#B. Pigeon and Fell A. Marsh

[gaydragontournament]

ROUND 1: PART 4

Propaganda under cut

Zephyr

●Mateo and Zephyr are in human male form most of the time because they are exiled or self-exiled from the dragon realm. Mateo is jaded and depressed while Zephyr is energetic but naive, and it takes them most of the book before they realize they have feelings for each other.

Terezi Pyrope

● Her adoptive mother is a literal dragon of a species that is born blind, when Terezi is blinded by a former friend, her adoptive mom teaches her how to navigate the world the way young dragons do. Terezi loves dragons in general, and collects dragon plushies and also scales shed by real dragons. she also has sharp pointy teeth like a dragon. also she's bisexual as fuck

● her parent is a dragon and she's canonically pansexual.

she's obsessed with law and justice in an ace attorney prosecutor way, extremely cutthroat when she has to be but by no means immune to feeling guilty about it afterwards, and described as being a better manipulator than her bestie/ex-bestie/girlfriend who has literal mind control powers.

#gaydragontournament #polls #tournament poll #dragons #dragon #Poised in Either Eye by B. Pigeon and Fell A. Marsh #poised in either eye #B. Pigeon #Fell A. Marsh #B. Pigeon and Fell A. Marsh #zephyr poised in either eye #homestuck #terezi pyrope #terezi homestuck #homestuck terezi

[b-a-pigeon]

Went to the library today just to point at our own book on the shelf, lol. There it is!!

Check out Hierarchy of the Unseen if you're in Seattle! It's already available at the U District & Capitol Hill branches and soon to be at Central and Southwest :)

#seattle public library #support libraries #hierarchy of the unseen #b pigeon #fell a marsh

[artsietango]

After reading Hierarchy of the Unseen by @b-a-pigeon and @fellamarsh , I was inspired to draw these character portraits of Mitzli to try and solidfy what they looked like to me when I was reading the book.

I do plan to do a similar page for Kor as well, I just haven't had the time yet. But soon! :D

You can also read my review of Hierarchy of the Unseen here!

(Please click into the image to view it better, I'm worried about tumblr eating the quality)

#my art #aimee's art #aimee's hobbies #mitzli #hierarchy of the unseen #hotu #b-a-pigeon #fellamarsh #fell a. marsh #traditional art #book-inspired art

[fellamarsh]

Poised in Either Eye Paperbacks are ON SALE - $8.99 (30% off) all month long!

If you’re into:

Lighthearted stories with moments of emotional tension

Gay urban fantasy romance of the grumpy/sunshine variety

Dragons (in human suits)

So much trans allegory

…you should check out PIEE! It’s the story of two dragons in human form trying to survive on Earth. Aloof, grumpy punk Mateo left the artless world of dragons to live within human subcultures; sweet but mischievous Zephyr arrives in the human realm with something to prove. When the two meet, both the stability of Mateo’s human life and Zephyr’s plans to impress his family are thrown into question.

Read the book reviewers call “fun, inclusive… [and] a thoroughly good time” & “a very sweet read with surprising emotional gut punches and MCs to die for”!

Available now on Amazon and from these other major retailers!

#pride #support indie authors #queer fiction #trans fiction #lgbtq fantasy #queer books #queer fantasy #queer writers #writeblr #b pigeon #fell marsh #gaypride #dragons #urban fantasy #fantasy romance #original novel #fantasy #trans pride #gay fantasy

[haveyoureadthistransbook]

Hierarchy of the Unseen by B. Pigeon & Fell A. Marsh

goodreads

Demons and humans are locked in endless struggle. This is an intrinsic fact of nature. The demons believe their salvation lies in bleeding humanity of the life-force called light, while the humans are equally determined to defend it. Within the sprawling empire of Lu-nevet, the two sides have settled into an uneasy peace, employing less violent tactics. But this peace can only hold for so long. The state religion of Lukeira sends devout demon hunter Mitzli deep into the borderlands to bless the victims of demonic pranks. Once they arrive, however, they find unexpected signs of violence. They team up with irreligious hunter Veleiry to investigate—and the destruction the two uncover is an ominous sign of what’s to come. Meanwhile, shiftless demon Kor falls under the scrutiny of his vampiric commander, Mant—meaning he must actually do the work of tormenting humans, rather than taking credit from his now-ex-partner Yez. Slowly, he begins to realize that the demons’ strategy is shifting, and may be heading down a path he cannot follow. Mitzli and Kor will have to betray their respective factions if they want to put an end to the violence before it escalates. But the two of them, both outcasts among their own kind, are the only ones who know the truth. How can they protect the world if no one will listen?

Mod opinion: I hadn't heard of this book before and unfortunately fantasy books with a lot of world building rarely interest me, but if you like fantasy with lots of world building this sounds interesting.

#hierarchy of the unseen #b. pigeon #polls #trans lit #trans literature #trans books #lgbt lit #lgbt literature #lgbt books #fantasy #nonbinary #own voices

[ashen-crest]

[ID: two photos of the book Hierarchy of the Unseen by B. Pigeon and Fell A. Marsh, one from the front, one from the side to show the thickness. The book cover shows a crescent moon on a dark blue sky, with stylized blue and sand-colored hills below, a white sun half-hidden at the bottom of the sandy hills. End ID]

Look at what arrived today!! It’s more of a chonker than I expected! Excited to read it in July :)

@b-a-pigeon @fellamarsh congrats again on the release!!

#hierarchy of the unseen #writeblr #bookblr

[lacependragon]

Bought some self pub ebooks today. Bless the world.

