by R. C. Reigh
Literally.
That was my title.
“Their loss,” Amelia chimed, but when I heard someone mention the arena and a broadsword competition, it seriously made me consider being not so ladylike and elbowing my way in.
Before I could reconsider, the professor had approached us for a chat.
Amelia engaged in his not-so-witty conversation with a patient poise that was oftentimes beyond me. She was a princess blessed with both beauty and grace, and while she was more full-figured than her sisters or myself, she wore those curves well. She looked so regal talking politics in her tiara, long wavy locks, and official Avonlee green garb. At home she had always been polished and proper, but I had rarely seen her wear her formal attire.
It was just another sign that everything was changing. It would only be a few more years before she would take her place among the elitist monarchs, as expected.
As for me, my future path still remained to be seen.
While Amelia chatted up Professor plaid plants, I started checking out the competition. Adam was responsible for gathering the details on the guys, so it was up to me to size up the ladies. There were no second year nobles from the land of Dragons or Carpathia in the group, so I let my attention wander casually as I scoped out the others.
The Necromancer’s daughter caught my eye first. Interestingly enough, when she walked into the courtyard I don’t think there had been an eye she hadn’t caught. Some sort of weird silent drama had played out.
Boys had seen desire.
Girls had seen jealousy.
As for me, well, I just saw a total badass and I had immediately pegged her as my number one competitor out of the bunch. An aura of powerful magic already shimmered around her and I could tell that one of two things would happen: we’d either become bitter rivals or the best of friends. I hoped for the latter. I could use an ally with that kind of power.
All of the inhabitants of Vaalbara had some level of magic skill. The shifters and the Fae were magical beings by nature. They each had their own special types of magic, which also meant that they were the strongest and most powerful in skill. No one knew which of the three had the most advanced capabilities and because of our kingdoms’ violent history and extreme distrust of one another, they weren’t keen on sharing.
We humans had the capacity to learn sorcery, but it took us much longer to attain the skill set, if at all. That being said, it was possible for a human to become a powerful magician, the Necromancer and his daughter were proof of that.
Amelia had little talent in the arena and a bit of useful everyday magic, but nothing close to the skill level I’d worked my behind off to attain. As a princess she hadn’t really seen the need to pursue advanced magic. She had a slew of servants and castle workers at her call to handle mundane tasks like cooking or cleaning. She wasn’t into fighting, which meant she also had zero interest in learning combat magic. It was why I had been named her honorary guard.
My personal goal was to hone my magical proficiency during my time at the Bastion, and I had my sights set on a very particular ancient skill set.
Kelnar.
Turning my focus onto the next royal, I shifted away from the conversation and pretended to be admiring a cluster of lavender wisteria. I gently pulled its purple blossoms toward my nose as I eyed the princess of Alstare and her entourage. They were also human and, like us, they probably had at least some practical magic capability, but they looked so pallid and frail, as if they’d never lifted a finger to do anything in their lives. I discounted them immediately.
That left only the Fae princess to assess, Lady Celeste of Lorenia. Her thick dark hair fell into perfectly coiled ringlets at her shoulders and a shimmer of gold radiated from her brown skin. She wore that certain commanding and confident smile that only a Phenom could pull off. She was the real deal. Her emissaries however left me wondering. It was hard to get a read on them, but maybe that was the point. Never underestimate a Fae.
I dropped the cluster and flicked one of its leaves before I rejoined Amelia and the professor.
I tugged at my dress. While most girls were comfortable in our everyday attire, I preferred my practice gear and pants to corsets and cinched bodice gowns any day.
My gaze roamed around the courtyard again and I couldn’t help but find it exhilarating to be around so many equals. I found myself wondering what the other students would be like. Somewhere on the grounds of the 900 acre academy, years Tertius and Quartrus would surely be having similar soirees. Primus was not set to join us until two months into term. Apparently, as the youngest of us, they were to undergo intense training to bring them up to speed prior to their arrival.
Most of the students attending the Bastion were of some sort of noble blood, but after the wars between our people and the subsequent attacks from the creatures beyond our realm, our numbers had dwindled leaving so few behind there wasn’t much room for discrimination over birthright.
It wasn’t until after the Siege of Shadows, the great battle where our kingdoms united to fight the rampant attacks of vampires, goblins, and all manner of evil creatures from beyond the mountains, that our peoples were able to begin to recover.
The melting pot, AKA the Bastion, was supposed to encourage unity and intermingling of our kingdoms and of our people, to learn from one another and forge alliances. That was exactly what I was hoping to get out of my time here.
Finally, Amelia and I excused ourselves from the professor and made our way to the beverage table.
As I took in the grandeur of the scene, I thought of my family back home and the expectation on my shoulders. In Avonlee there were few that had the capabilities we nobles did. Privilege afforded opportunity and that fact was definitely not lost on me. Most people were just struggling to get by. Thanks to the wolves, it was getting better.
As I brought my glass to my lips, I saw Amelia and Adam steal another glance.
I sighed. An annoying sense of guilt was tugging at my brain.
