Chapter 29 All’s Fair in Love and War
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR
This is not how I pictured my life going.
I stood on the marble step below Lilyanna admiring the golden lattice crisscrossing her back.
It was far neater than my first attempt, and her gown clung beautifully to the curves I’d created on her ever-dwindling figure.
Her blonde hair was missing its sheen, her smile lacking the truth, and her posture was so stilted, she looked frozen.
The prince stood opposite. His dark suit hung perfectly on his lithe body, the diamond tie pin and matching crown twinkling in the thousands of candles which illuminated the banquet hall.
Tonight, his eyes were gray, a fact I was sure of because he spent the entire ceremony looking straight through Lilyanna to pierce me with his smug look.
Every time my rage latched on to the roiling magic in my bloodstream, I’d have to look off to the side where Clement stood with Bryn. He would widen his eyes or shake his head, and I’d channel my irritation into digging holes in my palm. The magic wouldn’t fail me this time.
My dress, which was embarrassingly sheer, clung to the curves I’d rather keep hidden. It was the same silvery gray as his eyes, but also a perfect match for the shackles he’d chained me with only days ago. The prince’s thin lips twitched as my gaze sucked back to his.
The congregation was vast. Hundreds of townspeople lined benches and filled the walls, spilling out into the snow-laden courtyard beyond. If I wanted a subtle place to end things, this was not it.
The magic thrummed in my veins, pooling in my extremities, yearning for an escape.
As did I.
“We are gathered today under the benevolent eye of the Goddess to ask for her blessing.” The priestess’s gauze veil fluttered as she spoke.
The diadem nestled into her smooth gray hair glittered in the candlelight.
She gave no indication as to whether she approved of the match, nor of her opinion of the banns disaster, but she must know this could never be a Goddess-sanctioned unity.
“Prince Bellinor, heir of the queendom, and Lady Lilyanna, daughter of the people, you will both swear to uphold the traditions and customs of our fine country. Lead and be brave. Love and be generous. With the Goddess’s blessing, you will be bound to each other for eternity, in this life and the next.
” The priestess lifted her head and raised her arms. “If there any objections as to why this match should not be cemented, either in this realm or the other, speak now.”
Both Clement and the prince drilled me with identical stares, Clement’s a warning, the prince’s a challenge. I pursed my lips, willing the deafening thump of my heart to recede so I could concentrate.
The silence hung in the warm room, candles flickering noiselessly as the guests held their breath, refusing to move an inch.
The priestess lowered her arms and life returned to the room. She opened her mouth to finalize the blessing when the double doors to the hall were flung open. They cracked against the stone, the candles guttering in the rose-tinted air that swarmed inside.
As one, the entire crowd turned to the back. A ripple of excitement washed over them. My heart sank, the magic sputtering in my fingertips.
The queens had arrived.
I’d never laid eyes on them in real life but the resemblance to the prince was uncanny, in the perfect physical characteristics of one and the casual elegance of the other.
Both were dressed in identical snow-white gowns with fur lined stoles and gloves.
Pearls were strung around their necks and danced multi-colored hues in their crowns as the candlelight speared through.
A gust of snow-spiked wind chilled the air.
I released a strained breath, adrenaline zinging through my system. All I needed now was for Siobhan to make an appearance, and I was completely screwed.
The queens’ languid strides devoured the silence, the gap between us narrowing rapidly. Twenty guards marched after them, spears angled toward the crowd, polished boots ringing on the marble floor. They halted at the front, lowering their spears in unison with a solitary bang.
“Mothers,” the prince beamed. His smile was all tooth, the same wolfish grimace he gave me.
Good, make him uncomfortable. Make him squirm.
“Carry on, carry on.” The taller of the two queens with matching chestnut hair and eyes flapped a hand, dismissing him. “It’s about time you finally made it up the aisle with no more unfortunate occurrences, my boy.”
The prince’s smile stiffened as mine widened. Clement glared at me in a clear warning.
“Don’t let the small matter of our invitation being lost in another raging winter storm, which seems to only ever befall your fair city, keep you from delivering us a live heir.”