Hierarchy of the Unseen by B. Pigeon and Fell A. Marsh

Hunger Pangs: True Love Bites by Joy Demorra

Hyacinth by Elle Porter

The Prince of Starlight by Lou Wilham

Villainous by Lou Wilham

#lace speaks #books #book haul #bookblr

[alt-air]

February 2024 Reading Roundup

Hello February. I am late with writing this because so many things have happened near the end of the month but now im here! And what a month it was everyone I started T, went to Puerto Rico, did some secret March activities that I will talk about next reading roundup. I also realized I am running out of time to try restaurants where I live so I have been spending like a madman so RIP to my bank account. This month I feel like has been an up and down for reading. I definitely slowed down a bit at the beginning of the month then panicked and realized I only have a couple weeks before Ramadan starts so I have to finish all my checked out books. I also realized I read too much fantasy so im gunna try to start diversifying my genres a bit but damn do i love my made up worlds. anyway best of luck to me i have like 3 days to finish 4 books.

Favorites of the month: Tadek and the Princess, And Then He Sang A Lullaby

Standalones

Saint Juniper's Folly by Alex Crespo ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hierarchy of the Unseen by B. Pigeon and Fell A. Marsh ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Membranes by Chi Ta-Wei ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Green Fuses Burning by Tiffany Morris ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Country Will Bring Us No Peace by Matthieu Simard ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Witch King by Martha Wells ⭐⭐⭐.5

Tadek and the Princess by Alexandra Rowland ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

A Vision of Moonlight and Other Stories by Tamara Jeree ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

And Then He Sang A Lullaby by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Cinder the Fireplace Boy and Other Gayly Grimm Tales by Ana Mardoll ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Series

All the Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Savage Bounty by Matt Wallace ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Savage Crowns by Matt Wallce ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Malice by Heather Walters ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Misrule by Heather Walters ⭐⭐⭐.5

Nonfiction

Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Davis ⭐⭐⭐⭐

#ilyasreadsbooks #februaryreadingroundup #reading roundup

[authortango]

Hierarchy of the Unseen ARC Book Review

I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of Hierarchy of the Unseen by B. Pigeon ( @b-a-pigeon ) & Fell A. Marsh ( @fellamarsh ) in exchange for an honest review. 

Mitzli is a devout demon hunter, dedicated to their craft in order to make up for being born half-vampire, half-human. Kor is a demon who doesn’t even believe in the god he serves, much less the god the human’s believe in. Kor and Mitzli effectively get handcuffed together by fate and are forced to work together, even though their personalities, beliefs, and goals are complete polar opposites to each other. But if they don’t work together, it could mean the end of life as Mitzli knows it, and the end of the life Kor has been dreaming of having for so long.

This book is incredibly interesting due to the complexity of worldbuilding and the religious politics that hold it together, as well as the captivating personalities and motivations of the characters. It takes a second to get through the first couple of chapters as you familiarize yourself with the world and the main characters, but once the big realizations start happening it really takes off, and it’s easy to keep turning the pages to learn what happens next.

I’m very excited to see how the next book explores Kor and Mitzli’s relationship further as they continue to try and save the world. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop as unwilling partners to being the only one the other can trust, and I can’t wait to hopefully see more of that. 

Hierarchy of the Unseen releases June 21st, so if you’re interested in checking it out, preorder the ebook (https://books2read.com/HierarchyUnseen ) and save it to your TBR on Goodreads and Storygraph!

#book review #arc review #hierarchy of the unseen #hotu #hope it's okay to post this here #advanced reader copy

[maguayans]

AYE’S YEAR OF WRITING ‘22

Hi, hello! How have you been? I hope the season’s treating you well. It’s that time of the year again—to see how I ruled as a writer this year. (It’s already 2023, though. Happy New Year!)

GENERAL WORD COUNT: Forty-one thousand eight hundred plus words—pops confetti—across eleven stories! That’s not a lot compared to what I’ve written last year, but I’m pretty proud of it, especially because almost half of it was written within thirty days—thanks, Camp Nano.

If you happen to stumble upon my posts, you may know some of them: Lethal Bloods, Mariang Makiling, Red Complex, Crimson, Fair Waters, Maharlika, All in Favor, Say Aye, Red Cuts, Where the Poet Went to Die, Don’t Fall Asleep, and Tres.

Yeah…I don’t think jumping from one WIP to another is good…for me. But it’s fun!

WORKS IN PROGRESS: In addition to drafting the stories listed above, a few ideas came up and made it to my list of projects. It seems like I’d never run out of stories to write and talk about.

New WIP #1: Human x Deities — Once in a while the deities would come down from their heavenly, divine realm to visit the mundane (like tourists.) When they do, a human would accompany them (like a tourist guide). The story features the gods of Philippine Mythology, soulmates and reincarnations (I’m a huge sucker for it), shamans and glowing tattoos.

New WIP #2: Flea Market Isekai — MC enters a flea market at the wrong time and finds herself in the same market with a different crowd. The story features the wonderful creatures of Philippine Mythology.

There are also four new short stories. *eye emojis*

WORLDBUILDING: Maybe I didn’t surpass my word count last year because I was too immersed in ✨worldbuilding✨.

Tres. Following the decision to change the titles and revise the origins of the characters I immediately went to Tres’s worldbuilding — an island far, far away; isolated from the main population (which could mean a lot of things, but most importantly overlooked crimes, gore, and everything in between.) The island, San Angel, is modest and gorgeous, but like a multicolored amphibian in a rainforest, it is deadly. Lovely flowers grow by the earthen roads, and underneath lies the remains of those buried without tombstones.

Red Complex. The red strings universe is expanding. In addition to a novella called Red Cuts, there’s a short story collection featuring characters from the mundane and the Matchmaker’s realm.

The Morose Cat. There’s a mini worldbuilding series I call, The Uphill Town, introducing a town up the hill (where the story takes place) and what makes it so different…and magical. For one, there’s an abandoned shrine that cats always pass through, and where the veil between the mundane and the otherworldly fades.

Elementaliaverse. There are so many things I added recently to the project and the stories. Mainly: Mystique Heights, Fair Waters, and Maharlika.

