by Kiera Cass
He kissed my forehead. “I hate to say no. For now, we need to take time for ourselves, start our lives.” He smiled. “I feel like I’ve been waiting for you for ages.”
“Well, not much longer, sir.”
“Not much longer at all.” He smiled, and the world felt right. I couldn’t wait to become an Eastoffe.
“By the way,” I said, walking back to the manor, “Delia Grace, who has been gifted a dress by the king, has heard rumors I’m to be married, and is very concerned about their validity.”
He laughed heartily. “I’ll bet she is. Tell her you actually ran off with some gypsies. Oh! No, no! Tell her you joined the monks of Catal and are now living out of a cave. I’ve got tools! We could carve your letter into a rock!”
“If we find any big enough.”
I walked back, thinking I did need to tell Valentina something to encourage her, and I knew Delia Grace was probably pacing her room at this very moment wondering if I was a married woman or not.
Still, with all of that, there was only one letter I could think about writing today.
Blessed Mother and Father,
I’m sorry. I know I have disappointed you, not only with refusing to marry the king, but with the several years of squandered attention that led up to today. I rarely behaved the way you wished I would. Some of that is simply my nature, but the rest, I cannot explain. I didn’t aim to be unruly. I simply wanted to find the joy in everything, and it’s difficult to do that while sitting still and saying nothing. I apologize for letting you down.
I can’t undo what’s been done, but I do believe, in my heart of hearts, that His Majesty will find someone far better to wed, someone who will be a superior leader for Coroa. Even with my best intentions, my leadership would have proven disastrous, and I hope that my absence from my king’s life will ultimately benefit the people of Coroa far more than my presence in it would have.
I believe I’ve found my equal in Silas Eastoffe. I know you’re unhappy because he doesn’t exactly live like a gentleman, even though his family is an old one in Isolte. And I know you’re not pleased because he isn’t Coroan, but I think this snubbing of Isoltens has gotten our people nowhere. The handful I truly know, I really care for. And I can’t pretend I don’t know better anymore.
I love Silas, and I’m marrying him in two days. I’m sending this to you as a last hope that you will find a way to forgive me and be present on the most important day of my life.
No, I wasn’t the boy you hoped for. No, I didn’t become queen. And yes, I shamed our family publicly. But why does any of this matter? The games of court will put you into an early grave if you let yourself be swept up in them. You are still members of one of the strongest family lines in Coroa. You still have land and assets that put you above the majority of the country. And you still have a daughter who desperately wants to be in your lives. Please consider coming to my wedding. If not, I will wait until you are ready to see me again, trusting that this day will come. I may be poor in many other skills, but I’ve become exceedingly talented at hoping.
Two days from now, five in the evening at Abicrest Manor.
With all my love,
Your Daughter Hollis
Thirty-One
“WITH THIS RING, I TAKE thee, Hollis Brite, as my wife. With my body, I swear to you my loyal service. With my heart, I swear to you my unending faithfulness. And with my life, I swear to you my devoted provision, for as long as our God should deem.”
The ring that Silas made himself slid down my finger. After all the jewels I’d worn over the last few months, I asked for something simple, and though he disagreed, he delivered. Once the thin golden band was in place, I turned to face him, ready to recite the vows myself.
“With this ring, I take thee, Silas Eastoffe, as my husband. With my body, I swear to you my loyal service. With my heart, I swear to you my unending faithfulness. And with my life, I swear to you my devoted provision, for as long as the gods should deem.”
The slightly larger ring settled into perfect place on his hand, and finally, I was married.
“You may kiss your bride,” the holy man said.
As Silas bent down to kiss me, the ceremony was over, and applause went up around the room. The main hall in Abicrest Manor was surprisingly full. Neighbors from several estates had come to meet the Eastoffes for the first time. Many knew me from my youth or shared time at the castle, and they seemed very curious to see the person I’d chosen over a king.
The Eastoffes even allowed their staff, who had worked so tirelessly to make the manor presentable, to stand in the back for the ceremony, and I noticed happily that when some of them moved to pass out goblets of ale, their peers were the first ones to receive them. And there, in the middle of my guests, were my parents.
They weren’t smiling. In fact, as the room was applauding and receiving drinks for the toast, they appeared to be arguing under their breath. I let it go. For better or worse, at least they’d come.
“A toast,” Lord Eastoffe began. “To such wonderful neighbors and friends for supporting us as we settle in Coroa. To an absolutely perfect day for the happiest of celebrations. And to Silas and Hollis. Hollis, we have loved you from the start, and we are thrilled to have you join what has become the most scandalous family in Coroa, you poor, swindled girl.”
The room laughed at this, myself included. I knew exactly what I was getting into.
“To Silas and Hollis,” he finished.
The room chorused the words back, lifting their glasses. In an elegantly rehearsed move, the strings started up as the drinks came down, and everyone moved around the room to mingle.
“I have a sister, I have a sister!” Scarlet sang, crashing into me for a hug.