The prince paled. His knuckles grew skeletal as he gripped Lilyanna’s hand. She gritted her teeth, refusing to flinch.
“Continue,” the prince barked.
The priestess nodded her head, the veil shimmering. Out of the corner of my eye, Clement stiffened and paled beneath the long beard. I could feel the change as well.
Dark shapes unspooled from crevices, filtering through the door jambs, rising silently from beneath the benches. The vaulted ceiling filled with their heavy presence, but today they were silent. No incantations, no curiosity, no rustling as they interwove. They were ready.
The gathered crowd shivered, rubbing arms along goose-pimpled flesh as they cast furtive glances at the dying fires and dwindling tapers.
The priestess raised Lilyanna’s crown above her head, the gold glistening and moist. “With this matrimony, you are fated to serve the queendom, princess to all.”
Lilyanna knelt upon the hard marble and bowed her head. Prince Bellinor took the crown from the priestess and pressed it into her hair, the golden spikes meshing with the blonde strands. Lilyanna pitched; one hand outstretched on the step above to steady herself and the other pressed to her chest.
I leaped forward and helped her to her feet. She trembled, her heart racing. I wanted to embrace her, to dip her head onto my shoulder and rip the crown from her hair with pointless murmurs until she calmed. But she was braver than me.
I unwound my arm from her waist and stepped back. She turned to face the queens, looping her hand through the prince’s outstretched arm.
The spirits pressed closer, a chill cloud dripping down the walls.
They both knelt in front of the queens, heads bowed. Neither queen said anything. They remained swamped in their furs, content to watch the prince and Lilyanna squirm uncomfortably waiting for their verdict.
The crowd remained mute.
Finally, one of the queens said, “Stand.”
The prince rose to his feet, dragging Lilyanna with him. “Well, mothers, as you have come all this way, I suppose you must join us for the celebration.”
“The very least you can do, boy.” The taller spoke again, flinging her comments over her shoulder as they moved together down the aisle, the prince forced to walk behind.
Their guards closed in, but I wormed my way through, popping up next to Lilyanna.
“While we are here, we will discuss why you have chosen to deal with inappropriate magic use yourself instead of following due process and sending the criminals down to us for testing.”
“The credo states to send those that have been proven to carry blood magic within their veins, and we have had no confirmed cases within my city walls, Mother.”
On reaching the end of the aisle, the queens halted, standing arm in arm.
The crowd rapidly dispersed, benches squealing against the marble floor.
The doors to the courtyard opened and the guests poured outside to await instructions while servants scurried around, transforming the ceremony hall into a banquet.
“That may be so, but we will perform some checks ourselves. Make sure no one is slipping through that fine net you cast. We know your fondness for certain types of justice.”
The prince’s lower lip blanched as his teeth crushed the soft tissue. “Do whatever you see fit.” He turned away, glowering at any servant that passed too close.
The other queen watched him with interest, her nostrils slightly flared, chin tipped up. Her lips curved with a sincere warmth. My magic flared, cautiously unspooling toward her, darting in and out of my fingertips with an irritating tingle.
I hovered behind Lilyanna while the benches were cleared, the fires stoked, and long tables set up that hugged the edges of the banquet room. Plate after plate of sizzling meats, plump vegetables, and delicious sweets were brought out. Spices and herbs and sugar flavored the air.
The queens and the prince remained mute, the air toxic with unspoken words, while the guests filtered back inside as sensuous music spread over the room.
Laughter and relaxation seeped into the lightening air as Clement slid in beside me, bringing with him a warm cocoon of safety.
My shoulders relaxed, and my chest loosened as I soaked in his presence.
I edged closer, eliminating the gap between our bodies.
How different my life could have been if I’d only met him sooner.
I wouldn’t be standing here, mere feet away from people who wanted to exsanguinate me.
He’d have probably worked out his own deal to keep me safe and be enacting the strict rules set by Siobhan with infuriating precision.
Although, then I’d have to find a way to rescue him from her clutches.
At least this way it was only me who had to suffer.
Two ornate thrones were dragged out and the queens’ guards lined up behind them. The butts of their spears rested on the ground, their postures alert and distrusting. Dressed head to toe in gray, they blended with the castle walls.