves.
"Silence!" Desta commanded. "You have one hour, Ayla. Leave the Spring Kingdom. If I see you within my borders again, I'll take it as a challenge."
#vss365

Ayla snatched the necklace from her sister's throat, hoping to tear her from the terrible spell, for this person was not her twin. The act brought her so close, Ayla smelled the lavender and #mint of Desta's soap. She also saw that removing the gemstone had no effect.
#vss365

A choice #loomed before her, daunting and terrible. Stay and fight, or flee.
"The clock's ticking," Desta sneered.
Ayla was sure she could best her twin at combat on any other day, but today she was uncertain. The being before her was unlike the sister she knew and loved.
#vss365

Before Ayla could decide, Desta drew a sword from within the folds of her dress and #lashed out at her. "Time's up," she said, an unholy grin spread across her delicate features.
It was all Ayla could do to dodge her sister, normally so clumsy with steel in her hand.
#vss365

Yet Ayla could not bring herself to #strike her sister and kept her own blades sheathed, for whatever evil had overtaken Desta's mind, the vessel was still the twin Ayla knew and loved.
So she ran, dread heavy in her gut, the voice in her head proclaiming her a coward.
#vss365

Leaving her Kingdom on the brink of civil war was the hardest thing Ayla had ever done, and she knew the price of victory would demand even more.
A single tear #slipped down her cheek as she summoned her wings, feathers black as night sprouting from her shoulder blades.
#vss365

Ayla knew her people were strong, but she also knew they were divided; some would stand with her, others with Desta. Ayla hated to ask that of them. So she did not. Not yet.
She left without so much as a #parting glance, her solitary tear already tacky in her dark lashes.
#vss365

She pumped her wings hard despite her certainty Desta would not follow. Her sister would remain in the Spring Kingdom to secure the throne and establish her seat of power. Ayla's thought made her ears ring like swarming bees, and she hoped it was not some terrible #omen.
#vss365

Ayla pushed herself further, her unease masking the tender clench of muscles in her wings and shoulders and allowing her to fly long into the night. Ahead of her, awash in moonlight, was another choice: the vast forests of Autumn, or the #crystalline mountains of Winter.
#vss365

The snow-capped peaks were less appealing than the rolling expanse of trees, but Ayla considered the tactical advantage of allying herself with the neighboring Kingdom and banked right towards the chilly north, wishing for warm #rice pudding like her mother had served.
#vss365

Decision made, and not one for #fickle changes of plan, Ayla dedicated herself to her goal with single-minded intensity. She flew until the night air bit at her exposed skin and the cold ached in her bones, her gossamer dress little defense against the frigid winter air.
#vss365

Below, the #amber glow of a fire beckoned. Ayla was certain she would have landed near its heat even if a horde of gremlins ringed the wide pit, so desperate was she for its warmth. As it was, she hardly noticed the blade pricking her throat for the numbness of her flesh.
#vss365

"Help," she croaked, parched, the moisture in the freezing air sparkling like diamond dust beyond the fire's reach.
The blade instantly fell away, the bearer lowering his spear.
"Ayla?"
She knew that voice.
Prince Tyron's embrace was warm as #velvet around her shoulders.
#vss365

The heir to the Winter Kingdom caught her as she #swayed on her feet.
"What happened?" Tyron demanded, concern etching the corners of his blue eyes as he moved Ayla closer to the fire and helped her sit, beckoning for one of his companions to bring her something to drink.
#vss365

The flask of water, unfrozen despite the chill due to the Winter fae's ability to manipulate water, was as welcome as a #mirage in the desert and blessedly real. When Ayla's thirst diminished, she said, her words a little less ragged, "I wish to tell my tale only once."
#vss365

In too-large clothes from members of Tyron’s hunting party, flimsy dress discarded, Ayla trudged through the snow, glad she at least had her boots. As they crossed the sparkling expanse, mountains on either side, she contemplated how to #curry favor with the Winter Court.
#vss365

They hiked through the snow, leaving #serpentine paths in the stark drifts.
The Winter Kingdom was always the closest ally of Spring, yet Ayla worried the prospect of civil war would leave friendships forgotten. Tyron smiled at her, and Ayla forced herself to return it.
#vss365

After the 100-year war, the fae kingdoms #vowed to uphold peace. Ayla's stomach swam with uncertainty and burned with shame, knowing her kingdom would be the end of the long era of peace. But she could not ignore her sister's challenge, not with the change in her twin.
#vss365

That night, Ayla descended into #lucid dreams. Dreams in which Desta summoned swarms of enormous bees and forced the Spring fae to obey. Dreams in which she herself amassed a terrifying army of beasts, unlike any she’d seen. Beasts of ice and snow, chilling her very soul.
#vss365

And she rode the most fearsome beast of them all, its body a mass of shaggy, mud-brown fur with huge dirty paws tipped in curling claws and a mouth full of fangs the length of her hand.
Even the soft #pastel of dawn tinging the snow pink could not chase away Ayal’s dread.
#vss365

