And then the sandy bricks burying me alive just . . . melted.
The oily sheen coating my mind finally, blessedly, receded.
I sucked in a deep breath of air as my entire body shook.
The last to go was Georgyanna’s electrical affinity. It felt as if my skin had peeled off my body, but when I glanced down, nothing but smooth intact flesh stared back at me.
I blinked, my chest heaving, as the remnants of Georgyanna’s power fully disappeared.
And then I was staring at what lay before me, shivering in the brutal winter wind as reality refused to penetrate the dissipating fog from my brain.
Standing above me, Georgyanna was wearing the crown.
She dipped low into a curtsy, her fist to her chest as the crowd cheered around us.
King Novakin grinned from his dais as the crown prince yelled with so much fury that eight guards forced him away under the king’s command.
And when I finally accepted that what I was seeing wasn’t a trick of the mind and was actual reality, my heart shattered into a million pieces.
Georgyanna wore the queen’s crown.
Georgyanna had won the final test.
Georgyanna would marry the prince.
I failed.
Sir Featherton beamed as he spun in a circle on the arena’s floor. All of the magical tricks and illusions had vanished. Once more, I was lying on the dry, sandy ground as the citizens of our great continent welcomed their next queen.
King Novakin stood from his throne, and with amplifying magic addressed the crowd. “May I present the next queen to grace the Solis continent, the female who will lead with my son, the crown prince Norivun Deema Melustral Achul. In one month’s time, he shall wed Lady Georgyanna Endalaver, daughter of Kroravee Territory!”
CHAPTER 32
I stood frozen in time. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t speak. How? How has this happened?
I didn’t have time to process any of it before the door opened from the arena’s side, and guards ushered out Meegana and Beatrice. They were both wide-eyed, their faces ashen, and I had a feeling they’d been spectators in the crowd and had just witnessed my downfall.
How has this happened?
The king’s grin grew as he waved toward the two new females that had joined us.
“As you know, I’ve enacted the Olirum Accords, an ancient Solis tradition that once served a great purpose on our mighty continent. Our strength and power shall grow again with each union that blesses our court with a new babe, so without further ado, I would like to announce the additional betrotheds for you all to welcome. Lady Meegana Ockson, daughter of Harrivee Territory, shall marry Lord William Waterline, son of Osaravee Territory.”
Meegana blanched as the crowd cheered more.
The king waved toward Beatrice. “And Lady Beatrice Leafton, daughter of Prinavee Territory, shall marry Lord Dameel Brusher, son of Mervalee Territory.”
Cheers rose higher and higher.
The king’s grin grew. “And of course, our runner-up shall not be left empty-handed.” King Novakin turned his malicious smile on me, and all of the sadistic pleasure he wore shone in that horrifying grin. “Ilara Seary, daughter of Mervalee Territory, shall marry Lord Arcane Woodsbury, the third son of Isalee Territory.”
I nearly doubled over and vomited right there. Lord Arcane Woodsbury. The pedophile who enjoyed hurting animals. I wanted to wither and die.
I shivered anew in the frigid wind. I could never marry a male like that, let alone have his children.
“And without further ado,” Sir Featherton said with a beaming smile, “let us begin the celebrations. Lady Endalaver, please join us as we return to the castle and the festivities begin.”
Georgyanna preened and nodded, blowing the king a kiss, which made the monarch chuckle.
The Kroravee winner gave me an evil glare before she said under her breath, “I knew I would beat you, but it doesn’t end here, Ilara. I will remember how you humiliated me in this Trial. Your time will come in which I’ll make you pay. Once I’m queen, you’ll wish that you were never born.”
And with that, she sauntered off with the guards as I was left with Meegana and Beatrice, both of whom looked as though they were about to burst into tears.
I was forced to attend the festivities. Forced to sit in the suffocating dining hall as the king sat at the head of the table with Georgyanna on one side of him and Prince Norivun on the other. The crown prince looked as though he was about to enact his death affinity. Every time he glanced at his father, hatred burned in his gaze. But the king must have known of the potential wrath he would face. Queen Lissandra sat right beside Norivun, and with one order from the king, Norivun’s mother would be removed from the hall to wait in her chambers for whatever horrific abuse the king chose to inflict on her.
Don’t, I mouthed over and over to the prince, every chance I got.
The warring in his expression told me he was close to losing control. Close to throwing away his entire family to take me and flee from the capital, but even if the crown prince killed his father and every single council member who could take his stead, the Solis citizens would never forget the prince’s horrific acts. They would hunt us down, thousands no doubt dying in the process when they faced the Death Master’s affinity, but eventually they would win by sheer numbers. We couldn’t guard ourselves in sleep, and we couldn’t run forever.
Inevitably, Norivun would fall, then I would fall, and then anarchy would undoubtedly ensue as our great continent fell to pieces.
Don’t, I mouthed again.
Norivun gripped his chair tightly, his knuckles white as King Novakin and Lady Endalaver danced and ate, sipped wine, and laughed.
Meegana, Beatrice, and I sat at the other end of the table with our newly declared fiancés sitting across from us. I couldn’t look at any of them. All three of them were despicable males, and I could’ve sworn the king chose them for us merely to torment us.
Nuwin sat at the queen’s other side, but his normal cheer and teasing mood were absent. A somber and distant aura had taken its place. He kept glancing toward his older brother, then down the table at me. The troubled expression on his face grew.
I didn’t know why the king hadn’t assigned Nuwin to marry one of the females. I could only imagine that he had other plans in store for his second son. And I knew that like us, Nuwin was powerless to stop it.
Hours upon hours passed in that dining hall. All I wanted to do was sink through my chair and pretend that this was all a bad dream and would go away.
But it wasn’t a dream. I had lost the Trial. Norivun would marry Georgyanna, and I was to marry a sick pedophile.
My stomach was a tumultuous twist of nerves and anxiety, and for the first time since I’d learned the outcome of the Trial, I knew I couldn’t stay.
I couldn’t marry the creep across for me, and I certainly couldn’t stand by and watch as the prince married the vile leech that sat beside the king.
My eyes flew to my sister’s from across the room. Cailis was seated at one of the lesser tables, where family members of the more powerful fae were allowed.
She and I exchanged weighted looks. Her eyes softened, as though she understood the desperation weighing upon my soul. Tonight, she mouthed.
I gave a subtle nod in return, and it felt as though my heart was shattering all over again.