Eric stood beside Hanna at the gates of the keep in his black dress uniform, medals gleaming. Most prominent amongst his decorations was his Ace’s Mark, a crossed axe and hammer that hung around his neck. Any Rif pilot with five kills was awarded it, and an identical medal hung at Hanna’s neck. The baroness, however, was not in her uniform. She was attending as the ruler of these lands, not as an officer, and she was wearing a dark green dress with a grey fur scarf draped over her shoulders. The Ace’s Mark at her neck was the only indicator of her ability as a pilot. He and Hanna had earned their Marks fighting the Taikans years ago, and were among the few active pilots in the Rif Air Force with the decoration.
Hanna’s mother, Astrid, had entered the square a few moments ahead of them, and the pair of them were waiting their turn to make their appearance. The crier announced their entrance.
“And to light the Midsummer Bonfire, please welcome Her Grace, the Baroness of Mooncreek, and escort!”
Hanna linked her arm in his and the two of them strode into the square to the cheers of the crowd.
“It does sometimes feel like all I do is escort you places,” Eric murmured as they walked.
“You must have been spectacularly cruel to puppies in a past life to deserve this,” Hanna answered without looking at him, waving to the crowd with her free hand.
#scifibooks #crownandhelix
Art by Ada Musatova
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