Kassida
My skirts rustled around my legs as I rushed as quickly as I could without looking improper. I had heard the phrase "a princess should never run" more times in my life than I could count on all my fingers and toes, but it had just recently taken root in my mind. I had been a bit impetuous in my youth and had the scars of lashings across my back to prove it. Princess or not, punishments were always swift and brutal in my home.
Enchanted lamps flickered off in the more open areas of the palace as the sun rose higher in the sky while those in darker corners remained lit, making it harder to sneak among the shadows. Luckily, the only ones up at this hour were the servants and none of them hated me enough to tell my brother what I had been doing that morning.
Either that, or they feared him as much as I did.
Once the coast was clear, I ran across the floor to the staircase and up the stairs that led to the private apartments of my family. The doors to the throne room were cracked open and soft voices drifted from the opening. I froze, flattening myself against the wall next to the doorway and holding my breath.
"It has already been confirmed. He's agreed to the terms. The wedding will take place in four weeks' time." My brother's voice was calm, but I could hear the barely concealed smugness under his words.
"Four weeks," said the second voice. "That's hardly enough time to make the arrangements. Her betrothal ball is in two weeks. You mean to announce the wedding and hold it two weeks later? What's the rush?"
"You know very well why, Uncle. Reserves of spurium are running low and Kroenstadt's forces draw nearer every day. We barely have enough of the mineral as it is to maintain the wards around the Ustralt Wall, much less power the armor and weaponry for the entire army. We need those mines."
"But, surely we could negotiate for more time. A couple moons wouldn't make that much of a difference, would it?"
"A couple moons would make all the difference. Once Kroenstadt realizes our mines are dry, they won't hesitate to cross our borders and I'll be damned if the first year of my reign is marked by a war my father was praised for ending. It's either marry my sister off now or face a siege within the month."
"And if we had more spurium? Surely it would be safer to wait a little longer, even if it is only a few moons."
"Do you really think the other nations would allow us to sit on such a resource for ourselves? Do you honestly think Kroenstadt will allow it, knowing we have it and they don't? What happens if Echilion gets a better offer?" A heavy bang echoed throughout the throne room. "No, Uncle. The deal has been struck and the wedding will take place before Echilion realizes we're getting the better deal. We have the opportunity to gain a new ally, and possibly more. All I need you to do is ensure the girl understands what is expected of her."
"As you wish, Your Highness. If you'll excuse me."
I heard footsteps coming towards the door, so I turned and raced the few feet to the next staircase that led to the royal apartments. I could only hope the man didn't look back or see my skirts disappear around the corner as he walked down the hallway.
Just as I reached the doors to my chambers, they opened and my handmaiden rushed out with her skirts gathered in her arms. Unlike princesses, handmaidens were allowed to run. As long as they could work around their attire.
"My lady," Corsica said in a breathless, heavily accented voice. Though she had come to live in the castle from the northern lands at a very young age, she still hadn't lost the rounded sound of her heritage. She dropped her skirts as she reached me, taking me by the arm and pulling me through the door through which she'd just come.
"What are you doing? And where are we going?" I asked.
"The king summoned you an hour ago. I told the aid you were on your cycle and needed to bathe first, but even the most luxurious of baths should've been finished by now."
I stopped walking and dug in my heels. "Did he say why I was being summoned?"
She stopped and looked at me with worried, green eyes. "I am not certain, but I suspect it has something to do with the preparations for your betrothal."
My heart leapt into my throat. I'd been careful. No one could have seen me at the bazaar. At least no one important. The only way he could have found out was if someone in the guard had snitched on me, and I highly doubted it was either of the ones I'd bribed.
"Are you sure he wants to see me? He's never summoned me before."
She shrugged her shoulders, the worry not leaving her face. "I can't say for certain, but the message said your presence was required."
I swallowed and smoothed out my skirt with sweaty palms. "Very well. Let's not keep him waiting any longer, then."
She tugged my arm back before plucking a flower blossom from my hair. "We have to at least try to make you look like you weren't just out riding first."
"How did you know?"
"You smell of horses, Your Highness."
My face flushed hot as she sprayed me with a strong perfume that had been sent as a birthday gift from one of the coastal cities. It smelled of exotic fruit and flowers and did well to cover the scent of my ride. At least temporarily.
Within minutes, I was hurrying back down the stairs towards the throne room. My chambers were located at the top of the castle's north tower and offered an excellent view of the city below and the valley around it. It was the same view that had greeted me ever since I'd been sent to the tower once my brother ascended the throne. As much as I loved the sight of my city and my valley, there was nothing quite like seeing it from outside the walls. It felt less real from the tower, somehow. More like art painted from a memory.
