My father stood from his throne, Mother and me following suit.

"King Lius, Queen Nillaj, and Crown Prince Kace of the Fae country of Entorre." All the words I've wanted to say fall to my feet, and I knew everyone was watching as Prince Kace stepped through the part the crowd had made.

"Forgive us for being unpunctual. We had to take a detour due to a supposed Ashe Knightley," Kace spoke over the whispers.

Father looked at me, his eyes hollow. "Speak, Valarya."

"There's no need for the formalities, King Lorcan. We are very well known to each other, after all," Kace said with a smug grin at his face.

I heard Mother's low hiss from beside my ear. Kace and she had a very complicated past. It didn't help that I despised the bastard equally as much.

Kace bent a knee, his pointed ears peeking through his icy blonde hair. "Your Graces, I want us to get straight to the prepositions. Valarya de Mertaire, it would be the greatest honor to take your hand in marriage. Be my queen, and I'll be your king."

My three younger sisters walked up the dais and stood beside me. I felt like their weight was on me, yet I knew that it was the weight of all Thaeleck.

The entire room stared at the kneeling prince, albeit they were waiting for me.

I turned to Ilias, his head bowed, his arm against his side, yet his eyes stayed on me. What world did I have to be in to have him? When could've I been happy?

"I cannot believe my husband thought to allow you back into the palace even after your brother's mistake," Mother said, her voice loud through the vastness of the room.

"My brother died with your daughter, Your Grace." Kace looked away from me and stood up from the ground. "Nicholyn's mistakes should not be my own."

"Yet here you are, asking for my daughter's hand in marriage—"

"Queen Merelle, we already arranged this with King Lorcan," King Lius countered.

Mother jerked her head toward him, her eyes enraged. "If your son hadn't killed my eldest, do you think—?"

"Enough," my father yelled. "Queen Merelle, you're dismissed." He pointed to the doors at the top of the stairs.

Mother snarled lowly before pushing past everyone. An audible slam was heard when she exited the room.

Kace lifted a corner of his lips as he said, "Well, now that we have her out, may I continue what I've been trying to say?"

I wanted to go down there and slap him, but Diana interrupted my thoughts. "It seems like you forget your place in this palace, Prince of Entorre. Would you like my guards to show it to you?"

There was several small chuckles chiding around the room.

"Good. You may finish your statement now," she said, satisfied by the crowd's approval of her reply.

"I forget how snarky you are, Princess Diana." He nodded in her direction before he turned his gaze back at me. "Though, the other princesses seem weak compared to you." Kace's smirk sent my blood boiling. "When I become king, I'll make sure to put you in your place."

King Lius and Queen Nillaj both scoffed. I didn't know whether it was because they approved of what Kace had said, or if they disagreed. Either way, they didn't say anything against it.

"Isn't that what your brother, the Dark Prince himself, said to you many moons ago, Prince Kace?" I snapped back.

I saw a small portion of the crowd gasp. Ilias had covered his mouth with his hand, his eyes averting away.

Kace's eyes widened, his tanned skin flushing red. His mouth opened, but no words escaped. As I looked around the room, I smiled when I saw Diana grinning so widely.

"Enough!" Father shouted over the commotion. "It doesn't matter how much you two fight; you'll both marry. And you marry tomorrow night."

My hand wrapped around the arm of the throne behind me. Tomorrow night? That was too soon. Too soon.

I didn't feel much as I fell back into my throne, defeated. All eyes watched me as I sat there, my arms in the throne's side and my head bowed. "Very well," I rasped. Whila slowly turned to look at me when she heard my voice break.

There was nothing I could do.

"Excellent." Father looked toward the royal family of Entorre and said, "I'll have Diana herself escort you to your bedchambers."

She growled as she silently pulled at the hem of her thick gown. "Follow me, Your Graces," she snarled as she gestured for them to go after her.

The crowd in the room dispersed like mist. Soon, it was just Whila and me. Alone. It felt soothing to be alone after that. "Valarya, it'll be over soon," she whispered softly. "You're shaking."

I couldn't open my mouth. It stayed shut as I wrapped my arms protectively around my waist. Whila watched, but she didn't for long. Her arms folded around me, a touch that I wished I could give to them more often. She ran her soothing fingers through my locks carefully and delicately, as if the world could crumble beneath me.

I refused to shed any tears. Instead, I softly pulled her away and inhaled sharply. She watched me come up from the throne, and she scrunched her brows as she saw me smile. "You're right. I shouldn't dwell so much on these things. My duty is to my crown."

Whila stiffened. "You shouldn't have to tear yourself up for your crown—"

"Which is why I won't fight back. I'll just... marry Kace." I flattened the front of my gown as I went down the dais.

