12 - Celestia

The road to Celestia curved past wide fields and tidy villages, each more lively than the last. Smoke curled from chimneys, the air carried the scent of baked bread, and merchants called out their wares with practiced voices.

Luna didn’t walk so much as bounce. Her hood slipped back with every step, revealing eyes that darted at everything—pots of honey, polished knives, baskets of glossy apples. She stopped at nearly every stall, her questions rapid and unfiltered.

“What’s this? Oh, that’s heavy. Do you make these yourself? Why is it shaped like that? Does this fruit taste sweet? Sour? Both?”

The stallkeepers answered as best they could, some amused, some bewildered by the little girl with boundless curiosity.

From her carriage, Anna Crimson leaned against the open window, her cheek resting on her palm. She watched Luna dart from one booth to the next with a smile she couldn’t quite suppress.

“She really doesn’t tire, does she?” Anna murmured.

One of the knights walking alongside the carriage chuckled. “Not once since we left the last town. Like a bird freed from a cage.”

Anna’s tutor, seated opposite her inside the carriage, crossed her arms. “A dangerous bird,” she said, her tone sharp. “Don’t forget what she did to the wheel.”

Anna rolled her eyes. “You’re still on that? She fixed it.”

“With ice that hasn’t melted,” the mage shot back. “Not once. Even now it holds firm. Tell me, my lady, how many mages alive could do that?”

Anna pressed her lips together. She had no answer—at least, none that would make her tutor relax. Still, her gaze drifted back to Luna.

Whatever the truth of her power, the girl looked more like a child lost in wonder than a threat.

By midday, they paused in a small village square. Chickens pecked along the dirt, children tugged at their mothers’ skirts, and the air buzzed with chatter.

Luna stopped dead in the middle of the square. Her nose twitched.

“…Caramel.”

Anna nearly laughed. “You can tell just by smelling?”

Luna spun in a circle, tracking the sweet note on the breeze. When she spotted a stand with golden glaze dripping down skewered apples, she all but sprinted.

The vendor, an older woman with flour-dusted sleeves, blinked as Luna slammed both hands on the counter.

“How much?” Luna demanded.

The woman blinked again, then smiled. “Two coins, little one.”

Luna fished out a coin without hesitation. A coin of ten percent gold, given as casually.

The woman, then exchanged it for a heap of one percent gold coins. “You’re well taken care of, I see.”

“Of course I am,” Luna replied, biting into her prize. The crunch was sharp, the sugar sweet enough to make her eyes close in bliss.

Anna had followed, arms crossed. “You know, you’re obsessed.”

Luna opened one eye. “I’m not obsessed. I’m practical.”

“Practical?”

“Mages use their brains. Brains need glucose. Glucose comes from sugar.” She took another huge bite, muffled words tumbling out. “Therefore sweets are necessary. It’s basic biology.”

Anna barked a laugh. “That’s the worst reasoning I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s true,” Luna insisted, sticky juice running down her chin. “If I stop eating sweets, my spells will fail. Do you want that to happen?”

One of the knights, overhearing, muttered to another, “If that’s true, the guild should start paying us in tarts.” The two nearly doubled over with laughter until Anna silenced them with a glare.

Still, even she couldn’t hide her grin when Luna returned to her side, face smug and hands sticky.

The days blurred as villages passed one by one, each leaving Luna more curious, more energized. She would stop to watch a blacksmith shape iron, crouch to inspect a farmer’s herbs, or even trail after children chasing hoops through the streets until Anna called her back.

To Anna’s attendants, it was equal parts exhausting and entertaining. The female knight admitted more than once, “She reminds me of my little sister.” Even the sternest guard softened when Luna offered them pieces of candy she had bought along the way.

Only the tutor mage remained rigid, eyes narrowing every time Luna smiled too brightly. “Harmless things are often the most dangerous,” she muttered when Anna teased her.

But Anna’s own feelings were simpler. She found herself laughing more, speaking easier, whenever Luna was near. There was something refreshing about her—unguarded, stubborn, but genuine.

It wasn’t until the seventh morning that the towers of Celestia appeared on the horizon. White stone walls stretched high, their edges glowing faintly as if the sun itself clung to them.

Beyond, rooftops shimmered in neat rows, and a spire taller than any other split the sky like a blade of light.

Luna stopped in her tracks, jaw slack. “…Whoa.”

Anna stepped down from her carriage just to see her reaction. She wasn’t disappointed. Luna’s wide eyes reflected the city like glass.

“Majestic,” Anna said softly, pride slipping into her tone. “This is Celestia.”

“It’s… like heaven,” Luna whispered.

Anna’s attendants exchanged glances. To them, the city was familiar, but seeing it through Luna’s wonder almost made it feel new again.

The road narrowed as they approached the gate. Guards in white-and-gold armor stood tall, halberds crossed before the carriage. Their eyes scanned the group, lingering on Luna with a flicker of suspicion.

