Ravena was pulled from sleep by the sound of a clatter at her window. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stared out into the night from the warmth of her bed, head still cradled in her pillow. The moon had slunk up and out of sight and the light of the morning had not yet begun to grace the horizon. It was early. She slid back down under the cotton sheets and began to spiral back into slumber.
Crack! Something flew through her open window and hit the closed door of her bedroom.
She crept to the window and peered through the gap between the shutter and the frame. A cloaked figure appeared to be standing under her window with a horse. Maple? What on earth? She stood and leaned out the window, squinting down at the man two stories beneath her. “Mr. Haven? Is that you?” She whispered. The man pulled the hood off his head and even in the dim glow of the moonlight she could tell that it wasn’t the snow-haired Mr. Haven at all. Her heart leapt in her chest. “Thal! What are you doing here? Isn’t your ship leaving at dawn?”
His lifted his voice to her, just above a whisper. “I came because I needed to tell you I’m sorry… I’m so deeply, deeply sorry for everything that’s happened. I wish I could take back all the lies I told and start over. You have to know, if nothing else, that I never lied about us. I never lied about how I felt for you. I do care for you, Rave. I…” His voice shuddered, “I love you. You’ve made me a better man. I’ve changed — I really have, and I don’t want this life anymore…”
Ravena’s heart tried to break through her ribcage as she absorbed everything that was being said. “Thal, I’ve missed you so much, but this is insane. Is your name even Thal? I don’t know anything about you. How am I supposed to trust you again?”
“I know, I know,” the pain in his voice rang louder than his words. “You didn’t deserve any of this. But, now that I’m here, let me introduce you to the real Thal. My name is Thalor Grimscar. I’m a mercenary and a thief and I’ve been running my whole life, and I’m tired. I’m tired of the lies and the deceit. I’ve spent every day living like my father did and it was only after I met you that I realized how broken I am. I’m so broken, Rave, but something about you makes me feel a little bit whole for the first time in my life.”
“Thal, I—”
He pulled the jade out of his pocket and cradled it in his palm. “You said you could see light in me. Rave, you’re that light in me. Before you, I didn’t know there was any light left. You were right. I’m not my father. And I don’t have to become him. I can’t tell you how relieved I am that you could see what I couldn’t. And now I just want to leave everything behind and run away with you. You and me, forever. That’s all I want. Unless you don’t love me, and I can understand that. I don’t deserve your love and I never will, but if you think you could love me, even a little—”
“I do love you, Thal,” It came out in a breathless whisper. “I love you, and I want to run with you.”
“You do? You really do?” He laughed through the lump that formed in his throat. “There’s a new galleon docking in the morning with room for both of us, and they can take Maple! Let’s sail the Glass Sea and see where the horizon takes us. We can go now!”
“Yes, I’ll go with you!” She beamed, eyes misty. “But…wait, how is all this happening? I thought your passage on the prison transport was all arranged.”
“The harbormaster let me go. He wouldn’t tell me how or why he released me, but I think I might know how it happened. But we can talk about that later—do you think you can sneak out through the palace?”
But Ravena was already climbing down the outer wall. Silently thanking the gardeners for allowing ivy to coat the palace walls, she left everything behind and firmly landed on the grass. Thal met her and wrapped her in his arms, kissing her deeply. “I’ve missed you,” he breathed.
“Me too,” she said through another kiss.
“Oh! I almost forgot,” He rummaged in the bag he carried on his shoulder and pulled out a folded bundle of papers. “This is for you.” The glow of the moon provided little light, but Ravena could just make out that it was a map, and a large one. A course, starting from a marked home in the White Forest, had been charted over the Glass Sea and into the outer lands. At the bottom of the map, a small scribble read ’T. Windwalker’.
“Thal, this is my father’s map… where under the moon did you find it?”
“Someone left it with the harbormaster. He gave it to me when I said I was coming for you. That’s how I got Maple, too.”
She knew then exactly who had been keeping the map all these years. Her heart bloomed with warmth as she thought of her dear, old friend. A warm light began to dawn; they had to move quickly. She mounted Maple and Thal swung on behind her, and they were off. With each pound of the hoofbeats on the damp midnight ground, Ravena’s excitement grew. With Thal’s strong, warm arms wrapped around her and the stars smiling down on them, she drove Maple out of the palace gates, toward the harbor and a new life, unsure of where they were heading, but perfectly happy in every way.
River of Glass is a lighthearted fantasy novelette about lies, loyalty, and the price of redemption, with a slow-burn romance beneath the current. This is a tonal departure from my usual work, written just for fun, and it will be shared here in eleven installments.
Epilogue will be posted today, March 10, 2026.
© Sophie Alexander, 2026. All rights reserved. Do not repost without permission.
