Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Jacinth
“So, what should I expect tonight?” I asked, making my way to the ballroom.
“Dancing,” my shadow replied gruffly. His purple braids had small diamonds placed within them now, and he’d switched from armor to more courtly attire that would blend in as he followed me around.
The blue suit jacket was trimmed in silver and had a large diamond on the back, delineating the guards even as they blended in.
I sighed heavily, rolling my eyes back at him.
“Thank you, Alfrikr, I would never have figured that out,” I replied sarcastically, giving him an overly bright smile I knew he’d see the truth of.
He huffed, but I noticed a small smile curling up before he caught himself.
We continued walking for a moment before he heaved a put-upon sigh.
“The High King will use tonight to dance and speak with each of the competitors. He can’t really get a good first impression just from you all being introduced to the court. ”
“So he’s trying to get an idea of what we’re actually like?” I asked, my eyebrow rising.
“Basically.” He nodded once in confirmation. “He can still only get so much from a limited interaction, of course, but this is your opportunity to catch his attention.”
He eyed me speculatively, and I couldn’t help feeling that same self-conscious need to hide.
“What?” I eventually snapped, and he actually laughed a bit. I hadn’t been sure he even knew how to do that until now.
“That,” he said, as his smile widened. “You put on a good show of courtly grace in the throne room earlier, but alone, you seem much more…”
He trailed off for a moment, tilting his head to the side as he thought it over.
“Authentic.” He concluded with a satisfied smirk, even as my stomach dropped. “If you want a piece of advice?”
I nodded eagerly. If he knew the king well and knew what he was looking for, I definitely needed that information. Knowing how to play this to ensure I got his attention would be a definite boon.
“Az will like that. Show him there’s more to you to than a title and a pretty face.” Alfrikr informed me, making me frown slightly.
Him wanting someone authentic, versus a pretty but empty-headed wife on his arm, didn’t quite fit with the pompous asshole I always imagined him to be. Maybe he just didn’t want to be bored.
I certainly couldn’t show him the real me. That would end with me quite dead, after all. But I could show him a facsimile of my authentic self. It couldn’t hurt to show him some of the truth of me, if it would entice him, just not all of it.
Alfrikr shadowed my steps as the noise coming from the ballroom grew louder the closer we got to its doors. My heart was beating twice as fast as the steps that brought me to it. My breath caught in my throat as I walked through the open doors and got my first glimpse of the room inside.
I’d heard plenty of legends about the Sacred Gems, of course, but never in my life did I think I would ever see them.
The circular, domed room was at least ten stories high, making those of us on the ground look like ants in comparison.
But the height was necessary to fit the large centerpiece.
The palace had supposedly been built around this very spot, and the high kings became the sworn protectors of the stones that now dominated the middle of the room.
Gigantic gems, of a size I didn’t even know were possible, stood before me.
Diamonds dominated the arrangement, but every other gem that we drew magic from was also present.
The kaleidoscope of colors in varying sizes was all pointing toward the sky, growing straight out of the ground and coming up through the floor.
The most massive piece was a diamond larger than many buildings, and bigger by far than any of the others, in the dead middle of the bouquet of oversized jewels.
Some, like the shining pink pearl that caught my eye, was a rounded, not quite full circle, growing from the ground like a giant mushroom cap.
Above them, the ceiling had a circular window in place, allowing the moon to shine down and illuminate the gems. It allowed different colors to shine within the facets of each side of the jewels and project around the room, casting a variety of shades on the walls and floor.
The domed shape of the ceiling meant it appeared like the arches surrounding the room were swaying towards the gems, drawing every eye in the room to that one point no matter where you tried to look.
Legend said that the gems were a gift from the gods, the tool by which the Elves had been granted magic, and looking at the magnificence before me, I could very well believe it.
These were not normal gems in any way, shape, or form.
There was something otherworldly about them, besides their abnormal size.
Alfrikr subtly nudged my arm, and I started, not realizing I’d been caught up in staring at them from the entrance. I forced my feet to move, and a waiter quickly rushed up to me with a glass of some sparkling, light blue drink.
