Chapter 41 - Calytrix
FORTY-ONE
CALYTRIX
To say I wasn’t aware I could be surveilled every hour of every day was na?ve of me. My father kept a close eye on us and had protections against my magic, but he let Nova and me have our space. Our bodyguards were close, but not within hearing distance, so we could have private conversations.
Here, there were always royal attendants or handmaidens close by.
The gilded cage I’d been in had transformed into gilded shackles.
The constant chatter between them, while peppering Nova and I with questions, made it impossible to reach out to Faolan.
Even when I was spared a minute from conversation, one of them seemed to have a sixth sense for when I tried to reach out to him because the second the idea popped into my head, she engaged me.
I waited until I could be alone in bed to speak to him, but I was not allowed to even sleep by myself. A handmaiden pulled the curtains on my bed and told me she’d be right outside them all night in case I should need anything. I was just grateful she hadn’t climbed in with me.
Still, at least alone before sleep, I could reach out to him, I’d thought. But the second I lay my head on the pillow, I was asleep. When I woke, I was bemused. I wanted to believe I’d been drugged, but maybe the stress and overstimulation from the day had finally caught up to me.
I’d been introduced to Arkyn, and he seemed—annoyed, maybe—possibly disgusted. Off-put by something about me, and maybe it was for the best, since the feeling was mutual.
He’d made his feelings about me being missing, unchaperoned with an unknown male, abundantly clear.
I was left in no doubt that he was just looking for a reason to take Faolan to task, and I’d tried to warn Faolan to leave yesterday, but he’d hinted at staying, which terrified me.
Kol had been right, Arkyn would never accept our ryder bond, to say nothing of the other. So Faolan would only be safe far away.
It had been a full twenty-four hours since I’d heard from Faolan, and any second I wasn’t made to be sociable, I was drowning in worry.
Where was he? I’d known staying would be too dangerous.
He should have just left immediately, like we agreed.
Perhaps he had gone quietly and was just too far away by now for me to reach?
My skin crawled with the suffocation of it all.
By the second morning, I was sick with overstimulation and fear.
“Have you thought about your wedding dress?” Cora, the attendant who seemed in tune with my mind speak, asked.
“Not at all.” I smiled softly, playing my part as best I could.
“How is that so?” another attendant, Viella, asked. “I’ve been thinking about my wedding since I was a youngling.”
“I wasn’t sure what the customs and style of the Night Kingdom would be. I didn’t want to get my heart set on something I could never have.” I lowered my eyes, acting bashful, when in reality sorrow filled my chest at all the things I’d never have with Faolan.
“Do not feel bad!” Viella came over and sank to a seat at my feet. “We will help you and you will be the prettiest bride the First Kingdom has ever seen.”
I nodded, holding back tears.
The chamber door slammed open suddenly, making half the handmaids gasp and jump. I didn’t move except for lifting my gaze.
Arkyn stood in the open door. “Leave us,” he demanded coldly. “All of you.”
The females hurried out of the room.
Viella stayed by my feet, seemingly defying his order.
“I said all of you.” Arkyn’s voice became low and sinister, sending a shiver down my spine.
“But her modesty—I was ordered to never leave her side, Your Highness…”
“I said out,” he roared.
She shakily got to her feet and hurried out. He slammed the door behind her before turning on me.
I clasped my hands in my lap, refusing to let him see them shake. “To what honor do I owe your presence, Your Highness?”
His gaze swept over me as his jaw flexed. “The King wants to hear you claim to be a ryder. You are to come with me.”
Stunned, I got to my feet and waited for him to lead. He made me wait, and I wished I could read what was behind his eyes. They were nothing like Alaric’s, who carried so much kindness in his. They were sinister.
“We don’t have all day.” He turned on his heel and swiftly exited my chambers.
I half ran to keep up, which in the dresses they’d provided me was not easy. They were too poofy and restrictive at the same time.
I walked into a council room where the King sat at the head of the table, joined by Nyx, Kol, Alaric, and another male I didn’t recognize.
Arkyn took his seat at the King's right hand, and I curtsied awkwardly before sitting next to Nyx.
