Calenor leaned against one of the marble walls of the throne room, watching the events of the Lunar Convocation unfold. He glanced down at the small round pastry in his hand, dreading taking a bite, even though he knew it was likely the only food the court's kitchens would put out today. His stomach growled ferociously, but still, he resisted.
At the moment, the Dusk Elves, with their pitch-black skin and glowing hair and eyes, were addressing the King about the fading of the Mother Moon. The larger of the twin moons that hung over the realm hadn’t shone as brightly recently. On a single night, that wouldn’t be a big deal, but this had been happening consistently.
"We do not mean to question the High King, truly," the Patriarch of the Dusk Elves said in a tone that clearly did just that. "But major decisions have been made without consultation. Perhaps our ancestors are displeased with this shift of power. The imprisonment of the Dragon King, for one. And with the death of the Satyr King, we—"
"Silence," the King’s voice echoed off the stone walls, cutting through the murmurs. All the creatures and families quieted, waiting for his next words. "Any decision that has been made, has been done so by the four remaining houses of the Fey Courts and does not require a quorum from the residents of those realms. This is not about our people's freedoms or securities. This was an issue facing all realms."
Voices began to murmur again as the Dusk Elves retorted. Different factions joined in, either supporting or attacking the crown’s stance. Calenor scanned the room to see who was siding with whom, but his gaze stopped on the Nightborn Satyrs. All of them were staring directly at him, their Blood Moon eyes unblinking. He felt as though they could see... right through him.
Lysander leaned into Calenor’s line of sight with a confused look, then ran over and slumped against the wall beside him, their shoulders bumping.
"Not like you to ignore a Lunar Pie, Cal," Lys said, eyeing the pastry hungrily. "You gonna eat that, orrrr..."
Calenor tossed the pie to Lysander, who caught it and shoved it into his mouth in one fluid motion.
"It’s just too on the nose, you know? Lunar Pie... they could’ve called it a Silverleaf Honey Pie," Calenor remarked, glancing back at the Satyrs, now looking away.
"Oh, I’m sorry. Are you upset that the Lunar Pie you're eating in the Moon Hall during the Lunar Convocation isn't original enough for you?" Lysander teased, his mouth full of pie. "What did you expect? You can't let something like creativity come between you and a good meal."
"You’d eat shit off the ground if I called it Lunar Chocolate," Calenor snapped back, crossing his arms. He stared at Lys, who widened his eyes dramatically. "What?"
"Was... was that not chocolate?" Lysander whispered, looking out at the hall in mock horror. "I knew it didn’t taste right..."
Calenor looked at him in disbelief until he noticed the corner of Lysander’s mouth curl up. Cal tried to stifle a smile, biting the inside of his cheek until Lys elbowed him, causing him to let out a laugh that echoed through the hall.
The laughter drew the attention of the entire room, and all eyes turned to the Princes. Quickly, they pressed themselves against the cold wall, trying to appear invisible. The King, standing at the head of the hall, glared at them and opened his mouth to speak, but Lysander was quick to point accusingly at Calenor, who slapped his hand down in protest.
"Get out," the High King demanded. "Leave the Moon Hall at once and wait until you’ve been summoned."
"My King, are you sure you don’t mean sumMOONed?" Calenor said with an exaggerated bow.
Lysander bowed alongside him, struggling to hold in his laughter.
"Where should we go? The Lunar Library? The Starlight Study?" Lysander asked with mock deference. "Perhaps Mother's Spa of the Waxing Gibbous?"
Several members of the court chuckled with the Princes, but the King crossed the distance between them like a gust of wind. Before they could react, he had both Princes by the hair, yanking as if he might rip it from their skulls. The court gasped as the boys yelped, their knees skidding on the polished floor as they struggled to free themselves.
"Father, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to—" Calenor started, but another yank silenced him.
"We were just trying to—" Lysander’s voice was cut off by a similar pull.
"Shut your mouths," the King growled, "and know this: I will make sure this never happens again. Stay put until you've been collected. Lest you'd like to make it easier on me whom to name my heir."
With a sharp motion, he dragged them toward a space between two columns. A portal, like a sheer curtain, opened before them. Beyond it, a dark and gray realm awaited, devoid of moonlight. The King hurled them through the portal, and they landed on the cold ground with a thud. When they looked back, the portal had vanished.
The silence of the Umbral Veil roared in their ears, the lifeless trees and stagnant air choking any sign of movement.
After a long pause, Calenor chuckled, breaking the eerie quiet.
"Umbral... could’ve just called it the Veil," he muttered.