Her scales, of course, were more to do with her father. He was the closer beast to her bloodline. Drakul had died hundreds of years prior, whereas a merman was only one generation behind.
She was more beast than human. What did that mean?
Her moms death, her kidnapping, and her scales were now revealed to her. All that was left were the Fateless, a hope she would solve once the wall was destroyed.
The celebration of Mutrien was more joyous than Ember's debut ball. The Aaleian festival in Ashkadance had always been a more formal affair. If the First Fating had stopped their war, it needed to be with a calming kindness that it was celebrated with their people. But this was something built for fun, anarchy, enjoyment. Life. Mutrien brought them shelter and continued life and it was celebrated as a party. Mutrien’s celebration fell on the longest night of the year. Though oddly, this ball didn’t call for her to stay up all the way through it.
Just like on the night she met Noor, the whole of the kingdom was invited to the ball. Keyholders and their invited guests filled the halls of the Cruelindime castle. Ember felt herself comparing the different halls and decorations as she left the bathroom and rejoined Noor.
She gripped his hand and felt her confusion and acceptance of her knowledge bleed into a nervous dread.
She’d have to tell him what she now knew, but not tonight. He had a mission. As did she. Ember was selfish. She wanted to save her kingdom, but not at the potential cost of her pair.
Walking through the palace, Ember noted the staff working on the decor. When the kingdom had dragons, the longest night had been a time of free-flying. Hours of time in the sky, mingling in the night and blotting out the stars with their large bodies. While the wraiths still enjoyed the pleasure, their flying was not nearly as impressive. Still, the influence was there. We could not see dragons, but we could honor them. Ember wondered how the other kingdoms celebrated Mutrien. Did their beasts hold an influence in their celebrations of the gods - even when not directly related to the original cause for celebration?
The ball was held on the roof, open to the stars and night air. Climbing up the stairs, the wind kissed Ember’s skin and she smiled up at the sky.
Every table held sparkling gems, a reflective light. Blues, pinks, greens, shimmered in each table setting. It was not on the table cloths this time, instead opting for a gold-lined fabric. There were some cut neon flowers on each table, basking in the light of the stars before they wilted.
A night filled with charade. Karwyn entered the roof as guests began to settle down. Jedoriah was beside her, her arm looped in his. They were both prisoners, she could see that now. While Ember could never forgive Jedoriah for the murder of her moms and Amir, that brand on his soul would never leave him, she saw they were together in this now. His loyalty to Oma was no more. He would prove that tonight.
“I trust you will be on your best behavior?” Oma had asked her over breakfast that morning, as if speaking to a petulant child. Noor had stared down at his breakfast, pushing around a bowl of porridge. It’s almost over, Ember thought to herself. One way or another.
The bodice of her dress was a leather and steel marvel, tough, unyielding, and welded to mimic further scales. There was quite a struggle getting it on, the laces in the back helping to torture her. The skirt was heavier than her debut ball dress. Instead of airy and billowing, it was a dark shimmering silhouette. Crystalline jewels and sequins moving in a gradient, combining with the steel of the bodice. Hidden from sight, she had the knife that murdered her friend buckled to the back of her calf, easy enough to get in its low position. She wished she could keep it more secure at her thigh, but with the heaviness of her skirt that would make it impossible for her to reach.
Ember watched as Jedoriah and Karwyn took their place at the head of the space, sitting upon two chairs on an altar. Other chairs sat beside them, one for Oma and two others for Noor and herself. Now that the Queen and the person that was supposed to be her Knight sat beside her, it was their turn to enter. United. Ember felt like running from their lies, but it was not time yet. She begged her mind to calm down, be patient. This was not like that first ball. They were not here explicitly for her.
She sat at her designated chair, Noor holding her hand beside her. Music began to rise and Ember surveyed the crowd assembled. Several citizens stood out to her: Jade, Jardano, Amic, other keyholders, and resistors. But not all. For her plan to work, all of their supporters could not be here in Cruelindime. They had positions to hold.
Citizens took their seats. Those who did not have space stood in the back, in the halls, and spilled in many other crevices throughout the palace and its walls. On the walkway outside the palace and in the streets, those who could not make it inside also celebrated. If all was as it should be, there was a particular path laid clear for them. The guards that were not present in this room saw to that.
“I present to you, Embrence Dragon Daughter and her pair, Noorworth Knight,” a priestess called. The evening would begin with a speech. Ember wondered briefly how many formal evenings would involve speeches from her. They were not her favorite thing to do. She and Noor stood now in front of their junior thrones. It took several moments before the crowd was quiet enough for her to speak.
“I’ve been asked to speak to you today about unity, about duty, and about the role that the royal family places in your life with the guidance of Aaleia and Mutrien behind them,” Ember began, a hush spreading through each person in the room. Noor pumped her hand, knowing these were things that Oma had pushed onto her to say. But he did not know was that this speech would mean different things on reflection, different after what she was going to do.
“It is not an easy role,” she continued, “as I’ve learned in these few months as part of the royal family.”
“For I was not raised a future queen. I was raised as one of you, with one distinction. I was told to hide. To lie with each breath. To be invisible.