Worldbuilding, my beloved.

WRITEBLR. I can confidently say I interacted with the community more in 2022, and it was so much fun! Hopefully, I could do the same and more this 2023, and participate in more writeblr events/activities. Speaking of which, here are two: 30 Days, 30 Lines Challenge (by blind-the-winds), and Trick or Treat Writeblr Halloween Event (by pluttskutt). Thank you so much for these!

BOOKS & READING. I read less than ten books, and I enjoyed them. I am open to random book recommendations in my inbox/messages. I'll continue reading reviews/posts about books—how I discovered The Great Library series. (A writeblr posted about how much they enjoyed reading the books, so I bought copies. They were on the third book then, If I remember correctly, and I wanted to reblog the post but I forget their handle.)

Crier’s War Duology, Nina Varela

House of Hollow, Krystal Sutherland

The Great Library (1-4), Rachel Caine

Intersections, B. Pigeon; Fell Marsh

MISCELLANEOUS/PERSONAL. We went on a trip for Christmas, and the funniest, most writer thing I did was buy a stick (an arnis stick, the vendor told me, though it seemed different), thinking it would help me write one of my WIPs. It was affordable, so I guess it was fine. ( A little Christmas gift for me, I told myself. But I did buy more than a stick from a gift shop. *laughs hysterically*)

INITIAL PLANS FOR 2023. Read at least twenty-five (25) books. // Finish at least one (1) draft. // Share two (2) short stories. 

I think...I’m going to be busy.

Thank you so much for reading! Enjoy the rest of the season. Stay warm and safe. Let’s hope 2023 will be kind and gentle. Cheers to more writing and reading and writeblr-ing!

If you have time, visit #ayearofwriting to see how other writers owned 2022!

#ayearofwriting #ayearofwriting22 #writeblr #am-ayow #i am alsoo catching up!!

[willowiswriting]

Hi Willow! I'm Raisa and I'm new to writeblr! I've been looking for active members of the community who'd like to be mutuals. Do you have any recommendations? My dominant style is new adult comedy with naturally diverse characters, and I'm a lover of all genres from other writers!! Thanks!!!

Hi! Welcome to writeblr!

I write almost exclusively adult fantasy, and most, if not all, of the blogs I recommend also write mostly fantasy, so take my recs with a grain of salt if that's not totally your thing.

@b-a-pigeon is one of my faves! They are a self-published indie author, and I can personally recommend their books Mirrored in Evergreen and Poised in Either Eye (the latter they co-wrote with fellow author Fell A. Marsh, who is also here on Tumblr!)

@ashen-crest has one book in the works of being self-published, I believe, as well as a free prequel available! The excerpts of writing that I’ve read so far are lovely and fantastical. Me want read.

@emelkae ‘s WANNABE is on my TBR as soon as I’m done with the two library books I have checked out. Their writing makes me so excited to read the full-length book!

@sleepyowlwrites is like, the sweetest human being on the planet? I see her in other people’s ask boxes all the time saying nice things and giving encouragement. She’s just simply a delight.

Other people I am always happy to see on my dash include @purgatorydotexe @zmlorenz @magic-is-something-we-create and probably at least a hundred more. If I forgot anyone please yell at me in the replies.

I would also recommend checking out @worldbuildingwedasks for questions to participate in WBW, if that’s your thing, @flashfictionfridayofficial for Flash Fiction Friday, if THAT’S your thing, and @welcometowriteblr and their Discord channel to meet even more humans who write things~

Friends, please feel free to reblog this to introduce yourself if you so desire!

#raisapathy #askbox #genuinely sorry i couldn't tag literally everyone i follow but i would be here for 24 hours if i did that #love u all

[gaydragontournament]

ROUND 1: PART 2

Propaganda under cut

Nimona

● She can turn into a dragon that breathes cereal. She is also possibly a trans metaphor.

Mateo

● Mateo and Zephyr are in human male form most of the time because they are exiled or self-exiled from the dragon realm. Mateo is jaded and depressed while Zephyr is energetic but naive, and it takes them most of the book before they realize they have feelings for each other.

#gaydragontournament #ask #polls #tournament poll #dragons #dragon #nimona #poised in either eye #Poised in Either Eye by B. Pigeon and Fell A. Marsh

[b-a-pigeon]

Fell & I are now accepting beta reader applications for our fantasy novel, Hierarchy of the Unseen!! Read on for details:

What is HotU? It’s a collaborative fantasy novel written by B. Pigeon and Fell Marsh, following a devout demon hunter and a shiftless demon who must team up to avert the apocalypse. It explores themes of faith, power, light & darkness, and alienation & assimilation.

What should I know going in? HotU has some pretty dark themes; the demons manipulate, torment and kill humans. There are some pretty graphic references to death & dead bodies, arson, imprisonment, abuse, torture, etc. We're happy to elaborate in greater detail on request.

What kind of feedback are you looking for? The purpose of beta reading is to get average readers’ opinions, so we’re mostly interested in your honest thoughts about what worked and didn’t work for you! We’ll provide some broad questions about characters, plotting, worldbuilding, etc. but these are optional.

What’s the timeline? Now through March 19!

How do I sign up? Fill out this 4-question Google Form & we'll get back to you soon, or just DM me :)

#beta request #beta readers #queer fantasy #lgbt fantasy #nonbinary fantasy #trans fantasy #b pigeon #fell marsh #hierarchy of the unseen #queer books #trans books #lgbt books #queer authors #trans authors #authors of color #indie authors #authors of tumblr #writeblr #writblr #booklr

[b-a-pigeon]

Hierarchy of the Unseen is on sale this week!

HotU is a fantasy novel following a devout demon hunter who isn't fully human and a lackluster demon who isn't quite committed to his role in the world. The two must team up to uncover a conspiracy that threatens life as they know it—but how can they protect the world if no one will listen?