I paused outside the double doors of the Council Chambers, listening for my brother's voice or any other sound that would tell me what to expect or whether he was still angry from his meeting with our uncle. Corsica knocked on the door for me before stepping around the guards and bowing low. Her eyes met mine, worry crossing her features despite her short nod of encouragement.
"Enter," he said in a clipped tone that hinted at nothing more than minor irritation.
I nodded to the guards as they pulled the doors open for me. My eyes were fixed on my brother, who sat at the head of the table used to convene meetings with advisors, nobles, and other important figures. Spread across the surface was a large map, a handful of letters, and a small wooden box. He stepped back as an aid gathered all the items then quickly retreated from the room.
I bowed low, quickly averting my eyes to the floor. "Greetings King Isidore Arryllis, Sun of Airythia."
"Please, there's no need for such formalities, sister. Rise and come closer."
"Yes, Your Highness." I stood and watched as he waved his hand absently before sitting in his seat and motioning the one beside him.
"Sit. There is something I'd like to discuss with you."
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the frantic beating of my heart as I slowly lowered myself onto the padded chair next to him. I had never been in this room before and the enormity of it was a little overwhelming. Isidore leaned back, turning his gaze on me as I tried to get a bearing of my circumstances. His features were sharper than they'd been when we were younger. More angular and pointed. Like a bird of prey. I kept my eyes averted, watching his hands and the folds of his robes rather than his face.
"What would you like to discuss?" I asked, proud that my voice didn't waver.
"Have you heard the news? About the wedding, that is?"
I shook my head, hoping he would believe the lie.
He chuckled and placed a finger under my chin, lifting it until my eyes were forced to meet his. "I find that hard to believe. This castle leaks information worse than water through a sieve."
"I haven't been paying attention. I've been too focused on the upcoming ball."
"Ah, yes. Your betrothal celebration." He leaned back again and crossed his hands over his stomach, a smug smile tugging at his lips. "It's not far now, is it?"
"Two weeks."
"That's right." He looked down his nose at me. "Only two weeks. You must be excited. Once this ball is over, you will officially be a woman before the Temple as well as the Throne."
I gave him a tight-lipped smile. "I'm very excited. It's what every noble girl dreams of."
"So I hear." The way he was looking at me did nothing to dispel my nerves. I wasn't sure if I was a pawn on his chess board or something far worse.
"Why have you summoned me, Isidore," I finally asked, dropping the pretense and formality from my words. I hated this game of cat and mouse that he liked to play with those he considered beneath him.
The fake smile disappeared from his lips as if it had never existed. "I have made a decision that I believe will be in the best interest of our nation and its people. A wise king would not let the resources in this land go to waste."
"Of course not," I replied, understanding immediately that the 'resources' he referred to was, in fact, me.
"You're a very smart girl. That's why I know you'll agree that what I'm about to tell you is a sound and prudent plan."
I waited for him to continue, afraid to breathe and give away the fact that I had already heard most of what he was about to tell me.
"I have made an agreement with Echilion. Their king will marry his son off to you and in return we will be able to access their mines. Our people will be able to live freer with the resources this union will provide."
I stared at him in silence for a moment. I knew he'd made a deal with Echilion, but not that it involved one of the princes. Echilion had three that I was aware of. The Crowned Prince, who had been away from his court for some time while on a secret mission and was rumored to be a war mongering tyrant on his own, the second prince who was known as a rake and a scoundrel, and a younger, illegitimate prince that was kept out of the public eye and only discussed in quiet confidence. I wasn't sure which I preferred.
"I'm to marry a foreigner from a strange land," I said with a slow breath. Out of all my options, it was perhaps the worst. All I had wanted was to marry a quiet noble who wouldn't hurt me and yet I find out I'm being promised to a power-hungry prince nearly ten years my senior who was as likely to kill me on our wedding night as he was to bed me. Perhaps both would happen at the same time. I'd heard enough stories about him suggesting that his nighttime activities were particularly vicious. So much so that, despite his reported good looks, he'd had quite a difficult time finding a bride on his own. Perhaps that is what had inspired him to take such a disadvantageous deal in the first place.
"It's not a bad match," Isidore continued as if I wasn't panicking next to him. "He is destined to take his throne after all which would make you the future Queen Consort. I hear he's quite handsome, too," he said, sneering at me. "Isn't that what the ladies of the kingdom say? Don't they call him Echilion's Angel or something like that?"
He was known as Echilion's "Bloody Angel", more specifically, but I wasn't about to correct my brother so I simply nodded, my body going numb with the anxiety that was pooling in my stomach.
"So, what do you think, sister? Do you think this is a good match for you?"
I swallowed hard, not wanting to agree to it. I didn't want to marry him, or anyone for that matter. I wanted my freedom. Freedom to make my own decisions about who I loved. But that was not an option left for me. So, with an almost imperceptible shake of my head and a deep, shuddering, breath, I raised my eyes to Isidore's and gave him a soft smile.
