No, her best shot at a better future was to marry Karwyn. To become a queen herself. Once her marriage was secured, she would never have to answer to Wryen ever again. His influence on her life would stop there. Maybe with a bit of convincing, Karwyn would let her mother live in the Turosian palace too. Amira sighed. Giving her current relationship with Karwyn, she’d needa lotof convincing. But it wasn’t impossible.
The door to her bedroom opened on a cheery Nalani carrying fresh bed sheets. She looked puzzled. Following her gaze, Amira realised that she had been forcefully pulling on her hair, making a complete mess of her once perfectly smooth braids. She immediately let go of her hair.
The maid furrowed her brows but said nothing. She put the fresh bed sheets on a chair and went up to the vanity table to grab a hairbrush. In silence, she slowly brushed Amira’s hair. She made it look as if nothing had happened. Amira knew she should feel embarrassed, but in this moment, she was only glad not to be alone.
Nalani softly stroked Amira’s cheek. “I noticed your brother leaving. I know how hard it is to be away from your family.”
Amira had to change the subject if she wanted to avoid spiraling into terrifying thoughts. “Are you married, Nalani?”
Nalani’s honey-coloured eyes became melancholic. “No, my parents were blessed with lots of children but not a lot of money. I’ve had to work since I was sixteen. Blessed be Falea, I found good work in the palace. But it takes too much of my time for me to be looking for a husband. It’s all right, though. I’d rather send the money to my sisters.”
How Amira wished she could have had sisters. Or even another brother. Just someone to side with her against Wryen, to protect her. “You must really care about them.”
“They’re my little sisters, I have to protect them. Like your brother does for you.”
If the kind of “protecting” her brother provided should suddenly disappear, Amira would not miss it in the slightest. She tried to change the subject. “What will happen tomorrow during Falea Night?”
Nalani opened her mouth and then closed it. She stared at Amira in the mirror. “Did you learn anything about it during your studies in Allamyst?”
“Not much. For our god, Bellrasae the God of Beauty, we do a celebration at the temple and then all the artists of the kingdom present their most magnificent masterpiece in honour of the god.”
A bright smile spread on Nalani’s lips. “We do have a ceremony at the temple with the high priestess in honour of Falea. And then the king and you will go to the town centre to give out food.” Nalani saw Amira’s concerned face. “Don’t worry, everything will be very easy. And you will get to see more of the city.”
Amira was relieved to know more about the upcoming day. Tomorrow would be her chance to impress Karwyn with her first public appearance to the people of Parae. Amira couldn’t mess things up tomorrow. She’d have to follow Karwyn’s lead and be the picture of polite happiness. A perfect future queen.
Lucky for her, the time spent with her brother had taught her how to fake it.
Chapter20
Lora
“We’re here,” Eyden said as a one-storey farmhouse came into view. The sun was setting, bathing the surrounding fields and spacious garden in a glowing orange light. They had passed a few other buildings but none had their own farm attached. The village they were currently in was a tiny speck in the kingdom. Eyden had called it Kensyn.
Lora was glad that, after passing through a handful of villages, they had finally reached their destination and could rest. They hadn’t stopped for long after the debacle at the diner.
Eyden went up the few steps onto the well-kept porch that was decorated with blooming flowers. Through the nearest window, Lora could see two fae moving about in the kitchen. She’d barely eaten today and the idea of food made her stomach contract in answer.
Before she could think much about whether Ilario’s family would be welcoming, Eyden knocked on the wooden door. She could hear footsteps getting closer and then the door opened swiftly, revealing a woman with dark emerald eyes who Lora would describe as East Asian on Earth. She could see the resemblance to Ilario.
“Eyden, so good to see you again. I almost didn’t believe Ilario when he said you’d be coming over. It’s been too long since you showed your face.” The fae smiled at them warmly as she held the door and gestured for them to come in.
“I’m sorry, Mrs Marsyn. Business has been taking up all my time,” Eyden replied as they entered the hallway.
“I’m sure that’s it.” The fae turned to Lora. “And you must be Lora. My son mentioned Eyden would be bringing someone.”
Mrs Marsyn looked barely over thirty yet she must be Ilario’s mother. The fae’s aging process was a confusing concept to Lora. She really couldn’t tell how old anyone was. For the second time, she wondered about Eyden’s age.
“Yes, thank you so much for having us,” Lora said, smiling, surprisingly not finding it hard to do. The fae had a welcoming presence about her. The realisation almost made her frown. After witnessing the violent behaviour of fae at the diner earlier, Lora should focus more on keeping her guard up.
“It’s no trouble, darling,” Mrs Marsyn replied. “I hope you two are hungry. We were just setting the table.”
She led them to the dining room where a man was placing a steaming bowl in the middle of the table. His head veered in their direction. “Oh, hello, Eyden. Nice of you to join us again.” His tone was warm but there was a layer of teasing to it as well.
Eyden ignored it, his expression almost blank, but she noted the subtle lift of his lips and knew he felt at ease. “Nice to be back.” His eyes slid over to her. “This is Lora.”
“Good to meet you, Lora. Please have a seat. Hope you like cheese and vegetable brew.”
Lora was about to reply when the back door opened and a familiar face came into view.
