Chapter 59
It was cold, and even with the fireplace lit, the room stayed chilly. Outside, the weather had turned freezing.
After Katy left, I put on the velvet dress Ambrose and I had bought weeks ago for the occasion.
It was long, off-the-shoulder, with sleeves that began mid-arm and extended to my wrists.
The fabric was thick and wool-lined to withstand the night’s cold, its color a deep wine.
The off-the-shoulder cut highlighted my décolletage and accentuated the curve of my breasts before cinching tight at my waist. From there, it flared out, flowing around my hips.
Underneath, I wore thermal leggings and the boots Zion had given me for the trials, since no one would see them anyway.
I turned to the mirror and put on my earrings and sinil necklace.
It was obvious which Goddess I’d chosen to bless me in the trials.
The red dress and hairstyle screamed it.
With one final check, I left the room and headed down the stairs.
Zion rose from the couch and smiled at me, extending a hand as I descended.
His hair was loose, and he wore a black military uniform—dress regalia made for the event, covered in gold details.
Epaulettes shaped his shoulders, and two rows of gold-encrusted buttons ran down his abdomen.
As a general, Zion was a key figure in the opening ceremony and needed to present himself accordingly.
“I’m one lucky son of a bitch,” he exclaimed as I descended the steps.
“You? I predict a dozen women’s hearts will stop tonight just from seeing you in that uniform,” I muttered, taking his hand. He lifted it to his lips and kissed it.
“The only heart that matters to me is yours.” Zion pulled me closer. Those words alone made my body warm even more.
“Sorry to inform you, but as a doctor, I have to worry about more hearts than just yours, and I’m not prepared to handle cardiac arrests triggered by your beauty.” I caressed his cheek and traced his eyebrows with my fingers.
“Worry especially about the king’s heart. He’ll have a heart attack when he sees you representing the Goddess of War.” His blue-green eyes sparkled as he spoke.
“The choice of Gods is free—he can’t interfere with that. Calistra is the Goddess of War and Drutes represents her, but he can’t interfere with the worship of a Goddess just because she rules the enemy city.”
“He can’t interfere, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be happy about it.”
“Do you think I should undo the hairstyle?” I smoothed my hair, feeling disappointed. Zion flashed a smile that promised trouble.
“No. I think you’re perfect just like this. If the king has any objections, he can complain directly to me.” He studied my hairstyle and seemed pleased with what he saw.
“Thank you,” I said shyly.
Zion glanced at the matte watch on his wrist, and his smile faded.
“We have to go. I can’t be late for the army’s entrance.”
Δ
The graduation event, which coincides with Lúmiran, has always been held near a lake, river, or waterfall.
It was tradition, tied to the passage of the yonsai spirits, which began once the aurora borealis lit up the skies.
This year it would be celebrated around Canoe Lake—not on the shore where the restaurants stood, but on the other side, on a lawn at the foot of the four mountains.
Zion transported us there, and as soon as we arrived, the cold wind caught me off guard, carrying the scent of food and flowers.
The field had been divided into two sections, with tables arranged around it offering food and drinks from all four nations.
Down the middle ran a wide white walkway where the army would march and the new students would be presented to the king.
The structure where the sovereign would sit had been erected over the lake, ten meters from shore—Elitium was paranoid about his own safety.
The throne sat high, with no way to reach it except by swimming.
I figured Zion would be the one transporting him.
We walked arm in arm across the grass, weaving through a sea of people seated at round tables adorned with colorful flower arrangements and scented candles.
Only the elite of the nations occupied this area—all the powerful men and women of Jupiter.
They had come to watch their nation’s children rise and to scout prodigy students they might hire to work in their own cities.
The citizens “who were not part of the elite” celebrated on the other side of the lake, in the center of Interion.
Arrangements of candles and flowers surrounded us on all sides.
Above our heads, they hung suspended in glass cubes alongside colored ribbons and runes engraved in gold.
There were no archemic globes—the festival’s purpose was to revive ancient customs, from the time when the first fae populated the world and the Gods walked among them.
“I didn't know it was this beautiful.”
