To my astonishment, she chuckled. “Certainly, a lot of trouble.” A flicker of sadness darkened her emerald eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, just as we were interrupted by one of her royal advisers, Dexamene.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but…” She leaned in and whispered something into my grandmother’s ear.
The queen’s expression turned stony. “Have extra guards stationed at the palace gates—all we can spare.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Dexamene bowed and quickly departed, skirting around the crowd.
“What was that about?” I asked.
She took a sip of her wine. “A small disturbance outside the palace gates. Nothing for you to be concerned about.”
My spine locked up. “What do you mean ‘disturbance’?”
A muscle ticked in her jaw. “A protest against the restrictions.” She looked at me. “I have it under control.”
Not only had the curse removed our access to supplies from the outside world, but it also put constraints on our fishing territory. As a result, my grandmother had no choice but to enforce severe restrictions on fishing. That was when the protests started. Most had been peaceful, but a few had escalated intoriots, something that seemed to be happening more regularly.
I chewed on my lip. Usually, I made a point of keeping out of these matters, but I couldn’t ignore it now that it had come to my doorstep. “What will you do?” I asked.
“The guards will see to it that nobody gets in. You’re sure you are prepared for this evening?” she asked, changing the topic. Clearly the protest was not up for discussion.
“As prepared as one can be for a test they cannot study for,” I said wryly.
Her lips pressed together as she studied me with narrowed eyes. Disapproval summoned the faintest of lines to her otherwise ageless face.
My eyes fled my grandmother’s piercing gaze to return to the clock. Midnight was uncomfortably close. Minutes away, in fact.
“We cannot allow for any mishaps.”
She spoke as though any aspect of the demonstration was within my control. “Have you prepared yourself for the possibility that I might not ascend?”
Her eyes flashed. “Impossible. Eldoris blood runs through your veins. You come from a line of the most powerful Mer in history. You will ascend just as all who came before you.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but she raised a bejeweled hand to silence me.
“It’s time.” Power swelled off of her like waves crashing off the rocks.
The entire room went silent. Even the musicians stopped playing their instruments.
“Come,” she said, standing abruptly.
As she descended the rock steps, the crystals embroidered into her ink blue gown caught the light and shimmered like stars against an eventide sky. A flowing train cascaded elegantly behind her.
Feeling as though every muscle in my body had locked, I rose and trailed her statuesque figure, eyes trained on her exposed back. Tonight, she wore her favorite crown—a grandiose gold creation with points encrusted with diamonds, pearls and fragments from the same aquamarine used to construct the palace.
The crowd parted as their queen made her way to the glass doors that led to an open-air pavilion overlooking the palace’s private beach. Bedecked with large vases of native flora, overstuffed cushions, tables, and canopy beds with drapes that fluttered in the breeze, the pavilion was designed for leisure. I’d attended enough of these things to know that revelers would migrate to the pavilion over the course of the evening. They’d drink and laugh and go for late night swims, with no intention of returning to their beds until the sun greeted them. Myself included—if all went according to plan.
I followed her down the steps onto the beach. Tonight, a pathway was lit with rows of potted bioluminescent plants. We followed the pathway to where the waves met the shore. I shuffled my weight from side to side, inhaling sea salt in increasingly shallow breaths.
The sky was a dark pasture. The moon and stars hid behind the flock of clouds huddling in the heavens, like black sheep.
Once a crowd had gathered, humming with excitement and anticipation, my grandmother spoke.
“I’m delighted to welcome you all here on this momentous occasion. As a kingdom, we have navigated immensely challenging times, but tonight,” she paused to look upon the collection of faces before her, gaze and posture confident, “we come together to celebrate Princess Alara’s coming of age.” She swept a hand towards me.
I dipped my head at the acknowledgment.With the way she’s smiling, you would think she was proud of me.
“Tonight, we thank the goddesses for their many blessings and we call upon their favor as Princess Alara enters the next stage of her life. May Vell bless you with good fortune in all your endeavors. May Ceda grant you enduring health. May Seru give you wisdom and knowledge, and Tuli the gift of love. Friends, let us embrace this occasion with joy, as we await the elevated powers the goddesses have chosen to bestow upon her.”
