But I couldn’t hold it in. “What’s a favored bride?” I whispered.
Theron smiled then, piercing and polished like a dagger freshly oiled.
“Favored brides,” he said grandly, “are a tradition of choice. A matter of honor. Any man not currently under a marriage contract, or those wishing to upgrade their nuptial partner, may compete for her favor. She will choose.”
My stomach turned.
Around me, whispers thickened into conversation, eyes darting between Inderia and the men closest to the front.
It wasn’t a proposal.
It was a spectacle.
And Inderia, draped in silk and poison, was all too happy to be the prize.
Theron raised a hand toward the assembled squads, his voice once again carrying like thunder over stone.
“Inderia,” he said with a sickening air of ceremony, “feel free to meet your suitors.”
Inderia stepped forward with the grace of a courtesan and the precision of a blade. The fabric of her gown shimmered as she moved, trailing light like a lure, her chin lifted high as she drifted toward a cluster of young, clearly enamored men, nobles and soldiers alike, each one preening beneath her gaze as if they’d already won something.
She offered brief, calculated words to each of them, a smile here, a touch to the shoulder there, feigning interest with the skill of a practiced predator.
I stared, disbelief settling hard in my chest. “Is this for real?”
“Unfortunately,” Tae muttered beside me, his expression twisted somewhere between amusement and irritation.
Then Inderia’s eyes slid over the crowd and landed on us.
And lingered on Tae.
Her smile curled. Predatory. Curious.
She sauntered toward us, ignoring the stiffened shoulders and narrowed eyes from the rest of our squad. When she stopped in front of Tae, it was with the kind of intentional poise that made every movement feel rehearsed.
“Hello,” she purred, her voice like honey spilled on glass.
Tae nodded stiffly. “Hi.”
“I don’t believe we’ve met officially,” she said, extending her gloved hand.
“It’s Tae Rockel,” he said, shaking her hand roughly. “I’m sure you have much better candidates than me, though.”
Inderia looked him over, like one might assess a horse before betting on it. “I’ve been granted certain provisions,” she said smoothly. “I no longer need to marry for prestige.”
“That’s nice,” Tae replied flatly, the polite version ofgo to hell.
Before she could dig her claws in any further, Zander emerged from the crowd and joined us, his expression cool and distant.
“Inderia,” he said with all the warmth of frostbite, “you have many admirers tonight. I suggest you see to them before your looks fade.”
His smile was razor-edged. “We both know that’s all you have going for you.”
Inderia’s face twitched, just a little, but it was enough.
She sneered at Zander, her poise cracking for a heartbeat, then spun on her heel and stalked away, her gown billowing like smoke behind her.
Tae exhaled slowly. “Well… that was horrifying.”