ARC reviewers called it "immersive," "complex," and "page-turning" and compared it (very generously!) to Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, Priory of the Orange Tree, and Good Omens.

If you like your fantasy character-driven and queer, with developed worldbuilding and creative takes on magic and religion, check it out before the price goes up! Read a full summary & grab your copy at any of these bookstores 🌑🌞

#reposted bc I FORGOT ABOUT TAGS... oops #queer fantasy #lgbt fantasy #queer books #lgbt books #writers on tumblr #writblr #writeblr #fantasy books #diverse fantasy #queer writers #queer authors #trans writers #trans authors #indie books #ownvoices #my writing #hierarchy of the unseen #b. pigeon #fell a. marsh

[b-a-pigeon]

Hierarchy of the Unseen is a fantasy novel set in a unique world, with fresh takes on demons and gods. It's a character-driven story (with stakes!), featuring a diverse cast of complicated freaks and themes of alienation, invisibility, power, and hope.

I'll post the full blurb below the read more link, but in short, Hierarchy of the Unseen is the story of a shiftless demon and a devout half-human demon hunter. The two cross paths while investigating a conspiracy that threatens to topple the world as they know it—but they're the only ones who know the truth, and as outcasts among their own kinds, how can they convince anyone to listen?

It's out June 21 and available now as an ARC! You can apply to read now on Booksirens, Storyorigin, or this Google Form. Update: we're also on Netgalley !!

(Interested in reading once it's published? You can add it to your TBR on Goodreads & Storygraph, or preorder the ebook now!)

Ok here's the blurb:

Demons and humans are locked in endless struggle.

This is an intrinsic fact of nature. The demons believe their salvation lies in bleeding humanity of the life-force called light, while the humans are equally determined to defend it.

Within the sprawling empire of Lu-nevet, the two sides have settled into an uneasy peace, employing less violent tactics. But this peace can only hold for so long.

The state religion of Lukeira sends devout demon hunter Mitzli deep into the borderlands to bless the victims of demonic pranks. Once they arrive, however, they find unexpected signs of violence. They team up with irreligious hunter Veleiry to investigate—and the destruction the two uncover is an ominous sign of what’s to come.

Meanwhile, shiftless demon Kor falls under the scrutiny of his vampiric commander, Mant—meaning he must actually do the work of tormenting humans, rather than taking credit from his now-ex-partner Yez. Slowly, he begins to realize that the demons’ strategy is shifting, and may be heading down a path he cannot follow.

Mitzli and Kor will have to betray their respective factions if they want to put an end to the violence before it escalates. But the two of them, both outcasts among their own kind, are the only ones who know the truth. How can they protect the world if no one will listen?

#hierarchy of the unseen #arc readers wanted #arc readers #booklr #bookblr #fantasy books #queer fantasy #lgbt fantasy #queer books #queer authors #lgbt books #trans books #trans authors #b. pigeon #authors on tumblr #writers on tumblr #fell a. marsh #writeblr #my writing #writblr

[b-a-pigeon]

What From the Water Rises #1

Check out yesterday's intro post if you missed it—but tl;dr, @fellamarsh and I have a new project consisting of interconnected shorts taking place in the same fantasy world, and we're planning on releasing them for free on a biweekly basis!

If you like what you read, you can also follow us on Patreon to see our public posts (or become a patron if you want access to exclusive content & lots of other perks!) or subscribe on Substack to get the stories straight to your inbox :)

* * *

That night, Phaeon guarded the prince in silence.

For any other monarch, this was the norm; royals inevitably came to ignore the constant presence of their guard, and Phaeon’s training had emphasized the importance of disappearing into the background. In the prince’s antechamber, especially, he could’ve vanished among the clutter with little effort. The narrow space was almost overwhelmingly ornate, its walls crowded with ancient tapestries, paintings, and mirrors in gold-lacquered frames all the way up to the high, curved ceiling, which was itself inlaid with bright patterns of tilework.

It would have been easy for him to press his back against the wall and pretend he did not exist.

But the prince, unlike his relatives, always wanted to speak with Phaeon when he stood guard—sharing something he’d read, asking about what happened outside of the palace walls, inquiring about Phaeon himself. It was one of his little quirks, his quiet rejections of etiquette, like the way he insisted upon oiling his own hair, and demanded the royal guard sit while watching over him.

That night, though, he had yet to say a word after they greeted each other. He wasn’t ignoring Phaeon, which would have been easy enough to accept—but instead staring unsettlingly at him through his reflection in the vanity mirror, working a thin oil into his dark, wavy hair from the roots.

Phaeon recognized the silent demand to meet his eyes and did so, though he secretly wished the prince would turn away. It was inappropriate for someone of his station to look so directly at a royal, even through the barrier, even on the prince’s orders. It felt wrong, just as it felt wrong to sit on a cushioned stool with his sword leaning against the wall, rather than standing with the weapon heavy and secure on his hip. He’d learned to cope with that by reaching out to touch his sword every few minutes—and now he was coping with the prince’s scrutiny by occasionally letting his attention drift upward to the line of portraits depicting his ancestors above.

Circled by the gold frame of his mirror, the prince struck Phaeon as the most beautiful and most intense of them all. His features were so soft, so delicate—but his eyes were keen and piercing.

He was studying the prince’s face, running an absent finger along the curve of the pommel, when he finally spoke.

“You talked to the king about me today.”

Phaeon could not decipher the tone of his silky voice beyond recognizing that this was not a question. “I did, your highness.”

“What about?”

He hesitated, glancing up at the portraits again, weighing the expectation of confidentiality with the king against refusing the prince’s request. Certainly it was worse, in theory, to defy the king—but the prince was the one here to witness him, and Phaeon had to admit he was curious. “The king asked if I, or any other member of the guard, might teach you swordsmanship. He didn’t say why.”

