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To celebrate my upcoming nuptials, no doubt.
I tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace.
The ceiling was so high I could barely see it. It was painted with a mural of the stars and the night sky. The constellations were picked out in shining silver and gold. Every few feet, there was a statue or a painting. Some famous Elves, others of landscapes. But all of them were beautiful.
The floor was made of shining white marble, veined with gold. It was so bright it hurt my eyes. There was a feeling of history in the air, as if the very walls were alive.
This was a place of power. I felt it in the way the air crackled with foreign magic. It was a place of politics and intrigue. And I was about to be thrown into the middle of it.
“This is the Hall of Stars,” Bers said. “The entrance hall. The great hall, the Hall of Wisdom, is just through there.”
He pointed to a set of double doors at the far end of the room. They were made of dark wood, inlaid with silver and gold.
“That’s where we hold audiences and banquets.” Bers stepped inside the Aeglire. “Diplomats and ambassadors from all over the world come here to meet with our Queen.”
And to plot and scheme, I thought. I could use this place to my advantage. If I played my cards right, I could make sure that my people were never in danger again.
First, I had to get through the next few days. I had to pretend to be something I wasn’t and hope that nobody saw through my facade.
But I needed to do one thing first.
I kneeled on the floor and Bers leaned down to help me up. I shook my head.
“What are you doing?” he asked, bemused.
“If you don’t mind waiting. There is something I need to do.” I placed the chest on the floor. “It’s for good luck,” I explained. “When a bride leaves her old home without paying homage to magic, it’s considered a bad omen.”
Or it used to be. But I needed all the luck I could get.
Bers looked like he was going to say something, but then he just nodded and waited patiently while I opened the chest. From it, I took out a beautifully painted porcelain tureen filled with henna leaves and eggs. The eggs were decorated with henna symbols of fertility and good luck.
“I’m not familiar with this ritual.”
“It’s an old hearth caster ritual,” I heard a familiar voice explain. “It’s said that if the bride gives an offering to magic, she will be blessed with a happy home.”
As I looked up, I saw Prince Maedras stepping out from the shadows. He was wearing a robe, but they were made of the finest silk. A ruby circlet pulled his gold hair back from his face. The last day I saw him was at the university and his presence took me by surprise. He met my gaze, and I saw the same intensity in his eyes. The same feeling of being trapped in his stare.
“Prince Maedras,” I greeted him before I turned my attention back to the tureen. I unscrewed the lid and placed it on the floor in front of me.
Prince Maedras looked at Bers. “I see you’ve been busy.”
“Not as busy as you, it seems,” Bers said drily. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
Prince Maedras ignored him and turned his attention to me. “I was worried that you would not make it.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I forced myself to say.
His catlike eyes seemed to miss nothing as he looked at me. “I’m sure you’ll find everything to your liking.”
I nodded. I didn’t trust this man. But I needed to be careful. An enemy in the open was better than one in the shadows.
“I wouldn’t want anything to ruin this joyous day,” he continued.
“How familiar are you with the ritual?” I asked, as I focused on my work again.
“Not very,” Prince Maedras admitted. “I only know of its existence.”
I grabbed six other tureens and placed them in a circle around the first one.
