Not anymore.
But when I was younger, my sisters would sometimes turn our tiny living room into a dance floor, forcing our father to twirl each of us in dizzying circles. I can still remember the way Telfi would laugh. Radiant and infectious.
Finally, we reach the banquet hall, and the scene before me has my mouth falling open.
The room somehow looks even more grand than when I saw it last. My eyes find the place I’m certain I had once peered through, the hidden corridor laying just on the other side.
Rich tapestries I hadn’t noticed before line the walls. Their intricate patterns tell stories of battles our kingdom has both won and lost. Long tables full of decadent pastries, vibrant fruits, and roasted meats sit off to the side, and I make a mental note to get a closer look soon.
At the far end of the hall, musicians play on wooden instruments. A violinist leads the melody, accompanied by the gentle hum of a cello. The music weaves through the air, and couples twirl and sway in perfect harmony on the dance floor in the center.
It’s overwhelming, beautiful, and entirely surreal.
“Telfi would have loved something like this,” I tell Theo, my chest hurting more than I’d like but not enough to miss the way his steps falter.
I turn to him.
“Telfi?” he asks, and there’s something in the way he says her name that makes me pause.
For a moment, the noise around us seems to dim, the vibrant colors of the hall blurring at the edges.
He knows her.
The realization feels impossible, and yet…
No, that can’t be right.
I would remember if Telfi had ever met a royal. They only travel to our village once a year, on the day of the third trial. They attend the final trial of every village, a task that takes just over two months. Starting with Village 1, which is only a few hours from where we are now and ending with Village 65.
But there’s no way they could have met. Telfi would have told me.
I shake my head.
He doesn’t know her. He can’t know her. Like most people, he’s thrown off by her name.
“She was my sister,” I say, and he gives me a curt nod before clearing his throat.
“Let’s get you some punch.” His voice returns to his usual playful tone, and I follow as he leads the way.
We approach the table filled with drinks, where masked servants pour vibrant liquids into crystal glasses. Theo hands one to me, and I lift it to my nose before raising a brow.
“Orilander powder?” I ask. The sweet, intoxicating aroma is impossible to miss. I’ve never consumed it before, but I’ve smelledit in the market, usually late at night when the villagers desire to escape their bleak realities for just a bit.
Apparently, it takes the edge off, which is something I find myself in desperate need of.
“Not really a party without it,” Theo says with a grin, gulping his down and grabbing another. My brows rise higher just before I do the same.
Theo’s smile widens.
“I have a few people I need to say hello to, but then I’ll circle back. Will you be all right on your own for a bit?” His words are close to my ear, and my heartbeat picks up, not from his proximity, but from the sudden rush coursing through my veins.
The orilander powder is already working its way through my system, sending a faint tingle to my arms, my neck, and my back. My mind feels loose, untethered, almost like a subtle haze has fallen over me.
“Oh, I think I’ll be just fine.” I grab another drink, and he gives me an approving nod just before he wanders off.
My eyes scan the room, eager to take in all I can, but also desperate to find the one person my foolish mind can’t seem to rid itself of.
But I don’t see him.
