Chapter 10 An Assortment of Brides #2
Arris did not move. He very much wished to lean over the balcony, but as Yvlle had pointed out earlier, he would only be revealing an undesirable view of his nostrils.
With the statues blocking his sight, Arris could discern only a handful of expressions.
Some calculating. Some hopeful. Some shining with tears.
“In order to determine which one amongst you is best suited, we shall be conducting a series of tests over the next four weeks,” said Queen Yzara.
“The first shall be one of talent, for the future queen must bring something of note to this kingdom. The next trial shall be one of discernment, for the future queen must be perceptive. And the last shall be a test of power. At the conclusion of each round, some of you will be asked to leave the Castle.”
A few of the contestants murmured and shuffled. Arris caught a smug glance here and there.
“In addition to these three tests, contestants shall also be judged on grace and decorum and, above all, a desire to be here for the purpose of winning the hand of Prince Arris,” said Queen Yzara.
After this, his mother took a step back and, to Arris’s surprise, his sister moved forward. Yvlle surveyed the gathered crowd with a dispassionate air.
“There are those of you who might have come harboring notions beyond marriage,” said Yvlle. “Notions, perhaps, of murder.”
As she spoke, Arris noticed that the monstrous statues had begun to tremble alive. The cat yawned. The stag tilted its head. The hawk blinked. Arris watched the ivy writhe with new purpose.
“This cannot be helped. Perhaps it is simply the nature of marriage,” said Yvlle. “But any outright display or revelation of such motives and you shall find that the Isle will respond swiftly.”
Yvlle snapped her fingers.
At once, Arris heard several cries as a dozen or so contestants were hoisted into the air by the ivy vines.
The monstrous statues snarled and leapt through the crowd, snatching maidens in their jaws who …
upon closer inspection … did not look nearly as innocent as Arris had imagined.
The cat, for instance, had grabbed hold of a green-haired beauty with flowers strewn through her locks.
It shook the girl in its jaws and a few rusted and cruelly shaped knives clattered to the ground.
Another girl—with close-cropped hair and wild eyes—ripped free of the stone hawk’s beak.
The moment she dropped to the ground, she hurled a dagger to the balcony.
“That throne is mine!” she yelled.
Before Arris could move out of the way, one of the vines shot through the air, knocking the dagger off its path. A moment later, the girl found herself pinned by the paw of a huge stone cat.
“What a trite declaration,” muttered Yvlle. “At least she spared us one of those villainous monologues.”
“I actually like those,” said Arris. “Knowing someone’s motivations allows me to forgive them and find peace.”
Yvlle sighed. “This is part of the reason why women keep trying to kill you, Brother.”
King Eustis cleared his throat and clapped his hands. At once, the statues dropped the weapon-bearing candidates to the ground. An instant later, the vines grabbed hold, dragging the would-be murderers down the strip of green, where they would be tossed out of the gates.
“Only detects weapons, I’m afraid,” muttered his sister. “Still, it’s better than nothing.”
Arris watched as the statues shrank back to a diminutive size.
The snarls melted into docile expressions.
The vines peacefully slouched and a few even put forth little yellow flowers.
He scanned the crowd of remaining contestants and felt a leaden weight settling in his chest. The ones who were left were the only ones who hadn’t physically threatened him.
He had no idea what they were thinking. These girls were completely indecipherable and possibly dangerous.
Fortunately, they were very beautiful, so at least there was that.
“Well,” said Queen Yzara, smiling at the contestants. “Now that we have that out of the way, let us proceed to your new residence for refreshments.”
She waved her hand and the great gates of Rathe Castle began to creak.
From the balcony where the royal family sat, a staircase of frost and silver braided through the air, spiraling to the lawn—and the girls—below.
Arris had hardly placed his foot on the first step when a loud cry rang through the grounds.
“Wait!”
Arris felt the girl before he saw her. A warmth suffused him at the sight of her.
She reminded him of a bird … a swan, maybe, for she moved with unnatural grace.
The girl looked scorched and her white dress was torn and covered in brambles, as if she had run a great distance.
But her bedraggled dress could not hide her beauty.
Her wide, dark eyes found Arris and a spark went through his chest.
“I have come a long way to find you, my prince,” she said, and then she swooned to the ground.