I was the outlier.
I shivered, dreading what that might mean, but forced myself to focus. These women were my competition, and I needed to know them to beat them.
Lady Ophira Nephrite of Onyx Court was beautiful, as they all were. With dark black skin topped with shining golden hair and eyes. The deep black hair that Onyx was once famous for had been bred out long ago, with gold being the dominant color for many years now. She wore a golden dress that was studded with onyx across it, and it was quite a striking look, I had to admit.
Lady Safira Mazarine was next, followed by Lady Amatista Iolanthe of Amethyst Court. Her amethyst-colored hair and eyes were set in a beautiful, sharp face. Her dress was so deep a purple, it was practically black, with small beads in the same dark hue covering the cloth. It had amethysts set into the design, including trailing along her sweetheart neckline, which plunged just a bit deeper than normal. Her sleeves were off the shoulder, with beads at the top that hung delicately, before a transparent tulle billowed out, before being brought back together and gathered at her wrist, where delicate lace circled them.
Her gaze was as sharp as her face, and she took everything in with the kind of calculation that told me she was playing to win.
“Lady Allirea Beryl, daughter of Lord Eirian Beryl of Opal Court.” The Gemholder called next, and I watched as a woman just as gorgeous as the rest walked out. Couldn’t one of them have been unattractive? It was trulyunfair to have to compete against these women when I was nowhere near their caliber. What was Lord Carnelian thinking?
Allirea’s deep black skin was topped with opalescent white hair and eyes that, in the light, seemed to shine with all sorts of colors, just like Emrys. Only the color was even more interesting on Lady Allirea. The contrast against her skin was stunningly beautiful, and I felt my heart sink as my chances of winning seemed to drop ever lower.
But I had no choice, I had to find a way.
It wasn’t just my life that depended on this, Ula’s did too. And it was the only chance I’d have to avenge my family. The memory of my parents’ dead eyes haunted me, and this could be just the thing to make the vision disappear forever.
Allirea gave her customary greeting to the High King, her oval face tilted down slightly and her tone soft, before taking her place among us. We were now in a semicircle before the Diamond throne, with the rest of the court arranged behind us, leaving about ten feet of space between us.
Azurill stood then, looking regal in a way that made me want to gouge his stupidly pretty eyes out. “Welcome, everyone, to the Diamond Queen Competition!”
A rush of cheers rang out, and Azurill smiled at the crowd, but it looked just the slightest bit forced.
“Each of your noble courts has done me a great honor, putting forth a lady from your lands to compete for the chance to become my wife and the next Diamond Queen. This tradition is one of our oldest and most noble, dating back to before the courts were brought together by the first High King,” he explained, his tone dropping and becoming more serious. “I hope to find among these competitors a wife and queen who will be everything both I and this kingdom need. Our challenges were designed to find just such an individual among those gathered here.”
“So, I thank you, my Lords, for bringing such lovely ladies before me.” He continued, looking down at us from his throne before turning his eyes back to the crowd behind us. “But I’m sure you’re all eager to find out which lady will win the coveted crown and be my bride?”
The crowd cheered once more, while I bit the inside of my lip to stop myself from sneering. He wascharming, and that was a problem. Seeing the truth through that charm would be a challenge. Men like him put on airs allthe time, hiding beneath a façade. But I was determined to rip it open and claw out the truth of him.
Revealing the monster that I knew lived beneath his stupidly perfect tanned skin.
“Then let us not delay!” Azurill smiled widely, “The first competition will take place in three days. Tonight, we will start by hosting a ball where I will begin getting to know each competitor. That will give them two full days to prepare for the challenge afterwards.”
He smirked slightly, but his pointed ear twitched as if irritated. He watched the crowd, who were eating all this up, excitedly tittering to one another about what the first challenge would be and the excitement of a ball. He seemed to relish making them all metaphorically scoot to the edge of their seats.
“There will be eight challenges in total.” He finally announced, his teal eyes gleaming. “Meaning at the first challenge, no one will be eliminated, ensuring we have two competitors for the final bout. We will begin with a show of talent! Each competitor will showcase a talent for us, allowing us to learn a bit about each of the ladies competing!”
A show of talent? That was certainly not the cutthroat activity I expected out of this farce.
My mind began running through possibilities for my talent, and I nearly missed the moment Azurill concluded his speech. The Gemholder banged a scepter on the ground, and everyone dropped to their knees. Thankfully, I was only a split second behind everyone else, and I didn’t think anyone noticed my blunder.
The king made his way down the dais and out of the room, his curious eyes meeting mine briefly before turning his head and leaving. A shiver made its way down my back, the ghost of his stare not leaving me until I made it all the way back to my room.
The ball was to take place in a few hours, and I was surprised to find a bevy of maids and stylists bustling into my room to get me ready as soon as I walked in. I was quickly taken out of the dress I’d arrived in, and wrapped in a soft and stupidly plush light grey velvet robe as my hair was undone, only to be brushed and wrapped up onto my head, with the shorter front layers left flying free.
They cleaned my face, only to darken my eyes and pinken my cheeks, painting a stunning rouge color across my lips, while a light dusting ofshimmering powder was pressed on what seemed to be every inch of my skin. Once they were finished, I was brought over to a dressing area that contained a tall threefold mirror, and a low oval stand I stepped up onto. It seemed like a mere blink of an eye, and they had me transformed with whatever magic they were clearly working.
I was never a fan of red before. The color was much too similar to blood for my liking, and it always stirred thoughts I felt best left suppressed. But this was…I mentally sighed, begrudgingly forced to admit that it was absolutely stunning.
Across my forehead dangled a ruby, attached to a diamond piece that connected to a cluster of rubies and diamonds that sat within my hair itself. The dress was a ruby red to represent the court, but it was packed with actual rubies and diamonds, and even a bit of kyanite. There was a high collar that swept behind my neck, tilted away from me, and did not constrict at all. A red tulle cape fell from beneath it to the floor.
The dress sat off my shoulders, the neckline contouring to my chest. The bodice was ornate, with diamonds creating a crisscrossing pattern across the cups that covered my breasts, with rubies sitting between each space they created within the design, and a giant one sitting right between my breasts. Under the cups, the diamonds and rubies created a swirling pattern, with a few kyanite gems added into the design for a pop of color—and a nod to the High King.
The skirt was large, larger than anything I’d ever worn, at least. I could already imagine it twirling across the floor, the diamonds and rubies stretching out across the top of it, like rays of the sun coming off the end of the bodice. Small diamonds fell the rest of the way to the floor, like small stars dotting the bottom that shone in the light as I twisted the skirt back and forth.
The skirt would surely lift and twirl in the way I used to imagine when I was a little girl, dreaming of attending my first ball after entering society. I might even have dreamed of dancing with the High King himself, not that I’d ever admit to that now, even under pain of death.
I remembered one particular day when my mother discussed the responsibilities of a lady with me. How, as the eldest daughter of House Marit, I’d be married to a lord of high standing, with a palace of his own for me to live in one day.
