by Delia Roan
Cyndrae made a noncommittal noise and placed another jewel in Jenna’s curls. “It is the traditional garb for a troeben concert. Now, we must be on our way.”
Jenna shuffled her way down the hallway, with Cyndrae and two guards flanking her. She’d never seen the castle this empty before. Their footsteps echoed. Jenna licked her lips.
I think I might throw up.
As they approached the grand chamber where she’d interrupted Kovos and Lithyon’s ceremony, the buzz of voices and light music filled the air. Jenna inhaled sharply as she saw the opulence of the crowd. The bright promise of the bonding ceremony had been replaced with lavish finery. Ennoi in fine robes milled about, finding their seats and chatting. A band of children played instruments upon the stage, and servants wandered through the crowd, offering refreshments.
Jenna turned to Cyndrae. “I don’t think I can do this!”
Can I disappoint Kovos?
Cyndrae shrugged, but apprehension flashed across her face. “There is a considerable crowd today. Perhaps word of your performance spread.”
“There you are!” Lithyon strode towards Jenna, her arms outstretched. Like Jenna, she was adorned from head to foot in jewels, but unlike Jenna’s, Lithyon’s jewels reflected her colors. Jenna suddenly felt very plain in her white diamonds, next to Lithyon’s rich blue and green lumi.
“We searched high and low for you,” Lithyon said.
“I’m sorry I missed the rehearsal.”
“You missed your performance window, also.”
“No! I’m so sorry!” Jenna twisted her hands together.
Lithyon waved a hand. “It is of no consequence. We can remedy the situation.” She took Jenna’s hand and twirled her around, setting small sparks of light dancing on the walls. “My, you are lovely, though.”
Jenna smiled. “Thank you! Cyndrae does good work.” She gestured to Lithyon’s gown. “Your dress is amazing! Those jewels are exquisite.”
Lithyon placed her fingertips on her brow. “They come from the mines of Cadam. It is how the Ennoi Cadam accrued their wealth.” She ran a finger down her chest, and a smile tinged with sadness tugged the corners of her mouth. “It was to be my wedding gown.”
“Oh.” What do I say to that? Jenna shuffled her feet. “The jewels must be expensive.”
“A gift from Kovos. He has an expansive heart. I’m sure you already know he is generous in all matters.” Lithyon smiled again, fully this time. “It’ll make a fine performance gown for tonight. If you will excuse me, I must see about reordering the performances.”
She strode away, her back straight and her head held high, nodding to various Ennoi dignitaries as she went. Jenna felt a rush of regret. If she hadn’t come along, Lithyon would be an engaged woman, planning her wedding, and celebrating the Glorious Moons Festival. Instead, she got to wear the most important dress of her life to a concert.
“Come,” Cyndrae said, taking Jenna’s arm. “We must take our place and wait for our cue.”
Once she was seated on a small couch beside the stage, nerves began to flutter in Jenna’s stomach. The heavy beaded jacket weighed her down, and she struggled to keep from slouching. Not to mention the fine sheen of sweat building on her brow.
It was strange sitting out here in the open. The Ennoi dignitaries seemed more interested in her than in the concert. Jenna shifted in her seat, aware of the eyes focused on her, and of the whispers that seemed to fill the air.
She chided herself. Of course they’re gaping, Jenna. You’re as much an alien to them as they are to you.
With as much casualness as she could muster, she looked around the auditorium, trying to spot Kovos in the crowd. It didn’t take long. He stared at her with an intensity that set her cheeks blazing. She waved her hand at him in a small gesture, and he slowly nodded back. His honor guard leaned in and whispered in his ear, and Kovos’s mouth quirked.
Beside her, Cyndrae leaned in. “My lady, it would be best to keep your eyes on the stage. The Ennoi prefer a show of strength and stoicism.”
“Right.” With a reluctant smile, Jenna turned back to the stage, where the children were hitting the final notes on their song. As the song faded, Jenna lifted her hands to clap. “Wow, they’re a-”
Cyndrae stilled Jenna’s hand.
“No, my lady,” she whispered. “We sit in silence for a moment to thank the performers for their music.”
