Sera stretched out on her platform, the smooth stone warm beneath her as the sun dipped toward the horizon. The soft breeze tousled her midnight blue wings, making her feel right at home in the palace she'd built with care, hidden away in the clouds of Lunareth. Everything here was familiar—safe. It was where she could let her guard down, even for just a moment.

She closed her eyes and sighed, feeling the tension of the past few days slip away. It felt good to be back. The air smelled of sweet nectar from the wildflowers growing at the edge of the platform, and the distant hum of the palace guards echoed like a lullaby.

Just as she was about to indulge in another long, contented stretch, she heard a soft click of claws on the stone. Looking up, she saw her favorite guard approaching—a tall HiveWing, his silvery-blue scales glinting in the fading light.

"Are you doing alright?" he asked, his voice deep and warm, though there was a subtle note of concern in it.

Sera flashed him a smile, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "Don't worry about me," she replied, waving a casual claw in the air. "I've spent the last hour just lounging. If that's not relaxation, I don't know what is."

The HiveWing guard blinked, clearly trying to decipher whether or not she was serious. He gave a small shrug, deciding not to pursue the matter. "Well," he said, his wings flicking in a light twitch, "I'm glad to hear it. But there are a few who would like to see you."

Sera arched an eyebrow, intrigued. "Who?" she asked, intrigued but not particularly worried. After all, she was the Queen of the StarWings—no one came here without her say-so.

The guard gave a short, almost dismissive flick of his tail. "You'll see. Follow me."

With a slightly amused sigh, Sera spread her wings, letting the wind catch them. As the guard led her through the airy palace halls, she couldn't help but admire the way the setting sun painted the walls in a warm golden hue. The place always felt like home, full of purpose and power, but also a little bit like a giant cloud-shaped playground.

They reached the edge of the palace, where an adjoining balcony overlooked the sprawling sky below. The guard pointed toward two figures standing there. One was a SandWing—a younger one, with a glimmering hoop earring hanging from one ear. He caught sight of Sera and bowed quickly, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips.

"Your Majesty!" the young SandWing called out, his tone an odd mixture of awe and casualness. "I'm Qibli, and this is Queen Thorn of the SandWings. We would like to make an alliance with you."

Sera blinked, momentarily taken aback by the directness of the request. An alliance? She hadn't expected such a thing to come from the SandWings, of all tribes. She was about to open her mouth to respond when she noticed Queen Thorn standing beside Qibli—tall, regal, and with a presence that immediately commanded attention. The older SandWing queen didn't bow; instead, she simply nodded in greeting, her amber eyes sharp and calculating.

"An alliance, you say?" Sera's voice was cool, though tinged with curiosity. Her wings gave a little flicker of uncertainty, but only for a second. This could be interesting.

Qibli gave a quick nod, grinning sheepishly. "Yeah, um... We've been thinking about it. We believe it would be beneficial for both our tribes to work together. You know, with the whole 'survival' thing happening, it seems like we could use some... backup. So, we were hoping you might be interested?"

Sera stared at him, then glanced back at Queen Thorn, who was eyeing Qibli with an expression that could only be described as 'seriously, again?'.

Queen Thorn gave a long sigh, clearly exhausted by Qibli's overly casual approach to diplomacy. "We've discussed it, Your Majesty," she said, her tone steady and measured. "The SandWings are in a delicate position. We need allies. Strong ones. And given your reputation..." She gave a brief glance at the guard who had escorted Sera. "It seems you're exactly the kind of ally we need."

Sera leaned forward, her midnight blue wings fluttering ever so slightly. "An alliance, hmm?" she mused, tapping a claw against the stone floor. She gave Qibli a playful smile. "And what exactly makes you think the StarWings would benefit from such an alliance with the SandWings?"

Qibli grinned, showing his teeth. "Well, for starters, you get to avoid being swarmed by scorpions—have you ever had one sting you in the tail? I don't recommend it. Plus, you'll get a great supply of sand, which I hear is perfect for, uh... whatever it is you StarWings use sand for." He trailed off, realizing how ridiculous that sounded. "But seriously, Your Majesty, the SandWings have resources—a lot of them. We could exchange them for protection. You know, strength in numbers?"

Sera raised an eyebrow. "Ah, strength in numbers. Sounds like an offer from the older and wiser tribe."

Queen Thorn raised an eye ridge, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Perhaps. But we are not in a position to be the stronger tribe at the moment. Our resources have been stretched thin, and your reputation is one of power. We believe our combined forces could make both of us even stronger."

Sera stood still for a moment, letting the weight of their words sink in. The evening sky stretched before them like a vast canvas, and she could feel the subtle, reassuring pulse of the stars behind her—her stars.

"Alright," she said, finally breaking the silence. "I'll consider it. But I'm not one to rush into alliances. You'll have to be patient."

Qibli grinned wide, his hoop earring catching the light. "You won't regret it, Your Majesty. We're pretty good at making deals. I'll leave all the boring formal stuff to Thorn, though."

Thorn rolled her eyes, but the hint of amusement in her gaze softened her usually sharp demeanor. "I'll take care of the details," she said. "Just... don't expect us to cater your next dinner party."

With a final nod from Sera, the two SandWings left, their conversation turning to more practical matters. Sera stood alone on the balcony for a moment, her wings folded comfortably at her sides as she gazed into the distance.

"Well," she murmured to herself, "this could be the start of something interesting." She had a feeling that things were about to get much more complicated—and much more entertaining.