Chapter 3
Isolde Pacing my chambers like a caged wild cat, I wanted nothing more than to have this evening over with. My gown was white, embroidered with blue jewels to match my eyes. My hair had been woven into a crown of braids, with long tendrils hanging down the back. I looked like a ghost of winter, not a bride nor a princess.
I was dead inside, and just as cold.
My years away had been lonely and isolated. I missed the faces of the castle and the sounds of children laughing in the courtyard. My only passion was my horses. I was allowed to return with only one, and so I chose Incendio, for he reminded me of what it meant not to be broken. He showed me how to be strong when others tried to get their hold of me.
Posey entered with a blue, silk train she needed to attach to my gown. It seemed foolish. All that would do was restrain me even further. I would walk past the commoners, my train sweeping behind me like a river.
Now if I had access to actual water that would prove to be far more interesting…
The door unlocked again, and my mother entered, flanked by two of her ladies. Her beautiful white hair had now turned a dull gray during my years away in Abhainn. Her face was laced with lines that declared the stress of her position in the kingdom. It couldn’t be easy being married to Savio, losing her darling boy, and having me separated from her. Still, she remained pretty in the way that wise women do.
“My dear, you look exquisite. Cousin Raelan will be most pleased when you are presented to him before the kingdom.”
The sound of his name on her lips caused me to bristle. “This is such an ancient, unnecessary ritual, mother.” We had been betrothed on paper for years, tonight was more for the crowd than us. And our actual wedding wouldn’t take place for another six weeks. No, tonight was just the first of the many absurd spectacles that I would be subjected to.
My mother took a bottle of perfume from her ladies’ maid and poured a few drops on her fingers. She rubbed the perfumed oil on my neck and wrists, still treating me like a doll made of glass. “On the contrary, it shows the people how we respect the old ways. You will be presented to the kingdom as their future. When Savio moves into the next world, you and Raelan shall lead the people in this one.” She kissed my forehead, her lips sealing my fate.
This was my last attempt at breaking free and so, unbefitting of a princess, I threw a tantrum. “ I don’t love Raelan, mother. I barely know him. There were rumors in Abhainn that he-“
She brought a hand up to silence me. “I will not have you poisoned with the gossip at court that has leaked onto the road. Raelan is a good man. I have watched him grow from a timid youth to a dashing and knowledgeable man. He is the proper choice for you.” She stepped forward and cupped my face in her palm. “Not to mention, he is handsome. How lovely to lie beside a man and not quiver from his touch. Consider yourself lucky and be grateful for your father’s generosity.”
I bit my lip to silence myself before my words caused any more of a stir. This was my duty, and I must obey.
****
There was music and an announcement of my name, but it all sounded like idle noise. It was Posey who took my elbow, instructing that it was time for me to pass the commoners who lined the hall that led to the throne room. Tradition stated that I would meet my betrothed before the kingdom. We would say the words that bound us to each other and then bid the commoners farewell as we departed to a more formal celebration. Of course, the hallway only fit a few hundred people, and the kingdom was home to thousands, making this an event for castle hands only. They would witness my presentation and carry news of my entry into the city streets.
My gaze swam over the crowd of people who gathered under this roof to get a glimpse of me, their princess, as I returned after a decade-long absence. The men removed their hats if they had any on, and the women rose onto their toes to see my gown better. As I left the hallway and entered the throne room, my heart began to pound. My veins were pumping hard against the thin veil of skin that held them captive. There were hushed whispers, warm smiles, and wide eyes. I could feel them all looking at me.
All save one.
Lorcan, the stable boy, was concentrating on the opposite wall of the throne room. His gaze rested on the wings of Charon that hung above the thrones of my mother and father. The thrones were outfitted in the same dragon hide as the armor my father wore into battle. It was a reddish brown, the color reminding me of Incendio. I wondered would my father have displayed Charon’s limbs so proudly had he been slain in his human form. Perhaps this was what was on Lorcan’s mind as well; his gaze turned away from the wings and met my eyes with such intensity, that I swear it felt as though we shared one mind in that moment.
Then, his eyes sparkled as he offered a most mischievous smile, his head cocked to the side, gesturing for me to look in front of me. A handsome man in his late thirties, with milk-white hair cropped short and neat stood before me. He was a full head taller than me, and his eyes were a darker blue than my own. Despite some crinkling around his eyes when he smiled warmly, his skin was smooth and youthful.
Raelan had stepped down from the steps of the thrones and offered me his hand. How long had he been there, extending his offer…waiting for my response? I felt the weight of an inaudible sigh lifted from the crowd as I placed my gloved hand in Raelan’s and allowed him to lead me up the stairs. My eyes drank in the dark blue of his clothes and the gleaming sword that hung from his hip.
He looked the part. But I knew, it was all an act.