It was a beautiful night. One I would cherish forever. It was how I imagined a big highborn wedding would be like. There was a four string musical ensemble, an endless buffet of food, dancing… it was magical. All except for Regina pulling groups of five girls out, and only one, or in some cases none, coming back. The room was starting to thin, and Kendal and I could no longer stomach dancing. The nervous anticipation of what was to come had us all on edge.
“What do you think the test is?” I asked, but Joslyn shushed me.
“Enjoying yourselves, ladies?” the king’s voice boomed behind me and I went rigid.
“Oh yes,” Joslyn cooed up at him.
“Such a lovely evening,” Kendal told him.
“And you, Arwen?” he asked me.
I spun in my seat and pointed to my empty plate. “The food is divine.”
“Would you dance with me?” he asked, holding his hand out to me.
I froze, immediately starting to sweat. Dance with him? Why? He hadn’t danced with anyone else.
I looked at Kendal, who widened her eyes as if saying you did not reject a dance with the king.
I stood. “Uh, sure, but I warn you I tend to step on toes.” I took his outstretched hand and allowed him to bring me to the dance floor, my mind running wild.
He watched me curiously, then his gaze fell to my lips. I swallowed hard to wet my throat. Wild and free dancing with Kendal was one thing, but slow dancing with the king of Embergate was another story.
He placed a hand on my lower back and took my palm into his as we slowly rocked back and forth to the music. I struggled to breathe this close to him, his body lightly pressed against mine. I could feel the entire room’s eyes on me, and yet it felt so right. It felt like I was made to be in his arms and I didn’t want to let him go.
Leaning into my ear, he said, “You look breathtaking.”
My stomach heated at the compliment.
“Thank you. How did the issue at Grim Hollow go?” I asked.
He peered down at me. “It was the Nightfall queen. I lost some men, but they lost more.”
That was a relief.
“Tell me about your parents,” he asked suddenly.
I stiffened a little, but then smiled to cover my nervousness. “My father worked in the Cinder mine. He would go drink at the tavern every weekend, and that’s where he met my mom. She was the barmaid.”
He looked at me coolly, as if testing my response for lies more than actually having an interest in what I was saying. “And your father was a quarter dragon-folk you said?”
I dropped his hand and stepped back as if I’d been burned. “Are you interrogating me or getting to know me?” I snapped, causing a few nearby girls to turn in our direction.
Redness crept up his cheeks and he stepped closer to me, taking me back into his arms, this time more forcefully than before.
He pressed his hand into my lower back, my stomach going flush up against his. He leaned into my neck, whispering into my ear: “I’m trying to find out how a girl who claims to be a quarter dragon-folk explodes like a magic bomb in one of my washrooms. A girl I very much like and am interested in.”
Chills ran down my spine at the accusation in his tone, but also at the hot breath that rushed down my neck and the declaration that he liked me.
Still, I couldn’t help the anger that rose up inside of me at his mistrust, and I peered back to look at him. “Why don’t you answer a few questions for me?”
His eyes flashed from green to yellow.
“What would make you seek an heir so badly that you would court a hundred ladies at once, when your wife has barely been gone a winter?”
His face fell into a mask of horror and I instantly regretted my words. His hands dropped from my back and he took a giant step away from me.
“My lord, I’m sorry—”
He waved me off and turned, leaving the room, and I prayed to the Maker to be swallowed up into a giant hole rather than to ever have to see him again after saying such a hurtful thing. Why did I do that?
Fear. I feared that if he liked me, it meant I might actually be in the running to be his wife, and if my mother’s warning was real… I needed to avoid that at all costs.
I sulked all the way back to my seat, where Joslyn and Kendal peered over at me intently.
“Well, what was said?” Kendal asked. “He looked hurt when he walked off.”
I shook my head, indicating I didn’t want to talk about it, and grabbed my plate. I was going to eat two more slices of cake. That way, when the king sent me home, my belly would be full.
