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Me. They were looking at me. I gave the girl sitting next to me a puzzled look as she nudged me in the arm. “What?” I whispered.
“It’s you,” she said as everyone’s gazes burned a hole through me. “They called your name.”
As if I didn’t hear her right, Effin repeated, “Scotlind Mae Rumor. Please come to the stage.”
The girl next to me pushed me up, practically forcing me out of my seat. What did I miss? Was I in trouble? I slowly made my way toward the stage. I saw Kole out of the corner of my eye, glaring at me along with everyone else. If looks could kill, I would have died a thousand times.
I finally reached the edge of the stage and ascended the carpeted stairs leading up to the podium. Prince Noren was pointedly looking out toward the crowd, his nostrils flaring. He was probably the only person in this room not gawking at me.
Effin took me by the hand. “Do you, Scotlind Mae Rumor, accept the High Council’s demand to take Prince Sie Axel Noren, not only as your future King, but as your future husband? Do you accept to be the Princess of Tennebris, and once his coronation happens six months from now, become the Queen of Tennebris?” The announcer’s voice echoed across the entire room.
I’m dreaming. I must be dreaming.But I could feel Effin’s touch. I noticed his warmth seeping into me as he squeezed my hand, encouraging me to answer. This wasn’t a dream. It was a nightmare.
“No,” I blurted, the words flying past my lips before I could stop myself. Gasps fluttered through the crowd. I swallowed, glancing up toward the High Council, not having enough courage to look athim. I could make out every wrinkle and frown animated on their faces as they flared with disgust.
I tried to recover. “What I mean is, I’m sure there is someone else more suited.”
Effin barked out an awkward, fake chuckle, but didn’t say anything. One of the males from the High Council rose to face me. My gut twisted as I noticed him immediately. He had the same slicked-back, greasy hair from my ranking evaluations.
“Surely, miss, we heard you wrong,” Synder suggested. His voice was harsh, sending chills down my spine. “To refuse a demand from the High Council is to refuse the Kingdom and King Lunder himself. Welcomed or not, you were lucky enough to be chosen as the future Queen of Tennebris. Mind your words, as I’m sure you aren’t trying to commit treason right now before this gathering.” He smiled at me, but it was anything but warm and welcoming.
Why were they asking if it wasn’t a choice? I gritted my teeth as I answered, “Yes.”
“Yes to what exactly, Miss Rumor?” Synder sneered.
My heart pounded in my chest as I realized he would force me to say it. The reality of my situation was sinking in. My breath hitched as I managed to say, “I accept the engagement.”
Synder gestured lazily toward the announcer to continue. Effin didn’t miss a beat as he turned toward where the Prince was still sitting. I finally found the courage to glance in his direction. He hoisted himself up from the elaborate throne-like chair. Would he reject me? Would he say no? Would he have any sway in the matter if he changed his mind? He had a choice on who he could marry before, but did he give up his rights after winning the tournament?
Judging from the frown plastered on his face, it was safe to assume that he was just as disappointed in this arrangement as I was.
Moments before, when we’d talked on the rim, his gaze had been unfaltering, but now he wouldn’t even look at me. Was he only being nice then because he didn’t think I stood a chance of being selected?
“Do you, Prince Noren, take Scotlind Mae Rumor to be your fiancé?”
Please say no, please say no, I silently begged in my head, but Prince Noren responded with a resounding, “Yes.”
The announcer, finally pleased, stepped away from me, and walked toward the podium with his hands spread wide. “Please join hands,” he began, his voice booming. “There will be a full engagement ceremony later to come, but we must make sure your alignment is Goddess blessed.” He looked far too theatrical to take seriously, but Prince Noren stepped forward, filling the space between us.
Effin started reciting some prayer, but his words were lost on me as the Prince reached for my hands. His were rough and calloused, but his grip was light, barely touching my skin. This couldn’t be real. I couldn’t get married, and I certainly couldn’t get married tohim. This wasn’t the plan.
I started breathing heavily as the panic sunk in. My biggest fear was coming true. This was what I’d worked so hard to avoid, and now it was happening. He would discover what I was. He was bound to see the Luxian markings on my back. Or worse, what if I fell pregnant and we had a child mixed with both abilities? What markings would an offspring have from both Kingdoms? It didn’t matter—any child we conceived would die immediately, and we’d both be sentenced to death for treason. Our schoolings taught us that back on Allium, an interbred child wouldn’t survive their first breath. That was why our Kingdoms lived separately—why we were never allowed to mix. That and the fear of what the collide of Light and Dark abilities could conjure.
Effin turned and faced the crowd as he spoke, “I present to you the Prince and Princess of Tennebris.”
Prince Noren immediately dropped his hold of me. The crowd clapped quietly, but not in cheer or celebration. It was the kind of pathetic, soft clap where no one was really excited or happy about what was happening, but you had to proceed anyway. Before I could say anything, he stormed off the stage and disappeared. I guess that answered my question as to whether he was disappointed.
After that, the world around me blurred as everyone moved, making their way toward the exit. I knew if I focused my vision, if I blinked away the blur, I would be able to see the glares of jealousy and hatred.
But I couldn’t bring myself to move. I stood glued to the center of the now empty stage. The weight of what had just happened was anchoring me down.
Distantly, I heard the gossip starting. I heard the females around me muttering, but I didn’t care. My breathing increased, becoming faster and faster as I continued to suck in the air, not able to get enough. I was going to die on the stage from lack of oxygen.
It was just a dream. It was just a dream. It was just a dream, I repeated to myself over and over again. But the muttering only got louder the more I pleaded.
“Can you believe it? The Prince is so hot. I feel so bad for him that he has to marryher.”
“She has nice eyes.”