“Calytrix. It’s a pleasure to finally lay eyes on my son’s future bride.
I apologize for the lack of a welcome. We thought you dead, and it’s been a busy day of debriefs.
” The King gave me a warm smile, giving me some reassurance.
He was more like Alaric than Arkyn, which gave me a little hope that this might go better than I’d first thought.
“The pleasure is mine, I assure you.” I tipped my head.
“You are everything your father said you were, and more. A true beauty. Both you and your sister. I am so sorry your journey here was not kinder.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“It is. These are my kingdoms those creatures are running amuck in. I promise you there will be a reckoning for what they’ve done to you and—” He looked to Nyx.
“Faolan,” Nyx answered.
“And Faolan.”
My chest warmed a little more at his reassurance, even though his claim over all the kingdoms rankled. “Thank you.”
“Now on to this ryder business. I can’t say we’ve run into this before…” The King trailed off. “Where is the lad?”
Nyx looked uneasy. “I think he’s in the Healer’s Wing having his wounds treated. Was I meant to summon him to this meeting? My apologies…”
I didn’t buy it. What was he hiding?
“No, it’s fine. As his commander you can talk to him after.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
“So you two are ryder and flyer?” the King asked me.
“We are.”
“Have you melded?” The King's tone carried no inflection either way on the importance, but I knew it was a test. Would they try to prevent it if we weren’t?
“We are,” I lied, and it was a risk, but a calculated one. I wasn’t willing to risk them doubting the legitimacy of our pairing. “It’s how we escaped capture.”
“Ah. I understand. Stress and dire circumstances can trigger those things.” The King nodded.
Out of the corner of my gaze, I saw Arkyn squeeze his hands into fists. I’d have to play this delicately.
“Where does this leave us?” the King asked.
“According to the law, they should be initiated into the legion…” Nyx said carefully.
“It might be good to have the future queen be so in touch with the legion and the war,” Kol added.
“I can see your point. As someone with the ear of the King in the future, it’s better for our queen to be intimately acquainted with many topics.
The legion would certainly provide that.
” The King mused. He considered for a long moment, then looked directly at me.
“So you will enter the legion,” the King went on, but Arkyn cut him off.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate,” he barked, his outburst leaving the room in stunned silence.
“Why not?” the King asked calmly after a few moments.
“Not only would she have to spend hours upon hours alone with this dragon, which is highly inappropriate, but it’s also entirely unbecoming of her station.”
“Plenty of females are in the legion. Your thinking is very outdated, wouldn’t you say?” Alaric said.
Arkyn glared at him for half a second before turning back to his father. “Plenty of other females will not become queen, by the Goddess! There is purity to uphold in our union.”
Alaric scoffed under his breath.
“Just because you don’t want yours doesn’t mean one of us doesn’t want a suitable wife.”
Alaric lifted his chin in a haughty way only a prince could. “I'd prefer to marry for love, not duty.”
“Well, we aren’t afforded that right because of our station. Our duty is not to ourselves, but to the kingdoms.”
“He’s right,” the King said.
“I understand what I have to do, it’s just not what I want to do,” Alaric replied coolly.
“If you don’t want her, I’ll take them both. I’ve never been with twins. Maybe there is something to the obsession with us. They can both service me.” Arkyn glanced over at me with a smirk.
My stomach turned.
“Enough,” the King said. “You cannot have both. The treaty does not work that way. Nyx will make sure Faolan and Calytrix are not alone in their training and duties, and she will obviously be assigned to a Flight here at the palace, but I cannot see a problem with her being trained in compliance with the law. We uphold it for all others. It would be wrong to not uphold it when it comes to our own.”
Arkyn slammed his fist down on the table. “I will not allow it.”
“She is a ryder, blessed by the Goddess. It’s the law,” the King said. not raising his voice. He was very clearly used to Arkyn’s outbursts.
“That can be fixed.” Arkyn locked eyes with his father.
“You will not put your own jealousy over the good of the Kingdom. My word is final.”
Arkyn’s words echoed in my head. Fixed how? My gut told me not to even wonder—I was in enough turmoil.
After our dismissal, Arkyn escorted me back to my rooms. He was deadly silent.
