Six
Aeryn
The heavy velvet robe brushed my ankles as I walked, my slippers whispering against the tiled floor. Massive arched windows let in streams of golden sunlight, dappling the ancient stone walls.
Lorne strode ahead of us, shoulders stiff as a board, leading our motley crew of contestants to the healer”s tower for our mandatory checkups. I glanced at the others, a mix of at least eight different sects of fae, all vying for the dubious honor of marrying the enigmatic King of Falcondale.
When Lorne stopped before an ornate wooden door, we clustered around him. “You”ll each meet with a healer to determine your fitness for the trials.”
His unsympathetic gaze settled on me. “If any are found lacking, you”ll undergo treatment to remedy the situation. But don’t expect an advantage to be granted.”
A ripple of unease passed through the group. I gritted my teeth, refusing to be cowed.
Lorne knocked on the door and a muffled voice called for us to enter. We filed into what appeared to be an outer chamber filled with potions lining the many shelves.
Plush velvet chairs were placed in an orderly fashion, offering a momentary rest. The air was infused with a faint scent of herbs, mingling with the soft tinkling of wind chimes that hung from the high ceiling.
My breath caught at the sight of Nox lounging against a wall, arms crossed. That wild feeling in my chest expanded, threatening to steal my air.
His midnight eyes gleamed with amusement as they raked over each one of us. “Welcome, ladies. I do hope you”ll all prove to be healthy as well as entertaining today.”
Heat flooded my cheeks at his suggestive tone. Damn him. I tipped my chin up, meeting his stare.
Zoriyah curtsied gracefully. “I”m sure you will be pleased with what you get from me, Your Majesty.”
Eww.
The corner of his mouth quirked. “I”ll hold you to that, krásna.”
The endearment didn”t bother me as much as his knowing eyes raking up and down her body did. She was, indeed, very beautiful. But why would he want someone so ugly on the inside?
Stop it, Aeryn, I scolded myself.
Before I could think more on it, Lorne herded us toward several stern-faced healers who each called out a name to join them in one of the exam rooms.
I could feel Nox”s eyes on my skin, but I ignored him as I moved to sit in one of the available seats along the back wall. He didn”t linger, thankfully.
One by one, the healers summoned the contestants until only Sofiya and I remained. I took some deep breaths, trying to settle my nerves.
My friend played with the ends of her belt, glancing at me periodically. I squeezed her shoulder in reassurance, though my own anxiety grew with each passing minute.
At last, a rather tall female with messy dark hair and sharp eyes, darker than I”d ever seen, peered at us over her notebook. “Lady Aeryn, it”s your turn.”
I nodded and followed her into the room.
The healer closed the door and offered me a smile. It transformed her face into something lovely and familiar. “I”m Sage. Please have a seat so we can begin.”
I perched on the edge of the chair. “How is Astrid? I know Nox–the king, I mean, summoned a healer when we arrived. I was hoping to see her.”
Sage”s brows rose, as if surprised by my concern for an alleged rival. “I”m afraid I cannot discuss any patient”s condition, but I can say she”s alive if that”s your concern.”
“Oh, well, thank you. I was hoping she was faring better than just alive but I suppose it”s better than not alive.”
The healer smiled. “Well, that”s one way to look at it. Now, just hold still for a second.”
She waved a hand, and a magical pulse swept over me from head to toe. The healer wrote as the pulse moved through my body until it dissipated completely.
“Good,” she commented more to herself than to me, turning the page to look at whatever was next.
My knee bounced as I waited for whatever came next.
“Are you alright?” Sage asked, eying my leg.
“I ... do I need to take off my robe for any reason?”
“Not if you don”t want to.”
“Okay.” I clasped my hands tightly, willing my lower limb to hold still.
Steadying her notebook on her lap, she said, “Aeryn, I have some questions for you. Please answer as thoroughly as you can. We”ll start easy. How old are you?”
“Twenty-four.”
Her eyes widened. “Twenty-four?” she repeated, shaking her head and making a notation on her parchment.
“Where were you born?”
My nose wrinkled. “I”m not sure exactly. My mother said I was born at home.”
“And where is home?”
“Greenhollow. But we didn”t live there when I was a baby. I remember living in my grandparents” home in Thistlekeep for a time, but before that, I don”t know.”