Before questions could form, Anna’s carriage banner caught their gaze—the emblem of white flames, Count Crimson’s crest.

The guards stiffened, then bowed. “Lady Crimson. You and your party are welcome.”

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The halberds lifted, and the gate swung open.

Luna blinked, then looked at Anna. “You’re… really a noble huh?”

Anna tilted her chin smugly. “Of course.”

Luna’s teaseful demeanor immediately lessened when she realized something. “…Thanks. If not for you, I might’ve been stuck outside.”

Anna blinked. She didn’t know the reason for Luna’s gratitude, but her lips curved in satisfaction anyway. “Naturally. Stick with me.”

The moment they entered, Luna nearly forgot to breathe. Celestia was nothing like the rough towns she had seen before. The streets gleamed with white stone, lined with flowering trees that spilled petals into the breeze.

Shops rose tall and neat, their windows filled with silks and crystals. Music drifted from an open plaza where performers played lutes and flutes in harmony.

“Beautiful,” Luna whispered, turning in slow circles.

Anna clasped her hands behind her back, watching her. “Better than the villages?”

“Better than everything,” Luna replied without hesitation.

But then Anna tilted her head, eyes narrowing. “Tell me, Luna. Are you here to apply at Celestial Academy?”

Luna froze. “Eh?”

“The Academy,” Anna repeated. “Don’t tell me you forgot? That’s why everyone comes here.”

Luna scratched her cheek, avoiding her gaze. “…I’m not applying.”

Anna stopped dead. “What?”

“I’m not going to any academy. Ever.”

Anna stared, scandalized. “Why not? It’s the most prestigious place in the world!”

“Because,” Luna said firmly, “I’m going to travel. And eat sweets.”

Anna’s mouth opened, closed, then opened again. “That’s your reason?!”

“Good reason, too,” Luna said, walking ahead as if the conversation were over.

Anna stomped after her, cheeks puffed. “Unbelievable. Absolutely—”

She cut off, her eyes falling to the wheel of the carriage, still gleaming with untouched ice. The attendants noticed too. Even after days of travel, under sun and friction, the ice had not melted or cracked.

The mage furrowed her brow, lips pressed tight. “Impossible,” she whispered.

Luna, oblivious to the growing unease, pressed her face against the glass of a sweet shop they passed. “Anna. Cakes. Now.”

Anna sighed, torn between exasperation and laughter. “Fine, fine.”

And so, with sweets on her mind and mysteries trailing behind her, Luna stepped deeper into the City of Light.

The sweet shop was three streets from the gate, tucked between a jeweler’s and a music hall. A painted sign showed a golden tart steaming in the sun. Luna stopped so suddenly that Anna nearly ran into her back.

“There,” Luna whispered, reverent as though pointing to a shrine.

Anna followed her gaze. “It’s just a bakery.”

“It’s not just a bakery,” Luna corrected, stepping closer. “Look at that frosting. Look at that crust.” Her breath fogged the glass of the window. “That is destiny.”

Before Anna could tease her, Luna slipped inside. Bells on the door jingled, and the smell of butter and sugar enveloped them both. Shelves lined with cream cakes, fruit tarts, and glazed pastries stretched out like treasure hoards.

The shopkeeper, a plump man with rosy cheeks, blinked as Luna marched straight to the counter. “How many cakes can I buy for…” she dug into her pouch, spilling a few of half gold coins in a clatter, “this much?”

The man nearly choked. “M-my lady, with that you could—why, you could buy half the shop!”

“Perfect,” Luna said without hesitation. “I’ll take half.”

“Wait, wait, wait—” Anna grabbed her shoulder. “You’ll get sick! And besides, what will you even do with all that?”

“Eat it.”

“You’ll die.”

“Happy,” Luna replied with a straight face.

Anna pressed her fingers to her forehead. “You are impossible.”

In the end, Anna bargained her down to six cakes—two strawberry, two lemon cream, one chocolate, and one layered custard. Luna agreed only after Anna promised to share.

They carried the box between them as they strolled through Celestia. The streets bustled with merchants hawking jeweled fabrics, rune-inscribed scrolls, and perfumes that glittered in glass bottles.

A group of performers juggled flaming torches in a square, earning coins from clapping children.

Anna pointed out landmarks as they went, the Mage’s Plaza, where spellcasters dueled in friendly bouts, the Scholar’s Hall, where libraries spanned four floors, and finally the towering statue of the first King of Light.

His features were sharp, idealized, his hand raised toward the heavens as though offering light itself.

Luna tilted her head at it. “…He looks familiar.”

Anna arched a brow. “Familiar? How could he look familiar? He lived centuries ago.”

“I don’t know.” Luna frowned, as though trying to catch a slippery thought. “It just feels like I’ve seen him somewhere before.”

“Maybe in a book?”

