“Why?” I looked between her and the parchment in her hand. “And if it’s such an honor, why did I get an invite?”
“Because of Lucas, of course.” Coralie grinned and pulled her invitation back out of my hand. “His birthday is the day after Midwinter, so the royal family always celebrate it at this event. That’s why it’s smaller and more exclusive. And this year, he turns eighteen. I bet it’s going to be magnificent! I can’t wait to tell my family. My sister is going to be absolutely green.”
“We’ve been invited because we’re his year mates,” Finnian explained, obviously picking up that I was still a little lost.
“Well, you’d probably have received an invitation anyway, Finnian,” said Coralie. “But there was no way I would have been getting one otherwise.”
Finnian shrugged. “These sorts of things are usually full of stuffy elders glowering disapprovingly at us young ones. And I always have to dance with Natalya.” He grimaced, clearly trying to make Coralie laugh.
She obliged him easily, slipping her arm through mine and dragging me toward the dining hall, Finnian trailing behind.
“Yes, but this year we’ll all be there,” she said to him over her shoulder. “And I intend to have an absolutely wonderful time.”
He shook his head, but he was grinning at her as he wandered past us to take his usual place at a further table. As Coralie and I sat our table, she suddenly blinked, looking rapidly between Finnian and me.
“Wait. Were you and Finnian actually talking when I arrived? Did you spar with him?”
Her words barely registered as I stared at her, a deep dread settling over me.
“Never mind that. I can’t go to a celebration at the palace. What would I wear?”
Chapter 15
“I’m still not sure about this.” I tugged at my long skirts and Coralie slapped at my hands.
“Stop that! You look perfect. Thanks to me.” She looked smug, and when she put it like that I could hardly disagree.
And in truth, I did secretly agree—at least a little. She had lent me a green dress and somehow it brought out the green in my eyes that usually only shone through in moments of high excitement. And even the plain brown of my hair looked elegant in the tendrils she had left to fall softly around my face.
But that didn’t mean I thought this was a good idea. I hadn’t forgotten my one trip out of the Academy so far. Neither my brother’s warnings nor my disastrous encounter with Lucas had faded from my memory.
The prince had told me that the University was almost the last place I should be, and my gut told me that the palace must surely be the one place worse. And yet even Lucas couldn’t fault me for going this time. Not when his own family had issued the invitation.
The prince had been conspicuously absent in the week leading up to Midwinter, although classes had continued despite the week of festivities gripping the city. Apparently his royal duties trumped his studies on this occasion, at least.
But we had been given the actual day of Midwinter off, and I knew Coralie and I weren’t the only ones to have spent most of it preparing for the evening’s celebration. Although most of the other girls had whisked themselves off to their family’s city houses for the day. Only Araminta, looking more anxious than I had ever seen her, waited in the entrance of the Academy with us.
The three of us weren’t alone, of course. Thornton, Redmond, Walden, Jocasta, and Lorcan had all received invitations to the event, and Clarence also had nowhere else to spend the day, his family far away in whatever city they made their home.
I had hoped to slip out to see Jasper in the morning, but I had received a visit instead from a petite and charming-looking girl a few years older than me who identified herself as Clara.
“He was worried you’d try to come over and see him,” she had said with a friendly smile. “Only we got a few extra days off class unexpectedly, and he decided to walk home to visit your family.”
“Oh, how lovely.” I tried to swallow my own disappointment at the thought of them all together without me. They would all be so delighted to see him, and at least now I knew they would have definite news of me.
Clara herself was on her way to spend the day with her own family, who resided in Corrin, but she gave me a small wrapped package from Jasper before she left. I didn’t know how he had found the coin for the beautiful hair pin inside, but I wished I had thought of some way to scrape together a gift for him.
It might not be made of jewels, as no doubt the accessories of the other attendees would be, but I wore the pin in my hair proudly, glad to carry something of my family with me for my first visit to the palace.
And as the carriages pulled into the courtyard, I touched it, drawing strength from my brother’s love. I had thought we would walk, but Coralie assured me we could not go traipsing through the streets in our finery. It turned out the palace was sending carriages to the Academy, and we would have seats along with the instructors.
I peered out the window on the ridiculously short drive. I had only ridden in a carriage once before, and memories of that occasion kept pushing unbidden into my mind. I rearranged my skirts around me, my elegant dancing slippers peeking out from beneath them, and shook my head.
I couldn’t look more different from how I had on that previous journey. And yet, somehow, I felt almost as nervous. I tried to remind myself that I was on my way to a party, not a possible death sentence, but I couldn’t make my rapidly beating heart believe it.
Powerful eyes are on you, Elena.
I had at least made Coralie tutor me on the important personages who would be present, almost exclusively members of the four great mage families. General Griffith of Devoras was still in the capital, and apparently Lucas no longer felt the need to hide me from him, since he would no doubt be in attendance with Natalya and Calix beside him, along with his other son, Julian.
Unfortunately General Thaddeus of Stantorn would also definitely be there, as a cousin of Queen Verena. And that was on top of his rank. I imagined that all the members of the Mage Council would be present.