Jenna shot a guilty look around the room. She was the center of attention again. An Ennoi lady dressed in brown and yellow tittered behind her hand.
At some unheard signal, the crowd relaxed and began to chat. A few tapped their feet on the floor as the children filed off, led away by an elderly Ennoi man in a deep blue robe.
“Well, how am I supposed to know I was supposed to stay quiet? People talked all through the performance,” Jenna grumbled under her breath.
“You will learn our ways,” Cyndrae responded. “It is expected of you as Lord Kovos’s mate.”
A commotion to the side of the stage drew Jenna’s attention. She sat up as Lithyon strode onto the stage, carrying her troeben.
Despite the heavy beadwork, Lithyon moved gracefully. She smiled and waved in appreciation, as the crowd slammed their feet into the ground, setting up a thumping beat which echoed across the room.
“So, you make the noise at the start of the performance?” Jenna asked.
“Not quite. My lady Lithyon is very popular. They show their appreciation for her, not for her music.”
Jenna’s reply was drowned out by the first solemn peals of the troeben. Standing on the stage, Lithyon looked every inch a princess. Her fingers flicked over the strings with precision. Despite the strength required to pluck the instrument, and the concentration required to keep the melody, Lithyon’s face remained placid.
The music flowed from Lithyon’s fingers like water, spilling across the crowd. Every bass note vibrated in Jenna’s breastbone, and to her surprise, tears prickled her eyes. The music evoked a feeling of great loss and pain.
Jenna closed her eyes.
Kovos said he loves Lithyon like a sister, but it sounds like she doesn’t feel the same about him.
A hand on her shoulder made Jenna start. Cyndrae stood before her.
“We must prepare. Your turn is next.”
Jenna’s eyes widened. “What!?”
Cyndrae shot a warning glance from under her lashes. “Keep your voice down, and school your face, my lady. Many eyes watch.”
They followed a short corridor to the back of the stage. Jenna looked around at the heavy curtains. Through a gap, she could see Lithyon’s straight back. The fabric of her gown stuck to the sweat on her spine. Playing the troeben the way it was intended took effort.
Jenna took a deep breath and licked her lips. “I-I can’t go up there. I can’t even hit all the bass notes every time!”
“Don’t worry, my lady.” Cyndrae pointed to a small section on the troeben. “There is a built-in microphone. Hit the button and it will transmit the music through the chamber, as well as to the crowd listening below.”
“There are people listening outside?” Her knees wobbled.
“And across Ennoi space, my lady.” Cyndrae brushed imaginary dirt off Jenna’s overcoat, and straightened a jewel in Jenna’s hair.
Jenna pressed her hands to her mouth. “I can’t do this. I can’t even lift my hand to mess with my hair! How am I going to play the troeben?”
Cyndrae paused in her fussing over Jenna’s hair. She tilted her head, and her eyes quickly darted around the room. The guards stood a distance off, but Jenna got the sense that they were watching her, even as they kept their gazes straight ahead. Cyndrae placed her hands on Jenna’s shoulders.
“May I speak plainly, my lady?”
“Of course,” Jenna said. “You can always be honest with me.”
“You must do this, Jenna,” Cyndrae said. Her navy blue eyes were flecked with g
old, and her gaze pinned Jenna with its intensity. “The crowd expects to see you perform tonight, and you must. They wish to take your measure. They wish to see a strong woman who can pair well with Lord Kovos. You will lose honor if you do not.”
Jenna snorted. “I don’t give a fig about honor!”
“No, you do not, but the Ennoi do.” Cyndrae placed the troeben pick in Jenna’s hand. “Lord Kovos does. Your failure will reflect poorly upon him.”
Jenna bit her lip. “Well, crap.”
Cyndrae patted her arm. “We Ennoi prize honor and strength above all else. If you cannot hold back your emotions, then present a strong front. Look the part of Lord Kovos’s Avowed.”
Jenna nodded. “Fake it ‘til you make it. I can do that. Nobody better at faking it than me.” She squared her shoulders, then winced as the heavy fabric pulled her shoulders forward. “I don’t know if I can fake it in this straight jacket, though.”
