Soren got comfortable in the glass palanquin, surrounded by the comforting jasmine scent and the lingering warmth of Lucian's presence from the night before. He breathed heavily, the sound coming out of his chest in a kind of rhythm.
His mind was still on how he would secretly finish reading all the books Aethel had brought for him. Aethel had brought five books so far, each about the Queens of the Veridian kingdom. They were all the same, they mostly ended up meeting the same end, like a tree, after taking part in the Deep Synchronization that Soren had refused.
Basically, they were Queens who dedicated their lives to Veridian after they became Queen. Most of them became 'Caretakers' of the Mother Tree. But one Queen decided not to, and that was a long time before Queen Seraphina was crowned. Her name was Queen Lysanthir Sun-Glass.
