Chapter 28
Erasmus walked me down the long hallway. A maroon carpet ran across the middle, splashing the white floor with a streak of crimson. A beautiful mural stretched across the wall, telling a story of Spirit Sky and the time he brought down rain to help with a drought plaguing the land. Everyone stared up at him as he floated in the sky, light blasting from him, his fists clenched, fat droplets falling around him.
Through the window, the moon hung high in the clear skies, stars winking at us.
Music and chatter swelled from the room at the end of the hall, and suddenly it felt like the walls were closing in on me, slowly wringing the breath from my lungs.
“Princess?” Erasmus’s voice sounded distant. “Princess, are you alright?” He placed his hand on my back, but it felt like it was passing through me. “Breathe, Princess.”
“Breathe, Poppy,” another voice whispered, and then I pictured that teasing smile. If the prince were here, he’d probably make a joke about how I was just doing this to get him to touch me. He’d try to make me forget my nerves.
And it would work. I wished he, Leoni, and Driscoll were here. I’d feel less alone. After this ball, I’d insist my parents let me go find them, get word to them somehow about where I was.
My breathing slowed, the knot in my stomach loosening just enough that the hallway came back into sharp focus. “I’m okay,” I said, nodding at him. “Truly. Just a few nerves.”
“Understandable, Princess. Would it help if I tripped when we entered the room? I could stumble over my feet, fall flat on my face.” A small smile teased at his lips, his eyes crinkling underneath his crimson mask. “That would distract everyone from you.”
“You, the captain of the guard?” I tsked. “Surely no one would believe you to be so clumsy.”
We walked closer to the doors, and my heart beat to the rhythm of each step we took.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Erasmus said. “In the presence of such a beautiful woman, anyone might lose their footing. Too busy staring at your lovely face to watch their feet.”
My cheeks flushed. He didn’t have the bold confidence and swagger of the prince, but Erasmus had a way of sneaking up on you with his quiet charms.
I let out a laugh. “That’s okay, Captain.” I patted his arm. “No need to tarnish your reputation. We can’t have the court thinking the captain of the guard can’t even walk properly.”
We came to a stand in front of the doors, and I took three steadying breaths as the guards standing at their posts swept them open to reveal a room filled with elementals, most with wings, but a few without. They all turned to stare at me through their masks, and it was like my arrival had siphoned the chatter from the room, everyone silent.
“Princess Arabella Gustavias of the sky court,” the man next to me announced.
I felt like a cornered rabbit, everyone in this room snakes ready to pounce.
The silence was suffocating as Erasmus walked me toward the king and queen, who both stood in front of their thrones. The walk seemed to last an eternity as the crowd parted for us until I finally stood in front of them and bowed with Erasmus. He let go of my arm and moved to stand by the edge of the dais.
The queen gestured for me, the king staring out into the crowd, blue eyes cold and hard. I picked up my silver skirts and came to a stand beside the queen, the king on her other side.
Music floated through the air, ending the agonizing silence, and the room burst back to life. Thank the spirits. A line formed around the room.
“The receiving line,” the queen said. “Everyone is eager to meet their new princess.”
I gulped. I hadn’t been expecting this. Then again, I knew very little of court life.
The queen squeezed my arm. “Don’t look so scared. I went through the same thing as a young queen, except I was a former peasant. Imagine how that went over. I promise they’re likely more nervous to meet you than you are them. They want to make a good impression on their future queen.”
The line hadn’t moved yet, everyone waiting for Erasmus to signal that they could begin coming forward.
“Who are they, exactly?” I asked, gesturing to the endless faces.
Erasmus raised his hand in the air and gestured for the guests to come up. One at a time, they began to file in front of us, dipping into bows, offering their well wishes, speaking their names that I’d never remember. Some gave warm smiles, others had calculating gazes while others didn’t seem to know how they felt about me, pursing their lips or sending me curious glances.
All the while, the queen spoke in my ear, telling me about each and every person.
