“My father would like to see you, cousin dearest.” His instruction was quite clear, and I nodded in acquiescence. It was easier to agree than argue in vain, after all.
“I just need to get my time slot from Lady Arianell, and then we can leave.” I insisted, not wanting anything to mess this up.
My chance for vengeance hinged on this, and I wasn’t about to lose it because of this waste of air.
“I’ll join you,” Casaan persisted, his expression flattening in a way that left chills trailing down my spine. I nodded in agreement, my eyes flicking to Amatista. She gave me a concerned look, but I shook my head slightly.
Casaan didn’t bother with polite goodbyes and brought us straight over to Arianell. My hand remained tethered to him by the crook of his elbow, pulling me along in his wake as he strode quickly towards her.
“Lady Arianell, I believe you have something for my cousin?” he asked, and his voice was full of a pompous condescension that was grating. Her white eyebrow spiked high on her forehead as her eyes found mine. We shared a look as I rolled my eyes, and the slight smirk on her face in response was gratifying.
It was nice to find that not all nobles here were like I imagined. Carnelian and Casaan were perhaps not the only type of nobles at court, but theywerethe ones I’ve been forced to deal with.
“Yes, Lord Casaan, but I’m afraid it’s for her eyes only. Competition rules, I’m afraid” she told him with a twinkling smile. “You wouldn’t want to get her disqualified, would you?”
Casaan’s ruby eyes narrowed, but he lacked the same force behind them that his father possessed. He huffed like the spoiled child he was and stomped off to wait for me at a water fountain nearby. I sighed miserably, dreading the conversation to come, before turning back to Arianell with a practiced smile.
“I apologize for my cousin, my lady.” I dipped my head, but she waved me off.
“Don't worry yourself about it, Lady Jacinth.” She smiled brightly, her shoulders straightening as she grabbed a potion and handed it to me.
“Swallow this, and your time slot will be revealed,” she explained. “We’ve worked into the magic that each of the ladies will receive one of the available spots, and no one will accidentally be assigned the same one. This also prevents the others from knowing your time, thus preventing any potential sabotage.”
I examined the potion; its emerald, sapphire, and amethyst coloring was a unique blend, and it had a dash of what could have been diamond, judging by its sparkle at least. I quickly swallowed it down and concentrated on the magic in my mind, waiting for the information I needed to reveal itself. It took a minute, but eventually the time became known to me.
I was lucky enough to get a night slot, meaning I had more options available. But now I needed to plan a several hour-long date tomorrow night, and I needed to figure it out fast.
Before I could get carried away, Casaan cleared his throat loudly, reminding me of his unwanted presence. I shut my eyes, counting to ten to reset my patience, and opened them to see Arianell watching me with an amused expression.
Thanking her quickly, I moved toward Casaan, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me along with him before I’d even made it two steps.
“Father expects updates, little urchin,” he said harshly, despite the way his eyes followed the lines of my body.
“I’ve been a bit busy, you know,” I defended myself tersely. It wasn’t like I’d been purposely avoiding him. Notentirely, anyway.
Casaan scoffed, shaking his head as he practically manhandled me down the hall toward Lord Carnelian’s rooms. My heart sank the closer we got, despite knowing I had no real reason to dread this meeting.
Our goals remained the same, nothing had changed there.
It was really only Carnelian using Ula’s life as a bargaining chip that kept us from being on the same side completely. Okay, maybe I didn’tlovethe thought of him being king, but we certainly both wanted Azurill gone.
TheHigh King, I corrected myself, cursing mentally. This competition was seriously beginning to mess with my mind. Or maybe that was the much too pretty king.
We entered a ruby red door encrusted with gems that made me itch to pick them off and pocket them. Inside was the suite of rooms provided for the lord of Ruby Court, and we walked into the main living space that had dark black walls accented by scrolling red lines that looped and swirled, creating gorgeous patterns and keeping it from feeling gloomy. The furniture was a mixture of red and white, keeping any one color from becoming too overwhelming.
Lord Carnelian was seated on an elaborate red velvet chair that looked more like a throne, with rubies lining the sides of the arms and legs and tufted vertical lines in the padding that created a plush-looking seat.
Casaan brought me to stand before Carnelian and finally released my arm. I clenched my teeth to prevent myself from glaring at him as I eyed the indented fingerprints in my skin.
“Lady Jacinth,” Carnelian mocked with a tip of his head.
“Lord Carnelian,” I countered with an expectant brow raised.
His brief scowl was quickly hidden beneath a placid smile. Casaan dropped onto the white sofa beside his father and sprawled out, crossing his arms as he watched in amusement.
“I must admit you’ve done surprisingly well in the early trials,” he began, his red brows quirking upward. “But from here on out, the competition will become fiercer, and the other ladies have a distinct advantage over you.”
“I’m aware,” I told him drolly, making his eyes narrow as Casaan smirked.
