Chapter 40
The doors creaked as the four guards pushed them open with all their strength.
A strong pillar of light spread out before me as the great doors opened, and the gasps of everyone inside echoed through the ballroom.
Soft music played from a single instrument, beginning a gentle melody as Sando and I took our first step forward.
The red carpet beneath our feet swallowed the sound of our footsteps, while the crackling candles surrounding us were the only other sound besides the melody.
I exhaled sharply through my nose and straightened my face, forcing myself not to think about everything that had happened only moments ago.
Yet, just before we reached the bottom of the stairs, when I could already see the princesses and princes, lords and ladies, and the golden decorations hanging from the ceiling, Sanaedeo leaned toward my ear. His hand tightened around my forearm.
"Isolde, never do that in public again. You were far too reckless. You will get him killed with that kind of carelessness. Now fucking smile."
He pulled away from my ear, and I looked at his sharp face. I knew my brother. He wasn't angry, only frightened by the possible consequences. But I also knew he was right. My life was meant to be lived here, surrounded by gold and expensive fabrics.
It could not be lived behind me, surrounded by metal and bloodstained sand.
I forced my lips over my teeth into a smile that, to everyone watching, would appear elegant, feminine, and proud. Only inside my heart was it a smile that mourned the life that could never be mine.
About ten steps from the bottom, the same voice continued.
"Our youngest princess celebrates her twenty-first autumn with us today. Our beauty and very own grace, our little princess."
Everyone present began to applaud as he finished, and as we reached the bottom of the stairs, Sanaedeo took my hand in his and gently stretched our joined hands so that I stood one step ahead of him.
"It is also my great honor to present our good prince, our heir to the throne, Prince Sanaedeo."
He raised his free hand and waved to everyone gathered around us.
A clear path appeared before us, leading directly toward Father and Mother, as well as another king and queen who had arrived as guests.
My eyes wandered across the room, taking in the hundreds of people staring only at me, admiring my dress, which was even more decorated with gold than it had been four days ago, and my hair, filled with rubies matching the color of my gown.
Yet their gazes no longer fed me.
Now, they only made me sad.
As we made our way toward the kings seated at the main table, the voice spoke again.
The words nearly stopped me in my tracks, but my own awareness, along with Sando's firm grip on my hand, forced me to keep moving.
"It is my honor to also present the Blood Knight of the Princess, Ser Lysande of Isolde."
I clenched my teeth and tried not to look at the ladies whose hungry gazes shifted from Sando to Lys.
I raised my eyes toward the royal table, where Father and Mother sat alongside the king and queen, as well as all the princes and princesses present. My own siblings, along with the young royals from the other kingdoms.
"Daughter."
Father rose from his chair and lifted his glass as we stopped before the stairs leading up to the table.
"My youngest daughter. My Issi."
He began speaking loudly enough for everyone present to hear. Then he stopped, as though his eyes had suddenly filled with tears.
"She is no longer my little girl who used to sit on my lap in the throne room. No. Today, and for quite some time now, she has been a grown woman. But Isolde, you will always be my baby."
I felt my eyes filling with tears, but I refused to let them fall in front of so many people.
He turned his glass toward me and raised it into the air.
"My dear daughter, I wish you all the most beautiful things in life. And tonight, I wish you one beautiful night that may perhaps change your life."
With one hand, he gestured toward the princes seated at the table and smiled before shaking his head.
The guests began laughing, and some even applauded. But when he raised his wineglass and called, "To Isolde!" before striking it against the table, the entire room seemed to erupt.
The sound of hundreds of glasses striking the tables echoed all around me, while cheers of my name rang against the thick stone walls.
"Thank you, Father."
I bowed to my mother and father before greeting King Yasi and Queen Tereya of the Thorny Ridge Kingdom. They smiled and raised their glasses into the air, while Sando, whom I had almost forgotten was still holding my hand, guided me up the stairs and along the left side of the table.
The royals of my rank lowered their heads first out of respect, and I returned each greeting with a smile.
Yan appeared beside Meera, sitting with an enormous smile on her face.
"Princess, you are stunning."
She reached her hands toward me, as Sando released my hand and continued toward his seat, directly to the king's right.
I remained with Yan for a few moments before we kissed each other's cheeks on both sides.
Her gentle arms wrapped around my chest, pulling me into a tight embrace, and I hugged her back.
"We haven't seen each other in so long, Princess," I said, my face buried in her thick black hair.
She simply laughed.
"We must dance tonight, Princess. Ah, and who is this?"
She released me from the embrace and looked somewhere behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know who she was talking about.
"This is my Blood Knight, Yan. You know our tradition..."
"Yes, yes, I know. I heard when you received him."
She turned toward him, her eyes lighting up.
"Knight, take care of my princess." He bowed to her before answering with a gentle smile.
"Of course, Princess. There is no greater pleasure in my life." She nodded in satisfaction before lowering her voice slightly.
"Isolde, there is someone I want to introduce you to later."
I gave her an affirmative wave before hugging her one more time.
She returned to her chair, and Lys approached me from behind.
I could feel the warmth of his body and the coldness of his armor as his heavy boots followed behind me.
We passed behind Meera, who was gripping her glass so tightly that the veins had risen across the back of her hand.
As we walked past, I placed my hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.
When Lysande pulled out my chair beside her, I quickly realized what the problem was.
Corian wasn't here. Even though his place was also supposed to be at this table.
I opened my mouth to ask her where he was, but a servant suddenly appeared behind me and spoke to Lys loudly enough for me to hear.
"Ser, you do not sit at this table. You sit below." Lys's confused eyes found mine.
"Servant, he is my Blood Knight. His place is with me."
The servant lowered his gaze.
"By order of the king, Princess."
My jaw tightened, but there was nothing I could say to that.
I nodded toward Lys, telling him to obey.
Without a word, he followed the servant and sat at one of the lower tables in the corner of the room.
"Princess." Another servant appeared and tried to pull my chair in for me, but I had already done it myself.
Now I was looking at Lys's back, and beside him, at Corian's as well. They sat at tables far away from us.
I turned toward Meera.
Her face was completely blank, and the only evidence of her anger was the glass she was still gripping tightly in her hand and the occasional glance she threw toward the corner of the ballroom.
"The maids told me he asked Father to put them there," she finally said.
It took me a few moments to understand what she meant.
From my left, Father called for the music to continue playing, and a beautiful melody once again spread throughout the room. People began talking, forks began clinking against plates, and everyone returned to their celebrations.
But in my ears, everything rang. "Faran's gift," she chuckled out before taking a drink from her glass.