“Thistlekeep?” she clarified. “Are you sure?”
“That”s what my mother called it. Why? Maybe I have the words mixed up with someplace else.”
Sage tapped her pen on the paper. “Maybe. Let”s move on to other questions and then get the rest of the exam over with so you can get out of here.”
The healer continued the interview, asking mostly about my medical history and life in Greenhollow. Then she examined me with quiet concentration, not once having me remove the robe completely.
Finally, she set down her tools, folded her hands together, and regarded me gravely. “You”re too young for this, Aeryn. Strong as your well-store feels, you don”t have access to it yet, therefore you have no magical ability to defend yourself.”
“My well-store is strong?” I hadn”t heard much after those words.
“I”m more concerned about you not having access to it yet.”
“Yes, of course, but I ... my parents didn”t have strong magic, not that I can remember. And they died before I was old enough to think of asking about my magic. I”m just surprised to hear it, is all.”
“How did they pass?”
“Blood poisoning. Specifically, iron. They worked in the factories, building weapons back, well, I”m sure you know the history of the last war. Anyway, I only remember them being sickly and unable to find someone strong enough to purge the metal from their systems—not that they could have afforded it. To be told my well-store has strong magic, is a little unbelievable.”
“I can see why you would feel that way, but it”s the truth,” she told me.
“I don”t even know what sect of fae I am,” I joked nervously. “I assumed I was woodland or something similar. My parents farmed a small plot of land. After they died, I took over. I”m good at it. But woodland and earth fae aren”t known to have strong well-stores.”
Sage shook her head. “No, they”re not.” She leaned toward me, face serious. “Aeryn, when did your parents die?”
“Fourteen years, eight months, and six days ago.” I cleared my throat. “Roughly.”
Her gaze softened. “Nox has no right to endanger you like this.”
I stiffened at her sympathetic tone as much as the slice against the king, which spoke of familiarity.
I didn”t want sympathy or pity. I”d been doing fine on my own. Greenhollow had helped me and I owed them for their support. I”d be back soon enough to continue paying off that debt of kindness.
Before I could tell her as much, a sharp rap on the door interrupted us and Lorne stalked inside, towering over Sage. The healer rolled her eyes.
“What”s with the delay?” he asked. “Problem with Lady Aeryn?”
I held my tongue. I could be civil in front of Sage, especially if Lorne was reporting back to Nox.
Sage”s lips thinned into a disapproving line and she swatted his chest. “Back off, you fool.”
My eyes widened, secretly enjoying the exchange.
Lorne stepped back. “Seriously, what”s the problem with her?”
“Well, brother–”
Brother?The Scullbrooks had a sister? Since when?
“–the problem is that she shouldn”t be subjected to these trials. Period. She”s not old enough to use her magic.”
“I”m aware,” Lorne droned. “Anything else?”
Her mouth was downturned but she remained silent.
“Sage.”
She shook her head. “No. Now get out of here before I throw something at you.”
“Done,” Lorne yielded. “Come, Aeryn. We”re on a schedule.”
I hopped down off the exam table and followed him out. It seemed the other contestants were also finished so he told two of the guards to take us back to our rooms.
Sofiya maneuvered to walk beside me. “How did it go?”
“As well as could be expected.” I would have gone into more detail but I didn”t want to talk in front of the others. “What about you?”
She harrumphed. “Well, I refused to get completely naked in front of the male healer and he tried to force me to remove the robe for the exam.”
My teeth ground. “Tell me you gouged out his eyeballs.”
“I didn”t have the chance. Lorne barged in and yelled at him, shouting to go get a female healer and that he was to never put a hand on me again.”
“I can”t believe he did that.”
“Exactly! It was mortifying. Probably chivalrous of him, too. But also confusing and ... and ... mortifying! I didn”t know what to do so I screamed incoherently and pointed at the door. Eventually he got the hint.”
A smile tugged at my lips. “Such a brave warrior.”
“Shut up,” she groaned, then blew a raspberry.
Sobering, my smile faded. “I”m sorry the healer treated you like that. It sounds like Lorne took it seriously, though, so that”s good.”
“I guess. But no actual good will come of being here,” she lamented.
