Tethered To The Six Princes Of Sylvarra

“Everyone was so proud of you during the announcement today, Sorenna.” came the calm, almost hesitant voice behind me, carrying that familiar, quiet guilt ever since my mother passed away I loosened my grip on the balcony rail and turned slightly, offering my father a warm smile. The moonlight caught the softness in his eyes. Perhaps the party he’d held this morning was finally over. I glanced at him-his gaze always carrying that guilt, almost pitiful weight for three years now. There had been drinking, chatting, laughter… the kind that filled the room as they ate and drank. And then, all eyes turned to me, like I was the high lady of heaven. I couldn’t bear the weight of their stares men and women looking at me with eyes I couldn’t quite name. Because finally, there was someone who carried the gifts of the three stars: a power to stop time, a burst of light as dangerous as it was beautiful, and a flame that melted like molten gold. I still didn’t fully believe all that was said to be inside me. When Father announced it, I was asked to summon the gifts but I could only manage one of the three. That wasn’t even what unsettled me the most. “I know, Father,” I replied, my voice gentle but steady. “But… don’t you think it wasn’t the right time to announce that the Three Stars Bearer had been found and that it was me, of all people?” He stepped forward and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes at the familiar comfort, but even in that moment of peace, a silent worry tugged at the corners of my heart. Still, I stood tall. The world might not have been ready for this truth… but I would be. It had only been twenty-four hours since we discovered I carried the three combined gift marked by a sigil on my upper arm. The three huge stars that ignite when I touch them. Except, they’re meant to ignite only when touched by someone bonded to me. Since I didn’t have a mate, I could only light the stars myself by placing my fingers on them. And yet, Father had already made the announcement public. “It’s a thing of pride, Sorenna. The Three Stars Bearer is my daughter. I couldn’t keep that in,” he said, with a warm laugh that never quite reached his heart. I sighed, letting go of the fear creeping into the corners of my heart, trying to steady my mind. According to my late mother, the Three Stars Bearer was more than a title—it was a weapon. Something sacred. Ancient. A force the world had waited for through centuries of silence. Something so rare… shouldn't be revealed to the world like a piece of parchment caught in the wind. What if the Sylvarrians heard of it? Or worse the Thornevaldians? Both were enemies. But the Thornevaldians… they were ruthless. We shared no borders, and yet they sought to erase us from history, as they nearly did to the Sylvarrians. And the Sylvarrians, we shared land with them, but never peace. Their hatred burned like a plague. And mine burned right back. Their war had stolen my mother three years ago. I had never stopped mourning. And I had never stopped hating. “Come on… let’s go downstairs. I have something to show you,” he said softly, his voice carrying that familiar, gentle hesitation. Joy lit my eyes as I followed him down the spiraled staircase, each step echoing softly in the silence. It took nearly five minutes to descend, and with every turn, the sound of a violin grew clearer—Zach’s graceful playing filling the air like sunlight through stained glass. At the base, golden light from the grand chandelier bathed the room in warmth. Violet moved like a dream across the polished floor, her silver gown catching the light as she danced in time with Zach’s slowed, soulful notes. Violet’s laughter danced through the air, light and unburdened, stirring memories of Mother. She used to twirl across this very floor, smiling freely, whenever Father played a note on the piano. Violet brought so much of her back to life. She didn’t just resemble Mother, she mirrored her. Aside from all of us inheriting her golden hair color, it was Violet who had those same brow-gold eyes, the soft curve of red, heart-shaped lips, and that perfect dimple on her right cheek that deepened whenever she laughed. Sometimes it hurt to look at her. Because every time I thought of Mother, I couldn’t forget the last words she whispered to me. Words I’d buried deep in my heart, unspoken since the moment she died in my arms. “Don’t take it out on the Sylvarrians. I promise, this was my choice to end the war. And don’t hate your father for this. It was my choice, Sorenna.” Her words had carved themselves into my bones. No matter how many years passed, the ache never faded. If anything, it deepened especially with the weight of raising my younger twin siblings, stepping into a role that wasn’t mine, but became mine the moment she left. If there was ever a woman both brave and heartbreakingly selfles Yes, it was her choice. But had she ever paused to think of me? Of what it would mean to grow up without her? Of the emptiness her twins would carry? Was her love for my father truly stronger than the love she had for us? She threw herself in front of the sword meant for him, and ever since, my father lived carrying the burden of that moment quietly, faithfully. I never blamed him. Her choice had already punished him enough. So instead, I chose to love him, just as she would have wanted me to. “Sorenna, come join me! Zach practiced a new note and it’s so soothing!” Violet’s voice rang out, bright and unrestrained, her gap-toothed smile wide as ever. It pulled me out of my thoughts, just long enough for me to quietly wipe away the tears clinging to the corners of my eyes. Her golden hair just like mine twirled with the rhythm of her slender twelve-year-old stature. She moved as though the music was made just for her, her laughter filling the air, reminding me again of everything we once had. When her eyes met mine, they sparkled with even more joy. I stood quietly beside Father as he searched for whatever surprise he had brought me, curiosity humming through my chest. But I waited, patient. Violet didn’t. She grabbed my hand, tugging me toward Zach where he played by the grand piano, and soon I found myself dancing too. I spun gently in my purple dress, the hem catching the soft stardust glow from the chandeliers above. I let myself get lost in the moment, swaying lightly as the marble floor mirrored our joy—Violet dancing with her eyes shut, and Zach playing with his closed too, as if he hadn’t even noticed I was there. And yet, our reflection shimmered like something out of a dream. Before the party, Father had fixed silver star-lights near the chandelier, and now they rotated slowly, casting their light across the marble floor like a quiet kind of magic. Then the music stopped—abruptly. Zach’s fingers froze mid-note, his gaze fixed on me, startled by my presence on the floor. He glared at me with those angry eyes-eyes that always showed his disgust whenever they landed on me. “What, Zach? Why did you stop playing just when it was getting interesting?” Violet’s voice snapped, her red lips parting in surprise. Zach’s voice broke through the quiet like a whip. “Why do you always have to be here? What part don’t you get that I don’t like you near me,” he snapped. “Every time I feel your presence, you remind me of her.” I didn’t speak. I didn’t need to. I looked at him-at the pain behind his anger. A boy still mourning, still searching for someone to blame. “I know you miss her,” I said softly. “I do too, Zach. Every day.” He turned his eyes away from me and smiled at Violet instead, gently, lovingly like she was the only one who mattered. His look told her to keep going, to return to the magical moment they’d been having before I intruded. Then, without another word, he began to play again, this time only for Violet, leaving me quietly outside their world. Violet blinked at me with those puppy-like eyes. “Sorry, Sorenna. Zach is just…” “Shh…” I whispered, settling beside her, my voice calm. Zach gave us a passing glance, still playing, still shutting me out.