Glancing over her shoulder, she nodded to the house. “Our parents will be here soon. Are you going to wait out here until the introduction?”
With a grimace, I nodded. “Yeah, meeting parents sounds fun, but I’m not touching that with a ten-foot pole.”
She laughed at our inside joke, got to her feet, and smiled at me before she headed back inside.
As I watched her go, I thought of Landon and what he’d shared about his father. I expected I’d meet him once the parents arrived, and that the experience would be as joyous as meeting Kingston and Max’s fathers.
Gratitude for mine filled my chest, and I refocused on my clue, hoping to solve it and make him proud.
When I gathered with the Ladies and Knights on the back lawn, I scanned the group for Max but didn’t find him. Parents arrived while we waited for Kingston to give his introduction speech.
They took their places around our small circle, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes on my back.
News about Ben’s death, my uncomfortable showdown with Merle, and my statements against their characters hung awkwardly in the air.
But as they saidin the biz,“The Show Must Go On.”
Morty’s words—not mine.
So, even with emotions running high, we pressed onward to the Final Trial. I refused to dwell on what had happened with Ben, with Merle, or with Max.
When the latter walked up to take his place beside Vivian, he greeted her in front of everyone as if he hadn’t spent the night in my bed.
I hated it, but I didn’t react.
Eyes on the prize, I had one job to do and far too much riding on the line to be distracted now.
Holding onto what we shared, I faced forward as Kingston took his place in front of us and began his speech.
“This morning, your Knight will hand each of you the last clue in the Scavenger Hunt. Tomorrow morning, you face the Obstacle Course. Through it, you’ll encounter physical challenges, but you’ll also receive what you need to piece all of your clues together and spell out the location of the Final Trial. You can begin any time you are ready. And the first of you who makes it to the end and secures what awaits there…”
Kingston met my gaze, and a mix of nerves and excitement thrummed through me.
“Shewill be named the Queen of Camelot Court.”
Murmurs ran through the crowd, and Kingston waited for everyone to settle before continuing.
“Remember, Ladies. While the Nobility Challenge began with the Scavenger Hunt, it is not for the faint of heart. For centuries, being noble meant being close to God, and while the Camelot Society doesn’t draw on the more pious aspectsof nobility, our competition demands one important quality, shared by religion, from its Queen.”
Our eyes locked, and I realized what he’d been telling me.
Faith.
“To Protect with Nobility requires faith in that which you cannot see at first glance. It’s trusting your instincts and yourself even without all the answers—or, in Camelot Court’s way, with almost no answers. It’s honoring the truth you hold inside you, even when life throws information and obstacles at you from all sides. And it’s fighting with courage through fear and uncertainty, even when you feel lost in the dark.”
I took a deep breath, emotion lodging in my throat as pieces of the prior challenges fell into place.
“To win—to be noble—you must protect, with faith, what is yours at all costs. Even when the battle is quiet instead of a loud and bloody war. Even when you stand alone instead of with your Knights beside you. In the face of doubt, youmusthave faith.Thatis the only path to true power.” He met my gaze. “To have what it takes to be Queen.”
Elaine, missing the gravity of the moment and Kingston’s speech, interrupted on my right. “When can we use our Secret Questions? I have, like, three, so I’m sure that’ll help.”
Kingston’s slightly brittle smile drew a grin from me.
“Because of an incident yesterday, Merle has passed his role to Morty Dread, who will step in and take his place.”
I searched the crowd, eyes narrowing when I spotted Morty rocking on his heels and waving to the parents. Returning to Kingston, I hoped for a sign that his pointed refusal to meet my gaze assured me wouldn’t come.
Then I glanced at Max.
