“Don’t ask stupid questions.” The less Rio knew, the better. The less Rhay acknowledged, the better. “I’m here to get drunk and have fun, nothing else. You’re ruining my mood.”
Rio’s hands clenched his cup of caftee as if it were his salvation. “I don’t think it’smewho is ruining your mood.”
Sighing, Rhay stood up from the bar, throwing some silver on the counter. “Don’t pretend to know me, Ilario. Youdon’t,and trust me, it’s better this way.”
Ilario stared at him apologetically, like he actually cared about Rhay’s feelings, but he didn’t deserve that care. Avoiding whatever Ilario was about to say next, Rhay left Caligo in a hurry, his stomach in knots.
Speeding through the crowd towards Parae, Rhay tried to forget about Ilario’s questions. He entered the tunnel to get back to the palace unseen. He didn’t like for the guards or anyone else to take note of his comings and goings. Still, his father always seemed to know how much time Rhay spent in Chrysa, and he didn’t keep quiet about his disagreement.
As he took the stairs leading from the underground tunnel into the palace, Rhay’s thoughts drifted back to Amira. His lingering affection for her was wreaking havoc on his beliefs. She had said so many disturbing things before revealing her powers all those weeks ago. Was it just the crazy talk of a cursed witch? He knew the answer, didn’t he?
As if to answer his question, the door to a different section of the palace underground appeared right in front of him. Rhay stared at the withered handle. He only had to open it to know the whole truth. One simple action that could rip apart his peace of mind for good.
Rhay put his hand on the handle. Would he survive staring the truth in the eye?
The sound of steps coming closer made him whirl around. Removing his hand from the handle, Rhay walked away in fast strides.
What nonsense was he thinking? He had a wedding and a masquerade ball to plan. And if he looked at the truth right in front of him, there wouldn’t be enough alcohol in all of Liraen to recover.
Chapter24
Lora
Crossing over Turosian and the Silver Sea to reach the kingdom of Quarnian, which was a small island up north, had been a fascinating but long journey. The uneven movements of their hot air balloon—or skyaelo, as the fae called it—didn’t agree with Lora’s stomach. Without a skyaelo, the trip would have taken them days, but with magic, it had been about half a day. A fae had been stirring the skyaelo with his air power and Lora had been itching to write down notes of her experience.
She had the same feeling now. She wished she could write down all the names and impressions of the fae around her. The dinner in Quarnian seemed endless. Course after course, the food and drinks had kept coming, filling the tables that had been set up in a circle in the huge dining hall. Pink flowers cascaded down the stone walls, giving the palace an earthy feel. The golden curtains, stitched with tiny rose quartz—the crystal of Quarnian—had been drawn back from the high windows to let in the amber evening sun. Through the misty glass, Lora could see hints of the courtyard in the heart of the Quarnian palace.
Set up in an almost circular shape, the walls of the palace surrounded a large garden. It had looked like a labyrinth when she had glimpsed it from the air.
The Quarnian palace was smaller than the Turosian one, but more welcoming. Painted a light brown, it had shimmered almost golden in the late afternoon sun when they had first arrived. As the building was close to the sea and the weather quite windy, Lora was reminded of her own English seaside town, Bournchester.
At this point in the evening, most fae weren’t in their seats anymore. They were mingling, talking a mix of politics and pleasantries. Karwyn and Rhay were both talking to King Quintin of Obliveryn. They seemed to be getting along until Wryen interrupted their conversation and drew Karwyn to the side. His lilac eyes seemed furious. Could it be about Amira’s absence?
Lora’s eyes trailed Rhay as he was whisked away by his father. The advisors started up a conversation with King Mayrick of Emerlane. His kingdom was the smallest in Liraen and often overlooked in the history books Lora had studied.
Taking in the crowd, Lora’s gaze landed on their hostess. Queen Kaylanthea Zhengassi wore a simple gold crown in her short, tightly braided black hair, complimenting her pale skin. Lora didn’t know much about the queen, but she knew her kingdom valued loyalty above all else.
The Goddess of Loyalty, Shinlae, supposedly watched over their kingdom. It meant Quarnian took crimes very seriously, as it was a betrayal of the court’s trust in their people. Lora had heard tales of the queen’s strict but effective law. She wondered if that ever made her go too far, or if she actually cared about limiting crime.
Queen Kaede of Sapharos, who was wearing a long emerald dress that looked amazing against her bronze skin, and Queen Kaylanthea seemed to be enjoying their conversation. Drinks in hand, the only reigning queens in Liraen laughed together, standing in front of a table of delicious-looking desserts and full wine glasses.
Mustering her courage, Lora stood up, straightened her turquoise dress—she had to represent Turosian, after all—and walked up to the two women. As casually as she could manage, Lora stopped next to the duo, by the tiny round cakes spread on the table.
Before she could decide what to say, Queen Kaede turned to her, sweeping her long raven hair over her shoulder. “Princess Loraine, I’m glad you could make it. We didn’t have a chance to talk at the last royal event.”
Lora smiled at them. “It’s my pleasure to meet you—both of you.” She bowed awkwardly, then cursed herself for her uncertainty. Rhay had told her how to behave, but being a princess didn’t come naturally to her. Kaede hid her smile behind her hand.
Queen Kaylanthea took a sip of her red wine, her eyes calculating. “Likewise. I have to admit, we’ve been curious about you.”
“Really? Why is that?”
“It’s not every day that a lost royal is found. And to be frank, we’ve been wondering where you stand.”
“In terms of the High King Contest?” Lora asked, thrown by the question.
Kaylanthea sighed. “High King orQueen.But I’m sure you are supportive of your blood. What I was wondering was whether you plan to involve yourself in the court’s politics, possibly be a voice of reason for King Karwyn.”
“Oh, I’m not sure yet. It’s all very new to me.”And I won’t be here long enough.
