Chapter 14
The day of the festival was finally here and already the castle was buzzing after we moved from our woodland castle to the main city castle. Musical notes drifted up through my window from the ground below where a band played happy, delightful tunes.
Kathlyn brushed my hair gently while I sat at my vanity pondering over what earrings to put in. I wanted them to match my dress perfectly. The dress was a beautiful midnight blue with silver trim. It had off the shoulder sleeves that revealed my collar bones. Talia had ordered it for me after we left the seamstress. She never failed to purchase something flattering.
The silky fabric was light, and comfortable. Something easy to dance in, she had said to me when I put it on.
Talia stood at my floor length mirror in her scandalous red sweetheart neckline dress. She compared it to the sunset when she put it on. Her copper hair was left loose with just a few simple plaits blended in.
“Do you think Lord Cole will show up? I hope he brings some of his friends,” she said casually.
“I think Norok confirmed with him last night he will be at the tournament. I heard him come home, singing rather loudly. I bet he has a bit of a headache today,” I mentioned.
She smiled brightly, rushing over towards me. She practically knocked Kathlyn out the way and took hold of the brush. Kathlyn tutted and walked off, picking up Talia’s discarded clothes as she headed out the door. She only left us for a few seconds before she returned again with Talia’s shoes.
“Shall you wear the ballet slippers today, your highness?”
“Which one of us are you speaking to, Kathlyn?” Talia asked, teasing clear in her voice as she continued to brush my hair before adding the same plaits that were in her hair into mine.
“Princess Talia, I am speaking to you.”
Kathlyn and Talia had a love-hate relationship. It had been that way ever since Talia could speak. It was rather cute to watch as each one would take turns in winding the other up. Talia would win usually, but that was purely because Kathlyn didn’t want to get into trouble with Mother.
“Then yes, Kathlyn, the slippers will do just fine.”
“Tal, please stop winding Kathlyn up, she is just doing her job. Behave,” I said looking at her reflection in the mirror as she finished off my hair.
Turning, she headed to slip her shoes on, and said, “Yes, dear sister. Of course, sister.” Winking, she smiled and vanished out the bedroom door. “Don’t be long!” she shouted as the door shut.
I added a new tiara that I had commissioned to match the theme for the Festival of Light. It had sun and star symbols dotted upon it. Father was more than happy to agree to it because I had put so much time and effort into helping get the festival just right.
Plus, it made me stand out when I took my place at the arena for the jousting. I hadn’t slept very well the last two nights with the conversations of husbands keeping creeping up. I dreaded to think who my parents had picked.
What if it was some repulsive man? Someone who just wanted to make babies with me in order to keep control and power, someone like Uncle Dorian. I felt sick to my stomach as the thoughts ran through my mind. I hoped the festival would help keep my mind off it so I could enjoy myself. Norok’s wedding would be the day after the festival, so there were many exciting things to keep me occupied.
“Oh, Princess Ornella, you look absolutely beautiful, like the Goddess herself,” Kathlyn exclaimed as she looked me up and down, taking in my entire outfit. “We are just missing one thing.”
Quickly she rushed off towards my closet and then came back seconds later, holding a midnight blue cape decorated with gold and silver stars.
“I hope you don’t mind. I had this made for you, to match your dress,” she admitted, holding out the cape for me.
It was an unusual cape with individual sleeves. It was unlike any cape I’d seen before. As I slipped my arms through the holes, I gawked at the way my skin appeared to have been decorated with sparkles of stardust.
“You did not have to get me anything, Kathlyn. This must have cost a fortune.”
“It’s no bother, your highness. I know how much time and effort you have put in for today to be perfect. I wanted to get you a little something.”
After she fastened the gold collar around my neck, she made me twirl on the spot to see the whole outfit. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I felt beautiful and knew that the outfit had come together perfectly.
“Thank you, Kathlyn,” I said, kissing her lightly on the cheek.