“We don’t always take what Aaleia has given us with grace and trust. We ask the universe for help, like Mutrien did. Sometimes we don’t like the answer.”
Ember looked around to the people that had gathered to partake in the ball with them, her eyes landing on Jedoriah.
“We fight the destiny bestowed on us and chose another one. There is strength in that resilience, there is strength in hard choices and doing what is right. There is strength in forging your own path, there is power and might in not taking your life for what was handed to you. And I applaud those that go their own way.”
Tears gathered in Jedoriah’s eyes, seeing between her lies. He tried to do his best with the grace given to him, a purpose he should not have been given but yet was.
“But there is also duty,” Ember added.
“Duty to your family, to your neighbors, and friends, to Ashkadance and our gods. Duty requires you to be the best person that you can be and to take pride in your purpose. The most challenging part of duty is accepting that who you want to be and who you have to be isn’t always the same person. That’s a battle I struggle with every day.”
Ember swallowed, her throat going dry.
“But we are together in that bond. We come together in that fear that we aren’t enough, that we could be more. United in that fear that life may not be what we expected but it could, in the long term, be what we needed. When the dawn comes tomorrow and the world looks different, find that unity together. Find the unity that Aaleia is working to give to all of us. We work with her every day to give you that which will help you feel whole.”
She bowed her head, signaling that she finished speaking. Claps began to cascade across the room. The music flowed up with the sound, and Noor spun Ember around into his arms for a waltz. The speech seemed to invigorate him, pushing his old self briefly up to the surface.
“Those speeches of yours keep getting better and better,” he commented. “Probably not what Oma was expecting.” She could see Oma and Jedoriah talking at the side of the swirling roo
m. “But it will have to do,” Ember said.
“I loved it,” Noor added and she smiled back at him. They danced and tried to stay as far away from the royal family as they could until the signal went out.
Thirty-Four
The Longest Night
Adrenaline coursed through Ember, her heart maintaining dancing beats as she ran through the passageway. She held up her sparkling skirts, hoping to add a few precious seconds to her speed. Her shoes clicked on the floor with each step. If she weren’t so panicked, the sounds would irritate her senses. Noor, Wally, and Zhieve kept pace beside her in their dress uniforms.
"Good luck," Ember said to Noor. He kissed her fiercely and promised, "I'll be back."
He ran off with Wally, going to join other resistors at the closest community home. While on their tour they had completed construction and began to fill their doors. The scribes were able to report back the vital information they needed to know.
Naomi was found. She was with them in the homes, hidden in plain sight. His parents should already be there. Zhieve lead them earlier down into their tunnels.
Tunnels they wouldn't have known about, if not for Jedoriah. His youth at the castle revealing that yes, this place also had secret exists.
Ember and Zhieve grabbed the shovels they hid the night prior and began digging. Right above where they dug was a hairline fracture in the crisp white wall. One that would not have been noticed if it weren't for the meticulous work of the scribes and their network of members. People like Ember’s moms. She hoped they would be proud of her.
“Faster,” Zhieve demanded as they pushed to create a deeper hole. They had to place the canisters of dragon blood at precisely the right depth to shake the foundations.
“Did someone request a special delivery?” Jade called comically as she drove her carriage to them. She jumped down from the horse and turned to open the door. Rather than a guest inside its walls, there were jugs of the dark fluid Ember had felt remarkably close to. Jade didn’t dare drive it over the path to be easier for them to distribute, for too feared what would happen if the carriage tipped over or jostled its contents.
“Is Amic with Hasley already?” Ember asked between puffed breaths. Dirt fell into her shoes. She tried not to glance at what this digging must be doing to her gown. It wouldn’t matter anyway. Her involvement in this would be undeniable in moments.
“Yes, they got their supplies yesterday. His people helped me deliver some shipments in the night too. They all looked as dirty as you when I reached them.” Jade looked up to the sky, searching for the shadow of a wraith across the stars. Ember doubted they’d get any notices if there was a mishap, the timeline was so tight that sending a wraith wouldn’t make sense. The only notice they were going to hear was the sounds of explosions across the city.
“We still have three feet to go,” Ember said, out of breath. Jade grabbed their third shovel and joined them.
Looking back to the castle, Ember could see the silhouettes of movement on the roof where she knew her birth family were now with their guests. The moon was climbing quickly, once it reached the center of Ashkadance it would be time.
They had only an hour.
“Pass me the buckets!” Jade called and Zhieve popped up to get them.
Ember and Jade filled buckets of dirt and sand, passing them up to Zhieve. He emptied them in piles a few feet away, dropping them back down again to their shoveling. They worked tirelessly, secluded beyond the trees. No one but resistance members would be looking to the wall tonight. There was too much excitement for the ball, eyes all on the castle.
“That should do it,” Ember grunted. Jade climbed her way out and Zhieve held his hand out for her to grab.
“What is this?” A voice called in the distance. Ember froze, eyes wide as she looked up at the shadowed Zhieve. He motioned a finger to his lips before turning around.
"Omanox Dragon Matron, how can I help you?" He embodied innocence in his voice, but his demeanor said anything but.
