by K. A. Linde
Dean gave her a meaningful look. “She was kicked out of the palace soon afterward. So…let’s try not to have a repeat.”
“I promise, I won’t ply you with chocolate,” Cyrene said with a laugh.
“But can I ply you with chocolate?”
Her eyes lit up. Eleysian chocolate was a delicacy. “I’m not sure I’d ever say no to chocolate.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Cyrene flushed and turned her attention back to the water.
The ship docked into Fifth Harbor, and their party exited the giant Eleysian sea vessel.
Dean walked down the broad wooden dock with his three men ever present at his side. Cyrene and her friends followed behind them until they stopped in front of a collection of small banana-shaped boats swaying in the water.
“After you,” Dean said. “The gondolas will take you anywhere in the city you would like to go. I would love to extend the invitation to stay in the palace to the rest of you, if you all would care to join us.”
Orden smiled and shook Dean’s hand. “Much appreciated. But we’ll be on our way now.”
Ahlvie smirked. “Thanks for the ride.” They clasped hands, and Cyrene could just barely hear the threat in his voice when he leaned in and whispered, “Take care of them.”
Cyrene sighed and rolled her eyes. Men!
Orden and Ahlvie disappeared into the first gondola with promises to meet up again soon. She nodded and watched them leave with a forlorn smile. The last time they had split up…her world had turned to chaos.
Avoca clasped Cyrene’s arm the way they had during their Bound ceremony. “I don’t feel right about leaving you.”
“We will be nearby, Avoca. You’ll always know if something is wrong.”
“But I will not be in the castle to stop it.”
“I’ll be okay. Let’s just follow he plan,” Cyrene pleaded.
Avoca nodded once and then hurried into the gondola. Ceis’f followed her without a word. Cyrene watched them go with a sad sigh. Right now, she needed to be in the palace, and she needed everyone else on the outside, looking for Matilde and Vera. It was a big island. Who knew how long it would actually take?
“Ready?” Dean asked, offering her his arm.
“Of course,” she said.
Darmian offered his arm to Maelia.
“Thank you,” Maelia whispered, seemingly surprised by the attention.
“My pleasure,” Darmian responded with a smile.
Hmm…curious.
Cyrene stepped into the flat-bottom gondola. It rocked slightly under her weight, but her sea legs were still with her from the journey from Aurum, and she righted easily. She took a seat, and Dean occupied the space next to her. Maelia and Darmian took the seats behind them, followed by Faylon and Clym.
The gondolier pushed off from the dock and began moving them down the main waterway into the city. Lanterns hung from posts that highlighted the channel winding forward before them. Even in the darkness, it was magical.
After passing a few other gondolas on the water, they came to a major intersection, and before Cyrene stretched the expanse of the Eleysian palace grounds. Sand-colored stone walls kept the rest of Eleysia from entrance to the royalty and the enormous palace beyond the walls.
The gondola stopped in front of a metal gate on the river. Upon seeing who was on board, slowly, the gate began to grind upward, revealing its sharp metal spikes. When it was high enough for their boat to safely pass through, the gondolier proceeded through the gate, and they were officially on palace grounds.
“Welcome to my home,” Dean whispered into her ear.
They glided to a wooden dock on a vast lake. The castle loomed over them in all its magnificence.
“Is this the only entrance?” Cyrene asked in awe.
“No. There are two main entrances on the grounds, but the waterways are for royalty.”
Cyrene shivered. It was so easy to forget that Dean was in fact Prince Dean Ellison of Eleysia.
When she had met him in the forest back in Aurum, he had just seemed like a privileged merchant’s son. No more, no less. He was charming and attractive but also thoughtful and honest. She had hidden her true self from him, but it had seemed, even then, like he knew more about her in that moment than most people ever would.
Cyrene half-expected a delegation to be awaiting their arrival, but there was no more than a page boy no older than twelve, holding a lantern for their arrival. The group exited the boat and walked over to the boy.