At this, the prince’s sharp eyes fluttered shut; his fingers stilled where they ran through his hair and dropped to his lap. He breathed out a slow sigh. “He’s putting me on display, then,” he murmured.

“I’m not sure—”

“What’s the point of swordsmanship?” the prince asked derisively—though his glare softened as soon as the words left his mouth. “I mean no offense. It’s a noble art, and it would be an honor to learn from you.”

“The honor would be mine.”

The prince ignored this obligatory show of deference and said, “If he wants me to learn, it’s for ceremonial purposes. Staging a public victory as a show of strength, or something.” He reached up to braid his hair, his nimble fingers working slower than usual. “A few days ago, one of the kitchen servants told me I’m expected to attend a dinner with some envoy next week; someone came up to my room to measure me for new clothes, but refused to tell me what they were for; my tutor has suddenly become much more concerned with my elocution. You know what all of that means.”

Phaeon did not, in fact, know what any of it meant, nor how to respond. The prince had slipped into the candid tone that subtly prompted his audience to do the same, but their conversation felt too strange for Phaeon to abandon the comforts of formality.

The prince half-turned, catching Phaeon’s eye from the corner of his; though Phaeon, on instinct, lowered his gaze to the floor, the prince must’ve recognized his ignorance in that glance alone.

“He wants to prepare me for the throne.” His lips pressed together in a bitter smile; the motions of his fingers, as he braided his hair, grew quicker and more aggressive. “It’s incredible that I made it almost to twenty-two without even a hint of my public debut—but my time is up. He wants me to be visible now, and he’s preparing to introduce me to the populace as the next king. It’s all happening soon.” The thin smile twisted into a grimace. “It won’t be long before he starts searching for a suitable wife so I can produce an heir of my own.”

With each word, Phaeon’s uncertainty mounted. Why would discussing his duty to continue the royal bloodline make the prince frown like this—make his voice sound almost hollow, as if in despair? The prince so rarely brought up his future, and on those infrequent occasions when he addressed it, Phaeon politely pretended not to notice his hesitance or insecurity. This resentment was something else altogether, and the only answer that came to mind was uselessly vague. “As is your birthright.”

The prince sighed with displeasure and lapsed back into quiet. After finishing his braid and tying off the end with a ribbon, he opened the top drawer of the vanity to return the crystal vial of oil. Phaeon watched, as still and silent as he was meant to be, while the prince examined the contents of his drawer and began to halfheartedly rearrange them, pulling out little pots of kohl and multicolored glass containers of powders and oils.

It was almost like he was stalling, Phaeon thought, reaching out to run a finger along the carvings on his sword’s hilt for reassurance; for a few minutes, the only sounds in the room were the clinking of glass and the crackling of the fireplace on the wall between them.

Then the prince abruptly broke the silence. “Phaeon, what do you know about Ezu-anvashe’s island?”

Phaeon’s hand froze on his sword, startled by the drastic change of subject. “I know it’s a dangerous place,” he said, barely managing to keep his voice even, “full of criminals and wizards—”

“I’ve been doing some research,” the prince interrupted, “and I’m starting to doubt the narrative we’ve heard.” He slammed the drawer of his vanity shut and met Phaeon’s eyes through the mirror again, his jaw set. “Would you check the hallway for me? I’d prefer our conversation remain private from here.”

Phaeon’s training overtook his blank confusion. He stood, lifting his sword and clipping its scabbard to his belt in one fluid, practiced motion, and crossed the room to its sole exit. There was no one in the hall, as he expected; nobody came to the prince’s private chambers except to guard him. Still, he lingered in the doorway, taking in a slow breath to steady his heart. Something strange was happening; the prince was up to something, and not one of his typical schemes, either. He was being too vague, his choice of topics oddly disjointed, leaving Phaeon no room to glean what he was after.

When he shut the door and returned to his post, he found the prince leaning forward on his elbows, narrowed eyes searching Phaeon’s face through the mirror.

“The records from the earliest explorations of the island still exist in the archives of the imperial college,” he said, as if there had been no interruption. “I bribed someone to hunt them down a few months ago, and now I have everything—all of the reports sent from those first settlers to my grandfather before they declared their independence from Sehmera. Since then, I’ve had a courier intercept letters to the king on my behalf—and I caught a few from some distant cousin of mine, an ex-viceroy from one of those expeditions who never left.” 

The prince’s eyes were bright with excitement as he spoke, but Phaeon was too wary to find his intellectual curiosity as charming as usual. “His descriptions of life there have been very… illuminating. It’s not half as violent as we’ve been told.”

An expectant pause followed, like the prince wanted Phaeon to express his curiosity—but, still nervous in unfamiliar territory, he was careful to keep his interest purely practical. “May I ask why the king is corresponding with a resident of Isle Ezu?”

“Oh, it’s not a correspondence, as far as I’m aware. I doubt any of those letters even make it to the king. They’re all about trying to convince him to open trade, which is too absurd to acknowledge. Even if he wanted to legitimize it as a state by trading with them, Ezu-anvashe would never allow it.”

“I’ve heard the sea god is volatile.”

The prince frowned, drumming his fingers on the surface of the vanity—impatient as he always was when he recognized the way his servants were trained to speak to him, repeating and lightly elaborating on his points rather than truly responding to them. But Phaeon could not guess what conclusion the prince was angling toward with enough accuracy for a meaningful reply, anyway.

“Not volatile, I don’t think,” the prince said. His frown had vanished—but enthusiasm no longer shone in his eyes, either, leaving him expressionless. “I’ve read enough by now to understand that his motives are consistent. It offends him when we travel through his domain for what he considers petty human desires—conquest, profit. As long as our causes are pure, and we play by his rules, he’s perfectly accepting.”

“I see,” Phaeon said, failing to glean any insight from the prince’s impassive face. He would have to guess where this was headed. “Are you suggesting, your highness, that you might delay your debut by… visiting this place?”