I slipped on my shoes and headed downstairs to join the others. I made a mental note to give Kathlyn the money back for the cape as well as an extra day off this month in thanks.
Today was all about celebrating, thanking the Goddess, and enjoying each other’s company.
“You look like starlight and sunshine all mixed together,” my shadow man murmured in my mind.
“Thank you…I think.”
Of course he could see and hear me. I wondered how much he already knew. Maybe he knew my deepest darkest thoughts. Did he know the dreams I had of him entering my bed chamber and claiming me as his own?
Dreams with him were the only reprieve from the nightmares of my uncle. The ones with my shadow man felt so real—so vivid—as if I could feel his touch. I could feel his hand slowly creeping up my thighs and touching me in my most intimate places.
Clearing my throat and shaking my head, I pushed back that thought for another time. Again, hoping he wasn’t able to hear or make those out.
“The Festival of Light is today. I had to look the part,” I explained silently.
“The Goddess herself would be envious of your looks.”
“Don’t say such things. She may hear you,” I remarked.
I could hear his faint laughter in the back of my mind as I reached the top of the staircase. My family stood at the bottom, dressed to fit the theme of today. Mother looked as glamorous as always next to Father, who was wearing his crown. Events like the festival were normally the only time he wore it. Norok was in a similar suit as Father’s, with Lady Gelda hanging on his arm. She wore a bright sun coloured dress. Talia stood near the door waiting for it to open.
“May I visit you this evening?” Shadow man asked me, drawing my attention away from my family for a moment.
“I would enjoy that, very much,”I replied as I descended the staircase, feeling a blush rise in my cheeks.
Each of us were adored with a tiara or crown, to show our status and importance of the day. And as the bell struck in the tower, the heavy wooden doors were pulled open. Talia ran back to her spot behind Norok and I quickly joined her side. We were greeted with a roar of excitement, happiness, and cheers.
Let the festival begin.
Considering it was the middle of spring, there was a slight chill in the air as we took our seats at the tournament gallery. Father had agreed I would be the one to open the first match and to select my champion. I’d already decided it would be Lord Cole. One of the reasons being it would annoy Mother greatly by picking him. The other being it would show the other males in the audience and those who competed, who I’d publicly picked as my chosen lord. For more than just the tournament, if I had it my way.
It saddened me that we may never become husband and wife, having to stay only friends. I hoped one day after many life lessons, we would grow to become something more. I would make it my mission to beg Father to allow me to marry Cole instead of some lord I did not know or care for.
Once the opening parade started, each knight and lord marched through the arena on horseback. Every single one of them adorned their family crests and colours. They all nodded in a symbolic bow to their king and queen.
Talia couldn’t quite contain her excitement as she bounced from her chair waving and smiling at many of the nobles. When Norok rode in, Gelda was overly pleased and just as enthusiastic as Talia at the sight of him. His horse was dressed in royal purples and blues. Norok’s cape contained our sun crest that had been knitted beautifully on the fabric. It also adorned the metal shoulder protectors and the horse’s saddle.
He would make our family proud today.
When the horn blew, silence covered the arena. Everyone watched with delight and as the nobles dismounted their horses and stepped forward to bow and wave to their quiet crowd. I scanned the area looking for Cole.
Each noble lifted off their helmets as they were announced by the speaker. Norok was announced first, and I could have sworn that every female in the arena screamed, cheered, and shouted his name.
But by the seventh noble, Cole’s name hadn’t been announced. Panic started to rise in my chest until the very last knight stepped through the line. He lifted his helmet and my heart stopped.
I had seen those eyes before, touched that very same face and felt those lips against my skin. He looked like Cole, but at the same time, he wasn”t. Standing before me was my shadow man. I knew it like I knew the way he smelt. Then I blinked, and he was gone. As if a glamour had been put back into place, there stood Lord Cole as his name was announced.
“Her Royal Highness, Princess Ornella, will now choose her champion!”