“I don’t know Zhieve Captain, can you tell me why you are leaning over a hole in the ground with a known rebel?”
"I decided I'm tired of taking orders from false idols." His attitude sparked, a new commitment forming in his heart. He had always been true to his kingdom, in his own way, following orders without question. Amir's death changed that.
Ember’s chest heated as the anger grappled her heart. They didn’t have time for this. They needed to get the dragon blood in the pit before they lost their window of time.
“I can answer that!” she called from below, ignoring Zhieve's call for silence. Jade hauled Ember out of the hole with a gripped hand.
She brushed dirt from her outfit and she knew it didn’t matter now. The hole was deep enough. All that was left was the blood.
"I was hoping you were smarter than this," Oma said, sucking her teeth with raised eyebrows. "Unfortunately, I misplaced my judgement of you," she added.
A horse was beside her, and off in the distance there were two other figures riding towards them in the dark. An audience it would be then. She should have known that it would be this way, with her family a part of it. There was no other way it could end.
“We have to talk,” Ember said to Oma. She opened her mouth but before she could speak a syllable, she held up a hand. “Privately,” she said as she walked past her grandmother. As she hoped, she followed indignantly. She did not like being showed up. Omanox needed the last laugh, always.
“I trust you know what to do,” Ember said pointedly over her shoulder to Zhieve. Jade was already inching back to the carriage.
Twenty-feet away, Ember positioned herself so that she was facing the wall. Oma looked at her, away from the action.
“You dare to make commands of me,” Oma said with malice. Her hair was not braided today. Instead, it lay straight down her back, her peach dress brightening the yellow in her skin.
“I am the queen," Ember said, hands on her hips. The sentence had the effect she hoped.
“You are not queen,” her voice boomed with immediate anger. Ember saw Jade startle in her peripherals, but Ember didn’t stray her eyes from her grandmother. They had to work faster and she could not draw attention to them. The blood of her heritage sloshed into the dirt, creating a pool of history. They continued to pour the jugs, careful not to get too close to the opening, using gloves to protect themselves.
“My mother is fateless, due to the loss of her merman pair. Her Knight is a fraud. You are a murderess, defying the will of the gods, and locking up your daughter,” Ember listed. “I am in charge here.”
Ember inched closer to her, speaking the words she knew would burn.
“If you get in my way,” she threatened, “your deception will no longer be maintained. When the kingdom knows what you've done to your daughter, I will be the least of your concerns.”
“You would not reveal her madness so easily," Oma hedged, reaching into the folds of her peach dress. She pulled out a gold knife, a delicate weapon made for close combat.
“Oh really? I have a feeling Karwyn would want me to share it. To stop you, I know she'd forgive me.” Ember laughed bitterly, remembering the scrawling words of her fateless mother.
You’ll be what is left of me.
“As sure as the sun will rise, your time will run out. In fact, it has already begun.”
The moon reached its height. In response, the party on the roof soared in celebration. The night was halfway through, but their plan was coming to a close.
Booms sounded first at a distance then closer. Explosions. A rumbling. It climbed like a tsunami.
“NOW!” Ember screamed across Oma's shoulder. She turned as the match was struck. Zhieve let go of the flame, and it fell into the material as he threw himself to the ground. Jade was already clear, hidden behind the carriage.
Ember and Oma fell, the blast of the impact pushing them to the ground.
The cascading sound rushed towards them and the stone wall s
hook with it. The kingdom tremored. It had begun. Ember coughed, heat and smoke curling around them as flames licked blue.
Peiradonne stone fell from the sky, crashing with the simultaneous hits on its weak points. The wall was opening, the sea calling and crashing into the slivers of stone falling to the ground. It called to her.
Omanox screamed a curdling sound unlike any that Ember had ever heard.
“We need the wall!” she cried, dust and dirt across her face and bright red murder reflected in her eyes. Zhieve lay unconscious in front of the broken wall, a slab of stone lay on his feet. Jade advanced from her hiding spot, hoping to help him.
All around them, the world continued to shake and screams collided their senses. The party on the palace landing strip stopped their revelry, running down the steps to see what was happening to their kingdom.
“No, you needed the wall. You couldn't let go of the crown!” Ember screamed back at her. Oma stood above her, face twisted and eyes wide.
“This is my kingdom!” she cried, her hands grabbed Ember's hair and pulled her up. Ember screamed, pain shooting her temple. Oma slapped her with one hand and held her knife to Ember's neck with the other.
"You don't know what you've done," Oma hissed.
"I've set us free. You'll have to answer to the people now," Ember whispered, happy for it to be her last act.
"I answer to no one," Oma declared, pressing the knife harder into her skin. It drew blood and Ember's eyes prickled with tears.
"I love you," Ember whispered, knowing it to be true. She didn't want to die saying hateful words. She did love her Oma, despite it all. She loved everyone in her family. She didn't like them, hated much of what they did, their actions irrefutable.
Royalty Fantasy Boxset: Ember Dragon Daughter & Hasley Fateless (Fated Tales Series 1 & 1.5) (The Fated Tales Series: YA Royalty Fantasy) Page 26