“The seven great households will be divided into seven kingdoms on the death of our last emperor. Lord Treon will oversee the twenty-two planets currently under his command. Lord Okenen, his eighteen. Lord Thirik, much to his disagreement, will remain overseeing his command of the six. Lord Mori, with his eight, and Lord Ateria with his ten. There has been much deliberation over the eight planets overseen by Lord Oris and Lord Kadora—a combination of the two sectors—but after a heated discussion and the allocation of resources defining the eight planets, it has been decided that each will remain as they are. Lord Oris with his three, Lord Kadora with five.”
Cole continues reading about the first preparations for the transition of power, which was done in secret, only announced when the emperor joined his family in the tombs.
We spend the last thirty minutes of class paired up. Blessedly, I’m paired with Cole since we are both juniors, and Aolyn and Anders are seniors. We have to choose one of the first households after the Lords passed off their new crowns, to present and share what they did well, where they made mistakes, and whether we agree with the laws they implemented during those first few years as the system fell into chaos.
Cole and I immediately choose King Kàstiel, who ruled as the first true king of Treon, while Aolyn and Anders choose King Orin of Ateria.
While we research King Kàstiel, Cole murmurs a half-apology for being so rude at the beginning of the school year. I wave him off, telling him I don’t hold grudges. He grins at me and glances at his brother mischievously.
Cole seems to love getting under his brother’s skin as much as I do. For the remainder of class, we bump shoulders, lean into each other’s space to glance at each other’s tablets, and speak in hushed voices, smiling and laughing over literally nothing. By the end of class, Anders looks like he might actually burst.
“See you tonight,” Cole says with a wink when he leaves, making me blush even though we had no conversation about meeting up. Iknow it’s just a ploy to annoy Anders, so I go along with it and give him a small smile.
“Raea,” Anders growls as he comes to stand beside me. Aolyn looks between the two of us and grabs my hand.
“Rae, I need some help.” Then she pulls me from class, my arm tucked under hers as she shoots me a knowing smile. I don’t bother looking back at Anders. I can feel his heated glare on my back. We both giggle as we make our way up to our room for a few minutes before our next classes.
six
. . .
Is ignoring Anders a bit petty?Perhaps, but I refuse to be swept away by his dark and mysterious charm. Unlike so many women around me who seem eager to vie for his attention, I hold my self-respect in high regard. For that reason, keeping my distance feels best—safe.
I don’t complain when he walks me to class each morning, or when he escorts me back to my room in the evenings. Our interactions, however brief, remain polite and surface-level, avoiding any deeper connection. Yet, despite my best efforts, a small part of me knows that I can’t maintain this distance indefinitely. There’s an undeniable pull that tugs at my resolve, making me wonder what it would be like to let my mental shield open just a little.
I attempted to have a conversation with Chancellor Xara about my concerns, only to discover later that Anders had also approached her regarding the removal of his detail. As expected, she remained unmoved by my plight. Despite her indifference, this arrangement causes him to arrive late to class each morning and leaves me with a towering presence—a six-foot-something distraction—with an ever-rotating cast of girls batting their lashes in his direction. It feels likeevery time I look up from my books, there’s another flirty exchange happening mere feet away from me.
I can’t quite decipher his intentions with me. Perhaps he’s trying to win me over? Just the other night, while I was up late studying, he unexpectedly brought me a cup of tea. Not coffee, mind you—tea. This small gesture spoke volumes, suggesting that he knows my preference for the soothing herbal liquid over the typical bean juice that most students crave. It’s not that I’d outright refuse coffee; I just find that tea has a much more appealing flavor.
Underneath it all, there’s an unpredictable quality to him that leaves me reeling. One moment, he presents a side that is warm and considerate, offering glimpses of someone I might genuinely enjoy getting to know. But then, there are times when he transforms into the brooding asshole everyone else knows him as. I’ll walk right into a door he lets swing shut in my face, and the momentary glare he shoots my way makes me feel as though I’ve somehow offended him. The inconsistency is maddening, leaving me to wonder which version of him I’ll encounter next.
It shouldn’t matter to me…it doesn’t matter. He’s graduating at the end of the year and off to Bond with someone else. He won’t be a problem much longer, and I will continue to pray for a release from my shadow.
It’s been a few days since that awkward Government Class, but Cole has made every attempt to say hi to me whenever Anders is watching. Whatever game we are playing, I’m not enjoying it anymore. I need to talk to Cole, set some boundaries, and clarify that we can be friends for real—not because he wants to annoy his brother.
Speaking of said brother, Anders is nowhere to be found today. I have no idea where he is…nor do I care, but I’m thankful for the autonomy. How surprising that I can get myself to and from all of my classes alone, without someone attempting to Bond with me in the halls without my scary escort around.
During lunch, I find a quiet spot in the corner of the yard and tuck myself under one of the ornamental trees to read. The weather is warm today, but a light breeze keeps the heat from overwhelming me.The fresh air carries the scent of newly fallen snow from the mountains, mixed with the smell of pine and a hint of flowers from the fall blooms. I let out a contented sigh as I lean against the brick wall, propping my tablet on my knees.
It might not be the most exciting material, but learning about the Lumos Bond and the first emperor and empress to receive it settles some of my nerves about our first class.
I scroll through the pages ofThe Lumos Bond - A New Beginningand realize that the entire court went through a Bonding ceremony after Emperor Arendid. I reread the page to make sure I have it right.
Hours after the first Lumos Bond was completed, members of the court, both married and unmarried, participated in what is now known as The Ceremony. At that time, the process was archaic and painful, as they had yet to discover the serum that would later help identify Bonded partners. Many remained Bonded to their spouses, but for a select few, their connections turned out to be much stronger with different partners.
It was not until UC 05 that we learned the significance of the Bond on the twenty-third birthday of the female partner. However, males typically exhibit a more substantial Bond before the age of twenty-eight.
My jaw drops as shock and outrage stir in my chest. Married couples were forced to Bond with others? Anger stirs in my chest. How the gods think this is fair, this is right….ugh… it’s not. I scroll further, bypassing the rest of the section, landing upon a section on the Bond itself.
Light, colors, minor zaps of energy—it’s everything I’ve been feeling with Kellan and Anders. The connection I share with Kellan is unlike anything else. It’s gentle and soothing, like a soft caress or a gentle breeze that wraps around me, enveloping me in a lulling warmth.
It’s a stark contrast to the potential Bond with Anders, which ignites a very different kind of fire within me. It’s intense and electrifying, and makes my skin feel ablaze and my body hum with energy. It feels like raw energy, filled with passion and urgency, every interaction leaving shockwaves reverberating through me. While Kellan’spresence brings tranquility, Anders awakens me in a way I can’t ignore.
The lunch bell sounds, softly ringing out three times, signaling that I need to head inside. I groan and shuffle the tablet back into my linen bag, taking a long pull of water before shoving the bottle in next. My body aches from sitting in one position for so long as I head back toward Taeolyn.
I don’t make it past Veker before three men, who I believe are seniors, approach me, their faces all masked in irritation. The one at the center, the tallest of the group, has a hawkish nose and is a little round at the stomach. I keep my focus on him as he approaches ahead of the other two, his hands clenched at his sides.
“There ya’ are, Princess,” he says with a thick accent I recognize from one of the smaller colonies on Dionek. “We’ve been looking fer ya.” The other two huff behind him. It’s only then that I realize I’m being herded as I step back and find myself against the backside of Veker, away from all witnesses.