THE NIGHT BEGAN to drag on. I just wanted to go back to my room and sleep. But it seemed Regina was Hades-bent on picking me last. When she finally entered the room and waved Kendal, Joslyn, and I over, I sighed in relief. I just wanted to get this over with and fall into a chocolate-cake food-coma. I was regretting that third slice.
Standing up with the other girls, I walked on shaky legs over to the side door that Regina was waiting for us at.
She looked as tired as I felt. It must be near midnight, but it was clear there was an urgency to find the king’s next wife, so they were rushing this process along. It didn’t matter to me. After what I’d said to him, I would be lucky if he didn’t hang me in the village square.
Regina gave us three a tight smile, and then inclined her head for us to follow her.
Did the king tell her what I’d said to him? If so, I was mortified. Who spoke to royalty like that? What was wrong with me? The worst part was that I liked him. I said something horrible to someone I liked and now I felt like crap.
We followed Regina down a long hallway to another set of double doors.
I’d built up such a ball of nerves that when she pulled them open to reveal the king standing at the back of the room, I yelped a little.
All three pairs of eyes fell upon me and I swallowed hard.
“Thought I saw a spider,” I explained.
Calm down, Arwen. This is going to be totally fine.
We entered the room and I balked at the size of the crowd. There were half a dozen sniffers, a handful of Royal Guards, Dr. Elsie, and some old dude holding a leather-bound tome. They all stood at the outer edges of the walls. In the center of the room was a single icy blue crystal that sat on a small white stone pedestal. I inhaled, the smell of smoke hitting my nostrils, and then I noticed the scorch marks.
Black streaks fanned out across the white jade stone tile leading out from the crystal.
“Kendal, please step forward and touch the Revealing Stone,” Regina said, and Kendal looked at me with fear.
Going first sucked.
I gave her a supportive nod, while my mind chewed on the words. Revealing stone. Did it reveal the extent of our power? I sure as Hades hoped not. Especially not after my spell had fallen off, or whatever that washroom explosion and fever was.
The older gentleman with the leather book opened it to a particular page and then watched Kendal with a keen eye. Meanwhile, the sniffers tipped their chins up and flared their nostrils, as if waiting to get a whiff of magic.
The entire thing was creepy as all Hades. I wanted to run. I thought the sniffers coming to my village was the extent of the magical testing. This felt so much more intrusive.
Every caution my mother gave me was going off like a warning trumpet in my head.
Run. Run. Run.
As if sensing my panic, Regina stepped up behind me and I stood there frozen, nowhere to go.
Kendal’s heels clacked across the floor as she walked over to the stone and stopped before it. Looking to the king, she held out her hands. “I just touch it?”
King Valdren looked tired. “Yes. The stone will bring forth a more potent example of your power so that we can assess your ability to carry a dragon-shifting child.”
His voice was so monotone. It was clear he wasn’t enjoying this at all.
Kendal chewed on her bottom lip and then grasped the stone. Orange flames burst from her hands in a two-foot circumference and I gasped. Kendal had never shown that much magic before. This stone really must push your power to its limits.
That scared the life out of me. If I’d exploded in the washroom, what would this stone make me do?
Kendal looked back at me with pride and I gave her a thumbs-up, but I also caught the king looking at Dr. Elsie, and the elf-dragon shook her head.
Regina stepped forward with a frown. “Thank you, Kendal. Follow me.”
Wait… why did the doctor shake her head? Did that mean Kendal was going home? I wanted to ask, but I’d pushed my luck tonight when I’d told the king he was marrying too soon after his beloved wife’s death.
Regina reappeared, and I wondered where she’d taken Kendal.
“Joslyn.” She motioned her forward, and I pushed all worries about Kendal behind me.
They were saving me for last! That was just mean. I wanted to get this stupid thing over with. Joslyn walked forward with a confident smile and without hesitation grasped the blue stone before her.