Like Thaddeus, I had already met Duchess Jessamine of Callinos, University Head, Duke Lennox of Ellington, Head of Law Enforcement, and Duchess Phyllida of Callinos, Head of the Seekers. But I had to confess to some curiosity to see Duke Dashiell, also of Callinos—both Head of the Healers and Finnian’s father.
Finnian continued to act as if we had always been on speaking terms, greeting me cheerily at class and meals, and occasionally sparring with me while Coralie partnered with Saffron. Natalya and Lavinia always glowered disapprovingly when he did so, but it seemed his status—thanks, I assumed, to the rank of his father—prevented any further change in their behavior toward him.
Instead they increased the snide comments they muttered in my hearing. But that I easily ignored, more than happy to take it in exchange for two other trainees willing to tolerate my presence—since it seemed that where Finnian led, his withdrawn cousin followed.
The heads of the growers, wind workers, and creators would also be at the celebration, and I wouldn’t mind meeting Duke Magnus of Ellington, if it came to it. The Ellingtons were supposed to be the nice ones—more rich than politically powerful, according to my friends. And Acacia and Walden certainly seemed to support this assessment.
But then the haughty, withdrawn Dariela kept throwing me off. Would Duke Magnus be like her, or was she an aberration among her family?
I had no desire to encounter Duchess Annika of Devoras or Duke Casimir of Stantorn, however. I had met quite enough members of Devoras and Stantorn already.
And, of course, there was one other person waiting at the end of this journey. I tried not to let my mind dwell on Prince Lucas—no matter how many times it attempted to do so—but I couldn’t quash the small curiosity at the back of my mind. Despite everything, part of me wanted to see the prince in his home environment, among the court. Although it seemed foolish to think that one night could make a difference in my abilit
y to understand him—or rather, inability.
All too soon the carriage pulled up in front of a broad, sweeping set of marble stairs. I didn’t have a fine enough cloak for such an event, but Coralie had assured me we wouldn’t need them for such a short journey. It meant dashing up the stairs as fast as we could, though, eager to get out of the freezing night air.
Outside I received an impression of blazing lights, but it was nothing to the glow that greeted us inside the palace itself. An immense entryway was lit with more candles than I could count, reflecting off the pristine white marble. Stairs led upward, and an army of footmen directed us up them and through a wide door into an equally vast ballroom.
Inside the doors was a small platform where we paused for a moment to take it all in before descending four shallow steps to the ballroom floor. A red velvet runner on the stairs matched the color of the red drapes covering the walls. Impossible gold chandeliers—surely held in place by complex compositions—floated in the air, and everywhere I looked, gold touches winked in the light.
Red and gold. There could be no question this was a royal event. Without realizing I was doing so, I scanned the crowd until my eyes latched onto a figure at once familiar and strikingly different.
At the Academy, Prince Lucas stood out. Everything from the perfect dark locks of his hair to his bearing proclaimed his difference. But now…now he truly looked like a prince.
He wore what looked like a uniform, red with a gold sash across his chest, and tall black boots. A small gold circlet rested in his ordered hair, and the haughty, distant look I had seen on my first day—and so many days since—seemed magnified.
If I had never seen him before, I would never have dared approach him. In fact, though we might officially be year mates, I still didn’t intend to approach him. I had no need of his condescension when I already felt so out of my element.
“Look!” whispered Coralie, tugging on my elbow.
I let her lead me to a far wall where a long table held endless delicacies. I marveled at an ice sculpture—a frozen swan about to take flight, perfect in all its details—but Coralie was still absorbed with whatever had first caught her attention.
“It’s incredible,” she said.
I pulled my eyes to the marvel that had her transfixed. A complex, many-tiered fountain of liquid chocolate.
“Um, yes please,” she said, taking one of the tiny, delicate gold cups arranged around it and dipping it into the flow.
I hung back. Another thing clearly powered by some unknown mage, and somehow that made me less than enthusiastic to consume it. Was it only the royal family who entertained like this, or did all mages have energy and power to spare composing such useless workings?
“Welcome,” said a voice behind us, and we both spun around.
So much for my plan not to approach anywhere near the prince. His entire demeanor suggested utter boredom, as if he were merely doing his duties as host, making his way round to greet each guest—even the ones he didn’t like.
But when I finally met his eyes, they burned into me, and I almost fell back a step.
“You came,” he said, his voice low, and his eyes disappointed.
“Of course.” Coralie gave him a broad smile, apparently not receiving the same message from his face as me. “We were honored to be invited. Oh, and Happy Birthday!”
He gave a mechanical smile, still focused on me. When I stood there silently, Coralie kicked my foot.
“Ah, thank you for inviting me,” I managed.
Lucas’s eyes flashed. “I didn’t.”
I stiffened but was saved from an unwise response by a titter off to one side.
“Natalya. Lavinia.” Coralie spoke through gritted teeth, giving the briefest head nod to our two year mates.
Neither of them bothered to return the greeting, although they stepped up to join us, their elaborate skirts twirling around their legs. Both wore expensive-looking jewels around their throats and wound through their hair and gold embroidery flashed on their gowns.
