Blythe wore a floral crown of intertwined bluebells and white roses. The flowers cascaded along her neck and over the mounds of stone that implicated her breasts. They flowed down her crystalline torso, halting at her waist where her hair ended in a slight curl.
My skin continued to tingle as I examined the stone. The iridescent grains of the mineral twinkled under the light of the courtyard—sometimes appearing clear like a diamond, then blue, and then almost opalescent. The appearance of the constellastone varied so much that it was difficult to decipher exactly what color it actually was.
I wondered why the king even bothered to have her figurehere. Blythe had never gifted a mortal her gemstone or the magic that accompanied it. I had always assumed this was due to the rarity of the gem, but wasn't positive.
All the same, the statue was a glorious piece of artwork that I found myself lost in the luminosity of. “Beautiful,” I muttered under my breath when I at last pulled my hand away.
Wine flushed my skin as I resumed drinking, and minutes passed before I nearly jumped out of my skin in response to a smack of pressure on my ass. I spun around, my behind stinging. The racing of my heart eased as my eyes made contact with Delani and her beaming smile.
“I didn't strike you as a super spiritual girl, but if you need another moment to worship in private, I can come back later,” she announced satirically, grinning from ear to ear.
My eyes raised to the heavens. “Oh, shut up.” I crossed my arms and turned back to the statue.
A gust of wind blew the flower arrangement sideways, and a stray bluebell tumbled from the goddess. Delani bent down to pick it up, and her demeanor changed into one much more solemn as she tucked it behind her ear.
“I always hoped that if I were gifted by one of them, it would have been from her,” she murmured, having a rare, vulnerable moment. Regardless of the years that had passed, she still hadn't fully accepted that she wasn't one of the chosen.
“Oh, please,” I snorted. “If any god were to choose you, it would have been Emrys.” Emrys was the God of Heat and Fire, whose magic fit Delani’s personality quite well.
She bit back a laugh and tapped her finger on her chin, considering my comment. “Yeah. That makes the most sense.” Then with a smirk, Delani turned from me, marching away from the statues without another word. She exited the courtyard all together and made no indication that I should follow.
I accompanied her, anyway.
The sun had fully collapsedinto the horizon and the moon gleamed, leaving streaks of silver light painted over the stonework of the castle.
People huddled into each other, waiting.
I stood at the front of the crowd, directly in line with the marbled staircase. My mother and Delani were on either side of me, silent as we anticipated the king’s arrival. He was due to stride through the large double doors at any moment.
Bored, my eyes wandered, roaming over the king's head soldiers who stood in near perfect posture on the steps. There were ten of them, each holding a shield made of steel along with a blade sheathed against their thigh. They wore uniforms of leather, aside from the armor plate that protected their chests and shoulders, the metal crafted to match their shields.
Only one of the soldiers was female. The joyous look on her face made her an outlier, as the other soldiers stood expressionless. I scanned over the rest of them and refocused my sight on another soldier who grasped my attention almost immediately.
He stood highest on the staircase, and despite the elevation of his position, I could tell that he towered over the other soldiers. He presented himself properly—his arms crossed over his chest and spine straightened, both details helping to convey his dominating presence.
The man's hair was dark brown, almost black, and laid just behind his ears in a mess of delicate waves—maybe curls—the unkemptness of his locks made it hard to tell. And though the leather he wore left much up to imagination, I could make out the muscular physique hiding under his armor.
Wondering which god had gifted him, I bent my neck slightly, trying to get a look at his hands. They were concealed in a dark set of gloves, but based on appearance anddemeanor alone, I guessed that he was gifted a sapphire gem by Thea, the Goddess of the Oceans and Water.
My eyes rolled up his body, then stopped at his face. It was then that I became all too aware of my gawking as my gaze collided with his.
Oh, come on.
My mouth drew into a tight line, and his lips fell slightly open—almost as if he was in shock that someone was watching him. He shouldn't have been, though. If he got a good look at himself in the mirror that morning, then he knew how breathtaking he was.
Though it wasn't for more than a few seconds, the intensity of the soldier's stare caused my breath to catch in my lungs.
Adrenaline fueled my motions and I whipped my head to the side, searching foranythingto look at other than him. I explored my surroundings, but all I found was myself wishing that I hadn't looked away.
I fought the indisputable urge to turn back, but before I could make good on that intention, the castle doors peeled open over the balcony. Cheers poured from the people who swarmed the staircase—the same people who applauded as King Aldous Hawthorne appeared on the exterior of the fortress.
My mouth however, stayed closed. My hands stayed tucked by my sides. I would not applaud this man. He had done nothing worth recognition.
The king was middle-aged, obvious from the presence of his graying hair and goatee. His skin was tanned from the sun, hardly wrinkled despite his age. The crimson robe he wore was meant to represent Emrys, who gave him his magic. Big fucking mistake by the god if you asked me—the king let the power go to his head.
He finally raised his hands to silence everyone. The ruby rooted into his skin responded to the glare of the moonlight,shining with the movement of his hands. The voices quieted and King Hawthorne lowered his arms, then wasted no time as he began to speak.
“Greetings, my kingdom. Thank you for joining us tonight for the celebration of the annual Jewel-Star Meteor Shower—the most blessed evening of the year.” His eyes grazed over the crowd before he continued. “Those who have come of age in the past year, and have received a sacred gemstone from the gods themselves, will soon spark with power as the activation of your blessing consumes you.”