“Me, too! My whole life, I’ve wanted siblings. Now I get three in one day!” Saul wrapped his arms around my waist, looking to fill whatever space Scarlet left open. And when they were finally done, Sullivan crept over, blushing wildly, and hugged me, too. To my surprise, it wasn’t just a quick embrace. He held on to me, palms flat across my back, breathing steadily, and I held him back, wondering if he needed to be hugged like this from time to time but was too shy to say so.
He pulled back, smiling. “Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you. And thank you for my headpiece; I love it!” Sullivan’s little project in the outbuilding that he’d rushed to hide was his wedding gift to me. The golden headpiece was quite brilliant, sitting smartly on my head with two tiny hooks to hold a veil down my back. Furthermore, he’d placed tiny loops in the front so I could string flowers into it, too, and the result was stunning. This would be what I wore every Crowning Day for the rest of my life.
He gave a little nod before stepping back. Silas nudged his brother’s arm, their own way of communicating, and everything—everything—was perfect.
“Come here, wife,” Silas, said, pulling me away. “I want to greet your parents before they find an excuse to leave.”
Bypassing every rule of etiquette I knew, Silas walked right up to my mother and embraced her. “Mother!” he announced, and I stood back, trying not to laugh at the horrified expression on her face. “And Father,” he said, reaching out for a handshake. “We’re both so happy you could be here today.”
“We may not be able to stay for long,” my father said quickly. “We’re planning to head back to Keresken tomorrow, and we need to oversee the packing.”
“So soon?” I asked.
“We prefer our lodgings at the palace,” Mother said plainly. “Varinger just echoes.”
I supposed a house that big with so few people in it would leave one feeling rather small.
“Promise me you won’t go before the dessert. Lady Eastoffe has ordered apple cakes, and apparently it’s Isolten tradition for one to be crumbled over my head for luck.”
Mother laughed, and I counted that rare event as a wedding gift. “You’re going to be covered in crumbs?”
“Yes. But I figure I get to eat
some of the dessert before anyone else, so I can’t complain.”
She shook her head. “Always looking on the bright side.” Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before speaking again. “I wish I’d been able to appreciate that more.”
“There’s still time,” I whispered.
She nodded, tears in her eyes. I could see she was still broken from everything that had happened, but it also looked like she wanted to move forward. I hoped there was still room for me in her heart.
“We’ll stay for the apple cakes,” Father promised. “But after that, we really do have to go. There are . . . things we have to tend to at the castle.”
I nodded. “I understand. Will you tell the king how happy I looked? And that I wish him the same happiness?”
Father let out a long breath. “I . . . I’ll say what feels appropriate in the moment.”
That wasn’t the answer I’d wanted. I’d hoped for a better future for the king, for his blessing on mine. Apparently, my parents didn’t think this was a possibility.
I curtsied and let Silas lead me away. “I wanted them here, but that was hard.”
“Everyone’s adjusting,” he assured me. “Trust me, this will smooth itself out.”
“I hope so.”
“You can’t frown like that, Hollis. Not on your wedding day. If you don’t cheer up, you’re going to force me to ruin the surprise.”
I pulled him to a stop, watching that satisfied smirk on his face. “Surprise?”
He started humming.
“Silas Eastoffe, you tell me right now!” I demanded, pulling on his arm. He laughed until he decided to end the suspense.
Turning to me, he took my face in his hands. “I’m sorry I can’t take you to Isolte. But . . . I can take you to Eradore.”
I sucked in a breath. “We’re going? Do you mean it?”
He nodded. “I have to turn in two hunting knives by the end of next week, and once they’re done, we’re setting off for the coast.”
I flew at him, draping my arms around him. “Thank you!”
“I told you, I want to give you everything I can. This is only the beginning.”
“Hollis, might I borrow you for a moment?” Lady Eastoffe asked, coming up behind me.
“I can go greet more guests,” Silas offered.
“You’re going to have a very spoiled wife,” I warned him.
“Good!” he called, walking cheerfully to greet the closest couple.
“My Lady Eastoffe,” his mother greeted me, and I giggled with delight.
“It’s true! I’m finally an Eastoffe.”
“Just as you should be.” She wrapped an arm around me. “Before things get too hectic in here, I wanted to talk a moment. Would you join me outside?”
“Of course.”
She nodded her head toward the door, and we made our way into the garden. The sections toward the back were still a little overgrown, but anything a guest might see looked pristine. The tall, thick walls of shrubs made a perfect place to wander and think, and I had spent much of my time out here in the sun over the last two weeks. Now that very sun was setting over the horizon, leaving the sky a beautiful shade of purple.
“It does my heart good to see you and Silas settled. Now no one can argue over your place, and I think it helps us, too. We’re tied to Coroa forever,” she said with a smile.
“It felt like such a tangled mess to get here, like it was going to be impossible. But look! It’s done. And people came to witness it, to be friendly. My parents are here. . . . It’s unbelievably perfect.”
“It is,” she agreed. “And I hope you remember this moment for the rest of your life. Marriage can be challenging, but if you can always come back to this place, to the love, to the vows, then everything will work itself out.”
“I’ll remember that. Thank you.”
She smiled, stopping. “Anytime. Now, the wedding makes things official, but there are other traditions that need to be honored as well. And it’s good luck to have something old, so I’m passing this on to you.”