*~⚜️~*

Dinner was awfully quiet.

Irene and Whila stared at the velvet tablecloth whilst Diana stabbed at her meat rather loudly. Mother consistently drank out of her goblet, refilling it with wine every time she finished it. My father looked out the windows, the twinkles of the stars reflecting off the silver plates.

I kept my gaze at the food that was splayed in front of me. I never got the chance to ask Father where he got this food from, and I never did care. Did I now? No. No, I didn't.

"I haven't found my crown yet," Mother slurred from the end of the table. "The guards have looked everywhere."

Father rested his forehead on to his fingertips. "You shouldn't have taken it off in the first place—"

"You expect me to sleep with the crown on, Lorcan? I can barely walk around the palace without tripping." Mother placed her goblet down, her saddened eyes turning to glass. "I'm not in any shape to discuss my crown, anyway."

"Go to your bedchambers and rest. You've drank an abundance of wine tonight, love." Father pulled out his seat and lifted Mother out of the dining hall.

Whila and Diana exchanged glances before they, too, left the dining hall.

Irene sat still, watching the torch's flames against the wall. "You wanted to speak with me, did you not?" she whispered.

I snapped my attention to Irene. "Not here. Come."

We left the dining hall, proceeding to my chambers. Several guards weren't on their posts, but I didn't mind.

We entered my chambers, and I almost choked when I saw Ilias with a bare torso. "Valarya—"

"Put your tunic on!" I grabbed the loose fabric off the floor, trying to be quicker than the time it took Irene to come in.

He slid his tunic on frantically as he bounced from side to side. Right as the collar fell into place, Irene walked in, her own facial expression taunting. "Did I delay a certain arrangement?"

My face dipped to red, and Ilias tried to mutter excuses, but Irene laughed and shook her head. "If you think I didn't know already, you're both mistaken."

Ilias locked his eyes shut, too embarrassed to bare them. I shot Irene a stare, but she merely shrugged. "What? It's not like I don't know. Anyone with ears could hear you two—"

"This is the time when you will shut your mouth and I try to forget everything you just said," I said, as I, too, was growing too embarrassed to let Irene continue.

Irene rolled her eyes as she sat on the bed, purposefully bouncing on it. "Well, what did you need?"

I pursued my lips shut as I spoke. "I've been feeling... strange lately."

"Define strange." Irene crossed her arms over her chest, her analyzing eyes surveying everything I said.

"Nausea, light-headedness, a bit of fatigue—"

"And you're sure you're not pregnant?" Irene quipped.

Ilias spun toward me, his eyes wide. His arm twisted as he said, "Are you?"

I wanted to snort at their foolish inquires. I ignored his comment as I said, "Does it have to be that?"

"Being pregnant? I wouldn't put it past you, but no. It could be several things, but given the... circumstances"—she looked up toward Ilias—"I assumed that right away."

"But you're not pregnant, right?" Ilias asked again, this time with more worry in his tone. He tilted his face, intently watching. "Because you're marrying soon. I cannot be the reason it falls."

I shook my head, this time not holding my snort back. "You heard Irene. It could be many things," I retorted.

"Well, I better look into this now. The less time I take finding out what this is, the less we'll all have to worry." Irene pasted Ilias a stare as she left the room.

Ilias paced the room as his finger rummaged through his hair. "Valarya, have you been taking a tonic?"

"I'm not an idiot!" I shouted back.

"That's not what I meant. You are aware that you're about to marry, or am I the only one that payed much attention to what happened earlier today?" Ilias stopped in front of me and darkened his eyes.

I faced the ground. I wished that I loved Kace like I used to, but those days were far behind now. They were forgotten shadows, and that love burned with Nicholyn and Manea. I felt that tightness swell around my heart more, slowly closing in until I could breathe the light in. I was tired of this—if one more person spoke about it, I'd go insane.

Just for a second—for a second, I needed a distraction.

"Ilias, please," I started, my mouth dry, "distract me from this."

His rough hand grazed my neck and wrapped to the back until it reached the beginning of the ribbons. His other fingers lifted my chin, and I saw a void that I didn't know if I could climb out of.

Without further incentive, his lips landed at mine, slowly, fragilely, like I could shatter under his touch. My fingers traced the hem of his shirt, unraveling him under such a powerful touch. He groaned, then lifted me into his arms, pushing me against the wall as his mouth trailed down my neck.

I held tighter to his waist as my gown fell to our feet like a feather falling from a stack of bricks.

"Then let me distract you, Valarya," he murmured against my boiling skin.