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The dinner portion of the night dragged on and was made worse when I discovered it was a five-course meal. I never ate so much in one day, nevertheless in one meal. The servants took their time in between each dish. Slowly clearing every plate, replacing every cloth. They tended to the grand fireplace behind King Lunder three times. Adding more wood so that the flames danced angrily as they roared back to life, warming my bare arms from across the room.
I was thankful whenever one of them brought out more food. Even though I was full, it saved me from having to make small talk. Anytime anyone tried to ask me about my life at LakeWood, why a female nix would train to be a guard, or about my family, I stuffed my mouth with food.
The judge from my evaluation was seated in the chair next to the King. Peter noticed my gaze and leaned forward to whisper, “That’s Synder Phillips. He is King Lunder’s second and leader of the Tennebrisian Guard. All thirty members of the High Council report to him.”
I nodded, remembering reading about his status in the packet. “And who does he report to?” I asked softly.
“Only Lunder. He has a lot of… influence here.” I couldn’t help but notice his voice turned cold. I nodded as I forced another bite of stew down.
After the dinner, we were ushered from the dining hall toward the private chapel off the ballroom. The room was dark, with only the sun lighting it through the cracks of the stained glass windows. Hues of red, orange, and gold bounced along the wooden pews and velvet plush cushions. The glass seemed to be a staple in almost every grand room at the castle.
An altar was centered in the middle of the room, placed directly in front of the statue of Pylemo. The twelve lesser goddesses were erected around her, bowing in her presence. All were made entirely of glass, allowing the light to swirl through them.
The dinner party filed into the cushioned pews. The King, Queen, Synder, and Peter took up the first row. I looked to Peter, trying to gauge what would happen next as the priest came forth in a deep set of purple robes, the color of Pylemo. The twisted knot symbol of our Goddess was etched onto his chest like twin corded snakes, wrapping around one another. His expression was hard and hinted at nothing of what was to come. I always thought the King’s priest would be warm and welcoming, but he was austere and closed off.
The priest stopped before the altar. My heart skipped a beat as I realized it was where Sie and I were being positioned. I swallowed hard as I finally looked up at him. He was already staring down at me. We still hadn’t spoken since our conversation on the monorail. The necklace he gave me was visible through my dress’s low cut. The pendant felt heavy between my breasts.
“We are gathered here today to welcome the union that has begun between Sie Axel Noren and Scotlind Mae Rumor.” The priest’s voice was rhythmic. “After tonight, they will officially become our Prince and Princess of Tennebris. After tonight, they will officially be betrothed before our Goddess, and their future marriage set in stone.”
There was no going back after this. My chest rose to match my rapid breathing. Sie’s fixed gaze made everything feel worse.
“Please join hands,” the priest continued. Sie didn’t react as his callused hands found my sweaty ones. “Do you both pledge your betrothal to one another before Pylemo? Do you pledge to accept one another as husband and wife until the end of your time?”
“I do,” Sie said.
The entire room shifted their attention to me, surveying me. They were waiting for me to speak. “I do,” I whispered, my voice came out shakier than I would have liked.
The priest smiled slightly at our joined hands. “Let us pray to Pylemo that she may accept your engagement. May she bless your souls with an offspring during your consummation of marriage just as she does every five hundred years at Lakimi. Let us pray that Sie’s reign will correlate with an advantageous rule over Tennebris and that you both may bring our Kingdom wealth and prosperity.”
I swore the light halted and stopped dancing through the Goddesses’ statues as I sent a silent prayer to Pylemo that shewouldn’tbless our marriage. After the deafening silence, the priest looked over the crowd as he raised his arms in the air. “May I present to you our Prince and Princess of Tennebris. Their betrothal is blessed by the Goddess herself.”
The priest bowed his head, closing his eyes. The rest of the room followed suit.
As the prayers were spoken, I dropped Sie’s hands, leaving mine cold and empty without his touch. I was going to marry him. This was going to be the rest of my life, however long that may be. My breathing turned ragged. The necklace felt like a heavy weight, chaining me to a future I didn’t want.
I needed to breathe, to be alone, to have a minute to myself. I bolted down the narrow aisle, picking up the hem of my long dress, not caring that my boots were visible to anyone that looked, not caring if the ceremony wasn’t finished.
As soon as I pushed open the doors from the chapel, I realized my mistake. The ballroom had been completely transformed. The emptiness just before we entered the chapel now bloomed with life. A dance floor was erected over the alabaster flooring, tables were scattered throughout the perimeter. Soft music echoed off the stone walls. How I never heard the beautiful melody from inside the chapel was beyond me.
I stood frozen inside the frame of the door. The room was filled with Advenians anxious to see the newly engaged couple, and there was me, dress hiked to my knees, wide-eyed and panting.
I bit down my nausea. All the food I forced myself to eat earlier was stirring and threatening to come up. This was going to be a long, long night.
I made my way toward the back of the room, awkwardly watching the few brave Advenians who swept over the dance floor. Most just chatted amongst themselves, filling their stomachs with wine.
I hated crowds. I hated dancing. I hated that everyone’s gaze was focused on me, stealing glances when they thought I wasn’t looking. Some stared even when I returned their gaze. Most of the males didn’t pay heed to my narrowed eyes and furrowed brows as their focus drifted toward my low neckline. I knew it wasn’t the golden pendant they were staring at. I was going to curse Sie for selecting this dress for me.
Everyone wanted to see for themselves what was so special about me. Why a rank zero was selected for their Prince, and this dress played into the part that I was only meant to be arm candy.
To makes things worse, everyone wore their branding like jewelry, exposing their left wrist to display their rank. I was the only one in the room with a rank lower than a three. Only the servants shared the same zero that was burned into me.
I could feel the silent judgment radiating off of everyone. The mean sneers of the females dressed in radiant, flowing gowns, wondering how I was chosen to be the Princess. You and me both, I thought.
Synder approached me like a cat. He was so quiet that I didn’t realize he was before me until he spoke, “I’m here to inform you about your guards, Miss Rumor.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“You will have three guards in total. You will get briefed and acquainted with them tomorrow morning.”