Why was helping Amelia starting to feel like treason? When I looked around the courtyard I knew most of these kingdoms could annihilate us. That’s probably why I found myself thanking my stars there wasn’t a shifter from Carpathia in this courtyard tonight or their hypersensitive noses may have been able to smell the reek of betrayal all over me.
Amelia
I trotted down the steps to the Avonlee convocation room for my meeting and formal tour with the tower staff. Also known as the consortium, each kingdom had a similar large formal entertaining space located in the lowest level below both their boys’ and girls’ dormitories.
As princess of Avonlee, I was in charge of overseeing the towers, although it was more of a formality. Our head housekeeper, Opheria, ran the day to day business. Even though we had already been in our rooms the night before, this was to be the first in-depth tour of the towers that would be our home for the next several months.
My footsteps echoed off of the stone steps as I passed the second floor and continued downward.
My mind wandered to the previous evening’s soiree. The entire night had been a blur. I had been caught up in a whirlwind of introductions. We had met so many wonderful people that I didn’t know if it was even possible to remember all their names, no matter how hard I tried. Cora had seemed eager for me to greet and shake hands with every single person in attendance, and I was certain she had a motive behind it. I would have to give her this round, because I hadn’t even had a chance to speak with Adam all night.
I woke up this morning a wreck of nerves and apprehension over stepping foot inside of the cafeteria for breakfast. My mission had been to find Prince Dane, pull him aside, and simply explain that our engagement was foolish. Without an ounce of hesitation, he would agree and, just like that, the betrothal portion of our treaty would be over. At least, that was the best-case scenario I had tried to convince myself would be possible.
The truth was that I had no idea how he would react. Why would he want to enter in
to a marriage he didn’t have to when he could get out of it no harm, no foul? One would think it to be a no-brainer, right? At least that was what I hoped.
Unfortunately, breakfast had been a disappointment. Apparently, sparring first thing in the morning was more the style of the Carpathian boys than eating. When the time for my morning tower meeting had drawn near, I reluctantly tore my attention away from the table across the room and the futile attempt I was making to mentally will the Carpathian boys to materialize into its empty chairs.
Reliving that moment now wasn’t any less frustrating than it was then. I gave a heavy sigh as I reached the bottom of the steps snf ventured out into the convocation room.
My mood lifted instantly when I found that Adam was already waiting for me. A grin spread across his face as those dusty colored eyes watched me move toward him. The tingling of anticipation flittered over my skin and the butterfly within my heart set to gently batting her wings. It always did when he was near.
I had insisted Cora go tour the competition and practice facilities today. While she had wanted to attend the meeting, I knew her heart was truly in the arena. She had clearly been aching to visit the various training spaces since our arrival. Besides, her absence meant that Adam and I were finally alone.
"Princess," he greeted me as he stretched out a hand for mine. He bowed his head in halfhearted formality. “You’re looking as lovely as ever today."
I could feel the blush across my skin.
He pulled me in close to him and our eyes met each others’. He raised my hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss upon it.
"Come now, Adam. Is that the proper way to greet your lady in the absence of watchful eyes?"
He chuckled as he rested his hand on the back of my hair and gently pulled my face toward his. His lips hovered over mine for a moment before I tilted my chin up to meet them.
The kiss was sweet and soft, but ended all too soon when the echo of footsteps in the stairwell could be heard drawing near. I let out a sigh and reluctantly pulled away from his arms as he moved to place an appropriate distance between us.
“Welcome, Princess Amelia and Count Adam,” Opheria curtseyed when she entered. Her cheerful smile formed crinkles at the outer edges of her soft brown eyes.
She was a healthy woman, despite being a head shorter than me, and she possessed a kind of matronly warmth that made me feel right at home.
For the greater part of the morning we climbed up and down the towers, learning the ins and outs of both the boy’s and girl’s dormitories, as well as the gathering areas we all shared. Each floor had a series of suites and common living areas. There were also several meeting rooms and healing areas, as well as open floors to hold meetings or larger Avoleean gatherings.
I felt at ease conducting this type of business. It was natural for me after all of the conditioning and training I had been put through at home. I also enjoyed meeting and interacting with the Avonleean staff. For the next several months we would be sharing the same home and it was vital for us to be comfortable with one another.
My parents had a rule I firmly believed in, always treat the people who work for you with respect, because you would be nothing without them. It was true. I may be the big decision maker for now, but they were the lifeblood that made our world work and kept it running. Mutual respect had been ingrained into my siblings, cousins, and I at an early age. It was the only way I knew how to rule.
After the meeting, I bid a cordial farewell to the staff and Adam before making my way to the lunchroom.
A ball of nerves was quickly forming in my stomach again. I had no idea what to expect from the prince. In fact, I had only a basic idea of what he might look like. He had one portrait in our castle. Unfortunately, it only depicted him as a black wolf with coppery attributes, so unless he was in there furry and on all fours I had nothing but a vague secondhand description to go on.