Despite the cold, I felt dazzled by the event, and having Zion by my side made everything even better.
“You've never been to a Lúmiran festival?” He frowned and drew my wandering gaze back to his.
“No. Ambrose and Lorenzo always invited me, but I never wanted to expose myself to all of Jupiter like that.” I was afraid of being judged or mistreated because of my ancestry, I added mentally.
Being judged by people I already knew—people aware of Zion's protection over me—was one thing.
Facing the stares of foreigners who came to the walls this time of year to watch the test and the passage of the spirits was something else entirely.
They could be hostile since they didn't know Zion's last name.
I'd learned that during my first Lúmiran inside the walls.
A group of Vinturians had spit on me on my way to the hospital.
Ambrose saw and intervened before anything worse happened.
After that, I started avoiding going out alone during that time of year.
“You've never seen the yonsais arrive or the aurora borealis stretch across the sky?”
“I watched the aurora from home, but this will be my first time with the spirits,” I replied happily, caressing his hand, which was warm compared to mine.
The dress was beautiful, but those off-the-shoulder sleeves were going to freeze me to death.
The things a woman wouldn't do in the name of beauty.
“In that case, I'm taking you somewhere with the best view.” He rubbed his hands over mine to warm me up.
“I need to handle the armies' entrance and make sure the king arrives safely.
I'll leave you with the students and see you when the presentation begins, all right?” Zion guided me to the end of the walkway, where a tent of billowing white fabric stood.
All the students were seated with their parents.
“Do you have to be at the king's disposal the whole party?” I asked, a little sad. I wanted to spend more time with him.
“No, he'll retire after the last student presents, so I'll escort him out and then we can enjoy the Lúmiran.” Zion caressed my cheek. “The rest of the night is ours, my little ray of sunshine.”
“I can't wait!” I murmured, gazing into his blue eyes, which sparkled back at me. He guided us to the middle of the well-lit tent, finally tearing his gaze from mine.
I noticed stares in our direction. This was the first time we'd appeared together as a couple.
Most of the parents didn't know whether to look at me with disgust or simply avoid me.
Zion, to my surprise, walked by my side, glaring at anyone who dared look at us sideways, as if publicly declaring that he was with me and anyone who mistreated me would answer to him.
“Fae males and their enormous urinary incontinence,” I joked in Zion's mind while smiling at him.
“What?” he asked, still maintaining his authoritative posture toward anyone who dared stare at me with contempt.
“Looks like you're marking your territory.”
His stern facade cracked, and an amused smile slipped through. Before leaving, he kissed my temple and disappeared into the shadows, leaving me alone among my academy companions.
I walked to the table with my name on it, but it was empty, and even though Zion was just a call away, I felt a pang of sadness with each step toward the solitary table.
Only family members and people of power could enter that area.
Ambrose and Lorenzo had tried to get in, but they'd been turned away.
“I'm sorry, Kay. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can,” Zion whispered through the bond.
“Hey, Kyller.” I looked around and saw Hiro calling me. He was sitting next to an older woman—around 700 years old—and beside her sat an even older, wrinkled gentleman holding her hands. “Come here, I want you to meet my grandparents.”
His grandmother was the only person besides Hiro, Breno, and Aish who smiled when she saw me, and that encouraged me to approach.
Hiro introduced me as a classmate, and they introduced themselves as Aurora and Joseph.
They spent the first few minutes gushing about how happy they were to see Hiro graduating.
“Thanks for lending me the clothes,” he said after his grandparents left to get food. Hiro looked at me with that innocent smile that showed off the dimple in his cheek. “I felt like the poorest of the poor in Jupiter, but I'm grateful for the charity. My clothing options were pretty bad.”
A laugh escaped my lips, and I squeezed his arm playfully.
“You don't have anything to thank me for. Did they fit?”
“Only the pants, but Zion bought me brand-new military boots and threw in thermal socks. The jacket didn't fit, but we made it work since we couldn't order one in my size.” Hiro flexed his muscular arms, showing off. “Being a big guy has its disadvantages. I don't fit into most Interian clothes.”