An inferno of six-foot-tall orange flames shot up towards the ceiling and everyone stepped back a pace as they oohed and ahhed.
My gaze flicked to the king, who was appraising Joslyn, his eyes roaming over her body more closely than ever before.
He glanced at Dr. Elsie, who nodded enthusiastically.
Regina looked relieved as she stepped forward and ushered Joslyn out of the room. When she returned, all eyes went to me.
Hades. I don’t want to do this.
Dr. Elsie leaned into the king’s ear and whispered something. He stared at her with surprise before clearing his throat.
“Would everyone take five big steps back please,” he commanded, and they looked at him with disbelief, including me.
Did Dr. Elsie think I was going to explode again? Like in the washroom? Because that was just a one-time thing as the spell to hide my power fell away… right?
They were already towards the back of the room. Now they pushed farther away from me, until their heels hit the far wall. It was laughable that my magic might travel that far.
“We’re all very tired, Miss Novakson. Please get on with it.” The king’s voice was clipped, and shame burned my cheeks. I wanted to apologize for what I said on the dance floor but now wasn’t the time. Taking small, tentative steps towards the stone, I tried to delay the inevitable. All the while, my mother’s advice rang in my mind.
If it looks like he is going to find out about your powers, make him fall in love with you.
My gaze flicked to the king, who was glaring at me like he couldn’t wait to send me home, and I sighed.
Love might no longer be in the cards; I’d screwed that up already. Maybe he’d still let me in his Royal Guard?
No chance.
As I neared the stone, the hairs on my arms stood up and my breathing slowed. It was almost like I was walking through water or sand. The air was thick with power; it got harder and harder to breathe the closer I got. Did the other girls feel this too? If so, they didn’t show it.
I reached my fingers out. Inches from the stone, a foreboding feeling came over me. Every cell in my body was telling me to run. The only other time I’d gotten this feeling was right before I’d been chased three miles downriver by a giant black bearin.
I hesitated, looking up at the king to see him watching me with suspicion. My gaze then danced to Regina, whose eyes narrowed. If I refused, would they attack me? Would they force me? For the first time since I agreed to this whole thing, I became scared.
I have to do this. Now I wished I’d done what my mother told me and made the king want my body, because nothing would save me now if this thing showed where my true lineage came from.
Maker protect me, I prayed, and grabbed the stone.
I knew the second it touched my skin that I’d made a horrible mistake.
Pure unearthly power ripped through my entire body and I was consumed with blue flames. Heat engulfed my skin as the blue fire burst outward and the room filled with screams. Pain tore across my shoulders as something had yanked me from behind.
I staggered backwards, the flames receding, and I peered over my shoulder to see who was dragging me backwards. When I saw two blue dragon wings, I gasped. Looking around the room, I sought King Valdren’s gaze.
The king stared at me with absolute shock. The old man holding the leather-bound tome ran over to him and whispered frantically into his ear. I started to weep, scared of what was happening, what this all meant, and Dr. Elsie rushed towards me.
“No!” The king reached out, blocking Dr. Elsie, and then looked at his guards. “Seize her,” he said.
What?
“My lord?” Regina sounded confused, and her guards hesitated.
“SEIZE HER!” King Valdren bellowed, and smoke curled from his nostrils.
The betrayal and shock of what he said sliced through my heart.
Two guards rushed forward, hooking arms under my armpits as I continued to sob and shake in fear.
What was happening? How were there wings on my back? Why was my fire blue and not orange like all of the other dragon-folk?
“My lord, she’s scared. She doesn’t know what this means,” Dr. Elsie pleaded with him.
I peered up at him, begging for mercy with my gaze, but he just glared at me. “The first thing she ever told me was a lie. I can’t trust her now.”
I’d been kidding myself until now that my lunch date with him might have made him go easy on me. He looked like he wanted to burn me alive.
The guards dragged me away and I didn’t bother correcting him. He was right.