A woman stood at the front of the line, a nervous smile on her face. Her blond hair had thin braids, all swept back into a ponytail, and her blue gown rose all the way up her neck, the bodice tight around her thin frame. She shifted from foot to foot and twisted her hands together.
“Lady Saestra,” Queen Bronwen whispered. “She’s the king’s niece and, up until you arrived, was going to succeed us. Not our first choice by any means but our best one.”
I stared at the woman as she dipped into a bow. “Princess,” she said, voice quiet and timid.
I couldn’t imagine knowing you were going to be queen, training for the position your entire life, only to have it taken from you. How awful.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said.
The king nodded at her, a fondness in his gaze as he looked upon her.
“It’s an honor, Princess Arabella,” Saestra said, her beige wings ruffling. “You must be excited about being presented to the court tonight as the heir.”
“Yes,” I said. “It’s quite... exciting.” And terrifying.
She twisted her hands in front of her. “I’m sure you’ll shine in your new role. I’ve been training for it my whole life, and I’m still not even prepared.” Her eyes widened in horror. “Not that I’m saying you won’t be.”
“It’s okay,” I said, then added, “Thank you.”
With that, she scuttled away, her words like a festering wound, splitting open and reminding me of all the ways I wasn’t prepared for this, wasn’t worthy. Not like her.
“Oh, this is Lady Gregoria,” the queen whispered as a tall wiry woman with slicked-back white hair approached, her wings a light blue. She tugged at the high collar of her dress as she bowed stiffly. “She’s had six husbands, all of them dying under mysterious circumstances, leaving her a very rich woman.”
I stared in fascination as Lady Gregoria said her well wishes and trotted away.
“Where do all these people live?” I asked, thinking of the city, stuffed with businesses and libraries and fountains. Yet I hadn’t seen a single home in Winded.
The queen looked at me curiously as the attendant announced yet another person, this time a man who looked to be wearing a toupee.
My face flushed as I realized that must’ve been a stupid question. “I don’t know much about the sky court having been trapped in a tower my entire life,” I said sheepishly.
“Our family, aunts, uncles, cousins, and the like, have the option to live with us in the castle. Most do, though some marry those from other courts and choose to move away or live outside the castle because it better suits their lifestyle.”
“Are you two going to greet Lord Faraly?” the king asked, leaning over and eyeing us.
We both turned and nodded to the lord, whose lip curled in my direction as he walked away.
“Don’t mind him,” my mother said. “I’ve never once seen the man smile in all the years I’ve known him.” She raised her chin.
Or maybe he knew how ill fitted I was for this role.
“Anyway, the noble class, those that were born into wealth and power, live nearest to the city, their houses built into the isle of Winded. Merchants, artists, healers live in Feathered, and the lower classes like tradesmen, sailors, fisherman, farmers, well, they live in Winged.”
I’d never known that was how the society was structured.
“Are all the courts like that?” I asked.
A woman and her daughter came before us, both of them wearing fuchsia gowns so bright the color burned my eyes.
The queen tipped her head at them, speaking out the side of her mouth. “In general, the wealthy, more powerful live nearest to the castle, and the poorest live farther out. But every court is slightly different, depending on the ruler’s preferences and how the court is structured. Apolis is by far the smallest of the courts, so everyone lives close together, whereas Elwen is one of the biggest courts, and their king refused to let anyone live in his castle besides himself, a few trusted servants, his wife, and his daughter. Of course he’s gone now, and his daughter might do things very differently.”
The queen nodded to a younger man who gave me a genuine smile, a twinkle in his blue eyes. Black spots dotted his white wings, and he bowed deeply before moving way.
“Many a suitor are going to be clamoring to dance with you tonight,” the queen noted. “I’ve seen more than one man eyeing you. And why wouldn’t they? You’re beautiful.”
But I couldn’t focus on her words, couldn’t shake the feeling that I was not deserving of this role and everyone in this room knew it. As everyone continued to file past us, the pit full of doubts grew deeper until it was so big it threatened to swallow me whole.