Page 71 of A Kingdom of Magic and Rain

“Speaking of the ceremony, it’s about to begin. We have to go,” the Sorceress said as she reached for my parents.

Miri grabbed my brother’s hand at the same time Thea reached for me. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. When I reopened them a few seconds later, I was no longer in the hallway at Claireborne Palace. I stood a few feet away from the entrance to the throne room at Castle Argent. The tall, heavy doors were open wide, letting bright light and the hum of a large crowd spill into the hall.

“How are you? Are you dizzy?” Thea asked, still clasping my forearms. After I had assured her that I was steady on my feet, she let go of me. “I’ll drop the journal off in your chambers and then glimmer to my seat inside the throne room. I’ll see you there. Oh, one more thing.” She waved her hands toward the train of my dress, and the bunched-up skirt elongated, stretching over the stone floor. “Now the train will stay perfect for your walk down the aisle. We’ll remove it after the ceremony, so you don’t have to worry about it during the celebration.”

“Remove it?” My brow furrowed.

“Yes, with magic. We use our powers for far more than tending to plants. You’ll see.” She smiled at me before she disappeared.

“We’ll see you inside,” Sebastian said, drawing my attention to him. Glimmering had left him a bit pale. “And Em, I know that you never wanted to be a queen, but I think you’re going to be phenomenal.”

I disagreed, but I thanked him anyway.

“The king will lead you down the aisle,” Lady May instructed. “The music is your cue. I will see you at the dais.” With that, she glimmered out.

My mother and Mirielle flanked Sebastian on either side before the three of them strolled into the throne room to take their seats, leaving my father and me alone in the hall.

“Emelin, you look—” The king got choked up and didn’t finish his thought, pulling me into a tight embrace. His right arm was still in a sling, which reminded me to be gentle as I hugged him back. “I am so proud of you. I love you.”

I squeezed my eyes shut to stop the tears that had rushed to the surface from falling. “I love you, too.”

All too soon, a beautiful melody drifted from the throne room. I opened my eyes and pulled away from my father. His eyes were brimming with tears as he cleared his throat and righted his crown. He didn’t say anything as he turned to face the throne room. There was nothing he could say. He couldn’t tell me that it wasn’t too late to change my mind or that we could find another way. There was no other way because a blood oath bound me. I looked down at the palm of my left hand. The cut had healed, but a thin, barely noticeable scar remained. It was a constant reminder of the unbreakable vow I had made.

When I lifted my gaze from the scar, my father offered me his arm in silence, and I accepted it, also facing the throne room. When he stepped forward, I followed, barely feeling my legs. My body moved as if of its own accord. I felt like an observer, not a participant in what was unfolding.

When we walked into the throne room, it was divided into four seating areas—one for each of the four provinces of Aubrielle. Large white banners depicting crests adorned the wall behind each section. To my left, there was one with a golden ring with a tree branch with falling leaves in the middle. The tapestry next to it depicted a copper circle with a rising sun. On the opposite wall hung a banner with a forest-green circle with an oak tree in the center. Next to it was one with a light-blue circle, featuring a mountain. Directly ahead of me, at the end of a long, narrow aisle, hung the largest banner of them all. It depicted a silver circle and an arrow across it, set against a navy-blue background.

My chest constricted as my gaze dropped to the raised dais under the Argent banner. Celestina stood atop it, garbed in silver and blue. Her silver hair was in a long, thick braid, slung over her shoulder, and instead of her crown, she was wearing a sparkling tiara. I forced my gaze away from her and down the stone steps, to the one waiting for me by the foot of the dais.

Garbed a navy-blue ensemble embellished with a silver thread, Adrian stood impossibly still, with his hands behind his back. His face didn’t betray any emotion as my father led me down the aisle made of velvet fabric decorated in patterns of silver and blue. My gaze was locked on Adrian’s face the entire time as I desperately tried to penetrate the cold and flawless mask. His silver gaze flicked over me before our eyes met. I thought I glimpsed a look awe on his striking features, but I couldn’t be sure because the expression was there one second and gone the next. It was as if his mask had slipped and he rightened it back on. I was on the verge of tears again because I wanted that look back. I wanted him to look at me as if I were the best thing that had ever happened to him. I wanted him to tell me that I looked beautiful. I wanted… I wanted things that couldn’t be, and wishing for them was futile. Adrian was marrying me because of obligation. The ceremony was simply a formality, and I needed to treat it as such.

