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My suspicions grow with each pinched face and upturned nose. “Don’t bullshit me, Sutherland. We were never invited to the Culling, were we?”
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Khiara,” my uncle says as we stroll deeper into the courtyard.
It’s decorated beautifully. Fairy lights are strung from tree to tree, creating an ethereal pergola beneath the sky. Wisteria stems drape along the inside of the stone wall separating the village from the castle grounds, with poinsettias tucked into the greenery every three feet. Gas heaters are placed sporadically throughout the courtyard to chase away winter’s touch. The warmth is almost stifling compared to the cool air beyond the gates. Most of the Crown’s guests have handed their coats to an attendant near the ballroom entrance, though none are allowed to go inside. They’re turned away, forced to drink and mingle until the Culling officially starts at sunset.
“Sometimes, we must forge our destiny, my dear niece.” Sutherland hands his coat to the boy out front. He pats the kid’s head and then searches for where the Ladies are being presented.
He waits until a family in bright blue colors arrives. They hand the boy their coats and walk up the steps, only to be stopped by a woman. She smiles, welcoming the girl, and then covers the girl’s eyes with a blindfold before escorting her into the castle.
Five minutes pass before the woman is at her post again, looking over a list on her clipboard and then out to the crowd.
“Watch Sage tonight,” I tell Sutherland. He cocks his head to the side, not used to me bringing new people under my wing. “See to it she stays out of trouble. Introduce her as our cousin, and who knows, if you’relucky, you might get a dowry offering tonight. One she has every right to accept or refuse.”
“You mean a second dowry.” He smirks. “I have no doubt you won’t cast a spell on our prince.”
“Those words shouldn’t be said so casually,” I remind him as he grabs a glass of clear bubbly wine from a passing waiter.
“I have complete faith in you, my dear niece, for you are your mother‘s daughter. And there was nothing the world denied her.” He swallows the liquid with a grimace, then hands Sage the empty glass. “Fetch me another. Would you, dear?”
“It’s all right,” I reassure. “I need to register for tonight anyway. Drink. Have some fun.”
I reach for Sage’s hand and squeeze it. I won’t say goodbye because I’ll see her again. I only say those words when I know my time with someone is done.
I wait and watch with pride as Sage slinks her way into a conversation. For a second, I worry the man she’s chosen will realize she’s no one of stature, but Sage’s time at the Red Keep has taught her well. Within minutes, her mark has extended his elbow, and she’s made herself arm-candy.
“It’s nearly sunset,” Sutherland says. “It’s now or never.”
I clench my fists and take a deep breath. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to smile and flirt and pretend to be interested in a man I’ve never met, whose father is the reason my family and so many others were mercilessly killed.
But I have no choice.
Ezra might not be blood, but he’s family. I can’t leave him in the hands of the Crown.
I climb sixteen stone steps to the entrance of the castle. The main hallway is bright, filled with flowers and glittering lights. It has a beauty that can only be described as storybook. It smells like honey-glazed ham and freshly baked pastries, sweet and savory. The ultimate food pleasures.
“Sorry,” the woman we saw earlier says as she steps out of the shadows. “But no one is allowed inside until the Culling begins.”
Sutherland touches my shoulders, beaming like a father on his daughter’s wedding day. “I understand, but my niece is to be presented this evening, Lady Vidya.”
Vidya clicks her pen and stares at her clipboard, uninterested in me and my uncle. She looks tired. Red lines streak the whites of her eyes, and deep circles hang beneath her lashes. Her skin is a sickly white, though it doesn’t hug her bones. She’s healthy looking. Just overworked. “Name?”
“Khiara Hargrove,” Sutherland says proudly.
“Hargrove?” Vidya’s gaze flicks to me and then to my uncle. “Does Coralee know you’re here?”
“My mother died three years ago. Were you friends?”
“No,” Vidya says roughly, then changes the subject. “To enter the Culling, you must agree to the following rules.” She hands me a clipboard with at least ten pages of writing, all inscribed and squiggly letters pressed tightly together. It’s nearly impossible to read. “Did you not receive your contract with your invitation?”
“She did, but this was my mistake, Vidya. I read through the documents and agreed to the terms. I didn’t see the point in Khiara reviewing it, too.” Sutherland interjects. He takes the clipboard and thumbs through the pages.
“Can your niece read?” Vidya asks with an arched eyebrow. She looks at me, her brown eyes stopping on my hair, the freckles on my face, and finally the pendant around my neck.
“Of course she can,” Sutherland declares, appalled. “A queen who cannot read is useless to our kingdom.”
“Agreed.” Vidya’s lips press into a tight line as she decides what to do with me. If she knows my family, then there’s a good chance she knows we weren’t invited tonight. She could turn us away, and any chance I have of rescuing Ezra goes out the door.
She snatches the clipboard from my uncle and holds it out for me. “Make your choice now, girl. Sign the contract blindly or forfeit your entry. The show starts in half an hour.”
