Her brother seemed to have the same thought. “Where is the interim high king?” he said. Amira could hear the tension in his voice.
“His Majesty has been held back by court matters. But he sent me, Nouis Messler, his royal advisor, and my son, Rhay, one of his other advisors, to make sure you were properly welcomed.”
Wryen put an arm around Amira. She tensed up immediately but let a polite smile live on her lips. Playing along was always the best option with Wryen.
“So he sent his lackey. I thought my little sister meant more to him.” His smile contradicted the coldness of his tone.
Amira felt embarrassment taking over. She saw Rhay open his mouth, clearly upset by Wryen’s comment, but his father put a warning hand on his shoulder. Even if they were working for the King of Turosian, Wryen was also a king. He was above them.
Nouis offered his arm. She took it with a shaky hand, relieved to be taken away from her brother’s hold. “Let us show you to your room. You will see His Majesty tonight at the welcome feast.”
As Amira walked forward, she felt her brother’s eyes on the back of her head. Just one more day and he would be gone. She would start a new life here in the court of Turosian, the most powerful kingdom in Liraen. Unless Karwyn’s absence indicated some hesitation on his part...
As they walked towards the grand doors, Amira couldn’t help but compare the Turosian palace to the one she used to live in. Even though the place didn’t lack prestige, it certainly didn’t feel welcoming. Barely paying attention to the fae walking alongside her, Amira noted that the palace was bigger and darker than the one in Amryne. Some parts appeared to be as old as the creation of Liraen itself. Amira guessed that the most recent renovations of the palace dated back to before the end of the Dark King’s reign, over 75 years ago. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she walked inside the cold grey walls of the hallway. Everywhere she looked, she found herself wondering why they had not added any colours. The atmosphere was heavy and Amira could feel her breath turning cold. She looked back at the open doors, longing for the warm sun outside.
She followed Nouis and Rhay through numerous corridors, sometimes decorated with paintings of stone-faced kings and queens, sometimes left bare. Strangely, she wanted Rhay to hold her hand again so that the wonderful feeling would come back. Instead, she had to stop herself from screaming. It was like she could no longer breathe properly. This time it was not only the dress that made her feel that way.
Her brother was walking alongside her, closely monitoring her reactions. In the corner of her eye, she could see him smile, the same wicked grin he always sported when she was in pain.
They stopped in front of an intricate wooden door. Nouis knocked twice and the door opened to reveal the sweet, almond-shaped face of a motherly woman dressed in the uniform Amira had previously seen on other fae. The woman bowed deeply but didn’t say anything.
Nouis looked at Amira. “This is Nalani, she will take care of you until your wedding. Once you are married, more servants will be assigned to you.”
Amira smiled softly at the woman. Another welcoming face in this dark palace. Nalani moved away from the door to let Amira in. Before she could enter the room, her brother grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug. Amira let out a gasp of surprise. He tightened his grip and she immediately understood his intention.
“Don’t forget what I told you earlier. Your engagement isn’t completely official yet,” he whispered in her ear, careful of his words with the advisors within hearing distance. He squeezed her so tightly that she felt the fabric of her dress cutting deep into her flesh.
“I’ll always be there to protect you, little sister. Even against yourself,” he said. Wryen kissed her on the cheek before letting go. She stopped herself from wiping at the spot on her face.
Nouis and Rhay looked almost moved by this show of brotherly love. Wryen was about to leave when Nouis discreetly hit Rhay. The young fae looked at his father, who gestured to his pocket.
Rhay hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Shit—I mean, right. I completely forgot about the gift.” Amira was utterly confused.
Rhay took out a flat jewellery box from his jacket pocket and was about to give it to Amira when Wryen grabbed it and opened it himself. He let out an appreciative sound. Inside was a gorgeous turquoise and silver bracelet. The five polished stones were in the shape of stars.
“It’s a gift for the princess. Karwyn picked it out himself. The turquoise is supposed to repel cursed beings.” Rhay’s sharp tone seemed to upset her brother.
“What a silly little superstition. At least it’s worth something,” Wryen replied, stone-faced as he slowly dropped the bracelet into Amira’s waiting hand. She curled her fingers around the delicate chain.
Cursed beings, Rhay had said. Was he thinking of humans and witches? Amira couldn’t imagine she would be seeing much of their kinds inside the palace and she was glad for it. She knew some royals liked to keep witches for their magic but they were kept far away from the living, locked away where no one had to bear their presence.
Wryen had often told Amira that he would never fall so low as to work with a witch. He was powerful enough on his own and didn’t need any cursed spells.
She watched Wryen leave with the advisor, conspiring about something Amira would never know about.
Rhay bowed before her. “Your belongings will be delivered soon. You’ll be expected at nine bells tonight. Your brother will escort you,” he said. “In the meantime, if you need anything, ask Nalani or come looking for me. Begone in fortune, princess.” Rhay kissed her hand softly, his eyes sparking with charm, before leaving her alone with her maid.
“I will draw you a bath, my lady, as you must be tired from your journey,” Nalani said.
Amira nodded and closed the door behind her. It was true, she was exhausted. But not from the journey, however long it was. No, she was tired from years of faking happiness. Now, it was time to feel it for real.
Chapter4
Lora
The lie bothered Lora more than she expected, keeping her awake until early morning. When her alarm had rung a few hours later, it was the first thing on her mind again.
She knew her mum well enough to know she would never be convinced to let her go. Her whole life, she’d wanted nothing more than for Lora to have a normal, danger-free life. Going to Liraen was neither of those things. Then again, one could argue that her life in the human world was currently far from peaceful too. In the end, it didn’t seem like a choice at all. It made her skin crawl thinking about crossing over and fear laced her heart. She knew her survival wasn’t guaranteed, but the image of her mum growing sicker and sicker while she stood by, aware that she might have been able to prevent it, was too painful to live through.