She moved to sit by the fire, and Tyron handed her a steaming bowl. Ayla ceased #wringing her hands to take the proffered food, oatmeal dotted with nuts and dried berries, the scent of savory spices greeting her.
"Thank you," she said with all the warmth she could muster.
#vss365

A #sliver of a smile touched his lips, worry crinkling the corners of his sapphire eyes. Ayla knew he wanted her to tell him what happened, maybe even demand it, but he held back, and she was grateful.
"You're a good friend," Ayla said, covering his gloved hand with hers.
#vss365

With her words, Tyron's #suave demeanor returned, the lines of worry wiped from his brow. "You wound me," he said, clutching his breast. "After all these years, all I am to you is a friend?"
"A brother," Ayla conceded.
"I trust your judgement," he said, growing serious.
#vss365

Despite the #virtual lack of interest Tyron showed in politics as a young man, Ayla knew he cared deeply for her, Desta, and the people of the Spring Kingdom. She just prayed the support of a wayward second son would be enough to gain her the backing of the Winter King.
#vss365

Gazing into the snowy valley, Ayla surveyed the palace of ice, so different from her castle of stone and mortar, perched to defy the laws of nature and span the raging Valdorian River. The sight gave Ayla pause, and she had the #profound sense this was only the beginning.
#vss365

The #glow of a hundred tiny lights seemed to emanate from within the icy walls of the throne room, twinkling through layers of blue ice as Ayla recounted her tale for the Winter Kingdom leaders.
"And so I ask for your aid," she implored. "Not as a queen, but as a sister."
#vss365

Ayla searched the king's face as the moments ticked on without a reply. Tyron's face showed open support, yet King Sigvard and his eldest son, Trystan, did not seem convinced, and Ayla wished an #icicle would fall from the impressively spiked ceiling to break the silence.
#vss365

Although the 100-year war was before his time, King Sigvard had been a great warrior, defending his people from threats from within and without his borders. In recent times, however, his stomach had gone soft as #pudding compared to the rock-hard ice of the history texts.
#vss365

Thus, Ayla worried the former warrior might no longer be amenable to the prospect of war.
Sigvard raised a hand to his thick beard, the diamonds, so much like ice, adorning his cuffs #jingling with the motion, and Ayla held her breath, steeling herself for his response.
#vss365

"You know I love you like a daughter," Sigvard said.
Ayla guessed what would come next before the King spoke, and prepared herself to accept his dismissal with #grace.
"But I cannot risk my kingdom without more substantial proof. After all, Desta is dear to me as well."
#vss365

What kind of proof did he require if her word was not enough? Ayla wanted to demand if he would believe when Desta invaded their borders, for she #found it difficult to believe that the Spring Kingdom would be enough for the person posing as her twin.
She held her tongue.
#vss365

"Father," Tyron began. "Perhaps if Ayla secured the backing of another Kingdom, you would reconsider?"
Sigvard contemplated for a moment then nodded. "Proof, or the promise of aid," he agreed, "and you will have your army."
The sky was tinged #coral when Ayla took flight.
#vss365

Her wings burned at her back. Ayla grunted her frustration and glared into the distance. The grand treetops of Autumn were just visible on the dusky horizon, the #harmony of the violet, tangerine, and blush colors painting the sky at odds with the turmoil in her heart.
#vss365

The riot, the veritable #circus, of colors was too much, and Ayla pressed her eyes closed against the image, the chill sting of icy Winter air, and her tears. The urge to #cocoon herself in her hurts, wallow in her pain, was strong, and she no longer wanted to resist.
#vss365

Her mother hadn't.
Ayla opened her eyes. She understood and resented her mother's choice, and although Ayla's soul was hurting and lost in the turmoil at the wake of another's path, she was sure of one thing.
It was not yet time for an #encore; it was time to be strong.
#vss365

Yet she felt like a #charlatan, pretending at strength she did not have as she squared her shoulders and beat her wings in steady rhythm with her frosty breath. Moments later, her thoughts were #obfuscated by the drone of wings, a horde of venomous bees descending on her.
#vss365

Ayla pulled a knife from her boot and slashed at the oncoming insects, betting a rare shard of #unicorn horn that the bees weren't here by chance. No, they were sent.
Whatever she did, rending wings and felling black and gold bodies, the bees had the advantage of numbers.
#vss365

Unleashing her #latent anger on the insects was enough to stave off the worst of them, but the venom from numerous stings and scratches still coursed through her veins, and even with the preternatural healing ability of her fae blood, Ayla knew she did not have long.
#vss365

The trees provided welcome cover as Ayla dove, needing her feet nearer the ground as the poison worked its way deeper into her body and her wings faltered. She scanned the forest, seeking a place to hide where nothing and no one would #disinter her while she recovered.
#vss365