Lady Eastoffe reached down to her right hand and slid a large sapphire ring off her finger, holding it up in the fading daylight. “This ring was once worn by a great man in Isolte. It was given to his fifth-born child—his third son—and it has been passed down through the Eastoffe family for generations. I know our past means little here, but it is deep and rich. One day, I will sit and tell you all the old stories. For now, you must wear this, and you must wear it with pride.”
She had stories for me. And I suspected Silas had tales of his own. Soon, they would be woven into my life as our histories became intertwined.
My fingers trembled as I reached out for this ring, one more thread in the tapestry. “It’s beautiful. But are you sure? Shouldn’t Scarlet have this?”
“I have other things to pass to her. But you are the wife of my eldest son, as I am the wife of an eldest son. It’s a tradition. And we Isoltens are nothing if not traditional.”
“So I’ve seen.” As I spent more time in the Eastoffes’ home, I saw how they did everything they could to preserve their way of life. There were dozens of little details in how they executed day-to-day tasks, and each one was accompanied by an explanation of its importance, delivered with great care. “If this is the custom, then I will take it. As long as you’re positive Scarlet won’t be upset.”
Lady Eastoffe embraced me. “Putting this on your hand establishes you as part of our line; she will be overjoyed.”
“You make it sound so—”
We were pulled away from our moment by a high-pitched wave of screams.
“What’s that?” I asked.
We had wandered farther out into the tall bushes of the garden than I’d realized, and we couldn’t see the house. As the screaming continued, we raced through the bushes, trying to understand. We crept up to the edge of a high wall of shrubbery, peeking around the side. There were at least a dozen horses by the entryway.
“They came for us,” Lady Eastoffe breathed in horror. “They finally came.”
Thirty-Two
THEY. THANKS TO VALENTINA, I knew exactly who they were.
“The Darkest Knights,” I breathed so quietly I didn’t think Lady Eastoffe heard me.
There were more screams, and I impulsively started running again. Silas was in there. Before I could get too far I was thrown to the ground. I heard my veil rip as I fell.
“What are you doing?” I asked, beginning to cry. “We have to help them!”
“Shhh!” she insisted, covering my mouth until I settled long enough to hear her. “What do you think you could do? We have no horses, no swords, no nothing. My husband and yours would command us to stay in place if they could, and so we shall.”
“That’s our family in there!” I insisted. “That’s our family!”
She dragged me back behind the cover of some topiaries, and I kicked the whole way. I would not be kept from Silas.
“Look at me, Hollis!” I stopped fighting long enough to meet her eyes, and what I saw shook me to my core. How quickly she had gone from proud to broken, from lovely to disheveled. “If you think this isn’t breaking me, you’re wrong. But Dashiell and I, we made a deal. We made plans. And if one of us could ever make it out alive, that was what we had to do. . . .”
She pulled back skinny branches to see what she could. It was a shocking contrast, the beautiful sky, the scent of the flowers . . . and the violent shouts filling the air.
“Why won’t you run? Why would you even make such a plan?”
When she didn’t answer, I moved to stand, but she was on top of me again in an instant.
“I made promises to Silas, too. Now stay down!”
At the sound of his name, I stilled. Why in the world would Silas have a plan for me? Why didn’t I know about it? Why was I cowering in the grass when he might be dying?
I covered my ears. I could hear the grunts of fighting still, and I wished I could yell out, to tell everyo
ne to stop. But it seemed I’d already risked too much, and I couldn’t bring danger to someone who had made vows to protect me.
“I don’t understand,” I insisted, over and over, whimpering out the words. “Why aren’t we helping?”
She said nothing, only carefully looking beyond the bushes when she thought it was safe and then quickly darting back. Her hands were safely locked on to me, ready to hold me down again if I threatened to run.
I remembered what Silas had said. He’d told me the Darkest Knights’ destruction was absolute. I wanted to vomit at the thought of Silas enduring absolute destruction.
The horror felt like it went on for an eternity. I tried to will Silas into living, into surviving whatever had just happened. Then I felt instantly guilty that my thoughts were of him and not anyone else. Saul still had so much living to do, and Sullivan was such a gentle soul that being in the room alone was probably enough to ruin him. And maybe my parents weren’t perfectly content, but that didn’t mean they didn’t deserve more time to try.
After both too much and too little time, the cries and shouts died down and gave way to sick laughter. That’s how I knew they were leaving. These men had finished their task and were now joking about their success. It was disgustingly satisfied, the sound of a job well done, the sound of many congratulations.
Then I heard another sound: crackling. We watched them ride off, making sure we could no longer hear the horses before daring to even stand.
“Please,” I whispered. “Please.” Then I risked opening my eyes.
The sound had made it clear, but I still couldn’t believe they’d set fire to the house. We hurried from the garden, rushing though I worried our opportunity to help had passed. I pushed down my fear with each step, desperate to get closer, to see if anyone had lived. Only one corner of the house was in flames. There was a chance we could save anyone who was still breathing.
I stopped in front of the main door, afraid to step inside, terrified of what I was going to see.
“Mother?” A whimper came from the shadowy corner by the front door.