My head was spinning. Were they really going to let Faolan and I fly together?
I hadn’t thought of it as even a possibility.
I wanted Faolan to get free, and I still did.
I hoped he had, and that was why I hadn’t heard from him.
I stepped into my room and expected to be locked away there again, but Arkyn followed me in. “Don’t put faith in this lasting. I will not allow it.”
“It’s just a working relationship, nothing more,” I tried.
“Don’t take me for a fool. It’s written all over both of you.” His lip curled in disgust.
“I promise to be true to you. Please just leave him alone. I have more magic than any of my ancestors. Our younglings will be strong.” It was the only bargaining chip I had.
He cocked his head and reassessed me. “If that’s not true, I will make you watch me kill him myself for the sole pleasure of making you watch him die, and then I will make you suffer for all your transgressions.”
“It’s true. I swear it to you.” It was a gamble, a huge one, but for Faolan, I took it.
I blinked myself out of existence and brought myself back right behind him. “See?”
He gasped, spinning around, but his eyes lit up, and I knew my gamble paid off. “You little fucking vixen. My father said you’d have interesting magic, but I never expected it to be old magic. How naive I was.”
“I need him for my powers to grow stronger,” I hedged.
“That you do.” He put his hand to his mouth, thinking it through. “But how much of him you need, I will have to find out.”
“We need to be tested for a full meld before it can be known.” It was the truth, but I didn’t know how much time it would buy me. At least enough to try and find him.
I just needed to find him. He had to be close by still, if Arkyn was so sure of himself.
“I’ll arrange it.” He turned but paused. “If you so much as step foot out of the sight of your attendants, I’ll void the treaty with your Kingdom and kill every one of you Sun worshipers. The name of Light will be cursed in this and all lands,” he warned.
I swallowed hard. I didn’t think he had the power to do such things yet, but who knew what he was capable of? Maybe I could stop him before he got that far?
“But don’t think that’s the only leverage I have.
You will be nothing more than my broodmare, and if you so much as step a toe out of line I will do the same to your sister.
If you move against me, I will put your dragon and your sister in an arena with a pack of rabid Aqrabuamelu and let you pick who they tear apart and devour first. You will watch them both be eaten alive, mouthful by mouthful, until they are nothing but bone and sinew, and that will just be the start of your suffering. ”
I bit back tears. He would not see me cry.
“Do you understand me?” he demanded.
I nodded.
And then he was gone.
I sank to my knees, knowing what I told Faolan was right. He needed to be far away from here to be safe, and I prayed to the Sun God that he was long gone, and Arkyn’s threats were empty.
My sister came in some time later.
“Can I sleep in here?” she asked.
“Of course,” I replied, waiting for an objection from one of my handmaidens. To my surprise, none of them did.
Nova grabbed my hands before we climbed into bed. “I need to use the bathing chamber. Come with me?”
“Sure.”
We headed for the small doorway, and as soon as we were closed inside, she turned towards me. “You can’t get into bed. They have it spelled or something. I’m not sure, but I have been falling asleep every night as soon as I climb in. That’s not natural. It has to be magic to keep us compliant.”
“Is that what it is?”
She nodded. “And they are trying to prevent us from speaking to anyone.”
“You’ve noticed that, too? I can’t even reach out to Faolan to speak through our bond. It’s like one of my handmaidens can sense it before I even try.”
“Mine are all over me, too.” She looked into my eyes. “But Kol got a few moments alone with me and Alaric today and gave me something to pass to you.”
“Tell me.” My heart jumped into my throat.
“He said they can’t find Faolan.”
“Did he leave?” I demanded.
“They think so. He told Kol you told him to leave.”
“I did.” Tears streamed down my cheeks while I quickly explained to her how Arkyn was and how the meeting with the King went. “I’d never forgive myself if he’s harmed.”
“I understand.”
“Do you think he’s really gone?”
“Only you can know.” She was right.
I could sense him, perhaps even trace him if he wasn’t far away. But not if they were forcing me to sleep with magic and watching me every second.
I had to find a way to speak to him or at least go to him and say goodbye.
“I’m going to need your help,” I whispered.
“Anything.”