“Your Highness,” the boy said with a low bow. “The lady Queen was expecting your arrival yesterday.”
Dean sighed. “Tell my mother, the lady Queen,” he said dryly, “that I’ll have an audience with her in the morning.” His eyes turned to Cyrene. “I have someone for her to meet.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” the boy said.
He offered Cyrene his arm, and they walked the grounds and into the castle.
Despite the late hour, people milled around in the hallways of the palace. With the number of people Cyrene was seeing on the grounds, the palace had to be close to capacity. Byern’s Nit Decus castle was the biggest in all of Emporia, but as far as she knew, it hadn’t been near capacity in years. This place was bustling with people.
Dean smiled and nodded at people as he passed and was recognized, but he kept them walking. They went up two flights of stairs and then around a bend before they were finally alone with just their party of six.
“Here you are,” Dean said.
“You already had rooms prepared?” Cyrene asked in confusion.
“My mother always has visitor rooms prepped, especially for the holiday season. I think they’ll be to your liking. Affiliate Maelia’s room is just across the hall.”
“Thank you.”
“No, thank you for agreeing to come with me.”
Dean swept the loose waves of Cyrene’s dark brown hair from her face, and she remained perfectly still. His eyes were locked on hers, and for a moment, they dropped to her lips in question.
He bent down and pressed the softest kiss to her cheek. Her body moved toward him of its own accord. He smiled a devious smile, like he knew he had surprised her. But there was something else in his eyes that she couldn’t quite read in the dim lighting.
“Good night, Cyrene. Until tomorrow,” he said.
His Eleysian accent rolled her name around on his tongue, and she was certain that she would never appreciate it said any other way.
When he and his men disappeared back down the hallway, Maelia dashed to her side. “Did he kiss you?”
Cyrene touched her cheek in a daze. “Yes, he did.”
“I thought you just met.”
“We did.”
“Only you could bewitch a king and two princes,” Maelia teased.
Cyrene swatted at her. “Oh, shush. I haven’t bewitched him,” she said, entering her bedchamber. Maelia followed behind her. “I’m sure it was just…a nice gesture.”
Maelia’s mouth hung open. “So, how do you explain this?”
“I don’t know,” she breathed.
Before her was a suite…befitting a queen.
“Are you ready?” Maelia asked Cyrene.
Cyrene shook her head.
Despite the fact that she had been exhausted last night, she hadn’t been able to succumb to sleep. She had been lost in a nightmare of her magic destroying buildings and mowing down half of the Aurumian army. She couldn’t stop thinking about Kael Dremylon using magic, sword fights, injuries, and boat rides in the middle of the night.
And Dean. Whispering in her ear, his fingers in her hair, his lips on her cheek. With everything going on, she should be plotting her next move, but she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
There was no jolt of electricity. No tendrils connecting her to him. No current drawing them together, as if they were tethered on a string. No magnets or uncontrollable need that would practically sweep her off her feet.
None o
f that overpowering obsession.
Just the fluttering of her heart and the flush on her cheeks from the enticing ease of Dean Ellison.
She drew herself out of her thoughts once more and remembered where she was—facing the door to the Eleysian throne.
A man pushed the door open and announced to everyone in attendance, “Affiliate Cyrene Strohm and Affiliate Maelia Dallmer of Byern.”
As they walked down the white marble aisle, hushed whispers sprang up all around them. Cyrene was prominently wearing her Affiliate pin, a gold circle of Byern climbing vines, on the breast of her purple dress. It felt good to have it in place again.
The room was a large rectangular space with ceilings nearly three stories high. Three tiers of balconies were carved into the sandstone walls, and below each one hung a bright royal-blue banner with a winged lion inside the royal crest pictured in white. Rows of seating were set up like a theater and filled with every manner of nobility.
Cyrene assumed they must be the Eleysian Privy Council. The members were elected annually from each of the eight districts and the mainland.