“Have you Seen anything?” Sofiya wasn”t an actual Seer, but she had something that occasionally gave her a heads-up before an event.
“No. But I won”t leave your side, no matter what they throw at us, even if I can only scream and point.”
My mouth twitched and I bumped my shoulder with hers. What would I have done without Sofiya?
“I guess it”s time to get dressed for whatever torture is next,” I said as we approached her door, not far from mine. “It will probably be something dreadful like the king ogling us in our finery, no doubt.”
She made a face and we both laughed.
A cool breeze flowed out of the opened doors ahead. Hemlines billowed and silky strands of hair lifted fluidly on the currents, making many of the females in front of me look like they were floating.
The same could not be said for me as I tottered, trying my best not to roll an ankle. I clutched Sofiya”s arm, thankful she was graceful and able to help me hide my issue with balance in these diabolical shoes.
She wore a dark coral gown that complemented her neutral skin tone and chestnut hair. Strapless, it hugged her silhouette, showing off her curves, the ones I used to be so jealous of until I got my own.
She still had more curves than me, but I was content with the body I”d earned from my labors.
“You look very pretty,” I said, hoping to ease the anxiety in her eyes.
She smiled tremulously. “And you look like a princess.”
I snorted. The last thing I wanted was to play princess. The only thing on my body I didn”t want to burn to ashes was the lingerie.
Though, I had to admit this dress was far superior to the last. It moved with me and allowed me to breathe thanks to the stretch in the light blue fabric.
The skirt flared too far out for my personal tastes, but I could see why someone would feel feminine and enjoy wearing it.
I wobbled and an embarrassing squeak leaked out from between my lips. Raina turned around and Sofiya tightened her grip.
“She”s fine,” she told Raina, who didn”t look convinced but thankfully minded her own business.
“You can do this,” Sofiya whispered and took us through the doors.
In the center of the ballroom was a clump of color and chirping females. Contestants fluttered fans and spoke animatedly with one another. Raina kept to the fringes, as did a handful of others.
“What is happening?” I asked in a hushed tone.
“They”re ... socializing. Maybe feeling pretty has made them nicer?”
“Doubtful.”
Sofiya sighed. “Agreed. Come on,” she guided me closer.
Lorne moved to the front of the room. “Quiet.”
A hush fell.
“You have one week to prepare yourselves. Liam and I have created a brief training program aligned to what will be asked of you in the trials. You will be competing in events that will test your intelligence, fortitude, wisdom, strength, control of magic, and courage, as well as elegance and other queenly things.”
What in the world were queenly things? And how did one compete in elegance? These seemed the most harmless but they scared me nonetheless.
“Madam Hilda?” he called.
Heels clicked rhythmically on the wooden floor and a small, proper female came into view. Her posture was straighter than any I”d ever seen.
Smartly dressed in all black, her fitted jacket showed just a hint of cleavage underneath. The matching wide-legged pants revealed a tiny waist.
The click-clack sound was produced by her even tinier feet that were crammed into the tallest heels in the room. Her dark green hair was perfectly coiffed atop her head in a twisted updo.
She was the epitome of style.
“Today”s training will be spent with me, practicing grace and the meaning of elegance.” Her voice came out far more robust than her stature suggested.
“We will also review the rules for decorum and behavior not only during the trials, but as possible future queens. I need everyone to spread out into a straight line. That means now, ladies. I expect you to pay attention and to never dally.”
It quickly became clear that tiny Hilda was a tyrant. I was a little afraid of her.
She ordered us about, having us practice walking, and gliding, and sitting properly in our queenly attire. I tried not to notice how the others had little to no issue with the regal walking.
I may not have been the model of grace back in Greenhollow, but I wasn’t a klutz or accident-prone. In fact, I was good at avoiding accidents and getting out of physical predicaments handily.
I was steady when I was in shoes designed for actual feet or, preferably, barefoot. I”d always been able to outrun many of the fae I”d grown up with, even some of the males. Climbing trees was a cinch and I could easily find purchase, even with my old boots on.
Nothing in my history, however, had prepared me for this moment.
These suicide pumps were not shoes. They were a test of my sanity. At least the tiny tyrant was around to help and provide critical feedback.