The prince laughed humorlessly. “I’m not suggesting anything. Certainly the king would never permit me to vacation there, and we couldn’t exactly send an envoy. It’s just interesting to learn about the roles the gods play. Did you know, on the island, there aren’t any real leaders other than their patron god? They have elections, but their positions only last three years. They have no kings—and no money, and no wars.”

“No laws, either.”

“There are laws! Fewer than we have, but there are some, both divine and human. I don’t mean to suggest it’s perfect. It’s a flawed place—but so is this one.” With that, the prince finally broke eye contact, studying the hands he’d interlaced on top of the vanity; Phaeon, unable to hide his confusion now, was grateful for the reprieve. “It would be unwise of me to critique the empire my ancestors have built, wouldn’t it?”

Phaeon chose his words with great care. “To critique without purpose, perhaps, but using those critiques to improve—”

“If I’m going to become king, I have to first accept that I have no freedom here. Do you understand?” He grew softer, quieter as he spoke. “I can talk about change all I want, but my future is set in stone: the king will find me a suitable wife so I can have a son, and abdicate the throne as soon as I am eligible. I’m not ready. Not now—and I don’t think I ever will be.”

“I’m sure it’s frightening to have so much responsibility.” Phaeon’s head spun; none of this made sense, and he knew his words were useless, but he kept stammering them out. “The burden—your sacrifice—”

“It’s not about that. I’ve studied statecraft long enough to recognize that I cannot rule over this empire. I’m no warrior—or maybe I’m just a coward. But there is no empire without war; we’ve pushed too far, too hard, and now if we relent on the borders we’ll be swallowed up, colony by colony, until Sehmera is destroyed and I’m killed along with it. I can’t preside over that bloodshed, and I can’t accept my death knowing how many others would first die in my name.”

“You’ll make an excellent king,” Phaeon said, because he had to.

“I won’t.” The prince spat out the words, but his tone softened when he said, “There is no need to lie to me. Please, Phaeon, forget your duty to defend the empire for one moment and listen to what I’m telling you. I cannot and will not be king; after all these years, you know me well enough to understand why. I’ve made the decision to reject it.”

Phaeon’s lips parted, but he could not manage even the most banal of polite responses. What other option had the prince imagined? To continue the bloodline was his obligation; as the king’s firstborn son, he was the true and only successor. His anxieties were understandable, but rejecting his responsibility could only mean one thing.

The horror of this realization must have shown on his face, because the prince’s expression tightened with anticipation.

He meant to abandon the throne, ending a dynasty spanning centuries out of childish fear.

“This is high treason,” Phaeon breathed.

The prince sighed and shook his head, looking almost disappointed. “Yes, it is. You can tell the king if you’re so concerned with my defying him. I might do it now, if I were you. Stay too long and they’ll consider you complicit, won’t they?”

Phaeon suspected this to be true—but he remained firmly in his seat, despite the consequences. He wasn’t sure why. A decade of training in the royal guard and a lifetime of loyalty to Sehmera screamed at him to run straight to the king, throw himself to his knees, and confess everything he’d heard, begging mercy for them both. At the very least, he should have implored the prince to swallow his misgivings and take the secrets he’d revealed to his grave.

Surely, though he’d sworn an oath to protect all three, his loyalties to king and country should outweigh his commitment to the prince—

But Phaeon stayed, and could not imagine doing anything else. He stayed, knowing his presence here for the death sentence it was, letting his personal feelings cloud his judgment and not caring.

“You mean to abandon your destiny,” he said quietly.

The prince spun around on his stool to face Phaeon—who froze under the blazing intensity of the eye contact, of the starkness of his fierce beauty seen directly, his conflicted mind going blank with shock. “I mean,” he snapped, “I believe my destiny lies elsewhere.”

“Where? Ezu?”

“Anywhere. Not here. I can’t do it, Phaeon, and if I want to live, my one chance at freedom is running away before it’s too late.”

“Your highness, if you want to change the empire, you can do that by becoming king,” Phaeon urged, almost dizzy with desperation to change his mind. “You can reshape the empire to your desire. That’s what it means to be king! You have responsibilities, but you also have ultimate power.”

With a bitter laugh, the prince said, “It’s truly not possible, I promise you. I’ll spare you a lecture on statecraft, but there will be no more empire for me to rule if we stop waging war. I could handle responsibility, Phaeon, but I can’t live with being at the helm of a machine that runs on blood.”

“Who taught you all this?”

“I concluded it myself from everything I’ve learned. Nobody could’ve taught me; questioning the empire would be treason. Do you see my problem here? What does it say if the second most powerful man in this nation doesn’t have the freedom to interrogate the necessity of bloodshed? I can’t stand it—any of it. Setting aside my moral objections, I’m a captive here. If I want my freedom, I have to let them put me on display, like an object—and get some poor stranger pregnant before she has the chance to decide if she wants to. It’s all so horrible. It’s suffocating.”

“I hear you, your highness,” Phaeon said, his voice shaking, “and I understand your discomfort, but please consider everything you would have to give up. Even if you were allowed to live, after defying the king—once you leave here, you’ll have nothing.”

“Of course I understand,” the prince said coolly, gesturing at their surroundings with a dismissive flick of his fingers. “The entire problem is that all of this is the spoils of war. Do you want me to tell you what I’ve learned in the dispatches from the frontlines? Do you want to know what our army is doing to civilians in the colonies?”

Phaeon did not need to be told; he already knew. When he thought of the sweet, sheltered prince learning the realities of war, of conquest, his breath caught in his chest. There would be no changing his mind. “Your highness—”

“Should I read you the reports from the viceroys, out in the borderlands, bragging about impoverishing and enslaving people on their own land?” Below the prince’s practiced calm was an unmistakable fury; his dark eyes blazed, their unobstructed intensity as overwhelming as looking into the sun.