I thanked them with a nod, and they shot me a surprised, but grateful look in return. I realized my misstep immediately; nobles didn’t thank servants for doing their jobs. I felt eyes on me, but held my chin up high and began to make a slow circle of the room.
“Lady Jacinth.” I turned, finding, to my relief, Faiza was striding towards me.
Her turquoise hair was pulled back into a complex updo, with a few strands left in the back to hang in long curls.
Her dress was a beautiful light blue, like spun candy, with a lace overlay dotted with diamonds throughout.
“Lady Faiza.” I greeted her with a smile, and she linked her arm with mine, falling into step with me immediately.
“I was a bit worried about traversing the court on my own,” she admitted, biting her lip slightly. “Father told me we were encouraged to mingle. He said even if I don’t win, I could meet someone who’d suit.”
“And are you keeping your eyes peeled for someone in particular?” I eyed her, and she flushed lightly.
“Maybe,” she whispered, eyes looking anywhere but at me.
I laughed lightly, finally getting her to meet my eye. I shook my head at her, “You have nothing to worry about with me, I promise.”
She relaxed a bit at the reminder, and she smiled shyly before it slowly shifted into a sad frown. “Father would never allow me to marry someone like him, unfortunately.”
“Who?” I asked, my brow rising. “And why not?”
“Brokk,” she admitted, brown cheeks blushing prettily. “He’s the son of an Earl, like myself, but he’s from Ruby and father—”
She cut off immediately, looking mortified as her other hand came up to cover her mouth. “Oh, Veritx. I’m so sorry, Jacinth, I truly meant no offense! I just—”
“Faiza!” I snapped, cutting off her babble before she went any further. She looked so embarrassed, and a bit scared, like she’d ruined any potential friendship between us already. If she only knew.
“I promise I’m not upset.” I chuckled, unable to contain my amusement. “Your father is probably being cautious, and I can’t blame him when it comes to his daughter’s future.”
She relaxed instantly, seeming satisfied. After a moment, she added, “Brokk isn’t like his father. That’s why he came here to serve as a guard. His older brother is just like him, sadly, and they both made Brokk miserable.”
“So you two know each other well then?” I teased, making her skin darken further.
“I spent a summer here at court a few years ago,” she confessed, trying to hide a fond smile. “Az and I have been friends for much of our lives, but Brokk had been new to Diamond then. We spent time together, exploring the city and palace, or sitting out in the gardens.”
She trailed off dreamily, and I wondered if there was anything I could do—
No.
What I should be doing is seeing how this could help me. Faiza seemed determined for us to be friends, and Brokk was from Ruby, for all he had left years ago. Maybe the two could help me with my own plans.
I wasn’t here to make friends or play matchmaker.
I didn’t have the luxury of it, much as I may have wished it were different.
But Erodite, those long-forgotten childish wishes seemed determined to rise once more.
This is what I had once expected my life to be, and the loss of it choked me for a moment as the grief overwhelmed me.
“Oh, there he is,” she whispered, clutching at my arm. Turquoise eyes found mine, and her nerves made that deep-seated instinct rise again.
“Go talk to him.” I urged her, a smile growing.
“I can’t.” She shook her head. “It wouldn’t be right for me to approach him while supposedly competing for the king’s affections,” she muttered lowly, and I tried to stifle my laugh.
“Let’s see if we can get the king’s attention then,” I told her mischievously, and her eyes widened. I began to steer us toward where he stood, and Faiza shook her head frantically.
“Lord Brokk,” I called as we approached, and fiery, orange-red eyes met mine before quickly skipping over to Faiza and widening briefly.
He turned to us fully, and I took him in.
His short orange-red hair was swept to the side, similar to the king’s, except Brokk’s hair was merely cropped short on the sides instead.
He wore a black jacket over his doublet, with gold sewn into the large lapels, making it shine under the many lights bobbing through the air.
Golden chains crossed down the middle, and the chain at his neck held a single ruby within it, the one and only nod to his actual court, outside the sword on his belt, which contained a large ruby on the pommel.
“Lady Jacinth, Lady Faiza.” He nodded to us both, an amused smile quirking his lips. His eyes skipped back to his charge, the back of Lady Safira’s cobalt hair all I could see of her, before turning back to us.