Chapter 5
"My king, how are the preparations for our sister’s tournament progressing?" the youngest of my brothers asked. Bykas was third from the back, right after another brother and me. Father, seated at the head of the table, rubbed his greying beard and nodded.
Silence settled across the room filled with all of my brothers, unmarried sisters, and the other high-ranking members of the court.
"The halls are prepared, and the swords sharpened. The lists are filled," said the Just King.
As his title suggested, our father truly was good. A good father, a good husband, and a good king. He served all just as he had sworn to when they placed the crown upon his head, with honor and justice.
The sister seated beside me, definitely the most beautiful of all of us sisters, nudged my shoulder. "Issy will get her own knight now," she sang quietly.
Her Blood Knight, the terror of every street his foot stepped upon, full of scars and a permanently furrowed expression, always stood silently behind her.
They were the same age, yet so different.
She tossed her brown hair over her shoulder and turned childishly behind her to look at him. She smiled when he lowered his gaze toward her, then turned back to me.
Meera leaned closer and whispered, "Believe me, it’s not bad at all," wiggling her brows before laughing.
Although I had tried to keep a serious expression and my arms crossed the entire time, I could not help but smile at her suggestion and shake my head.
"It seems the princesses are in good spirits." A voice in front of us interrupted, and I looked toward its source with an annoyed look. My brother, the second eldest after Sando, was the least dear to me of them all.
Faran was always… well, second. Second in strength, second in speed, second in knowledge… and second to the throne. It is a common knowledge that these facts had greatly reflected upon his character. Always snarky, always cunning, and always as bitter as citrus peel.
"Sometimes I wonder whether it was wise of me to allow you all to be here." Father’s tired voice cut through us all. He dragged a hand across his face and sighed. Grey strands passed through his fingers as he shook his head. Sando, to his right, only laughed quietly into his chest.
Yes, Father valued equality and allowed us all to attend the meetings. Sons and daughters alike. All nine of us could offer ideas and suggestions. To vote and to object, for every voice was heard in equal.
His eyes softened when he looked at me, and he tilted his head slightly. "So, are you ready to receive your knight, my Sunshine?" he asked in the voice everyone said he used only for me.
I shrugged again, not finding any words as two of my brothers began arguing over something insignificant. He raised his brows slightly, and a soft smile pulled across his wrinkle-lined face. "You might even like it, Little princess. You never know."
I snorted quietly and withdrew from the entire meeting. My mind wandered elsewhere, down the lantern-lit street. Into the tavern, with hands full of shells and the scent of pine and smoke, while two brown eyes silently watched me.
"...two are coming from the south."
My head snapped up and I looked toward the source of the words. Father nodded and continued from Sando’s remark. "Yes, only two knights from the south, though they are the best when it comes to swordsmanship." He said to all the attendees.
The mention of the south immediately brought me back to my southern stranger. I tilted my head and kept listening. "And good horsemen as well, but dreadful at archery."
"There shouldn’t be many archers anyway," the sister beside me added. She toyed with the fabric of her sleeve while waiting for an answer.
"There is only one," Sando began.
"Then it won’t be a problem," she interrupted before turning to me. "And they’re the most handsome," she winked. "Mine has southern roots as well, isn’t that right, Corian?"
I heard Corian shift in his heavy armor and toss today’s pink cape, covered in a hundred floral patterns, over his strong shoulder.
Two weeks after receiving her Blood Knight, Meera had decided she disliked his grey monotony entirely.
An hour later, she had ordered that a sample of fabric from each of her gowns be taken and a cape made from each.
Also, every future gown should be made with six additional feet of fabric so the same cape could be sewn simultaneously.
And so, from that day on, Corian wore a cape matching whichever gown his princess wore.
"I would wager on Ser Srova of Murky River," Faran joined the conversation. My fingers drummed as I waited to hear what someone more knowledgeable about these tournaments would say. Sando shrugged, not adding anything else.
Truth be told, I had no interest in some Ser Srova…
"He’s not bad, that one, but the Northerners usually dominate… all the other princesses received Northerners."
Father rubbed his beard and nodded. One of the lords added something, but several thoughts circled my mind. "So, are the southerners truly that good?" I asked, surprising myself with the question.
"Oh, so you are interested after all, princess?" Father asked.
"I need to know who will be following me around constantly," I said quickly.
"You forget that you have little choice in the matter. The one who wins is yours," he said calmly, the ruler’s voice reminding me that I truly had no right to object or choose.
"Southerners are good, perhaps the best, but they prefer to keep to themselves. Few come to these tournaments, but when they do, they are usually the favorites," he continued, ignoring my renewed discomfort.
"But they are loyal, definitely the most loyal of all," Sando added, raising his cup to his lips. At least he was the only one who knew of my feelings.
"Now then, as we have resolved everything regarding the tournament and as the preparations began long ago, we can say with certainty that the final Blood Tournament will begin in twenty-one nights from today," the king said cheerfully.
Cups were filled with wine and smiles, and applause lit the room. Meera nudged my shoulder again and placed something sweet into my mouth while hers were already smeared with chocolate and coconut. As though he knew, her knight stepped forward and offered her a pink cloth.
Chairs scraped as everyone slowly left the room, and I remained seated alone. My back was hunched, and my fingers played with the rim of my full cup.
I closed my eyes and imagined the southerner. The one I had taught how to open shells and with whom I had sat all day laughing and dancing. The one who had wanted to kiss me before Welme pulled me away.
Is he as loyal as father said they all are? Is he as skilled?
I will not receive an answer to that, for the chances of seeing him again were small. After all, the city grows more crowded each day and the streets fuller.
I jumped when a hand fell upon my shoulder.
"Hello Pumpkin," Sando said above me. "My prince," I replied, tilting my head back to see him.
"Sister, do not be afraid. See how Meera enjoys herself and the freedom she has. And believe me, I will not allow you to receive someone cruel… and even if you do, there is a solution for that."
He squeezed my shoulder and kissed my forehead.
I took a deep breath and felt a tear slip down my cheek.
I did not even know why exactly I was crying.
He left the room as well, and I remained seated.
Thinking of brown hair and brown eyes and of skin kissed by the sun and olives.