Again, Cyndrae’s eyes flickered to the guards. She leaned in and lowered her voice. “Tell me what I can do to help.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
KOVOS
As the final notes of Lithyon’s performance drifted through the auditorium, Kovos leaned back. When Lithyon’s eyes sought him out in the ensuing silence, he tilted his head in acknowledgment. He made a mental note to ask his mother about the performance so he could hold an intelligent conversation with Lithyon later.
He hadn’t heard a single note.
All he had eyes for was Jenna. Jenna. The way she tilted her head. The way her lashes lay against her cheek as the music swept her away. The way the corners of her mouth twitched upwards when she had an amusing thought, and downward when she thought something dark.
He knew she held darkness within her heart. He’d been in enough battles to know how violence and trauma affected soldiers and civilians. That loss of innocence was the reason he fought the Council so hard. Why he worked so hard to bring peace to his people.
Jenna was a symbol of everything he failed to uphold all those years ago. Her presence should have been an open wound, goading him into suffering. Yet, he couldn’t stop watching her. It was a strange sensation, to be so attuned to her shifts in mood. Oddly enough, it made him cognizant of his own unhappiness.
As the crowd broke the quiet and stomped for Lithyon, Kovos stood and stretched as subtly as he could. By the Moons, my body aches!
Lithyon bowed, and lifted her troeben with one arm. Kovos knew the heavy instrument probably taxed her strength, but she barely shook as she walked off the stage, her head held high. Her gown sent sparkles dancing across the crowd, whose cheers only grew louder.
He was trying to work the kinks out of his shoulders when a hush fell upon the crowd. A small figure stood at the edge of the stage, her head bowed, her eyes downcast, and her hands clasped together.
Jenna.
She’d removed the jeweled overcoat, and stood in the simple gown most performers wore beneath. The white dress seemed to make her porcelain skin glow, and brought out the gold in her hair.
Kovos realized he was the only one standing, and sank down to his seat. Even from this distance, Kovos saw the tremble in her shoulders. His stomach churned.
Be brave, moonsong. Do not show your fear.
Almost as if she heard his thoughts, Jenna took a deep breath. Her shoulders straightened, her head rose, and her brilliant blue eyes sought out his. When she saw him, he expected her to smile, but she merely nodded. He nodded back.
A pair of servants brought a learner’s troeben to the center of the stage. Jenna walked behind them, and once they set down the instrument, her lips moved. Kovos couldn’t hear her words from this distance, but both servants bowed deeply to Jenna as they left.
She touches people. Kovos thought of Cyndrae, and how the servant’s scales had risen in defense of Jenna. Her kindness endears her to them.
Jenna licked her lips, but when she spoke, her voice held no nerves. “It is an honor to appear before the great clans of the Ennoi. In my brief time here, I have been amazed by your generosity of soul, and inspired by the richness of your culture. You have all given me so much. I wanted to express my gratitude for this opportunity to give back to the Ennoi people.”
Yaldir leaned in, his voice low. “She’s laying it on a bit thick.”
Kovos shot a glance around the room, taking in the rapt faces. “They’re lapping it up, though.”
“She is learning to play Ennoi games.” Yaldir sounded impressed.
On stage, Jenna continued. “I shall play a song from Earth.”
Jenna settled in front of the troeben. She paused with her hook above the strings, and then began to pluck out a melody. The notes floated out across the silent auditorium. While Lithyon’s song had been full of melancholy and hardship, this song stuck to the high notes, giving the song a hopeful and joyful air.
A strange mixture of feelings stirred inside Kovos. It took him a moment to place them all. Happiness. Contentment. Pride. They didn’t come from the music, but from the sight of Jenna. He placed his hand on his chest as the tension eased from his shoulders. Her fingers danced across the strings, but the notes were strong and deliberate, like she played each for his ears only.
For this moment, it didn’t matter that he’d missed a Council meeting, or that war loomed. For this moment, his only concern was to abide and listen to Jenna’s music. For this moment, he was not a prince, nor a warrior, but a man enjoying life.
Thank you for this gift, Jenna.
Kovos was lost deep within the music, when Yaldir bolted to his feet.