“To be frank—if I’m entertaining the idea of you leaving—I’m not sure you do understand all it would entail,” Phaeon said, a harsh edge to his tight voice, all his courtesy stripped away under the prince’s radiance. “Never mind wealth, you would have to work to survive for the first time in your life. You’re guaranteed nothing in this world if you aren’t a prince. Not food. Not shelter.”

“In Sehmera, perhaps, I would die in the streets and no one would care—but that’s not how things work on Ezu.”

“Ezu!” Phaeon groaned, screwing his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose. He let out a shaky breath; the prince said nothing, but Phaeon could feel the sharpness of his gaze as he attempted to collect himself. “You know nothing of that place beyond fifty-year-old dispatches and letters from some mad viceroy, correct?”

“I know about their patron god.”

“But their god isn’t always watching! Would he be able to stop them from kidnapping you for ransom? Killing you on sight?” He dared to drop his hand from his face, to look up at the prince again—and found his eyebrows raised in surprise at Phaeon’s vehemence.

“I’ll disguise myself.” His tone was gentler now; Phaeon felt a flash of guilt for letting his emotion overwhelm him. “I can abandon my identity. Nobody outside of the walls of this palace has seen me in over a decade. They haven’t even learned my name.”

Perhaps—but the prince looked royal, his skin the pale color of sand, flawless and uncalloused. Everything about him was soft and youthful in a way that spoke to his isolation as well as his station. “They might guess. You don’t look like a commoner.”

“Well, viceroys are living happily on the island, so as long as I’m not taken for a crown prince, I assume it won’t be a problem.” The prince’s brow knitted as he studied Phaeon’s face, so far beyond the point of polite composure that he could not imagine how distressed he looked. “I’ve done my research and thought this through. I understand you think I’m being foolish, but—but could you give me a moment to explain myself?” When Phaeon gave a weak nod, he said, “Come here, please.”

Without thought, Phaeon obeyed, lifting his sword and approaching the prince to kneel before him, face pointed toward the floor. The prince dragged his chair toward him, leaning forward—coming close enough that Phaeon could’ve reached out and touched him. Close enough that, when the prince leaned forward and his long braid fell over his shoulder, Phaeon could smell the lightly floral scent of the oil in his hair.

“I’m sorry,” the prince whispered. “I don’t want to frighten you. Please look at me.”

Phaeon could not—but the prince’s soft hand cupped his jaw, lifted his chin so their faces were impossibly close. Those eyes were now more imploring than intense.

“Listen. I’ve thought about this for so many years, and the island presents my best option for escape. As soon as I swear my allegiance to Ezu-anvashe and commit to living on his land, according to his law, I belong to him. If the king were to send men to claim me—to attempt to take ownership of Anvashe’s possession, one of his precious few worshippers—he would retaliate. He’ll capsize ships to protect his land, his people. He always has.”

Phaeon swallowed hard. It was never easy to argue with the prince when he was so sincere, but he had little recourse. “Your ancestors conquered gods before.”

“One god,” the prince corrected him. “One god, whose domain was limited to the original Sehmeri territory—not the entire ocean. I am going to take refuge with Ezu-anvashe, and I’ll find my freedom there.”

“But if any of the people on the island who are hostile to the empire—and there are many, displaced by our imperial efforts, exiled by your father, forced to flee to continue practicing their cultist rituals or magic—”

The prince’s eyebrows shot up. “You know a lot more about the world than you’ve let on.”

“It’s my job to know your enemies.”

Though he looked thoroughly pleased by this, the prince shook his head. “They won’t find out.”

“What if they did? I’ve sworn to protect you, your highness—and in the interest of keeping you safe, I cannot allow you to run away to some lawless place to seek the mercy of a mad god.”

“So come with me.”

How difficult it was to suppress the first instinct to obey—to swear he would follow the prince and keep him safe no matter where he went.

“You can come with me,” the prince added when Phaeon said nothing, “or you can flee elsewhere, but you can’t stop me—and either way, you shouldn’t stay here. You’re a traitor now.” The prince straightened in his seat, averting his attention to the fireplace. “I haven’t just told you this because I trust you, but also because I don’t want to betray you. I knew you wouldn’t defy me—”

“Did you?” Phaeon murmured.

“Of course.” He looked back at Phaeon, his head tilting to one side. “I was certain you’d listen; I suspected you might even help me—but in telling you, I have sealed your fate. You will be the last person to see me before my disappearance. If they don’t kill you outright for letting me leave, they’ll torture you into confessing all that you’ve heard, and then they’ll kill you for withholding it.” The prince’s jaw tightened; his pale hands seized the loose fabric of his pants, clenching into fists. “You can refuse my request to join me. I’m not your prince anymore—or, if I am, it’s just for the night. But please, take my advice and run. If not with me, then anywhere else.”

“I won’t leave you.”

“I know.” A faint note of desperation crept into his voice and shone openly across his eyes when he said, “So tell me you’ll come.”

Phaeon’s breath caught in his chest. Never before had he felt so conflicted. Logic and emotion struggled within him; the instinctive loyalty instilled by years of service would not allow him to accept, but when the prince looked at him with such hope, it was impossible to imagine doing what his duty demanded.

He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling his defenses wane. How typical for the prince to cling so stubbornly to an idea that sounded good in theory, and carefully construct his arguments to dismiss all criticism. How utterly unsurprising that this boy, hidden behind lock and key with little company but his books and teachers, was so naive and yet so capable of arguing his position with ironclad confidence.

“Your father always said you were overeducated,” Phaeon murmured, partly to himself. “Now I see what he meant.”

The prince let out a startled laugh. “How can he complain when he chose my tutors?” he asked, flashing a slight, nervous smile. “He could’ve curated my books better.”

“Not with you bribing servants to raid the college’s library on your behalf.”

