Raylan felt like he was going to vomit. Nausea roiled over him in thick waves, threatening his steely composure. Not from fear of the task looming before him, not from Captain Alistair's stern briefing reminding the soldiers what awaited them in the Wastes, not even from the sight of his sister's thinly veiled fear. No, it had been Nikolai's unexpected arrival that started the churning in Raylan's gut. He did not expect to see the male here, and he certainly did not expect the wave of emotions that rolled over him as he met Nikolai's stare.
There was only ice now in the inky black depths of his eyes, and Raylan shivered as he recalled the way the flames of his bedroom hearth had danced in those same eyes just last night.
"You're heading down a path I cannot follow you on," he remembered Nikolai's warning - so soft it was almost a plea - from the night before. "I won't watch you destroy yourself." Raylan's cheek still burned from where Nikolai had lightly rested his calloused hand, holding his face as he searched his blue eyes the same way he did now. It was the most intimate touch they'd shared, and probably the last.
He shoved the memory out of his mind, checked his mental shields, and broke the prolonged eye contact. A quick scan of the room told him no one had noticed their battle of wills. He knew he'd lost. He also knew it didn't matter - Raylan had made his decision, and Nikolai had made it clear that he had no intentions of supporting "such nonsense." He risked a glance back over at the dark, stunning male, figuring that since this very well may be his last day alive, he deserved one last look at the life he could have had.
Standing amongst fifty of the strongest, most elite soldiers, mercenaries, and warriors in the kingdom, men and women alike, Raylan had still never seen anything so lethal as Nikolai dressed in black. Everything about him held a sharp edge of darkness - his quick, elegant movements, his slender pointed ears, the sharp and wicked fangs that lurked behind his soft lips, the thick dark hair he kept shaved close to his head, the throng of weapons he kept strapped to his body. Under different circumstances, Raylan would have smiled at the way Nikolai insisted on being visibly armed to the teeth, even at formal and ceremonial gatherings. His inky black tunic had threads of emerald green woven into the fabric, and his dark skin contrasted richly with the gold of his jewelry and gilded weaponry. Standing in the corner of the room just below the dais, semi ensconced in shadows, it wasn't hard to understand what made Nikolai such a skilled assassin.
Gorgeous, cunning, lethal. An ironic counterpart to Raylan's own clumsy, brutish strength. Doubt crept into Raylan's mind. He was strong, yes - he was a pure blooded fae, son of a high sorceress, and had trained for war his entire life. He knew that he, too, was a lethal weapon crafted and honed for the protection of the kingdom, but he lacked the elegance and finesse Nikolai had perfected during his centuries alive. "With time," he heard the dark male's cold voice in his head like a purr, "and with age. You are young yet, mageling." The sudden intrusion into his thoughts and the use of the familiar mocking nickname, so out of place considering the gaping rift between them, snapped Raylan out of his reverie.
"Get out of my head," he hissed back in his mind, only for Nikolai to hear, and snapped his heavy mental shields back up. Embarrassed did not begin to describe how he felt as he pointedly ignored Nikolai's undoubtedly amused smile and locked his eyes on a stained glass window towards the back of the hall, above the dais. He tuned back in to the ongoing ceremony around him, and heard that the Captain was nearing the end of his speech. The briefing was an unnecessary formality - everyone participating in the rite had been preparing for this day their whole lives, and had attended at least dozens of ceremonies before. The soldiers began to stir, just a bit - caged animals that knew they would soon be released. All thoughts of Nikolai and his mind games faded as reality set in. Raylan schooled his features back into their usual impassive mask, and could not help but think that he was utterly, royally screwed.
***
The air was frigid and the tension was thick as the soldiers and audience members retired from the great hall. Adeline simmered - she would have to wait until every guest cleared out, and ensure that Princess Calista was escorted to her chambers and left safely under the protection of her royal guards. Though her heart screamed at her to run straight to her brother, to follow him out of the hall and beg him to stay, her feet remained planted to the ground, her hands balled into fists at her sides. As her eyes followed Raylan from the room, Adeline knew others were watching him as well. Everyone participating in the savage trial had already proven themselves in remarkable ways, and were well known and highly renowned throughout this kingdom and others. Raylan, however, was the youngest and highest ranking fae in the group this year, and the first son of a high sorceress to ever take part in the rite, making him an intriguing subject for many a bored courtier in Galowyn.
Time moved with a torturous slowness as the hall gradually emptied and quieted. Adeline turned to Calista, who was speaking softly with her mother. Not wanting to pry, she made a purposeful effort to dampen her heightened hearing, and focused instead on the figure of the delicate princess before her. Sat on her ivory and gold throne, her feet just barely brushing the marble floor as she recrossed her legs, Calista looked every bit as small and fragile as she was. Adeline's heart clenched as the princess brushed her white-blonde bangs behind one delicately pointed ear, and she could feel the bond curled deep within her, just barely - a warm and constant reminder of her oath. Calista's eyes met hers, and Adeline wondered if she could feel the magic of the bond too. The smile that spread across her friend's face seemed answer enough to the question.
As the princess rose from her throne, Adeline approached and offered her arm.
"M'lady?" She dropped into a curtsy, eliciting an incredulous snort from the princess.
"Get up, you dolt," Calista demanded as she crossed her arms. A smirk curled on her lips.