“What is it?” Kovos murmured to his friend. Then he sat up himself. His instincts stirred, and the skin along his neck and back prickled.
“Something is amiss,” Yaldir said, his voice low. His eyes scanned the crowd below.
“I feel it too.” Kovos stood.
The auditorium was no longer silent. Above the high notes, he could hear faint thumps and shouts coming from beyond the walls.
“What-”
An explosion rocked the room, sending shards of marble shooting into the crowd. Screams erupted as smoke and fire billowed into the chamber.
An elderly Ennoi pointed to the figures pouring into the room. “Sykorians!” A Sykorian soldier raised his weapon, and the man fell, his chest cut open by the blast. Beside him, his wife screamed. Her eyes wide, she charged the Sykorian, only to suffer the same fate as her husband.
“Kovos!” Yaldir tossed Kovos a ceremonial sword, and Kovos caught the hilt in mid-air. He vaulted a row of seats, and cut down an enemy soldier heading toward Lady Tamlhen.
“They’re targeting Council members!” Kovos bellowed. “Get the Council to safety!”
“Kovos!” Jenna’s scream, amplified by the microphone on her troeben, cut through the chaos of the battle and straight into his heart. On stage, several Sykorians strode toward Jenna. She backed away, the hook held in front of her as her only weapon.
“No,” she said. “Stay away from me!”
A Sykorian hissed at her. The microphone only picked up a scattering of sounds, but Kovos made out some of the words. “There’s the pretty little prize.”
“Jenna! Hold on!” Kovos stepped back as a Sykorian dove toward him. Half his attention remained on the stage, even as he fought.
On stage, Jenna shook her head. “Stop! Get back!” Her voice echoed over the chaos. She swung the hook, and caught the Sykorian’s arm, tearing open his thick skin. He snarled and his hand shot out for Jenna, reaching for the Promise Stone around her neck.
With a scream, Jenna drove the troeben hook into the side of his neck. Thick blood squirted from the wound, covering Jenna’s gown. Her eyes widened, and her body froze. The Sykorian fell, wrenching her only weapon from her fingers.
His heart lurched as rage blossomed across his chest. His vision narrowed. “Jenna!”
They will not have her!
Beside him, Yaldir shoved his shou
lder. “Go. I’ll handle this mess.”
Kovos didn’t look back. He leaped the seats, his focus solely on the Sykorians. Another one reached out to Jenna, and she swung her fist in desperation. The Sykorian laughed as Jenna’s attack went wild. His laughter turned to surprise as Kovos drove the blade into his body, before throwing his corpse aside. The other Sykorians charged, and Kovos made quick work of them.
He turned to Jenna, and the fear in her eyes broke his heart. “Jenna! Come to me!”
She flew to him. He wrapped his arms around her, and scooped her up. The reek of Sykorian blood grew as she buried her face in his neck. Her panicked breath puffed against his collar. He worried that the jewels on his robes might cut her delicate skin.
“What do they want from me?” Jenna sobbed.
“I have you, my love” he said. His voice boomed through the auditorium. “You are safe now.”
He turned to take stock of the room. Yaldir, the guards and Council members were pushing back against the Sykorians. For all their cantankerous behavior, the Council had earned their positions on the battlefield. They were leaders and warriors, deep in their hearts. Death and destruction did not faze them. Kovos saw a flashing whirlwind of blue and green amongst the Sykorians.
Lithyon.
Her gown was shredded up both seams, freeing her long legs, and her hair fell from its braids, but she moved with a lethal fluidity. She caught his eye and raised her blade to him. “Kovos! Up here!”
He shook his head. He didn’t want to carry Jenna into further danger. His only thought was to get her to safety — away from the Sykorians, away from the screaming, the smell of blood and the flames that blackened the marble walls.
He spun away, cradling his precious treasure.
“Kovos!” Lithyon’s voice was harsh with emotion, but he would not be diverted.
Instead he ran, away from the audition chamber, away from the Ennoi, cradling the only one who mattered. He’d pay for the choice later, he knew, but in this moment, nothing seemed as important. Ennoi were not weak. They would fight. They would win. Jenna needed him. She was not a fighter.