Hilda gave me helpful suggestions like, “Stop being a complete disaster,” “I”ve never seen anything like this all my years,” and my favorite, “I hope the gods take mercy upon your soul.”
I”d thanked her for that last one. I didn”t really care how I looked, I was more worried about breaking my ankle over such pretentious and snobbish practices. Or, worse, dragging someone down with me on my way to the ground.
Before I could pull out my own hair, or someone else”s, Hilda gave us a break from the prancing.
“Ladies, let us pause for a moment. I would like to know what you think of your fabulous outfits. We”ll answer one at a time. It will help me assess your speech.”
Around the room contestants gave Hilda the best of their civility. Even Zoriyah sounded refined and amiable. She was all the more impressive with her sparkling black-tulle gown that made her hair stand out beautifully.
Which, unacceptably, I found incredibly off-putting and another reason to detest the female. Distracted, I barely caught Sofiya complementing the colors picked out for each candidate.
I had to agree with her. Whomever was behind the choices really had done an excellent job. If it were Hilda, she gave no indication.
Once everyone had spoken, the green-haired taskmaster looked at me expectantly.
“I agree with Sofiya,” I rushed, ready to get this part of the training over with.
Hilda”s mouth pursed. “An original thought, if you please.”
I bit my lip, drawing more of the female”s disapproval. Fine. I”d give her an original thought.
“I believe a queen should be more like her subjects, more approachable, not stiff and reserved and giving off an air of superiority.”
“That”s because you belong on a farm,” one of Zoriyah”s friends stated loudly, giggling at her own joke.
“That is not very ladylike,” Hilda reprimanded.
I shrugged off what was supposed to be an insult. It was anything but. I did belong on a farm. I took great pleasure in knowing that without beings like me, uppity prima donnas would starve. Not that I produced much, but it was enough to sell and earn a living.
Hilda caught my eye. “Please finish your thought, Lady Aeryn. Perhaps frame it in a way your fellow contestants can understand or relate to.”
The entire room was staring at me, waiting. The only thing most of these tramps understood was they wanted to marry the king. Which gave me an idea.
“I would think that the queen’s comfort would be very important to the king. If it were me in that position, I would want my husband to be mindful of such things, as I would be for him. I”m sorry, but nothing about this outfit, these lessons, these … expectations is a way I would choose to live. Give me comfort over a title any day and I will be thankful.”
I could have sworn the smallest hint of a smile touched Hilda”s mouth then disappeared. “Never apologize to those you have not wronged, Lady Aeryn. Let that be a lesson to you all.”
My small jolt of triumph was wiped out when she made us stand and go through her choreographed movements again.
I was just about ready to quit when I felt the skin at my nape tingle. Concentrating, I didn”t turn to look. It wasn’t worth the risk. On my next pass around, my heel caught on my dress and I stumbled.
No one said anything.
Earlier, Hilda had warned the other contestants about decorum the second and third times I”d tripped, so at least I didn”t have to put up with their jeers while she was present.
I wanted to get one full turn of the room without a major blunder, so I continued on, refusing to look for the male boring holes into me. There were plenty of other females here for him to ogle.
As I drew closer to the front, where Lorne and Liam had been standing, I allowed myself a peek. It was a mistake. A big one.
My ankle twisted, but luckily it wasn”t enough to cause any pain. I had to crouch down for a moment until I regained my balance before taking another step and repeating the process again.
“She”s a fucking menace,” cut through the room and sliced straight through my pride.
This time, several of the contestants broke Hilda”s rule and tittered gleefully. The pitiless words had come from their king”s lips, after all.
That. Was. It.
Straightening my back, I wobble-marched to the nearest table, and tore off each high heel.
Grabbing the toe of one shoe, I slammed it down on the corner of the thick table. The cracking of the heel was the most satisfying sound I”d ever heard. I hit it again and the heel came loose. I tossed it onto the table and did the same with the second shoe.
Pleased with the improvements, I put the shoes back on. They felt more like sandals. More importantly, I could walk in them. Not perfectly, but without putting myself at risk of falling on my face.
Ignoring everyone in the room other than Hilda, I focused on doing everything exactly as she said. I wasn’t there to marry Nox. I didn’t need to prove myself to him.
But I”d be damned if I”d give him the satisfaction of watching me fail.