The walkway ended with a royal-blue rug in front of a two-tiered platform and three gilded thrones with cushions in the Eleysian royal blue. Seated on the thrones were Queen Cassia, King Tomas, and Crown Princess Brigette, heir to the throne of Eleysia. There was a row of girls seated to the right, who must be the remainder of Dean’s sisters, and a group of men behind them that she guessed were their husbands.
And then there was Dean. She started when she caught his gaze. He had shaven his face to just a shadow across his jaw, and his hair, which had nearly reached his shoulders, had been cut almost as short as the Byern style. Her stomach dropped at how handsome he looked, and she chided herself for thinking of that when there were more important matters at hand.
Once they reached the dais, Cyrene and Maelia each dropped into a proper curtsy. She didn’t know about Maelia, but she was definitely hoping that Queen Cassia was less conniving than Queen Kaliana and Queen Jesalyn. Though Cyrene wouldn’t mind if Queen Cassia was as benevolent as Queen Shira.
“Rise, Affiliates,” Queen Cassia commanded.
Cyrene rose and got a good look at the Queen for the first time. She was a short, plump woman with dark red hair that her eldest daughter mirrored. She wore a simple royal-blue gown made from the sheer material that seemed to be in vogue in the Eleysian palace. A choker of fat white pearls ringed her neck, and she had a sapphire as big as a coin in each ear. It was unsurprising to see that she was heading into her years, considering she had twelve children, including Dean, who was the youngest and fully grown. But for all of that, she was regal and dignified with sharp eyes and unmatched poise.
“Welcome to Lombardy palace and to the country of Eleysia.”
They each bobbed another curtsy.
“It is our pleasure, Your Majesty,” Cyrene said.
“It has been quite some time since we’ve had an official delegation from Byern in our homeland. To see two Affiliates in our royal throne room with the blessing of my son warms my heart. Though your presence is most unexpected,” she said, letting the words hang in the air between them. “How exactly did we get this great honor?”
“Your Majesty, I have your son, Prince Dean, to thank for all of this. I was in Aurum when we met, but I didn’t know who he was.”
The Queen’s eyebrows rose significantly, and her eyes shifted to her son for a split second before returning to Cyrene.
“We became friends, and then when we were together again at a ball at the Aurum court, he offered to take me and my friend to visit Eleysia. I had always wanted to see the country, and I accepted his kind offer.”
Cyrene figured that was mostly the truth. It would have to suffice for now because she wasn’t about to get into the specifics.
“I see,” Queen Cassia said with a half-smile. “The country is open to visitors of all sorts, of course. Though I would be careful about how you behave in Eleysia.”
At the threat in the Queen’s voice, Cyrene could feel Maelia tense next to her.
“Previous visitors from Byern have been less than accepting of different…ideologies. It would be best that, while you are here as a guest, you perhaps keep your own beliefs to yourself,” she said carefully.
“We understand,” Cyrene said.
If she had come here fresh from Byern without spending any time in other countries and kingdoms, without traveling hard across the countryside, and without friends who could guide her through different customs, she would have been uncertain of what that meant. But no longer. She knew many countries believed that Byern’s customs should remain their own and not foisted onto anyone else. For a long time, she had thought there was only one right way to rule. Now, she could see that there were as many right ways as there were kingdoms…or queendoms.
“Neither myself or my companion have any interest in pushing our beliefs about Byern onto anyone else. In fact, I’m very interested to learn about your own beliefs and customs and to seamlessly assimilate into your court, Your Highness.”
Queen Cassia’s mouth quirked on one side. “Is that so?”
“Your Majesty,” Dean interrupted, “if I might shed some additional light on the situation…”
“By all means.”
Dean came to stand beside Cyrene. She warily smiled at him. She had expected it to be tough to deal with the issue of having Affiliates in their palace when they were practically banned from the country, but she hadn’t expected Dean to speak up on her account.