“Adrian,” I said coldly when my father and I had finally reached the dais.

“Emelin,” he replied in a voice so even that it sound unnatural, detached.

“Please, have a seat,” Lady May instructed my father after she had appeared out of nowhere to my right. He pried my numb fingers from his arm, pressing them briefly before he let go of my hand. My panicked gaze followed him to his seat next to the rest of my family and the Emeraldian court in one of the two sections closest to the dais. “You two follow me up to the top,” the Sorceress said before she climbed the steps, the skirts of her gray gown dragging slightly behind her.

Turning back to the dais, I gathered my skirts to lift the hem in the front off the ground. I took a few steps, but tripped, and a murmur swept through the throne room.

“I’ve got you,” Adrian said low, catching my elbow to support me.

I nodded as my cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Swallowing to relieve the tightness in my throat, I resumed my ascent, with Adrian’s hand hovering close to my back on the way up. When we made it to the top, Celestina and Lady May were waiting for us. I caught a flash of hatred in the queen’s eyes before she assumed an expression of cold indifference.

The room grew quiet as Adrian and I turned to face each other. Celestina addressed the crowd below, her voice cutting through the air thick with apprehension.

“We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Adrian Argent and Emelin Clairborne, followed by their coronation. Today signifies the beginning of a new era, where the Fae and mortals live in peace. This marriage is a symbol of the union between the Kingdom of Aubrielle and the Kingdom of Emeraldia. We are forging an alliance through which our dreams, hopes, and goals will be more attainable and meaningful because of our combined effort and mutual support.” The tension in the room was palpable when Celestina announced, “Augusta May will perform the wedding ceremony.”

My breath caught as I stared at Adrian. He stared back, his expression unreadable. He reached for my hands when Lady May moved to stand in the center of the dais, and I flinched when his fingers brushed mine. The Sorceress produced a thick tome with silver embossing on the cover and began reading from it. After Adrian and I had exchanged the vows that closely mirrored the blood oath we had sworn two weeks ago, it was time to exchange the rings.

Celestina stepped closer to us, and in her hands she was holding a blue cushion with two rings atop it. My eyes widened as Adrian reached for one of them. The ring was breathtaking, with a vine-like gold band wound up gracefully to support the bed of diamonds. It featured a large center stone of a slender, elongated shape, with two pointed ends. Four smaller diamonds of the same shape and two pear-shaped diamonds sat around it. A cluster of round diamonds completed the piece, making it look like a star, similar to the one permanently etched into my left hand.

You are my North Star. Adrian ran his thumb over the star on my hand as he placed the ring on my finger. A soft breath escaped me at the touch. My hand trembled as I reached for the other ring on the cushion, and Adrian sucked in a shallow breath as I slid the simple silver band on his finger.

“You may kiss the bride.”

We both froze, neither of us willing to make the first move. Uncomfortable silence stretched until Lady May cleared her throat, spurring Adrian into action. He leaned in and brushed his lips over mine before promptly pulling away as if he didn’t trust himself to linger. The barely-there touch sent a jolt through me, leaving my lips tingling, but I ignored the visceral reaction as the Sorceress proclaimed, “May this union be blessed under the Stars. By the Fae laws, I pronounce you husband and wife.” Reserved applause followed while Lady May flipped several pages of her book. “We will now proceed to the coronation. Adrian, Emelin, turn toward me and kneel.”

I faced the Sorceress, but when I went to kneel, my skirts got caught, and Adrian had to help me with them before he lowered to his knees. I murmured my thanks, feeling disheartened by how clumsy I was being. If he was nervous, he didn’t show it as he looked up at Lady May with a solemn expression.