“Amazing, isn’t it?” Eryx smirked down at me. I nodded, speechless.
The ceiling was—not there. Instead, it was open to the sky. Leaving the hall bright and sunny at the moment, but it would allow the night sky to glimmer above us after dark.
“There’s a spell.” Delia whispered, leaning her head around Eryx and toward me. “It prevents the elements from getting in. It’s like there’s still a ceiling, even though there isn’t.”
“Incredible.” I murmured. My eyes shot to the floor, which was a sparkling onyx color. The walls were uncovered, so the star opal shone all around us. Except, of course, for the tapestries that hung here and there, showing past kings and battles, locations like Nova Falls, or celestial events. Columns were scattered throughout, glittering star opal with dragons crawling over and around them. The dragon figures were black with silver detailing, and quite striking against the color-streaked white of the opal columns. Down the middle of the throne room, there was a rug leading up to the dais in a swirling purple pattern.
As we walked forward, I looked up to the dais, and my breath caught in my throat. On it sat a throne that was larger than life. The throne was built into adragon. An entire dragon sat perched on the dais, crafted of course, but looming up over the area. The entire dragon was made to look like the night sky, black with stars twinkling within it. The throne built into it was outlined in jewels, and matched the dragon’s eyes, which were both made from amethysts which glowed a light purple, more lavender than amethyst—remarkably similar to the eyes of the king who sat on the throne.
Beside the throne, banners came down from the ceiling bearing the Night Kingdom’s sigil, a crescent moon with stars within in a circle, and dragon wings coming off either side, done in the same shimmering purples and blacks that the throne used, I noticed. While above the dragon throne, black stone, the same as the doors to the palace, was a permanent banner, the phases of the moon written across it in silver. The same stone continued down the sides, outlining the dais, and the silver etched out falling stars from top to bottom.
Eryx led me forward still, or I likely would have come to a dead stop as I gaped around. I gave him a thankful smile as he led us over to the right of the throne.
“Should I be so close?” I asked him worriedly, my brows furrowing. “Shouldn’t this spot be exclusively for you and the others in his court?”
Eryx smiled gently down at me, “Youare part of his Highness’s court now, Asteria.”
The truth of that made me blink rapidly. I hadn’t really thought about it, but he was right. I didn’t have an official office like he did, but I was part of it, nonetheless. Everyone had welcomed me so readily, having me join them for dinners and nights out. They’d taken me into their friend group, beyond just their court. I wasn’t sure I could ever express how thankful I was for such a thing, but the gentle, understanding look on Eryx’s face made me think he already knew. If we weren’t in court, I would hug him for that alone.
Instead, I gave him a smile and then turned to watch the others file in. Baach came over to stand beside Ilta, who took her place next to me. I was waiting for those two to quit flirting and get on with it, but Eryx caught my gaze and smirked.
“Those two have been doing this for years. Don’t get your hopes up.” He teased, shaking his head.
“Why don’t they just tell each other how they feel?” I whispered, raising a brow. “It’s so obvious they like each other.”
I caught Eryx’s quick glance at Delia, who was chatting with Lilith, who must have just arrived. I raised both brows at him, a smirk growing, and he narrowed his eyes at him.
“We live long lives, Asteria, we don’t need to rush these things.” He answered, eyes skittering past me.
“That’s bullshit.” I whispered back.
His lips twitched but he just shrugged, “Sometimes it’s easier to keep the status quo, instead of taking a risk.”
I supposed that made a sad sort of sense. I could well understand holding back feelings, though I did it for a different reason. But if they’d spent hundreds of years with things one way, maybe they were afraid to change it. Afraid the other wouldn’t feel the same, and things would be irrevocably altered. I thought about it as everyone prepared for the king’s arrival. I didn’t want things to change with Calix, but perhaps that was inevitable. After all, when he found his soulmate, thingswouldchange, whether I wanted them to or not. Would I even have a place here then? Or would Calix want me as far away from her as possible?
I tried to bury that thought as Calix was announced, the herald calling out, “All rise for His Royal Highness, King Calix Orpheus Atarah Erebus. King of the Night Kingdom. Lord of Tairngire, the City of Shadow & Starlight. Lord of Darkness. The Dragon of Dreams and Nightmares. Keeper of the Gates. Protector of the People.”
I raised a brow as I took in the many titles and names I’d never heard before. The City of Shadow and Starlight was a beautiful way to describe Tairngire, and perfectly fitting I thought. But all those titles were quite a mouthful. Eryx smirked, but it was Baach who leaned over and whispered, “He hates all the titles. We like to fuck with him and add new ones sometimes. The lastone we added in honor of his protection of humans. He won’t argue, just because it means so much to him, but he’ll cringe at the additional title nonetheless.”
I shot him an incredulous look, and he slowly smiled. “What? We need to get our fun where we can.”
I rolled my eyes, but my lips twitched, giving me away. Baach bumped my shoulder with a smile, as I focused my gaze on Calix walking into the throne room.
He was dressed more formally than I’d ever seen him, with a long black coat that had moons, stars, and dragons in silver brocade down the arms, while the rest was crisp and plain. Each button down the front was a phase of the moon, creating the effect when buttoned of all the moon phases atop each other. A royal purple cape was affixed to his shoulders, covering one at a slant and held with a broach of a dragon made of onyx and amethyst. A belt hung around his waist, holding his sword. The black blade hidden by its sheath, but the silver handle showed prominently, a dragon with its wings spread out making up the hilt. A crescent moon on the dragon’s back and stars for eyes, both made of the signature star opal.
A crown sat on his head that made my mouth run dry—it was beautiful. Black metal with points coming up and ending in stars made of star opal. The points leading up to them were covered in purple jewels. The phases of the moon went around the base of the crown, also in star opal. Swirls made of silver and dotted with jewels of purple and green surrounded the moon phases on the crown. It was magical and masculine at the same time—it fit him perfectly.
He made his way down the aisle to the dais, where he climbed the steps and sat in his celestial dragon throne. He looked regal and beautiful, his silvery white hair falling around his face. His angular cheekbones and equally sharp jaw gave him a brutal,fierce air as he looked out on his court, but his soft lips and brilliant purple eyes softened him a bit.
“They’ll present all the Lords and Ladies of the kingdom, and then open up the floor for everyone.” Harpina whispered in my ear, and I jolted, not having seen her arrive. I knew vaguely that Titan and Harpina had followed Calix in, along with Liviana, who now stood at his side. Ilta had also left us to make her way up to the dais to take notes. She was now standing beside Titan, who gripped the hilt of his sword as he stood at attention with several other guards. But I’d been so lost in Calix, I’d barely noticed anything else.
“Princess Ndrita Luna and Lord Sterling Nuit of Keris.” The herald called out. Calix’s sister. I knew she was older than Liviana, but younger than Calix. Unfortunately, I hadn’t heard much else about her yet. A pale skinned woman with silvery white hair, slightly blonder than her siblings, and blue eyes that had just a hint of purple to them, came forward and curtsied. Beside her, a man with tan skin and dark hair shaved back on the sides with the rest tied in a ponytail, bowed. He looked like a warrior, with muscles straining against his jacket, a sword on one hip and daggers on the other.
“Sister, Brother, welcome back to Tairngire. It’s been too long.” Calix smiled down at them, his face softening.
“It has been, your Highness. My Princess was all too eager to return.” Lord Sterling smiled at his wife, who returned it warmly, before turning back to her brother.
“As much as I love Keris, the skies for flying in Tairngire can’t be beat.” She smirked at Calix, who returned it.