“I never bribed, I just asked,” the prince objected, as if his favor was not a reward in itself. “To the point, though—I notice you have not yet said no or run for help. Should I take this as acceptance of my offer? Will you come?”

“It’s… it’s a lot to consider,” Phaeon said, though he knew he was only delaying the inevitable. No amount of stalling would coerce the prince to abandon his grand plan—and he, himself, had already made his decision by staying. “You are asking me to choose between my sworn loyalties.”

“It would be wise to choose your country over me.”

“I know that, but I still can’t.”

“No?” Some of the tension melted from the prince’s body. “Well, I’ll tell you my plan, at least. I already stole some peasant’s clothes from the servant’s quarters and planned to cut my hair; maybe you could do that for me. We might consider cutting yours, too—if you decide to come, that is. Obviously, you won’t be marked as royal, but it might draw attention.” He reached out to tap one of Phaeon’s coiled red-brown curls; his touch was so gentle, so tentative, it made Phaeon hold his breath until his hand withdrew.

“Tonight,” the prince continued, “I’ve arranged a disturbance to draw the guards from their posts on the eastern side of the building, about an hour before dawn. The people responsible for that distraction don’t know who requested it, or why, by the way—just that they’ll receive their payment only if they succeed. I can slip out then; it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve snuck past the guard, so I’m not worried.”

“Tonight?” Phaeon echoed, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes—I’m sorry. I really couldn’t risk telling you until the last minute. Do you have anything you need to take care of before we go?”

Of course, his answer was no; Phaeon’s highest priority was the prince, and even if he cared to say goodbye to his colleagues and mentors in the guard, he could not tell them where he was going or why. But his hand, out of habit, went to the iron hilt of his sword as he considered—and he ran his fingertip over the inlaid jewel shining from the pommel, remembering with a shock of disappointment that it was not his to take. “I can’t leave with a sword of the royal guard. I’ll have to exchange it for another from the armory.”

The prince nodded, but his brow knitted with uncertainty. “Phaeon, I know we’re talking about our plans, but—but you haven’t said yes yet. Would you tell me, for my sake?”

“Yes.”

Just saying the word filled him with relief and terror in equal measure; it brought his entire future into sharp clarity. No longer one of many guards serving a future king in this palace for the rest of his life, but the prince’s sole protector elsewhere—and an enemy of the state, besides, a traitor with no choice but to die or flee. 

He said it again, stronger: “Yes. Of course. If I may be honest with you, your highness, I am still not convinced this is wise—but I’m sure it’s too late for me to change your mind, and I will not allow you to leave without me.”

“You have my eternal permission to be honest with me,” the prince said, half-smiling, “but my final order to you will be to never call me ‘your highness’ again. We’re equals now.” His eyes brimmed with such shining gratitude that Phaeon could hardly bear to hold them; it would take some time for him to accept the prince as an equal, as a vulnerable human like himself. “I’m sure you’d like to prepare, but could I have another minute of your time before you go?”

“Of course, Azarion.”

His eyes widened for a moment at hearing his own name, but he grinned before turning back to the vanity and searching through one of its drawers. Phaeon watched him, unguarded and shameless, trying to wrap his head around the reality that they were going to run away together—that he would see this angelic face up close, without a barrier, every day, and keep the prince all to himself. Was this, he wondered distantly, the selfish desire that made him stay?

The prince—Azarion—made a triumphant little noise and whirled back to face Phaeon, a thin pair of scissors dangling from one extended finger. “Will you think I’m childish if I ask you for this? Will you humor me anyway?”

“I’m sorry—what are you asking for?”

“Oh, do you not remember?” Azarion frowned, lowering the scissors. “When I was young—young enough that I could play with other children, I mean—we’d exchange locks of hair when we made promises.”

“Really?” Phaeon tried to mask his distaste at the faint whiff of magic in the ritual. “I’ve never heard of that.”

“Yes, really! I’m not sure if it’s true, but they say that’s how we used to make oaths, back when Sehmera had gods and magic. I’m not saying this is a spell, but—but it’s something sort of mystical, and it feels right, if we’re putting our fates in the hands of a god.” He glanced down at the scissors as he ran a finger along the parted blades. “And I don’t mean to imply I don’t trust you, but if we’re letting each other out of our sights…”

He trailed off—and, without waiting for Phaeon’s answer, pulled a perfect lock from the ribbon binding his braid and snipped off the tip. He extended it toward Phaeon, who gingerly accepted, holding the loose curl between two fingers. “What do I do with this?”

“Hold on to it for now—and give me some of yours, too. Maybe we’ll throw them into the ocean once we’re on the island.” He shrugged, holding out the scissors. “I don’t know if it matters; I think it’s the symbolism that’s important.”

Phaeon just stared for a moment, then tucked the prince’s hair into the pouch on his sword belt and accepted the scissors for himself. Absurd as it was, he kept his expression solemn as he cut off a coil of auburn hair from behind his ear, then dropped it into the prince’s expectant palm. Azarion wrapped his fingers gently around it and nodded, equally serious.

“Now you can go exchange your sword. Make sure nobody follows you—but of course, I don’t have to tell you that. Remember, our opportunity to escape will come an hour before dawn.” He glanced up at the enormous wooden clock on the mantel, frowning. “We have a few hours, I suppose—but return soon. We’ll need to disguise ourselves, and I need your help finding something valuable enough to bribe a sailor to drop us at Ezu.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Phaeon promised, and turned to leave.

Part of him had wondered whether some sort of spell would be broken along with their eye contact—if, when he wasn’t looking directly at the prince, the commitment to abandoning his life, his king, his country, might waver.

But he found his conviction growing stronger as he crossed the room and reality began to descend over him. The faint twinge of sadness that he would have to persist without his favorite sword was his only regret as he pushed out of the room, heading down the hall and sealing his own fate.

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