I paced my chambers as the palace clock chimed ten, then eleven. The servants had long since retired, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the occasional creak of the ancient palace settling around me. My mind buzzed with possibilities of what Ariella had planned. When midnight finally approached, I changed from my nightgown into a simple dress and slippers.

  Three soft taps on my door made me jump. I opened it to find Ariella in the corridor, a finger pressed to her lips.

  "Ready?" she whispered.

  I nodded, excitement bubbling up inside me as I slipped out of my chambers. Ariella took my hand and led me down the corridor. We moved silently, pausing at corners to listen for guards or late-working servants.

  "Where are we going?" I whispered as we descended a rarely-used servants' staircase.

  "Patience, Your Majesty." Ariella teased. "The best adventures come as surprises."

  We reached the ground floor and darted up the east side halls, our footsteps muffled by the thick carpets.

  Ahead, the doors to the gardens stood guarded by two of Commander Tiberius's men blearily half paying attention to their surroundings but certainly awake enough to notice two girls passing by them.

  Ariella pulled me into a dark alcove before they spotted us. "Wait here." she whispered, slipping something from her pocket - a small crystal that glowed faintly purple. She tossed it down the hallway to our right.

  The crystal shattered with a noise like breaking glass, followed by an odd scuttling sound. The guards exchanged glances before one moved to investigate, hand on his sword hilt.

  "Now!" Ariella whispered, pulling me toward the doors. The remaining guard had turned to stare after his partner, giving us just enough time to slip through the narrow opening and into the night.

  The cool air hit my face. Above us, all three moons hung in the sky, bathing the gardens in a mixture of blue, red, and purple lights that transformed the familiar landscape into something from a fairy tale. The magnolia trees spread their branches above the paths, creating a canopy of multicolored blossoms that sparkled in the iridescent lighting. Fallen petals carpeted the ground, releasing their sweet fragrance as we crushed them underfoot.

  Ariella's hand remained firmly in mine as she led me deeper into the gardens, away from the palace lights. We passed a patrol of guards, ducking behind a hedge until they moved on, stifling our giggles like schoolgirls.

  Once the coast was clear, she led me to a clearing at the center of the garden surrounded by the oldest and tallest magnolia trees. Their branches interwove overhead, creating a natural dome with patches of starry sky visible between the leaves.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  There, Ariella stopped and turned to face me. "Close your eyes."

  I did so. The darkness behind my eyelids was complete, but I could sense Ariella moving around me, could hear her footsteps on the grass and the rustle of her clothing. Then I felt the tingle of mana gathering in the air.

  "Now open them." she said, her voice filled with anticipation.

  I did so, then gasped. All around us, ribbons of colored light danced in the air - blue, pink, golden, green - weaving up the trunks, between the branches, and illuminating the blossoms from within. The lights formed shapes that shifted and flowed: galloping horses that leapt from tree to tree, birds that soared in spirals around us, flowers that bloomed and faded. The whole clearing was set aglow with gentle, pulsing color.

  "Ari, it's beautiful." I whispered, reaching out to touch a passing ribbon of light. It curled around my finger before wriggling away again. "I've never seen you do magic like this before."

  "I don't usually have the chance." Ariella said, her voice strained slightly with concentration.

  The colors of the lights reflected in her eyes, making them sparkle. I watched her face, illuminated by her own magic. She was so beautiful. I wanted to be her.

  I tried to filter the mana in the air through my domain as I'd been taught, concentrating it into a visible form - to conjure a faerie light. I felt a slight warmth in my palms, a flicker of response. A few weak sparks flickered above my hands, then died.

  "What kind of queen can barely summon a spark?" I asked bitterly. "I'm supposed to be the anchor of Magnolia, the magical center of the kingdom, and I can't even create a simple light spell."

  Ariella let most of her ribbons of light fade, leaving us in the glow of moonlight. She stepped closer, taking both my hands in hers.

  "Lavinia," she said softly, "you possess the most powerful magic of all."

  "What's that?"

  The remaining lights coalesced into the shape of a crown that hovered above my head.

  "You're the Queen." She reached up, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "Your magic isn't in flashy displays or combat spells. It's in the way you unite the kingdom just by existing. It's in your bloodline, your very being. It's in how you make people feel, how you inspire loyalty and love."

  Her fingers lingered against my cheek. I looked into her eyes, seeing something there I'd glimpsed before but never acknowledged - a tenderness that went beyond friendship or duty.

  "Do you know what I see when I look at you? I see Lavinia, who notices when the kitchen boy has a cough and sends him to the royal physician. Lavinia, who remembers the birthday of every servant who attends her. Lavinia, who cried when we found that injured sparrow in the garden and stayed up all night nursing it."

  "I don't feel very powerful." I whispered.

  "You should." she said. "You have power over me."

  The magical lights swirled around us as Ariella leaned forward. Her lips met mine, gentle at first, then more certain as I responded. My eyes fluttered closed, my hands finding her waist to pull her closer. The kiss deepened, and the world narrowed to just this moment - the scent of magnolia blossoms, the cool night air, Ariella's warmth against me.

  When we finally broke apart, the lights around us had formed a dome of swirling color that enclosed us in our own private universe. I wasn't sure if Ariella had done it consciously or if her magic had simply responded to her emotions.

  "That was..." I started, unable to find the right words. My whole body was trembling.

  "Magic?" Ariella suggested.

  I laughed. "Yes."