"As you wish," was Adeline's only reply, but she could not keep the amusement out of her voice. There was a pause before both females laughed. Calista took Adeline's arm and allowed herself to be led down from the dais and out into the courtyard. A sigh escaped her lips as the warm sun greeted her pale skin, and Adeline watched as she turned her face upwards to the sky and smiled.
"Such a beautiful day," Calista murmured, light dancing in her eyes even as her tone was tinged with sadness. She was right, Adeline realized as she inhaled the flowery smells surrounding her. The day was warm and drenched in sunshine, not a cloud in the clear blue sky - the nicest day they'd had this spring. The courtyard was gorgeous and immaculately maintained. The rows upon rows of colorful flowers that lined the light stone paths were grown and tended to by the queen herself with the help of her magic.
"How are you holding up?" The princess's question accompanied a slight squeeze on Adeline's arm. Adeline swallowed hard, touched that her friend had asked, but remained determined not to give voice to her fear.
"I'm fine." The lie hung in the air for a moment as they passed through an archway and out of the courtyard before Calista sighed, her face contemplative.
"I'm here when you're ready to talk." Her tone was mildly disappointed, but her comforting hold on Adeline's arm remained until they reached the door to the Princess's quarters. Several guards stood posted outside her door, silent and unmoving. Their eyes lingered on Adeline for a moment before they nodded at the princess in greeting.
"I will see you for training in the morning," Adeline did her best to smile at Calista. Her unsteady voice echoed in the large, nearly empty hallway. "Is there anything you need before I go?" The question was a formality - she knew her friend would not keep her longer, not today.
"Go," Calista replied solemnly. "Be with Raylan. Give him my blessing." The tiny female embraced Adeline, surprising her. She glanced nervously at the guards, but they were used to the young royal's disregard for decorum and court rules. Hugging her friend back tightly, Adeline swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Thank you," she whispered. And with that, she pulled away, turned on her heels, and went to say goodbye to her brother.
***
As Adeline practically ran back through the courtyard, down several long corridors, and up the winding stairs to the Head Mage's tower, her mind raced. She didn't bother to admire the paintings and tapestries adorning the long hallways of the palace as she usually did, and it was all she could do to keep from sprinting. As panic rose, a myriad of ridiculous ideas, each more absurd than the last, crossed her mind. She knew Raylan would not stay simply because she asked him to, but perhaps if she were to have a sudden, serious illness or injury... Surely he would stay to care for her. It would be so easy, she realized, to have an accidental tumble down the hundred or so steps she climbed. Perhaps their mother would be able to convince him to stay, or the Queen.
But none of that would be fair, Adeline realized as she at last cleared the final stair and reached the entrance to her mother's tower. Raylan had always believed in her, had always trusted her to make her own choices and fight her own battles, and she owed him the same. She could do this - she could be strong for him. She took a heartbeat to compose herself, inhaled deeply, and brushed her hands down the front of her gown, smoothing the sapphire silk. She perked up her ears out of habit, hoping to catch a hint of the conversation no doubt unfolding inside the tower, but knew she would hear nothing. The Head Mage would never leave her quarters unguarded from prying ears and eyes. If she focused, Adeline could just barely feel the hum of the wards around the tower - their magic calling to her own faintly like a song she knew but couldn't place.
The usual warmth and mismatched amalgam of smells that emanated from her mother's kitchen did nothing to put Adeline at ease as she pushed the heavy wooden door open. Especially not as she found Raylan and the Head Mage locked in a heated argument. They stood on either end of the kitchen, arms crossed tightly over their chests, and glared at each other. Adeline eyed them both.
"I will not allow this," their mother seethed. "You will not be going." The sorceress was a cruel sort of beautiful, with sharp features and piercing amber eyes. Her full lips were painted blood red, as always, her eyes lined with black, and her thick blonde hair was down, with the front pieces kept away from her face by two jeweled onyx hair clips on either side of her head.
"Good thing it's not up to you then," was Raylan's only response. Adeline still stood by the door, unsure of what to do with herself.
"Why?" The sorceress spat, throwing her hands up. "Why are you so determined to get yourself killed? I could solve all this with one conversation with Gloriella." The Head Mage's use of the queen's first name out loud always shocked Adeline. Her mother was the only one bold enough to refer to Queen Gloriella in such an informal manner, even in private. Adeline supposed she was also likely the only person who could get away with doing so.
"Have you so little faith in me that we must resort to nepotism, mother?" Raylan drawled, his face passive. The tension corded in his crossed arms was the only sign that he was at all bothered by their argument.
"To spare your life, yes." Her response was curt, pointed. Even now, bidding farewell to her only son, she was cold.
"I would never be respected in the guard without completing the rite."
"Sure," she crossed her arms again, "but it's still better than dying."
"I thought it was such an honor to die for the kingdom?" Raylan mocked.
"This is different," The sorceress hissed.
"How? How is it different? Be careful mother, lest I begin to think you might actually care for me." Raylan's response was dry, and laced with venom. For a moment, Adeline swore she saw something like grief flash across his eyes. A long moment passed, and when their mother did not reply, he spat out, "I thought as much."
He held up a hand as his mother began to protest. He had no time for games today. "I'll see you in a week." He shook his head, grabbed his small satchel off the table, and headed for the exit. As he passed her, Adeline began to follow.
The Head Mage bristled. "Don't you walk out that door, Raylan," she warned.
Adeline watched as her brother paused in the doorway, his hand holding it half-open.
"Watch me," he whispered, and walked out.
He did not look back.