“I knew it couldn’t have been your idea, Lucas.” Natalya rolled her eyes before fixing me with a condescending look. “No prince would choose to invite someone who would dress like that.”
I puffed up and opened my mouth to give a response that was very far from wise indeed. It was one thing for them to constantly insult me, but the dress belonged to Coralie—the kindest person I had ever met.
But Lucas spoke before I could actually get any words out.
“On the contrary, you all look lovely. My celebration is graced by your presence.” And he gave a half-bow, his gesture including all four of us.
Coralie, whose mouth had fallen open at Natalya’s blatant insult, flushed with pleasure, so I swallowed my words. If she hadn’t noticed the bored, court manners—so obviously insincere—then I wasn’t going to point them out.
“If you’ll excuse me…” With another half-bow, Lucas escaped, moving on to greet his next guest, no doubt, now that his responsibility to us was complete.
“Well, obviously he didn’t mean you,” Natalya said.
“He was just being polite.” Lavinia pursed her lips and glared at me.
I just shook my head. “Are you two actually serious right now? I thought your families were supposed to be important or something. Isn’t all this a little beneath you?”
Both of them swelled with anger at my mention of their families, but Calix strolled over at that moment, and looked down enquiringly at his sister.
“Nat? What are you doing slumming it over here?” His eyes raked disdainfully from my head to my toes.
“Following around royalty, of course, Calix,” I said with a laugh. “Where she always is.”
Calix raised an eyebrow. “The kitten has claws.” He smiled. “Better watch out kitty, there are lions prowling tonight.”
He gripped both girls by the elbows, drawing them with him as he sauntered away.
“Well,” said Coralie after a moment of silence. “I don’t know what’s gotten into everyone tonight. Am I the only one who came here planning to actually enjoy myself?”
“I know what it is.” I sighed. “It’s me. They’ve gotten used to having me at the Academy, but it’s another thing altogether seeing me at the palace.” I gestured around us. “At this. Here I really don’t belong.”
Coralie looked at me uneasily, and I could tell she didn’t want to agree but couldn’t quite bring herself to disagree, either.
The orchestra had been playing since we arrived, couples circling the dance floor, and as we stood silently, a young man approached us. He gave a small bow to Coralie and held out an inviting hand.
“Dance with me?”
Coralie bit her lip and looked over at me.
“Go.” I made a shooing motion with my hand. “You’re here to enjoy yourself, remember?”
Her face still looked tentative, but when she turned it back to the other mage it transformed into a blinding smile.
“I would love to. I’m Coralie, by the way, a trainee at the Academy.”
“Ah, that would explain why I haven’t seen you around. I’m at the University.”
He led her away, the two of them disappearing into the crowd. I glanced back at the table, considering taking a plate of food just so that I wouldn’t feel so awkward.
But when my eyes fell on Dariela, standing not far away, I decided to approach her instead. It was a whim, really, since we didn’t exactly talk at the Academy. But seeing her here in a different context—and standing alone—it suddenly struck me that she looked lonely.
And it occurred to me that she always looked a little alone, even when standing in the middle of a crowd. She might sit with the twins and their friends, but she was like Lucas—with them and yet also apart somehow.
I walked over with a smile and a greeting, complimenting her dress since it seemed like a safe place to start. She stared at me in silent surprise, and I began to regret the momentary fellow feeling that had propelled
me over to her.
“Thank you,” she said, after far too long a pause, before we both descended into silence again. I tried to think of something else to say but hadn’t come up with anything when she gave me a single head nod and strode away. I winced and contemplated returning to the food, after all.
“Elena of Kingslee,” said a gruff voice, before I could actually do so. “You’ve made quite a name for yourself, young lady.”
Slowly I turned to face the speaker. The two men in front of me wore open robes displaying elaborate uniforms beneath. Only ten people present tonight were wearing robes, and I didn’t need the gold and silver colors in front of me to tell me who these two were.
General Thaddeus I recognized, and the man beside him—the speaker—could only be General Griffith, Head of the Armed Forces of Ardann. I caught sight of Natalya and Calix half way across the ballroom, watching us. Lavinia had disappeared—dancing, perhaps—and a taller boy had joined them. He had Natalya’s dark coloring and was no doubt their older brother, Julian.
I sighed. I should have known the twins weren’t done with me yet. No doubt I had them to thank for sending these new arrivals in my direction. Belatedly I gave a head nod that might have been mistaken for a half-bow.
“Yes, sir, I’m Elena.”
“Smaller than I pictured,” he said, his measuring eyes weighing me and no doubt finding me wanting in greater ways than my height.
“I’m a sixteen-year-old girl, what were you expecting? A giant?”
He raised an eyebrow at my heated response, and I wished I could take back the words. The specter of my class mates lurked on the other side of the room, but I needed to remember that this man was far more than just their father. He was one of the ten most powerful mages in the kingdom. Why couldn’t I learn to control my tongue?
“I was unfortunately busy elsewhere and unable to witness the recreation of your composition for myself,” General Griffith said. “Although Thaddeus here tells me there could be no mistaking it.” His tone implied that his business had naturally been of far greater importance than anything going on here.
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