My ears registered the speaker”s announcement, but my mind reeled over what I just saw. Talia kicked me in the shin, snapping me back to reality. That’s when I realised all eyes were placed upon me. Each noble eagerly awaited their chance to shine.
For a moment I was frozen. Surely my eyes were playing tricks on me. Lord Cole couldn”t possibly be my shadow man.
“What are you waiting for?” Talia came up behind me, whispering in my ear, “Cole is right there, claim him before someone else does.”
Shaking my head, a little to remove such silly thoughts, I smiled at each and every man who stood there waiting.
“My champion shall be – LORD COLE!” I shouted.
The roar from the crowd was deafening. Cole stepped forward, holding his hand out to accept my handkerchief. His lips pulled up at the corners, eyes dancing with excitement.
“It will be my honour, princess,” he said, staring up at me with those blue eyes.
He kissed my hand lightly, causing a shiver to run down my spine the moment his lips touched my skin. All the lords were returning back to their horses and behind the wooden fence, to prepare for the first match.
Each match was more exhilarating than the next. I even left my seat a few times to shout and cheer. Father kept telling me it was a wonderful idea as he patted me on the hand. Mother chose to leave halfway through, claiming it was ‘too brutal’ for her. She excused herself to continue working on the final touches for Norok’s wedding, refusing to make any eye contact with me as she left.
She was clearly mad.
Which put a smile on my face..
Finally, Cole came out to compete against none other than Norok. The arena fell silent as their names were announced. So far, the tournament had been quite friendly, with very little damage being done to anyone or any of the horses. Yet, there was an electrical charge in the air as the two of them met in the middle of the tilt wooden barrier.
As they shook hands, they uttered a few words. None of which anyone could hear. Then they both dropped their eye guards down before heading back to mount their horses.
“Four rounds, they only have to go four rounds without knocking each other off their horses,” Talia muttered as the first round began.
As the first round began, they both avoided striking one another. The crowd voiced their disapproval in loud boos. Things changed in the second round. Norok hit Cole, making him rear back. Cole barely managed to stabilise himself to keep from falling off his horse. Cheers rang out as Cole lost his lance in the process.
Someone collected the lance, handing it back to Cole. When the third round began, this time they rode faster than before. They were clearly egging each other on, hoping to give a finishing blow as they grew closer to the middle. Once they were within reach, they both raised their lances and prepared to strike.
As Norok rode past Cole, he missed him by an inch. However, Cole caught Norok, the crowd letting loose a collective gasp. When Norok lifted his helmet off, there was a dark red mark on his neck that I assumed to be blood. Hopefully it wasn”t something that would later cause problems with Father.
The arena grew silent in anticipation. The last round would declare the winner. Whoever won would go onto the final round against the last rider. Norok and Cole both did equally well in all of the rounds they’d been placed in. They were evenly matched.
As they set up their final shot, I leaned against the bannister of our box and watched. My stomach started doing twists and turns as I swallowed hard. My nerves were wrecking themselves through my body. Talia clung to one of my arms, Gelda held tightly on the other. Even Father had shifted forward to watch.
If Norok was beaten by a lord, Father would not let it go. He, after all, was our crowned prince. That meant he should not be beaten. Although I knew Norok wouldn’t want to win by someone throwing in the towel, he was competitive. That meant winning the fair way.
The air was charged with adrenaline.
As the bell rang and the flag went down, they began charging at each other with great speed. And as much as I wanted to cover my eyes, I could not make myself look away. I needed to see what happened.
My breath stalled in my lungs as I watched Norok fall from his horse. Gelda let out a shrill scream from beside me. To everyone”s horror, the frightened horse trampled over Norok before bolting off.
I stood frozen to the spot as many people ran towards Norok. Even Father left his seat, rushing to his aid. I couldn’t breathe.
Looking up I spotted Cole, and as he removed his helmet that same feeling was there. He may have Lord Cole’s face, but it wasn’t him. It couldn’t be him.
I wasn’t sure if he was smiling as he rode off quickly.