“I believe so.”
“Which one?” I couldn’t understand, we were expecting both princes to come and meet with Father. If only one had come, would that mean only one of us would be leaving? At once, I was fearful of us being separated. Not because I saw a way out of this betrothal, but because what if Nova had to go without me? I couldn’t see her shipped off to a strange kingdom alone. I would never forgive myself.
“Not sure, Miss, just told to fetch you,” she replied, looking concerned that I would make a break for it or something. “You must make haste if you are to meet the party with your father.”
I linked arms with my sister. Together. Whatever came next, they would not part us. Either we both went, or I would get her out of this realm to get away if I had to. No distance would be too far.
Together, we made our way to the grand entrance, where Father looked agitated already. There, making introductions, were two males and a female, followed several steps behind by two other males. It was hardly the royal party we were expecting. Perhaps this was just the core group?
Father was offering warm greetings to the guests, but I could see even from the top of the staircase that he was displeased. Whether it was at our absence from the welcoming party, or for the presence of only one prince and lack of any kind of royal retinue, it was hard to be sure. Both, most likely.
As we descended the stairs, the eyes of one of the party lifted and tracked our progress with an unreadable expression. He was handsome in a reserved way and quite different from the other males, who were very evidently his guard. Bred for bulk, or maybe they were the King's dragons. But the male watching our arrival was the prince. I knew who the prince was instantly. He was smaller, more regal, and certainly the prince among them. The princes were identical, like Nova and I, but I had heard much about my betrothed—nothing that I deemed to be good qualities in a partner. Arrogant, flamboyant, ostentatious, proud, and it was clear that this male was none of those things, unless he hid it well. I could only assume it was Nova’s intended, not mine, who had come. The male watching me looked nothing like the prince. The way he stared was with as much trepidation as interest, and I did not believe the over-confident prince I had heard about would display such insecurity openly.
So who was he?
My grip tightened on her as if they were going to immediately try and take her away from me. But she patted my hand tosoothe me as we descended the stairs. But where was my prince? My prince, I chastised myself. I would never think of him as such. But regardless of my disdain for him, I would like to know why he was not present. If I was expected to leave everything I knew, I would prefer to know to whom I am giving myself.
We arrived at the bottom of the staircase, and the whole greeting party turned to look at us. The female seemed warm and approachable, the large male to her side looked imposing and stern, and then there was the prince. I couldn’t bring myself to look in his eyes. It would be like accepting my lot.
“Ah, here they are,” Father said in a way that let us know he was disappointed we were not beside him before they arrived. “Prince Alaric, allow me to introduce my daughters, Calytrix,” he said, gesturing at me. “And Nova.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” the prince said quietly as if he too wanted to be anywhere but here.
“His highness was just explaining that his brother, the heir, was too weighed down with his duties to make the voyage but sends his apologies and entrusts your safe delivery with his brother and General Asra,” Father explained.
“I saw your ship,” I blurted. “It didn’t look like a royal barge to me.”
The prince chuckled. “Indeed not, and thank the Goddess for that. I can’t stand the stuffiness of being confined to that thing for long stretches of time.”
“Oh?” I challenged. “And a merchant ship is better?”
“Calytrix,” Father hissed.
The prince shook his head, seeming more relaxed in being challenged than he was during a simple greeting. “Not at all, Duke Leclair. Let her ask her questions. I had several myself, but I am told by the esteemed General Asra here,” He gestured to the brooding giant behind him, definitely a dragon, I concluded. The Asra name was famous. “That keeping the journey quiet andusing a ship without royal designation and all the ceremony that goes with it, was the safest way. But don’t be alarmed by the ship. All care has been taken to convert it to offer the royal princesses the comfort they are due.”
I couldn’t tell from his tone whether he was condescending to us, or whether those comforts were as highly important to him as he assumed they were to us. He was a hard one to read.
“Well, that was very considerate of Your Highness,” Father said as if this prince had personally seen to it himself. “We look forward to welcoming you to the Light Palace with a banquet this evening, so if you’ll follow our Master of the Household, he will show you to the royal quarters so you may rest and freshen up before the event.”
“Event?” the general choked. “I was made to believe this was to be a discrete matter with as little impact as possible.”
“Nonsense. We wish to welcome the prince and celebrate my daughter’s betrothals.”
The general looked murderous, but he was powerless to argue against his host without starting further tension between the kingdoms. I got the sense from his facial expression that his whole life was dealing with the decisions of the over-privileged when it should almost certainly have been focused solely on the important things, like, say, the security of the Twelve Kingdoms.
“We did not approve an event. I only have limited security at hand,” the general thundered, waving an angry hand at the two males behind him. I peered around his huge frame and took in the security fully for the first time. One male was the image of the general, they were identical but for their frame—the guard was a fraction of the general’s mass though. He was gaunt and willowy by comparison and didn’t look in any kind of physical condition to be guarding a prince.
We saw very few such creatures here. Although there were dragons from Light, they were sent to the First for service, andwith as sheltered as Father tried to keep us, I had only caught sight of them when they flew over in formation on some mission or other. I had never spoken to one, I’d never even seen one in their fae form to my knowledge.
I felt the other guard’s eyes on me before I dared look at him fully. He was staring at me intently. Why, I could not figure out. He looked like an official with the Night Kingdom, but he didn’t wear a uniform, nor was he armed. I gleaned as much information as I could from the corners of my gaze before I finally tore my eyes away from the others to meet his, and my breath caught.
SEVEN
FAOLAN
There was a definite tension among the group by the time we reached shore. Nyx and Kol seemed like they hadn’t gotten along the whole voyage and mostly avoided each other, while the prince seemed apathetic to his duties. He was clearly resigned to his fate, but his mood had darkened significantly since we anchored. It was almost worse than Kol and Nyx’s general bad moods, and that was saying something.
I didn’t know if this was how royal visits normally went, but I hoped it was not the norm. How the Duke of the Light Kingdom wouldn’t be offended by the arriving party’s dark cloud was beyond me. I was concerned that it would be mistaken for a challenge or some level of aggression, and we were walking into a potential problem. Or maybe this was entirely normal? Maybe it was just expected for no one to be happy about their duty, and it was accepted as how things were.
