Ruling suited her — despite how much she hated it, being Queen gave her a freedom she never knew existed.

And a chance to make changes across the known world.

“The room is gorgeous.” Davina said quietly as she eyed the hanging pieces of parchment before her — pieces of spells she was trying to put back together. Powerful ones. “Tis everythin I could imagine mehself. Part here. Part Barley.” Inaaya bowed her head deeply. “I am glad you are pleased, Majesty. I am already making plans for the throne room as you requested.” She added as she raised her gaze to the woman’s back. Davina felt the prickling gaze and smiled faintly. “Before ye begin there, I have another task for ye.”

Turning, the petite witch lightly crossed her arms against her chest. “I need ye ta travel to a few places for meh. Outside of Magia.” Davina watched as Inaaya’s eyes widened in surprise — and fear. The dark skinned woman had been born and raised in Magia. She had never been beyond the shorelines. “Meh birthplace, Barley, ta shore up our alliance there and listen ta what the folk be sayin about Magia, meh, and the alliance. Then ta a place called Rovan. Meh last visit did nae go as planned, and I hope ye will do better brokerin an alliance there. Finally ye are ta go ta Snow Mystic. Give the King meh warm regards, but tis important ye deliver this letter ta a man named Darius. It may nae be easy ta get ta him, but I know ye will find a way.” That was one of the reasons Davina had chosen her, after all. “Then ye can return here and tell meh all ye have learned. Understood?”

Davina raised a single eyebrow, and though a lump had formed as her throat tightened in both fear and worry, Inaaya was able to force out a couple of words as she lowered into a quick curtsey. “Yes, Majesty.” Davina smiled again. “Good. Ye had best go and pack yer things, then. Ye leave with the tide tomorrow.” With that Davina turned back to her spells as Inaaya quickly excused herself from the Queen’s private workroom.

@theheartofbarley @casadegiordano @caspianmaxson

…Her magic grew and strengthened every day…

“Time ta get this game o’ chess started. . .and this Queen tis out for blood.”

“Ye understand meh expectations, aye?” Davina asked, casting a glance over one shoulder so that she could lay multi-colored hues upon the dark skinned woman standing in the room behind her. “Yes, Majesty.” Inaaya replied quietly, dropping her gaze as she bent her knees in a quick curtsy that fluttered her silken, dark lavender skirts. “Good.” Came Davina’s response, turning away from the window that allowed her a glimpse at the beautiful gardens below to fully face the other woman. “As Mistress of the Keys ye control this household. Yer meh eyes and ears in all things. Meh most trusted servant.” Davina had come to know of the woman and her unique skillset through a chain of whispers and rumors, and as Davina didn’t quite trust her aunts and uncles — she needed someone she could trust.

“I will not let you down, Majesty.” Inaaya responded, features firming with a mix of determination and seriousness. “I understand what is at stake.” She added, lifting her gaze to meet Davina’s head on. “Good.” Davina said again, her lips quirking into the slightest of smiles. “With yer help I may turn Magia in ta a great, powerful nation. One ta be feared and respected.” Stepping away, Davina moved to her desk where a ring of keys sat, slender fingers plucking them up and then coming back to place them in Inaaya’s hands. “Time ta begin this game o’ chess, and this Queen tis out for blood.” She grinned then, while Inaaya carefully swallowed while closing her fingers over the keys. “Yes, Majesty.”

“Go, get ye settled into yer rooms. Tomorrow yer work begins. I want the decor updated. Start with the throne room and meh rooms.” At Davina’s dismissal, Inaaya was quick to curtsy again and leave the office, the keys jingling in her hand as she hurried away.

Being the one in charge all the time wasn’t easy…especially when you were doing it alone.

Lumina was a city filled with a conglomeration of magical creatures that didn’t fit in with the three largest populations. One never knew what one would find upon visiting there, but it was always an enlightening experience — hence its name.

All were welcome in the large, expensive city, one that looked like any you would find in other parts of the world. Stone houses, manors, and cottages broken by tiny fields or forested areas…houses anything from shifters, to dragonkin, to the occasional daemon and vampire, and half-breed.

The population was constantly changing, but one thing that was always constant was that every person there had magic singing in their blood.

Home to the mysterious, mythical races known across the world, Solaris was what most mundane pictured when they thought of magical cities and nations. All kinds of Fae sprawled through the western parts of Magia, farming and growing all the things that its citizens needed to survive. Elves, Dryads, elementals and the like bonded together over shared ancestry…living and working together.

Like the merfolk, they were reclusive and territorial. Many who went searching for them, never found them unless they wished to be seen. Their woodwork and architecture were second to none, and their beauty and grace was the envy of all worldly creatures.

Kanrius, though part of Magia, was also a world apart. Located just off Magia’s southern shoreline, the underwater city was home to Magia’s merfolk and other watery creatures like sirens, selkie, water elementals, and sprites. Ancient stone ruins and towering structures housed one Magia’s smaller populations, but one that no less important to the kingdom’s economy and soon-to-be traded goods than any of the others.

Reclusive and territorial, Kanrius was not some place that Davina to take Owen or Irune to, but she could still show them through the clear blue waters just a glimpse of the mystery that lay below.

The witchy area of Magia was known as Briarwynd, and though most called it a city, it was more like a province. Covens grouped together nearest the palace, the houses big enough to house a family, while still small enough to be called a cottage sprawled in the forests and the fields to the east until earth met sand at the islands edge.