“Affiliate Cyrene has my full support. When we met, neither of us knew who the other was. We were not an Affiliate of Byern and a Prince of Eleysia, and yet, we fostered a close relationship. Isn’t that exactly what we want from diplomacy with Byern? That is how we enact change. And though I’ve only known her a short time, she has proven herself greatly,” Dean said.
His eyes found hers, and Cyrene took a sharp breath. If she could see the affection blatant on his face, then so could everyone else in the room.
“Pray tell me how,” the Queen asked.
“When I was in Aurum, Byern guardsmen came into the countryside, seeking an Affiliate who had been kidnapped. As you can imagine, it was contentious, having Byern soldiers on foreign soil. I thought, surely, war would break out between the countries. But in the end, it turned out, they rescued the girl and detained her within the castle.”
“How fortunate.”
Cyrene’s heart raced as he recounted his version of the story to his parents. She wondered how much he would tell. Would the whole world soon know about my magic?
“But the Affiliate hadn’t been kidnapped. In fact, she was fleeing the countryside, seeking asylum. When confronted with the ruler who was to bring her back, I fought for her leave, and she selflessly offered herself up to return to her country if I could but live.”
The throne room had gone deadly silent. And Cyrene’s ears were buzzing. That had happened, but she had never thought of it that way. She just couldn’t fathom someone getting hurt for her mission. But the way he told the story made her seem like a hero when she had thought all along that Dean was the hero of the story.
“I see.”
“I—” Cyrene began, but the Queen held up her hand.
“If you saved my son’s life, then the country owes you a great deal. He is our only son, and I birthed eleven children to get to him. We are in your debt,” the Queen said as she inclined her head to Cyrene.
Cyrene’s mouth dropped open, and she quickly closed it. Then, she dropped into a deep curtsy. “Your Highness, no debt at all. Prince Dean would not have been in any trouble if he had not helped me.”
Dean opened his mouth to protest, but the Queen silenced them both.
“No matter the trouble, you saved my son’s life. You are most welcome in Eleysia. I pray that both you and your companion enjoy your stay, and I hope you will bless us with your company at least through the Eos holiday,” the Queen said with a sm
ile.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Cyrene said.
The Queen rose from her throne and signaled an end to the meeting. The Privy Council began to whisper to one another as they circled the room to talk to neighbors. With a pang in her chest, Cyrene realized how much it reminded her of Presentings back at home with all the Affiliates and High Order congregated in one place.
Dean turned to her then, and his smile stretched from ear to ear. “You’re staying.”
“I’m staying,” she confirmed.
Maelia wrung her hands together next to Cyrene. “That was well done.”
Cyrene winked at her. “Not so bad as a Presenting, was it?”
“Not half as bad,” Maelia confirmed.
“Your Presenting ceremonies are the strangest thing to me,” Dean said.
Cyrene shrugged. “When you were raised your entire life for them, they aren’t that strange.”
“Even when you’re not as fortunate to be First Class, like Cyrene, and didn’t train your whole life for the opportunity,” Maelia said.
Just then, a figure stepped down before them. Dean smiled and pulled his sister in for a hug. The heir to the throne of Eleysia was publicly hugging her brother, as if it were commonplace. Cyrene was definitely going to have to get used to this place. The people in Byern weren’t so affectionate.
“We’re so glad to have you back, Dean,” Princess Brigette said with a sincere smile. “Home wasn’t the same without you here.”
“Well, I’m back to stay,” he confirmed.
“Good.”
“You know I could never stay away. Who would I have to nag me all day?”
Brigette raised her eyebrows in a surprisingly accurate imitation of their mother. Dean just laughed.
“Brigette, meet Cyrene and her friend Maelia.”
“Pleasure,” Brigette said.
“Nice to meet you,” Cyrene said, dipping into a small curtsy.
Maelia did the same and nodded in her direction.
“Come,” Brigette said, taking Cyrene’s arm and pulling her away from Dean. “I think we will be fast friends.”
“Oh no,” Dean grumbled behind her. He followed, offering Maelia his arm.