Chapter 1 Grave #2
“No, I think you should pick first,” Audryn offered once more. “Considering you’ve been dragged into this, you should at least eat something you like.”
“For fuck’s sake, my arms are tired. Just pick one.” Amalee blew out a breath. Patience was never her strong suit, especially when she was antsy to get home.
Audryn grabbed the meatball sandwich and plopped down on a vacant log. Fisher followed suit and sat beside her. With eyes remaining down, they stayed quiet and unwrapped dinner, likely disappointed with the meal.
“So, Audryn, tell us about yourself.” My eyes darted from the woman and landed on Fisher. “Unless you’d like to talk about your endeavors first? Possibly elaborate on why you cannot keep those around you safe despite your position?”
Fisher grunted and continued eating.
“I’m not all that interesting.” Audryn bit into her sandwich and hummed in delight.
“Okay, then share what’s not all that interesting about you.
” I pushed, hoping the crowd of people would help crack the thick layer of frost between us.
“Tell me the most boring thing about you.” I stoked the fire back to life and added another piece of wood.
“What could you tell me that would put me to sleep? It’s late, so do your best.”
She ignored me and continued eating.
“How about you tell us why you’d compete for the hand of an asshole,” my sister said. “I don’t know why anyone would want to marry him.”
Fisher and Audryn shot their eyes to her in unison.
“It doesn’t seem like you like him all that much—or at least from what I can gather.” Amalee took a swig from the opened bottle of wine and gestured it out to Audryn. “I don’t know how that man pulled one woman, let alone three. He’s either good in bed or you’re desperate for money.”
“Amalee!” I scolded.
Audryn snatched the bottle from my sister’s hand. “Well, I don’t need the money.”
“Damn,” my sister drawled and took another bite. “Who would have thought? I figured with an attitude like that, he was making up for his shortcomings.”
“You should not speak of Prince Sutton in this manner. He’ll be our king, and this conversation is highly inappropriate to have with his betrothed.” Fisher bit roughly into his sandwich, letting pieces of tomato spill onto the ground.
“He won’t be my king.” Amalee shrugged.
“You’re not in Rivale anymore,” I said. “You can drop the act and stop pretending your prince deserves any respect.” I looked at Audryn. “Especially after how he treated you. It’s a wonder you have any interest at all.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” She lifted an eyebrow at me. “But go on, tell me what I should do, while you look down on me from your throne, Your Majesty.” She sketched a mocking bow with her free hand.
I flinched. There was a slough of insults people had cast my way, but looking down on others was never one of them. I knew exactly how it felt to be judged.
“We all have our battles.” Amalee regarded me. “Not all kings demoralize or belittle their people. Some choose to lift others, even when it costs them.”
Audryn narrowed her eyes at my sister and tilted her head. “Your teeth,” she said, leaning in, “they’re—”
“Black.” Amalee deadpanned.
“How’d I not notice them before?” Audryn squinted as my sister posed for a better angle.
“I suspect keeping your eyes down prevents you from noticing a lot.” I pondered aloud. “Maybe if you hadn’t bowed at every turn—”
“When I was a child,” Amalee interjected and grabbed the bottle back from Audryn, “my magic came to me and I was excited to use it. I practiced eroding whatever I could, but I couldn’t very well destroy someone’s insides without killing them.
” She smiled as the flames flickered against the black stones.
“So one day, I was bored. I was tired of killing plants, trees, and everything else, and I wanted to see how well I could focus my magic.”
Audryn leaned in and hung on to my sister's every word.
Amalee took another gulp before continuing, “And since my brother wouldn’t let me experiment on him, I tried it on myself. I started first with my back tooth, and when I eroded it, I moved on to the next two. By the end of the day, I’d rotted every tooth in my mouth.”
“Now you understand why I told her no.” I chuckled, recalling my toothless sister running around with a gummy smile.
“Anyhow, my mother wasn’t pleased, and my father …
” She paused for several breaths and my stomach dropped.
“Well, my mother found a way to fix the damage I’d done.
She went up into the caves, found several black diamonds and took them to a local craftsman.
He chipped them down into thirty-two pieces and—long story short, several days later and far too much pain—I had a brand new set of teeth. ”
“They’re probably even stronger than what you had to begin with.” Audryn was more intrigued than I’d expected her to be.
“Sure are,” Amalee chirped. “Plus, they look better too. Definitely gives off that ‘don’t fuck with me or I’ll destroy your insides’ look.”
“I’ve never heard of anyone having that type of magic.” Audryn narrowed her eyes. “Is it Macabre? Are you a ...?”
“Witch? Not really. My father is—well, was. He was from the Alden Islands, so I guess that makes me half witch. But I don’t claim that part of me.” Amalee threw her sandwich wrapper into the fire. The paper shriveled around the edges and ignited into a small flame before disintegrating.
“Why?” Audryn’s voice was genuine.
“Neither of us claims our father’s family.
Our mother’s choice to marry someone from Oras was something even her own family disagreed with.
” Amalee exhaled. “But somehow, she convinced them to believe the marriage would unite the two continents. Unfortunately, it didn’t.
Both the fae and witches were upset with the decision, which only furthered the divide. And now both of them hate us.”
“I don’t think we—” I warned my sister.
“But your ears?” Audryn spoke over me. “They’re still pointed?”
“Our mother is fae, her family has ruled Kuroden for centuries. At least we inherited her good looks.” Amalee grinned.
Our heritage was something each kingdom held against us, except our own.
It didn’t matter that I had cut ties with the witches when my father died, not only with those from the Alden Islands, but the entire continent of Oras.
And though some royals in Crofea were kinder than others, none of them truly accepted our mixed lineage.
“Was your father mad?” Audryn took the bottle from Amalee’s hand and took a swig; she grimaced as she pulled it away. “When you rotted your teeth, was he angry?”
“When wasn’t he angry?” I exhaled and whistled.
Amalee’s stare darted to me, then to Audryn and Fisher before quickly landing back on me. Neither of us spoke of him, especially around our mother, and definitely not around anyone outside those we trusted most.
They say you shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, but when your father was only wicked, there was nothing left to say. So we nearly always remained silent.