“Faith. Trust.”
“You have had those from the first moment I laid eyes on you,” Fiera said softly. It was a gift Vi still didn’t feel she’d earned, but was grateful to have.
“When the moment comes, trust me to protect you.”
Fiera nodded just as their conversation was interrupted by the door opening. Lord Ophain stood in its frame. He was dressed in deep crimson finery from head to toe, a heavy silver pendant around his neck that Vi recognized as the mark of the Lord of the West.
“Dear sister, it’s time,” he said gently, walking over. Vi stood and stepped out of the man’s way, allowing him to take both of Fiera’s hands. Ophain was accustomed to servants and guards in his presence; he didn’t so much as look at her twice. “Are you ready to do this?”
“I am,” Fiera said with a small smile. “There is only happiness and love ahead. The war is done, and this shall put it to rest.”
The fight for Fiera’s life was only just beginning. But Vi said nothing as they left, arm in arm. She slipped out through the side door and joined the masses gathered to watch the first Empress Solaris be crowned.
It had become difficult to walk in the great room of the cathedral. People had filled it to the point of pressing against the guards on the outer ring. Vi looked for the faces of the men and women she’d seen earlier. She sought out people she might know. Some she was certain she recognized, others she was certain she didn’t. But her recognition or lack thereof was not a reliable measure for traitors. Vi could thank Jayme for that lesson.
Soft gasps and murmurs distracted her when she was halfway through her first sweep. Vi jerked her head upward, toward what was stealing everyone’s attention. Fiera had entered and, at the same time, the Emperor made his grand entrance from the upper doorway in the dome. As Fiera walked, her gold-trimmed train stretched behind her in equal measure as the Emperor’s golden cape.
They made their way to each other in the center of the room. There, in an outer circle, was a row of soldiers. After that, a row of Crones, Fiera’s sisters, and Zira.
“My lords and ladies of the West, our esteemed guests from the South and East, I welcome you all to this most joyous occasion,” Ophain’s voice boomed as they reached the middle of the chamber. “It is my honor as Lord of the West to present my sister to our Emperor so they might be joined in marriage.” Ophain presented the hand of his sister to Tiberus.
“Eons ago,” the head Crone began to speak, wasting no time. “The Father lived in a land of eternal night. It was in that darkness that he met the Mother. She was a brilliant star…”
Vi tuned out the ceremonial storytelling. Her eyes continued to scan the crowd, even more attentive as she positioned herself directly behind Fiera. Deneya would defend Zira, and from this vantage Vi would get a look at the attacker if she was lucky. But her vision hadn’t shown her the aftermath of the attack, and Vi would be ready for whatever came.
“The Mother watches over us, bringing life and joy. The Father watches over our timelessness, seeing us safely into the lands beyond.” The head Crone produced a long red ribbon from inside her robes. It was the same one Vi had run back to the castle for earlier. She pushed forward into the crowd, ignoring the glares and rude gestures of those around her. “From our births to our deaths, we are bound to the plans they have laid. We walk the red lines they have given us.”
Not if I have something to say about it, Vi silently added. She was the one who could change those red lines—if she was bold and brave enough.
“By this, it is not for us to question those who are called to each other, just as it is no more our place to question those called to greatness. To do so would be an affront to the divine.”
Vi heard the scoff of a man to her left. She looked in his direction. He murmured something to another gentleman beside him. Vi stepped through the crowd, squeezing through an opening to get closer to the man. The ripple effect of shifting people caught his attention.
Their eyes met and he gave her a thin smile before looking forward again. The other man he’d been whispering to shuffled through the standing masses. Vi caught only a glimpse of the back of his head.Luke?
“Princess Fiera Ci’Dan, daughter of the last King of Mhashan, may the Mother bless you with the greatness of her warmth.” The Crone carefully laid the ribbon, looping it over the couple’s joined hands. Vi looked between them and the man who had vanished into the crowd. She couldn’t go chasing after him. She had to stay close to Fiera; the time was near. “Emperor Tiberus Solaris, first Emperor of this great land, chosen by the sun, may the Father bless you with his resolution.”
The Crone carried on with her blessings, wrapping their hands with each one. At the same time, Vi worked her way through the mass of people, pushing bodies aside when they refused to move. She was right behind Fiera as she and Tiberus recited their vows to each other.
For a brief moment, the world was calm. Happy, even. Fiera smiled brightly as she promised to be the Emperor’s, to honor him, to serve him, to hold him to a standard befitting an Emperor of all, for all. The Emperor nearly teared up as he promised the same—that he was hers, that he would love and cherish her, that she would forever be the brightest ray of the Solaris sun.
The future was hopeful in that breathtaking minute. And Vi witnessed the first glimpse that told her, beyond all doubt, this unlikely couple had come together to be greater than the sum of their parts.
Then the Crone spoke again: “The Mother bestowed on Mhashan a weapon to guard us all.” Zira unsheathed the sword. “May your love be as strong as this blade, as unyielding as its edge. And, should she above bless this union, may her fire touch the fate that binds you both.”
The Crone stepped back as Zira raised the sword above her head. Movement caught Vi’s eye. Zira dramatically lowered the weapon over top their joined hands. Vi sank into her legs, ready to spring. Women around her wept tears at the ceremony’s beauty. Vi readied herself to kill.
Fire ignited between the ribbon and the blade, burning it away as ash. Vi held her breath as Zira lifted the sword.This was it. This was the moment she died.
Instead, like the fire that burned in the sculpted brazier above the center of the room—flames erupted at Fiera’s back, igniting chaos in the crowd.
Chapter Sixteen
Zira screamed,stumbling forward.
Vi launched herself forward as well, pushing a Crone and Princess Tina out of the way to barge into the inner circle of the wedding ceremony. Zira’s back was singed, her clothes hanging by threads. But for the time being, she was very much alive.
People began to move, the crowd rumbling as if the earth itself trembled beneath them.