“Maybe,” Luna said, though her expression remained troubled until a pastry shop across the street distracted her.

By late afternoon, the group made their way to the inn Anna had arranged. The building loomed three stories high, its windows trimmed with polished brass. White stone walls reflected the fading sunlight, and the carved sign above the door gleamed, The Silver Hearth.

Luna stopped short, staring at the gilded handles. “…This place looks expensive.”

Anna tilted her chin proudly. “It is expensive. Only the best for a Crimson.”

“How much?”

“One thousand two hundred coins a night.”

Luna gasped so loud that passing pedestrians turned. “One thousand two hundred?!”

Anna smirked. “Why so shocked? You have money.”

“That’s not the point! That’s more than ten times the inn in the last city!”

“Which smelled like mold.”

Luna grumbled under her breath, clutching her coin pouch like it might sprout wings and fly away. “I could buy so many cakes with that…”

“Or you could sleep in a bed that doesn’t collapse.”

Luna pouted but followed inside.

The inn’s lobby gleamed with polished floors and chandeliers strung with crystal. Maids in crisp uniforms glided between guests carrying trays of fruit and wine. A harpist played in the corner, the melody so soft it seemed woven from the air itself.

Luna froze again. “…This is heaven.”

Anna laughed. “See? Worth it.”

The innkeeper greeted them with practiced warmth, bowing when Anna presented her family’s crest. Rooms were quickly arranged, one for Anna and Luna, one for the female knight and the maids, one for the male knights, and one for the mage tutor.

When the distribution was announced, the tutor’s brows drew tight. “Pardon, my lady, but I must object. I should stay in the same room as you. For protection.”

Anna shook her head immediately. “Denied. I’m having a sleepover with Luna.”

“My lady, please,” the tutor pressed. Her eyes flicked to Luna. “She is… unpredictable. I cannot rest while she—”

“Unpredictable?” Anna snapped, her hands on her hips. “She’s harmless. And she’s my friend.”

The tutor hesitated, lips pressed in a thin line. Finally she exhaled in defeat. “As you wish, my lady.”

Her gaze lingered on Luna a moment longer, unreadable, before she turned away.

Luna, oblivious to the tension, was still staring at the chandelier. “Do you think they’ll let me take that home if I ask nicely?”

Anna groaned. “Absolutely not.”

Their room was lavish beyond Luna’s imagination. Two feather beds with silk covers, a polished desk, a wardrobe carved with floral patterns, and a tray of fruit and wine waiting on the table. The window opened to a view of the city, rooftops glowing gold in the sunset.

Luna dropped her bag immediately, crawling onto one of the beds with a sigh. “Soft…”

Anna set the cake box on the desk, smiling. “I told you this would be worth it.”

Luna rolled over, face buried in the blankets. “Still too expensive.”

“Stop complaining.” Anna sat beside her, pulling out one of the strawberry cakes. “Here.”

Luna popped up instantly, eyes shining. “Cake?”

“Yes, cake. But only if you admit I was right about the inn.”

“…Fine,” Luna muttered, snatching it. “You were right. Happy?”

“Very.”

They sat cross-legged on the bed, sharing sweets as the sky darkened. Crumbs dotted the covers, frosting smudged Luna’s cheeks, and Anna laughed more than once at the sight of her friend devouring bite after bite with single-minded joy.

“You really are like a little sister,” Anna said suddenly, her voice soft with amusement.

Luna blinked at her through a mouthful of chocolate. “…Huh?”

“Exactly like one. Always demanding, always messy, but… fun.”

Luna chewed slowly, then swallowed. Her smile was faint, but warm. “If you say so.”

She didn’t correct Anna. For once, it was nice being treated like someone’s younger sibling.

As the candles burned low, their conversation drifted. Anna spoke of her academy dreams, the classes she hoped to take, the duels she wanted to win. Luna listened, interjecting with dry comments that made Anna swat her arm.

When Anna finally asked, “What about you, Luna? What’s your dream?”

Luna licked frosting from her finger. “…Travel. Eat sweets. See everything. That’s enough.”

Anna sighed, half-exasperated, half-admiring. “You really don’t care about fame or titles, do you?”

“Not even a little,” Luna said, leaning back against the pillows. “Those just get in the way.”

Anna stared at her for a moment longer, then smiled faintly. “Strange girl.”

Luna’s eyes closed, her breathing steadying. “Takes one to know one.”

The candles flickered low, Luna felt herself drifting to sleep in comfort, her heart lighter than it had been in years.

And outside their door, unseen, the tutor mage lingered for a moment. Her hand hovered near the wood, as if she might knock.

But she didn’t. She turned away, her expression unreadable, thoughts heavy with suspicion she couldn’t quite silence.

Because no matter how harmless Luna looked, no matter how childlike her laughter sounded, the image of that untouched ice wheel burned in her mind.

Some things, the mage knew, simply shouldn’t be possible.