"Of course, brother. I defer to your judgment."
A slow, sinister, smile spread across his lips. "Wonderful! I've already told the servants to prepare a dinner in your honor tonight so that we can break the good news to the rest of the family. It will be a small gathering for us siblings, Uncle, and a few of our closest vassals. We will announce your engagement to the rest of the kingdom at the ball two weeks from today."
I felt faint, but managed to keep the color from draining from my face.
"In the meantime, a tailor will arrive later to fit you for your wedding dress. I have been told that once your ceremony here is complete, you will have another one in Echilion for their people to attend. I can only imagine they believe ours will be paltry compared to one on their soil." His grimace was almost comical, but the situation was anything but humorous. "But we'll show them that Airythia isn't a kingdom to be looked down upon."
I nodded, not trusting my voice to stay even.
"Wonderful. Then you are dismissed. I will see you tonight, sister."
"Yes, brother," I said as I stood and bowed, taking my leave before he thought of something else. Or before I lost the tenuous grip I had on my own tongue and told him exactly what I thought of him selling me like livestock just to gain land. I had already taken far too many risks in one day and did not need him questioning my loyalty. Or my sanity.
I returned to my room where Corsica had already laid out my clothes for the evening and began packing away the wares I'd bought at the bazaar. The flowers from the young boy sat on my desk like a mocking reminder of the freedom that was soon to be denied me.
"Is everything alright, my lady?"
I looked at her and tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. "Isidore is to announce my engagement tonight."
Her mouth dropped open in surprise. "He's already chosen someone?"
"Echilion's Bloody Angel."
Her face drained of color. "Oh, no. Oh, my lady. Are you sure?"
I nodded. "He is the one Isidore has arranged the treaty with. They have agreed to marry their eldest son to me in exchange for access to the spurium mines along the border."
She dropped the fabric she'd been folding and walked over to me, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I am sorry, my lady."
"It's not your fault."
"Perhaps, but I can still feel bad for you, can I not?"
I laughed softly and nodded. "You can, Corsica. You're the only one who's allowed to."
"Is there anything you would like me to do for you? I could ask the kitchens to bring up a bottle of wine for your bath, or I could have the stable boys ready your horse if you'd like to escape."
"That won't be necessary. But a bath would be wonderful."
"As you wish."
She went about her tasks as I walked out onto the balcony that overlooked the courtyard and gardens. In the distance, I could see the training fields and the walls beyond. Beyond that were the forests that hid the border of Echilion and the mines Isidore coveted. It was an unremarkable area, with a few sparse trees and some small streams but it was beautiful to me. Land I'd viewed from this spot since I was a child, but had never had the opportunity to truly explore.
The door closed behind me as Corsica finished her duties, leaving me alone with my thoughts. My gaze traveled over the horizon, searching for something I couldn't define. My life had been defined by borders. Echillion to the East, Kroenstadt to the North, and the Wonferodt Sea behind me to the west and south.
I could never leave the kingdom. Not without permission and then only in the company of guards. I could never go out into the city without being watched by an attendant. Even when I visited the Temple, I was required to travel in an opulent carriage, wearing robes and veils. I was not a person. I was a piece on a game board. I was a pawn. Ironically, the trip to my new home would be the first I'd seen of something beyond the palace proper, but even that held no joy for me.
It would simply be trading one gilded cage for another.
My eyes were drawn to a figure below that moved between the buildings with catlike grace. He wore the colors of the guard, but something about the way he moved struck me as familiar. As I stared, the sun peaked out from behind a cloud and lit his hair, showing off the brilliant blue strands that could only have come from a witch's spell.
I sucked in a sharp breath. He had been wearing the uniform of the King's Navy earlier, but now he was wearing the black and gold of the palace knights. It was impossible to be both, therefore the only conclusion was that he was neither. As he turned to look around him I stepped to the side, hiding in the folds of the heavy drapes. His eyes snapped up to my balcony, but I doubted he could see me from that distance.
My heart thudded loudly in my ears as he continued to stare in my direction. I wasn't sure what his interest in me was, but I could only imagine it wasn't good. How could I have been so foolish as to dance with a strange man? To let him get so close when our enemies were growing bolder every day.
"Your Highness," Corsica called from the doorway, "your water is growing cold."
I glanced at her over my shoulder and when I turned back to the courtyard, the man had disappeared.
"Damn it," I whispered to myself. I craned my neck to see more of the area below, but he was nowhere in sight. Certainly he couldn't have heard Corsica from that far down, could he? I shook my head and walked back into the room. It didn't matter. No one knew about the encounter. Only us. And it would stay that way.
It had to.
I let out a long, frustrated, sigh and turned my attention back to the present. I had to figure out how to survive the evening, first, and then my betrothal ball. Beyond that, well, I would just have to worry about the rest later.