She nodded swiftly, still breathing deeply. “The pleasure was mine. Goodbye, Lady Seary.”
She walked quickly from the room, her head high, her shoulders stiff. Her deep rhythmic breaths continued, and I wondered anew if I’d done something wrong.
But I had a feeling I would never know.
CHAPTER 8
“The necessary courting during the Trial will occur once per week, which means that you will have approximately one date with each potential male . . .”
I tried to pay attention as Sir Featherton reviewed the rules of the Trial. He hadn’t bothered to sit down. A part of me thought the archon liked standing over me as I sat on the couch in my familiar tunic and leggings. At least this time, I was dressed.
“You do not have a choice in what order the males court you. You are expected to engage in polite conversation. Any discourse between you and another male may be reported to me.”
The Trial archon had arrived not long after the queen left, and he didn’t waste any time jumping into what was expected. He held a scroll in front of him, reading it off like he was a magistrate in the supernatural courts, as though this were an actual trial being held in a criminal case.
Several times I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes.
Cailis’s hands were on her hips, a scowl painted on her features, as Daiseeum stood quietly in the corner. My sister had arrived just before the Trial archon and had been looking vexed ever since Sir Featherton had begun reciting the rules.
He continued reading, and my stomach turned into a ball of worry the more and more he revealed.
If anything, it was becoming entirely apparent that I no longer had any rights at all. None. And when he got to the tests, I learned that they could be won by using any means necessary. No outside interference was allowed in any way, even if a female’s life was at stake, and none of the females would be given any information about what the tests entailed. All of us would be walking into them blind.
A flash of horror filled me. I could literally die in the tests.
My sister and I shared a veiled look. Escape. We will escape. Her silent look nearly screamed the reassurance.
“Thank you, Sir Featherton,” I said when he finally finished.
He dipped his head. “My pleasure, and might I add that I’m pleased to see that you and the crown prince are both well after that terrible incident in Isalee Territory yesterday.”
I inclined my head in thanks, and he bowed and left the room, leaving me alone with Cailis and Daiseeum.
“Have you seen the prince?” I asked Daiseeum tentatively. The only news I’d heard of Prince Norivun was that he was mending, and that had been from the queen.
Daiseeum pursed her lips. “No, but I’m sure he’ll be right as rain. The prince has never let any injury keep him down for long.”
I frowned, wondering how many injuries the prince had suffered that would create that kind of reputation. My frown increased when I recalled the scar I’d seen previously along his abdomen. And the way he’d confronted the fairy in High Liss who had the ice bear affinity without any hesitation . . .
I shuddered. Death and violence seemed to walk hand in hand with the crown prince.
“Are you feeling well again?” my lady’s servant asked. “As energized as normal?”
I nodded. I’d finished an entire tray of food before Sir Featherton had arrived, and the magic in my gut was finally feeling replenished.
Daiseeum whisked the empty tray away. “In that case, Matron Olsander has asked for you to join her in the training rooms if you feel up to it. Sandus will accompany you. Of course, only if you’re up for it. The king has excused you from duties today if you would prefer rest.”
“All right. Thank you, Daiseeum.”
The lady’s servant bobbed her head before gliding from the room.
When it was just me and Cailis again, I lowered my voice even though nobody could hear us. “We need to get out of here.”
“I know.” She paced a few times by the window. “I couldn’t believe it when Sir Featherbrain said you had to engage in polite conversation, and any discord could be reported to him. Not to mention you could die! I mean, seriously? This is such nonsense.” Disgust pulled at her lips.
“I know, but, Cailis, I need you to figure out a way to get into the courtship dinner tomorrow night so you can help me figure out who’s a friend and who’s an enemy. The more I know about the fae here, the better off we’ll be.”
“I can do that,” she replied.
I nibbled on my lip. “Any ideas yet on how we’ll escape?”
She sat beside me. “No, but you mistphased yesterday. Can you learn to do it with control? That would be the easiest way out of here, especially if you can mistphase me with you.”
I sat upright, my jaw slackening. I’d completely forgotten that I’d inadvertently mistphased me and the prince back to the castle. Like my life-giving affinity, I had no idea how I’d done it, but when death had loomed, my magic had come running.
“You’re right,” I breathed.
She nodded. “You need to learn that skill above all others.”
“Okay, so we’ll plan for mistphasing as our escape, but we still need a backup plan just in case I can’t master it.”
Cailis ruffled her wings. “Consider it done.”
I squeezed her hand. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
She threaded her fingers through mine. “We’ll always have each other, Lara.”
Since Sir Featherton’s talk of the Trial had left me anxious, I decided to take Matron Olsander up on her offer to train.
Consequently, the matron wore a shrewd expression as she gazed at me with arms crossed. Sandus stood in the corner of the training room, listening to everything we said. The only silver lining was that none of the other females in the Trial were in the training room about to watch me fumble through another lesson.
“Tell me again what happened,” Matron Olsander demanded.
“I don’t know exactly.” I shrugged. “I was panicked, and the snowgum was nearly on top of me. All I could think about was that the prince and I would die if I didn’t get us back to the castle.”
“And then your magic mistphased you of its own accord?”
“I guess so. The prince was unconscious, so I don’t think he did it.”
She nodded and hmmed. “Interesting. Very interesting. Mistphasing is an advanced magical tactic that requires an immense amount of power. Most are never able to master the skill due to the amount of magic it requires. It would seem you have the capability, not surprising given that you have three affinities, yet consciously you don’t know how to access that part of your magic.”
“But I could learn, right?” I tried to keep the hope from my voice and did my best to keep my tone casually interested, as though my request wasn’t at all from the calculated plan Cailis and I had contrived.
Matron Olsander harrumphed and rapped her knuckles on the wall. “Of course you’ll learn! That’s top of my list. Without wings, how else are you to travel throughout the realm?” Her expression told me everything about what she thought of my stupid question.
A grin threatened to spread across my face, but I managed to suppress it. “So you’ll help me learn to mistphase and have that be part of my daily training?”