The eerie silence was broken by what sounded like whimpering. Amira froze; only her eyes moved to look for the source of the sound. She was still alone. On her left, she heard a doorknob rattling. Her head slowly turned. Time slowed as the door crept open.
Amira had never felt more relieved to see Karwyn’s annoyed face. “What are you doing here?” he asked as he moved away from the door.
“Actually, I was looking for you,” she said, her voice wavering.
A dark-haired man with piercing grey eyes appeared behind Karwyn. Disregarding Amira, he whispered something in the king’s ear before swiftly walking away.
Amira wanted to ask who the mysterious man was but Karwyn interrupted her. “You should go back to the party.”
She looked around, unsettled. “I’m afraid I’m lost.”
Karwyn looked at her as if she was an annoying child. “Fine, I will walk you back.” Without waiting for her, he started forward. Amira had to run to match his fast steps. She almost tripped over her long dress.
Karwyn glanced over his shoulder. "By Caelo, you are as regal as a kitchen maid,” he said.
Amira bit back her reply. “Did you enjoy your evening, my king?” Amira asked, trying to ignore Karwyn’s insult. Some light conversation would help her forget about the dreary atmosphere of the palace.
“Do you really feel the need to do this?” Karwyn sighed.
Amira frowned. “Do what?”
“Fill the silence with pointless, empty conversation. I take no pleasure in the pretend politeness that strangers force themselves to have.”
“Soon we won’t be strangers.” Amira tried to catch his gaze as she walked next to him. “If we are to be wedded, I think we should try to get to know each other.”
Karwyn finally faced her. “Do not fool yourself. Our marriage will never be based on love. Its only purpose is to brighten up my image.”
Amira couldn’t help but feel offended by Karwyn’s words. She could see his reasoning—the royals usually preferred married fae ruling over Liraen. She wasn’t expecting true love, but she had hoped that Karwyn would see her as a companion, not just as a pawn in his game.
She held his gaze. “I can be more than just your wife. I want to be involved in politics. I want to be useful. I want to make things better for the people of Turosian.”
Karwyn let out a cold laugh. “We are far better off than Allamyst. Insinuating my kingdom needs improvement only further shows your lack of knowledge. I only chose you because your lack of power presents no threat to mine during our union.”
So that was it. She was his fiancée because in marrying a level one fae, he could be sure not to lose any power during the ceremony. In royal weddings, it was often customary to have a witch perform a blood ritual while they exchanged the sacred vows to connect their life force (and by extension, their powers) to one another. For the weaker of the two, it usually meant losing some power as the other, stronger one would absorb some of their strength.
“So that’s it?” she asked. “You’re not even going to try to get to know me?”
Karwyn looked her up and down. “I do not need to know you to make use of you. You will have a nice life here if you do as I say. You will be a queen, you will not lack for anything.”
Anything but love,a voice whispered inside her head. But for a life away from her brother’s influence, she’d do anything. Love had never worked out for her anyway.
The turquoise of Karwyn’s eyes seemed to brighten before he looked straight ahead. “Play your part right and we will not have any issues. A loving marriage should not be a king or queen’s priority.” Karwyn halted and gestured to a door that led back towards the sounds of music and dancing. “Here you are. Do not get lost again. I have no patience for imbeciles.”
He left her alone in the dark corridor with tears in her eyes and a heavy heart.
Chapter6
Lora
For a moment, Lora felt as if she was floating, the electric air around her pushing her forward. She shut her eyes tightly against the intense glowing light of the portal. When her feet abruptly landed on solid ground again, she stumbled as she tried to find her footing. Squinting against the bright light, she looked up to shadows and blurry shapes and forced herself not to panic.
“What the fuck?” a voice said not far from her.
And there went her attempt to stay calm. Lora immediately shifted her head, alarmed, shielding her eyes with her hand as she tried to catch a glimpse of who that voice belonged to. Her heart was beating so fast she thought she’d pass out from sheer panic. She had done it. She’d managed to get to Liraen...and she had no idea what was awaiting her. Orwho.
“By Caelo, how did you get here?” the voice said.
A blurry shape slowly walked towards her. Lora blinked and forced her eyes to focus. When she opened them again, she saw a tall man regarding her with curiosity. As he took another step, closing the distance between them, she found herself looking into intense, strikingly pale blue eyes. They were a stark contrast to his brown skin and dark hair.