“That’s true,” Katherine draws a card, “I heard there were a few families who were afraid to send their sons after the accident last Darkfall.”
“What accident?” I can’t help but ask.
“At the temple,” Katherine says. “One of the men they sent to meet the gods died. It was like the gods found him so unworthy of magic that they killed him.”
“I heard it was because his mother slept with a commoner,” Antonia whispers. “She was barely a noble herself. Not enough god’s blood in him to withstand the gift.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“Oh, that’s right, you don’t have magic in Iskvaland,” Charlotte says.
“No, we don’t.”
“It’s the gifting ceremony.” Charlotte leans forward and lowers her voice, as if this is a secret. “Once every five years, during Darkfall, the temple doors open and anyone the emperor deems worthy is sent to speak to the gods. They ask for magic and are granted powers.”
“Most of the time,” Antonia adds. “Or they die.”
“That only happened once. Everyone else lived.” Katherine takes a card from the pile in the center.
“I thought the emperor gave them their magic,” I say.
“The emperor chooses, but the gods have the power.” Charlotte kisses her palm and then touches her chest in reverence. The other girls repeat the motion. It’s a symbol I’ve never seen before, but I can guess what it means, and I follow along, not wanting to raise suspicion.
“I thought he gave all the Night Legion their shadow magic.” I place a card on the table.
“It’s sort of the other way around,” Katherine says. “It’s the most common gift, and if that’s what they end up with, they have to join the legion if they weren’t already planning to.”
“What if someone doesn’t get shadow magic?” I ask.
“Then the emperor finds something else for them to do. But it’s very rare,” Katherine explains.
“Like the enforcer,” Charlotte says. “I’m not sure what he got exactly, but it’s not shadow magic.”
“Whatever it is, he can use it on me any day.” Katherine winks.
Charlotte giggles.
“In front of a princess?” Antonia gasps.
“Really, don’t mind me. I grew up with…” I almost mention my brothers. But the princess of Iskvaland is an only child. “What other kinds of magic are there?”
“Well, there’s a few people who have elemental magic.” Katherine taps on the table as she says each element. “Fire, wind, water, you know. They do special things for the emperor,”
“We’re not really permitted to know.” Antonia adjusts her chair, pulling herself in closer before playing a card. “Women aren’t allowed in the temple.”
“That’s not true,” Charlotte says. “The empress was.”
“That’s right. She went in. Just before giving birth. I remember hearing the story.” Antonia turns to me. “I wonder if they’ll send you this Darkfall? You’ll probably be with child by the next one. They’ll want you to have any extra strength before then.”
My mouth goes dry. “What exactly happens in the temple?”
“The gods measure your worthiness and appoint you magic in correlation to it,” Antonia explains confidently. “I’m sure you’ll get something amazing. With a mother and father from two opposing kingdoms who united all of Iskvaland with their marriage, I’m sure your blood is going to please the gods.”
“They’ve never sent anyone who isn’t Pendralian.” Charlotte sets her hand on mine. “I don’t think you need to worry about it. And I heard they only sent the empress because she was ill.”
“That’s right,” Katherine says. “They thought she might lose the baby, the emperor’s heir.”
“I forgot about that. I remember hearing the story from my grandmother. She said everyone was so worried.” Antonia looks over at me. “She was very old by the time she first fell pregnant. Everyone had started to discuss who would become the next emperor if she never birthed a child.”
