Under the Sky of Astralys

The gates of the capital stood open, but beyond them lay a road that would take two young girls far from everything familiar.

The carriage waited at the center of the courtyard, polished and ready for departure. There was no frantic packing or hurried preparation. Everything had been arranged in advance, as befitted a state departure.

Celestia Vesperine von Hestia moved first. At fourteen, her posture was already a testament to her discipline, though her shoulders looked small against the towering palace. Her parents stood behind her. Celestia did not look back at them. She wasn't certain she could maintain her composure if she did.

Silvienne Alexandra de Selene followed a step behind. Her expression was softer, her eyes reflecting the morning light. She appeared calm, though the occasional movement of her fingers betrayed her unease. Her own parents stood nearby, watching her in silence.

The Emperor stepped forward. He did not look at them as a ruler addressing the participants of a political arrangement, but as someone who had watched them grow up in the palace halls since they were toddlers.

“That expression,” he said quietly, looking down at Celestia. “You have not been sleeping properly again.”

Celestia paused, tilting her chin just enough to meet his gaze. “That is not something Your Majesty needs to concern himself with.”

“It becomes my concern when I notice it,” he countered, his voice softening with genuine affection.

The silence that followed was familiar rather than formal, shared between a guardian and a child who was growing up faster than either might have wished.

A few steps away, the Empress reached for Silvienne’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“You are thinking too much again, Silvienne.”

Silvienne blinked, some of the tension leaving her face. “That is not unusual.”

“That,” the Empress replied gently, “is exactly why I said it. You have a long journey ahead of you. Let your mind rest.”

A faint smile passed between them. No one interrupted. This was more than a court formality. Two girls who had grown up under the imperial family's care were leaving for a foreign court, where they would begin a new chapter of their lives.

The Emperor spoke again, his voice carrying across the courtyard.

“The treaty stands as it was written. The friendship between our nations is a rare thing, and we intend for it to remain so.” He looked at the two girls. “Words on parchment are a beginning, but the promise of a future union gives that friendship a foundation. You go now to join the princes' household, to learn their ways and grow alongside their family, so that the peace we enjoy today may continue into the next generation.”

This was not a sacrifice meant to end a war, but a commitment intended to prevent one. Their engagements formed part of a longstanding promise between the two nations.

As they approached the carriage, Celestia turned slightly toward Silvienne.

“So that’s it,” Silvienne said quietly.

“Yes.”

“We are the treaty.”

Celestia considered her words for a moment before answering. “We are part of the promise.”

The carriage doors closed. A moment later, the horses began to move, carrying them away from the capital.

For a while, neither girl spoke. The familiar gardens and palace grounds slowly disappeared through the window, replaced by winding roads that led toward the border.

“How long will the escort stay with us?” Silvienne finally asked.

“Until we reach the foreign court and our arrival is confirmed,” Celestia answered. “After that, they'll return home. Some of our attendants will remain with us, though.”

Silvienne nodded, watching the passing scenery. After a moment, she spoke again.

“I wonder what our new home will be like.”

Celestia glanced at her. “We'll find out soon enough.”

“That's true.”

Neither of them said anything more. They knew the purpose of their journey and the roles expected of them, but the life waiting beyond the border remained unfamiliar. Whatever awaited them, they would have to discover it for themselves.

After a while, Celestia spoke.

“At least one thing does not change.”

Silvienne glanced at her. “And that is?”

Celestia looked forward, reaching out to take Silvienne’s hand in her own. “We are still together. Whatever happens, we'll face it side by side.”

Silvienne looked down at their joined hands, then smiled faintly.

“...Yes,” she whispered. “At least there is that.”

The carriage continued onward, away from the nation that had raised them and toward the one they would soon come to know. Beyond the horizon lay a foreign court, unfamiliar faces, and a future neither girl could yet imagine.

For now, they had a long journey ahead of them—and each other for company.