The one thing that tied them all together was the herbs that could be found dangling from the ceiling of every witches keeping room, and the small witchy gardens where plants, flowers, and herbs for making potions, spells, and salves were grown amongst the normal fruits and vegetables one needed to survive.

It was the first area that Davina chose to show Owen on his tour alongside Irune. These were her people. Witches just like her.

@theheartofbarley @thewaywardwitches

Now that her reign was officially announced and she had dealt with her first round of foreign alliances, it was time to focus on something a little closer to home: magic.

Calling on her new friend the white witch, Davina was determined to get in touch with her own inner one. Then her power could grow and Magia would become a force to be reckon with.

@thewaywardwitches

Saying goodbye is never easy….especially if it might be forever.

“Ye and I both know that nae all of Barley be friendly ta the magical.” Davina reminded Owen as they sat together in one of the parlors, discussing what an alliance might look like between their two nations. “Iffin any in Barley who posses magic wish ta come here, they would have sanctuary in Magia. A home. They could learn more about their blood and magic iffin they wish.” And she would treat them no differently than she treated the native Magians. “All we ask in return is for supplies ta be available should we need them during troubled times.” Because they both knew the council in Barley couldn’t guarantee those of Magia would be safe — not really. “And we offer ye what goods we can trade. Carved woods from the Elves, pearls from the depths of the sea, tropical fruits and other growing things from our Fae.” She would offer no magical objects from the witches for she knew how they’d be received by Barley’s towns people, and she didn’t want the hard work of her people to go to waste. “Once we have a fleet o’ our own, we can begin ta send our own goods.”

Reaching an agreement, the two shook hands. Davina would have to figure out who was responsible for drawing up such documents in her own palace while Owen handled things in Barley. They would be again at a later date to solidify the alliance once the council had given their approval. Until then, Davina had a lot of work to do in outfitting her staff with people she could trust. Two of them had just left and the third was bound to Barley and his family. So she’d have to get creative and look else where for her own advisors, ambassadors, and such.

“Why do ye let him rule ye?” It was a valid question, and Davina had never been anything but blunt in most of her dealings.

“I cannae help ye if ye do nae want ta help yerself.”

But Aurora didn’t want her help. This was the life she had chosen for herself — punishment for the sins of her youth. Nothing Davina said would change her mind right now, and Davina disliked Caspian for forcing Aurora to play such a part as she was.

“Iffin ye ever do change yer mind, then ye have a place here. The offer will always stand.” It was nearly exactly what she had said to Darius just before he left. “And Iffin ye do wed this Duke, then I will put on a smile for ye and bring the alcohol.” It was why they were best friends — almost sisters.

“Now come so I can make pleasantries with yer cousin ta start this game and see ye both off.” And hopefully get to see Aurora again sooner rather than later.

Candles burned everywhere in the palace as she made her say to the small study she had requested Owen be instructed to in while she handled other conversations.

She had said goodbye to Darius and watched as his ship pushed back from port and caught the sea breezes northward with a little nudge from her. Then she had met with Aurora. That conversation on the tails of speaking with Darius had left her absolutely drained emotionally and mentally. Add having to make pleasantries with Caspian alongside promises of visits to come and an alliance to discuss, and Davina was ready to call it a day.

But there was Owen.

She flashed him a smile as she passed through the door, handing a folder filled with papers off to the servant who held the door for her as she passed. “Sorry to keep ye waiting. I had ta see off other foreign dignitaries who were leavin today.” Owen, thankfully, had been convinced to stay another day or two so she could show him more of Magia. But first — alliance discussions. She took a seat across from him and waited for a servant to fill two glasses with wine from a trolly against the wall and set them upon the table between them before she spoke again. “So tomorrow we shall go on an adventure. But tonight I thought we should discuss alliance terms, so the work be done and out of the way.” As Barley’s ambassador, that was his job. And as Queen without an ambassador whom she trusted, that was now her job too. “Given ye are more experienced than I, ye can do most of the talkin and I’ll nod or shake my head.” She grinned at him. “What do ye think?” Part of that was in jest, but for the most part she was completely serious. This was her second time to an alliance meeting and both of them knew how the first had gone!

No amount of ancestral wisdom or memories could make up for actual experience here. Nope.

Finally, there was Owen.

“I believe I owe ye a business meetin’. Come find meh when yer done explorin and gettin lost. — D”

@theheartofbarley

She had decided before he even stepped foot into the garden to be honest with him — but not completely honest.

“Aurora asked meh to find a way to keep ye here.” She began, waiting until he was sitting beside her upon the cool marble bench before dropping that bomb. “Do nae be angry with her. I think she be afraid of what ye will find when ye return ta Snow Mystic. Tis why I wanted ye ta know so that ye could prepare yerself for the worst.” And if things were no longer as dire as they were before, then it would be a pleasant surprise — but that rarely happened where Snow Mystic was concerned. “Whatever ye felt, tis as bad or even worse than ye think.” A breath was blown out as she leaned forward to rest her forearms on the tops of her thighs. “I wish I could go with ye. Ta help ye as ye helped meh here.” Head craned so she could glance back at him over her shoulder. “I do nae know if we will ever see one another again, but I hope we do. And ye are always welcome here, nae matter how much time has passed.” A smiled was offered then.

That was the honest part, but what she didn’t tell him was that she really didn’t want him to leave. He was one of the few people she felt she could trust, and now that he was leaving there would be no one left in Magia. But it was more than that. She wanted him to stay, and not just because he was a good friend.

It was far more than that.

Finally, there was Owen.

“I believe I owe ye a business meetin’. Come find meh when yer done explorin and gettin lost. — D”

@theheartofbarley