Someone in the corner laughs. I turn my head. In the corner of the kitchen is an eating or better said sitting area. There is a velvet couch and a big table with chairs. I catch a small tanned-skinned girl sitting on the dark blue velvet couch laughing at me.
“What? Can’t I enjoy this amazing smell?” I smile slanting. The girl crosses my memories. What was her name again? Kelsey? Clara? I don’t know anymore.
“Yes, you can.” She chuckles. “It is amazing. You should try this focaccia with cheese and greens.” I walk over to her. Her green eyes sparkle and her curly long brown hair brushes over her elegant white top. I raise my hand to her.
“Hi, I am Eliane,” I announce to her. She takes my hand.
“I know.” She winks at me. “Kailey.” I sit next to her and take the bread, the focaccia I assume, out of the breadbasket, andtake a bite. “You are right, this is amazing.” I sigh, not quite licking my lips. She laughs at me, continuing to eat her bread peacefully.
I have now clue about what to wear.
I just took a shower, my wet waves still slick on my skin, but luckily this room has everything and a hairdryer helps me solve the issue. I put my hair in a waterfall braid and throw it over my shoulder. It makes my eyes and freckles pop and looks chic but playful. I look at the clothing that I brought and is spread out all over the bed. When I was in the kitchen, I walked into Annie. She told me that I will receive some clothing from the palace to wear, so that everybody would have the opportunity to wear something pretty. I sprawl all the clothes out on the bed and shove my own on the floor. Why do I care so much about what to wear? I think I am just nervous. I take a flowy satin light-yellow dress off the bed. It is long and has some small straps with ruffles. It is fine, and besides, I am running out of time so this will have to do.
I hurry outside and spot the chapel where only eight people are gathered underneath so at least I’m not last. Lifting my dress I jog toward the group of candidates. The girl from before is chatting with a redhead. Hazel I think her name is. I walk over trying to start a conversation and show them what I want them to see.
“Hi, here I am again.” I wave at Kailey. Hazel’s eyes are wide. Freckles cover her face, and I compare those to mine. Her eyes actually have the color of hazel green and brown and she looks at me with something I have never seen before. And then, she does something unexpected.
She hugs me.
Well okay. That is one way to greet someone. I tense my body and freeze, not able to hug her back.
“Hi, Eliane,” she breathes out. This is weird and awkward.
“You look good,” Kailey comments, smiling widely. “The same for you, girls,” I say, taking a step back to gawk at them, ignoring the fact that a girl I don’t know just hugged me out of nowhere and is looking at me like I am a famous singer. My head turns to the other candidates. I recognize them all from before. Most of them are chatting. Gwen is looking at me intensely, eyes sharpened as she elbows the boy next to her in his stomach. She says something to him that I can’t hear. The dark-skinned boy, Caleb, shrugs it off. She folds her arms before turning around. All faces turn at once and everybody goes quiet.
I turn to see what everybody is staring at. Or maybe I should have guessed who it was. My heart pounds in my chest and I have to keep my mouth from dropping open as the two dead dropping gorgeous princes walk towards us. I bite my bottom lips as Prince Zephron and Braxton stride towards us, pushing their chest forward and lifting their chin. And they are tall. And by tall, I mean really tall.
Zephron might be around 6.4 feet. That is already huge. But Braxton is enormous. He must be at least 6.5 feet, maybe even taller. I have seen them before but that was from afar. Now they’re standing in front of me, and I dare to say I am tall for a girl, but next to these two even I feel small. I can’t imagine how Kailey with her 5.4 must feel. Zephron smirks at one of us, but not at me, and I don’t really care strangely enough. He doesn’t have those cute dimples I dreamed about the last few nights. Braxton looks like he has no emotion, but somewhere in those eyes I catch a glimpse of nerves. For someone who isn’t looking at him as deeply as me it wouldn’t be visible. His gaze meets mine and his eyes darken. A tingle warms my body. As soon as his gaze appeared, the sooner it left. His lips form a small straight line before he steps between the other nine of us.
“Good morning, everyone. The king and I are glad all of you made it on time. The king will be watching us from inside the palace today. So I speak in the name of both of us. We are very happy to be starting the trials today. You won’t have to combat challenges and fight each other yet, but you do have to follow rules and live under certain circumstances,” Prince Zephron begins. “Before I tell you why you had to arrive a week early, I would like to ask you to drink a glass with me. We will track you in the trials and will watch the highlights back after each trial. With this drink we will get access to your eyesight, and you will record everything from your point of view.” I was already wondering how they would film or track us. It does make sense they do it through magic. That is what the king likes after all. A server steps in front of me, handing me a glass.
“Well, there I go,” someone whispers. “Cheers!” a boy on the other side yells. Aiden lifts his glass in the air, leaving sparkles of fire in the air as celebration. Well, at least someone sees things happy. I lift my glass to his toast. Let’s continue this positive vibe. Everyone cheers before they nibble it softly. I ack, and a bitter aftertaste stuck on my tongue. Magic drinks always have. The potion in it is what this gross aftertaste causes. I feel the magic rush through my body, searching for a place to settle.
“As you all know, you will be staying at the side building this week. Hopefully, our guards and servants helped you perfectly. There is a reason why you stay here this long before the real start of the trials.” He looks around us, his eyes changing when he looks at his brother. Pity, I think.
“The king decided that we will make duos,” he informs us.
I look around. What? Why? Duos? I ball my fist and hear people around me murmur. “The duos are not decided yet. We will do that right here. Right now,” he continues, ignoring the murmurs. “Every duo I call up can step forward. You will makea blood offer as a promise and put your hands together,” he whispers, staring to the ground.
At the start of the garden a few people come into view. I recognize Da immediately. The other people must be family members of the other candidates. A few heads turn, but Prince Zephron doesn’t leave it like that.
“Let the duo bonding begin,” Zephron breathes, his face showing ignorance like it isn’t his problem. Kailey takes a step towards me, reaching for my hand as she does.
“I hope we get matched because you’re the only one I like so far,” she whispers in my ear, forcing out a smile. I can’t help but see the fury in her eyes and her clenched fist that she holds tightly against her body.
A guard walks towards us, holding an old vase that is big enough to put your hand in. He holds it in two hands and stops next to Zephron, inviting him to start. Something feels off. A dizziness reaches my head, like I am on drugs. Not that I have ever taken drugs, none other than special mushrooms I found in the forest at least. Or the high meds when my period cramps got too bad. They never felt like this, though. It feels like I can hear voices. Like I can hear what everyone thinks. And I am one hundred percent sure I am no mind reader.
Or maybe it’s just the flood of thoughts making me feel like a stranger in my own mind.
My hand reaches for my temples as Prince Zephron takes out the first little piece of parchment.
“Aaliyah,” he announces to us, his hand already in the vase again. “And—Aiden.” Two faces turn to each other. A girl with a white streak in her hair, who looks sad, but also angry. She bites her lip harshly. The two of them walk towards Zephron. Aiden speaks up first, showing some balls.
“Well, let’s do this,” he speaks up, nodding at Aaliyah, making a small cut in his palm with the small dagger with gemstones init that was offered to him. He reaches his hand towards the girl. She looks unsure, but Aiden takes initiative.
He cuts her hand.
He takes her hand in his, letting their blood mix. “We’re going to this together,” he breathes, trying to meet her eyes. She pulls her hand away, putting her nose up.