When I entered the room, the savory scent of beef and roasted vegetables welcomed me. I glanced around the space before making my way to the Avonlee table. Formal classes weren’t to start for another two days and I wanted to get this over with before then, thus, allowing ourselves to be able to walk into the full spectrum of the Bastion free of the tether that bound us. A perfect start.
Settling into the seat next to Cora, I anxiously scanned across the room. The Carpathian table was crowded. So crowded, in fact, that I couldn’t determine if any of the boys seated there was the prince.
I chewed the inside of my lip as Cora’s eyes slid over. She tore off a chunk of her bread as she watched me. Her face was emotionless while she followed my frustrated gaze to the Carpathian table and back again. She then gave me one of her signature eye rolls before returning her attention to her lunch.
She clearly thought I was being naïve, but I wasn’t. I was determined.
There was a sudden ruckus followed by roaring laughter from one side of the Carpathian table. Again, to my dismay, I had no idea who was who. I spotted a boy in the middle of a crowd there who might fit his description. . . maybe? I couldn’t really tell for sure. With a sigh of disappointment, I slouched in my seat.
“I am going to regret even asking this,” Cora didn’t bother to look at me as she stabbed at a side plate of leafy greens with her fork, “but what’s on the agenda this afternoon?”
I picked at my cuticles before turning my attention toward her.
“Tactics,” I said, glaring once again at the wolves’ table. “We need to devise a sure-fire way to speak with him privately.” I ignored her disapproving stare.
Like it or not, we were doing this. It had to happen.
That being said, it was a delicate matter. I couldn’t stroll up to him in the middle of his friends and subjects demanding we break off our engagement. If I wanted to keep my freedom, I would have to convince him to end the arrangement and still keep the peace between our kingdoms.
* * * *
After finishing our lunches, Cora and I returned to our quarters. One of the turret workers approached me with a beautifully scribed invitation from the Fae princess as we arrived. Opening the delicate paper, I quickly glanced it over.
Lady Celeste of the Fae was requesting that we join her for tea in three days’ time. I had quickly jotted down my reply when I spotted Cora on our balcony, staring out toward the Bastion gates to Laramidia, the capitol city formed when the seven kingdoms united.
“We have been invited to tea with Lady Celeste of the Fae on Tuesday evening,” I advised as I passed under the transom and crossed the stone threshold to join her outside.
“Hmmm?” Cora lowered her brow, still looking out toward the main gates. She had been off since her return from the arena this morning, as if lost in some distant train of thought. Even while at lunch I had the suspicion something might be going on.
“We are having tea with the Faes?” I raised the paper into her peripheral vision. She held out her hand. While I was more than capable of spelling off my own letters, sending off formal correspondences was technically an emissarial duty and I was willing to concede to the formality.
“Oh, yeah. Right. Sure,” she half-heartedly replied as I handed her the paper bearing our crest. She spelled it without a second glance and lightly tossed it into the air. It began to fall before it finally took off, on its journey to the Faes.
“What’s wrong, Cora?”
She was quiet for several seconds before she finally turned her weary eyes to me.
“When I was at the Dome earlier, I overheard the Bastion guards discussing a sighting of three goblins outside the fortress walls last night.” Her expression conveyed both her concern and maybe even a hint of excitement.
While attacks from the vile creatures that lurked outside of Vaalbara were not unheard of, they were not all that common either. Well, not in my lifetime, anyway. That being said, the presence of goblins this far inside of the realm was worrisome.
Our kingdoms were located in a natural feature similar to that of a calde
ra. There was only one flatland pass located in Kearnox at the mouth of the mountain. The pass had been secured magically by the necromancer during the Siege of Shadows and had sealed off access to Vaalbara from infiltrators.
His actions that day were really the only reason our people had tolerated his kingdom in our allegiance. With the pass secured, breaches from the outer realms almost always occurred in the vast mountain ranges that formed a natural border around all of Vaalbara and were usually immediately detected and dispatched.
“We all knew they would be interested in the Bastion, what with all of the kingdom's royal heirs in one place.” I let my eyes follow hers toward Laramidia and the northern gate before I continued, “That was the reason it took twenty-five years to build the Bastion, right? With all the countless layers of physical and magical protection it is impenetrable. I am certain we are safer here than at home, even.”
“Yeah, maybe. We still need to be prepared.” Her expression was resolute before she let out a sigh. “I guess I’m anxious to start training as soon as possible. All of this parading around in a dress is making me soft.” Cora’s face soured as she tugged at the fabric of her skirts.
I knew what she must be thinking. She had goals she wanted to accomplish during her time at the Bastion, but if it came down to it she’d put my safety first every time. Even at the expense of pursuing her own dreams.
I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze before I stepped back inside to retrieve a gift I had commissioned for her. When I returned, she was staring across the horizon again.
I could see the uneasy feeling plainly on her face. Cora was a skilled fighter and, as crazy as it seemed, when it came to Vampires or Goblins, all five-foot-five and one-hundred-eighteen unassuming pounds of her was nearly as deadly as the wolves.