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Thicket leaned through the window. Her toes lifted off the ground as she balanced her waist on the windowsill and closed the distance between them, planting a kiss on his cheek. Elian stiffened, eyes going wide. She pulled away, smiling as Elian gaped at her, an adorable flush spreading across his face. He lifted a hand to touch the spot she had kissed, as though checking to make sure it had been real.
“You have already done enough,” she said. “I’ll figure out the rest.” Somehow… She swallowed. “Will I see you tomorrow? At the meeting?” Having a familiar face there would help ease the knots already forming in her stomach.
Elian faltered, the brief moment of surprise wilting into something pained. He quickly covered it with a smile. “I have no position on the Council, so I won’t be at the meeting. But I promise I will be there waiting for you as soon as it’s over.” Thicket opened her mouth, to say what, she didn’t know, but he beat her to it. “Enjoy the basket.”
Elian slipped into the shadows hugging the street, leaving her alone to enjoy a basket of goodies meant for two.
Chapter Five
Sleep took its time finding Thicket after Elian left. Shortly after it did, Lotta was already knocking on her door, telling her it was time to get ready for the meeting. The morning tore by in a blur of nerves and before she knew it, Thicket was standing in front of the Great Hall—where all of Vindrya’s leaders met to determine the future of the kingdom.
And now—she would be among them.
Caspian held the door open for her. “After you, Miss Vogeli.”
Swallowing, Thicket hiked up her dress and stepped inside, Marcellus trailing silently behind her. The Great Hall was truly deserving of its name. A series of identical doors lined the long, shadowed corridor, lit only by orange flames that popped mildly within their sconces. Rogue dust particles caught on the light, glittering as they drifted down the hall, feeding the tenebrous atmosphere.
Thicket was too aware of her footsteps as she passed door after door. Without any distinguishing factors to separate them, Thicket’s skin crawled with a bizarre sense of déjà vu, as though she could walk the hall for eternity and never reach its end. It reminded her too much of another hall. The one she had entered in her dreams. The one with the door that finally allowed her to wake up.
The similarities were only magnified by the single door waiting at the hall’s end. Two guards were stationed on either side, hands fisted by their hips. While their eyes were trained resolutely on the wall behind her, she felt the occasional glance slip her way. Thicket’s shoulders curled into themselves.
“You must get used to being the center of attention,” Caspian said in a low tone so the guards couldn’t hear. “This is only the beginning, Miss Vogeli. Once you have secured your throne, you will be the head of this kingdom. There won’t only be meetings, but you must address your people, host gatherings, attend to foreign affairs. No matter what you are feeling on the inside, you must not let anyone see your insecurities. Especially now when your capabilities are being questioned.”
The world spun, and her chest grew tight—painfully tight. She couldn’t inhale properly. The air… It felt stuck. Trapped—
Caspian put a warm, gentle hand on her shoulder. “You will do just fine as long as you remember to breathe.”
Thicket nodded again—the only thing she could do—and pushed her shoulders back.
She could do this.
She could do this.
She reached out to grab hold of the door knob. Before her hand could make contact, voices slithered through the cracks of the door, low and hushed, a tone saved for words their speakers would never dare to openly say.
They were the kinds of words that if heard would cut deep.
You will never be enough.
Thicket’s confidence shriveled, her shaking hand still positioned halfway between herself and the door. If she didn’t grab the knob right now, if she dwelled on the echo of her sister’s voice for too long, she knew she would run. But her hand straight up refused to take hold of the handle.
“Are we just going to stand out here all day, or are we actually going to go inside?” Marcellus drawled, drowning out the murmurs swimming in her ears and ripping Thicket from her thoughts. Her gaze snapped to him but he wasn’t looking at her. Instead, his scowl seemed to reach somewhere beyond the door, his jaw clenching tight. He caught her staring and arched an eyebrow. “Well?”
Thicket jolted. “R-right! Caspian, do we just...” She motioned towards the door.
“Well, you certainly do not require an invitation as future Queen.”
Thicket nodded, chest feeling too, too tight. “Right.”
Just be yourself and everything else will fall into place.
She wasn’t sure if she fully believed that, but regardless she clung to the words as she took in a deep, long breath and opened the door.
The first thing she noticed was the metal chandelier. It was massive, dangling from the tall, vaulted ceiling to the table below. Though recently polished, its silver metal was still tinged with dark splotches, disturbing the intricate floral design branching outwards to hold crisp spheres of white light.
The second was the weight of the eyes resting upon her. The room’s occupants had ceased their chatter, shifting their undivided attention solely onto Thicket. All at once, the chairs around the meeting table were thrust aside as the Council stood and bowed deeply.
Thicket was overly conscious of every little movement as she approached. Her hand placement, breathing rhythm, the curve of her smile. The urge to duck her head or hide behind Caspian was overwhelming. The only thing that kept her chin high and her shoulders back were the hours she had spent practicing with Lotta. Thicket’s efforts were rewarded when she caught sight of a familiar face. The corner of her friend’s lips were already tugged playfully, as though she had been waiting for Thicket to notice her.
