"Wait here," Kat said as they entered an empty red and gold room with comfortable chairs and candles lit in strategic areas to give the room light and ambiance. It was quiet and perhaps even a little romantic. But it was clear there was one hell of a party going on in the room next door.
When Kat left, Cora turned to her mother with panicked eyes. "What is going on? Why didn't they tell us this was going to be a big deal? The ballroom?"
"I don't know, Cora. Just breathe. All you have to do is what you did before," Penelope said.
"Before? Before it was one person, the Queen, and her sons. It was barely a handful of people. Not an entire ballroom full! Do you hear that?" She paced back and forth, throwing her hand toward the wall where the ballroom was on the other side.
Penelope took a deep breath. She couldn't panic, because Cora was panicking. But this whole situation had her rattled as well. Was she also expected to enter a room full of vampires? She wasn't special like her daughter. If she went in there, it would be as the target of everyone's attention. It felt like there was much more happening in this situation than what they were aware of.
"All we can do is focus on what you are here for. Try not to let the rest of this… this extravagance get to you. They have gathered people to watch, because it is amazing what you can do. They want others to witness it. They will see that it is not you they should fear, right? You don't kill anyone. You simply give them life."
Cora scoffed. "They see that as the same thing."
"Good evening." A chill immediately fell upon the room with the entry of Queen Ambrosia and her two attendants. Cora and Penelope bowed to the sudden presence of Her Majesty as they had been taught on prior trips to palace.
"You have on gowns. Have you never curtsied?" Ambrosia narrowed her eyes, and Cora met the criticism with her chin lifted in defiance. Next to her, Penelope curtsied, not wishing for anything trivial like this to create an issue for them. She wished her daughter would have the same sense of mind.
Ambrosia scoffed lightly and began walking in a slow circle around the women, evaluating their appearance. "I suppose it will have to do."
"The death by desire was a simple matter before," Cora said quietly. "No one told us this was going to be a ball."
Ambrosia came to stand directly before the half fae, glaring at her fiercely. "We have to run our plans by you now?" She said with her natural air of superiority. "Your little stunt in the woods created quite the backlash today. If Grayson had not come to retrieve you when he did, you would have perished in your home. They burned it. Did you know?"
"What?" Cora's eyebrows pinched together as her mother gasped, the thought of that house they lived in for three years being burned to the ground a complete shock. Everything that they had left behind was now gone.
"Every vampire in Gray Vale wants you dead," Ambrosia said simply, returning to her smug expression. "These improvised plans are for your protection. You will display your power openly for all to see, and we will announce that you are joining the royal family."
Cora's mouth dropped open. "Joining… joining the royal family? What does that mean?"
Prince Rayth stepped into the room, a smug smile on his lips and menacing look in his eyes that reminded Cora of just how much she despised him.
Physically, Rayth was attractive. Most vampires were. He had dark hair and eyes, angular features that revealed the hard line of his jaw, and a sculpted, tailored appearance. The way his hair was styled always appeared a little roguish—just out of place enough to not cater toward perfection like his mother but also not moving from its carefully chosen placement.
There was something inherently deviant about Rayth, and he knew it. He relished in it. And right now his eyes were narrowed on Cora, making her skin crawl at being even partially exposed to him. Rayth never hid how much he hated Cora and her family in the past, so why was he deigning to even look at her now?
"Tonight we will announce your engagement to Rayth," Ambrosia said curtly, extinguishing the mystery with only a few horrific words that sunk like stones into Cora's stomach.
The prince strode forward, one hand in his pocket like the cat that got the cream. Why did he seem so satisfied by this? He hated her.
Cora scoffed, glaring back at them both. "Absolutely not."
"Did you hear anything I said?" Ambrosia's asked sternly. "The citizens of Gray Vale were after your throat today. This is for your protection. If you are engaged to Rayth, you are safe from them."
Grayson stepped into the doorway behind his mother and brother, a soft look that appeared like an apology in his eyes as he caught Cora's gaze.
"Why not Grayson?" She said quickly.
She didn't want to be paired with either of them honestly, but if she had a choice… Grayson was still a royal, but at least he seemed kind enough. He proved that much while he was showing them around today. He tried not to be frightening or intimidating.
"No," Ambrosia snapped in response.
"What? Why not? He's a prince," Cora tried to reason.
"The half fae dares ask the Queen of Gray Vale why?" The tips of Ambrosia's fangs became visible as her lip curled back, her teeth clenched together in restraint. Regardless of the valuable gift this girl had, she was not going to entertain such a casual discussion with her and her impertinence any longer.
The truth was, Ambrosia knew Cora would run circles around her second son. Grayson was too soft-hearted, too kind, which was fine when she needed him to balance out the cruelty of his brother. But that would not do in this case.
In this case, Ambrosia needed someone who could keep Cora in check. Whereas the risk of Grayson growing fond of Cora would give the girl more power in an engagement, Rayth would not be so tempted. He was heartless and cruel, and he would make sure the girl stayed in her place.
Sure, it was possible Rayth might hurt her, but hopefully with the awareness he now had of Cora's significant role in the royals' future, he would refrain from those tendencies. And if Cora soon turned to be one of them, then the danger to her physical well-being would no longer be an issue.
"Do you understand, child?" Ambrosia asked, everything about her seeming to loom large and threatening in the room with the question despite the fact that she did not move from where she was standing.
Cora's eyes flitted to her mother's. Penelope had been holding her breath, afraid of this revelation and what it would mean. But neither of them could argue with the Queen. There was nothing to be done. They were here in this palace, Zane was likely in a turbulent, fragile condition somewhere in the tower, and there was no escaping this family wherever they might go if they were to run anyway.
Ambrosia would hunt them. This was their fate—it was in the Queen's hands.
"Can I think about it?" Cora's voice was small.
"No." The finality of the answer was clear in Ambrosia's tone. This was the only way to move forward.
When Cora didn't say anything in response, when her eyes darted away to hide the angry tears that had sprung forth, Ambrosia turned and walked briskly to the doorway where she paused and spoke one final threat into the air.
"I don't need to to tell you what will happen to your dear mother if you refuse me."