Thornbriar
And the night flew. They danced together, arms entwining as pixies swirled around them in the winds like glowing lights in the night sky. A thousand soldiers brought forth harps of spider silk and drums and flutes and fiddles. The music they played tickled the senses, like a dream of a dream lost amidst nostalgic memories. Rioana kissed Brin and he kissed her in return, and above all Queen Sriki watched from astride her wasp steed, her smile gentler for once than it had been. For one brief shining moment at that Royal Ball...everything was perfect. And then that moment ended. They awoke the next morning among the flowers, morning dew still glistening with the first hint of distant dawn. And as they rose they saw what she had done. A vast wall of twisted, blackened thorns encircled the valley, trapping them. Spikes and spines grasped and reached, a threat to any who dared to brave the wicked tangle. Pixies waited not far away, watching their faces, but never coming near. Queen Sriki was among them, and the smile upon her face was openly filled with wicked delight.
