I was exhausted and wished I could sleep for a week. I soaked my tired body in the tub, which was already steaming and waiting for me. I barely had any energy as I crawled into my bed and fell into a quiet dreamless sleep.
* * *
I woke up to birds chirping high in the trees in the palace gardens. A warm wind signaled the advent of spring and sunlight streamed in through the great arched windows of my room. I realized they had finally been fitted with crystal like the rest of the magnificent fae castle.
Tristan was waiting at the bottom of the steps leaning against the wall, his powerful arms crossed in front of him. He smiled when he saw me, his whole face lighting up. For a moment, I had to catch my breath. The prince of the Night Court was devastatingly handsome. I had realized this before but it was never so noticeable. Probably because of the permanent scowl on his face, I thought to myself, and giggled.
“You know you don’t have to protect me anymore, don’t you?” I teased when I saw him.
His lips curved upward in a wry chuckle. “I thought you could protect me from now on,” said Tristan. “I was thinking after we are married, I might retire and leave all the fighting up to you.”
I laughed. But cringed inwardly. How was I going to tell him I couldn’t marry him? My grandmother had no reason to force my hand. I was sure the fae army would follow me if I didn’t marry Tristan. I had to find a way to get out of it without hurting his feelings.
“Izadora wants to see you,” said Tristan, pushing himself off the wall. “The Elder Council has called a meeting.”
This was my life, council meetings and war strategies. There was no more time to practice being a queen.
“They are waiting for you in the council chamber,” Tristan informed me as I fell into step beside him. “I will walk you there.”
My grandmother sat at the head of the table in her rightful place, and the dowager sat beside her. All heads turned toward me as I entered the council room; the elders all got up from their seats and bowed.
My grandmother gestured to a chair at the end of the table opposite her. “Have a seat, Aurora,” said the queen of the fae.
I sat down on the chair that had been brought in specifically for me.
The Elder Silias spoke. “Aurora Shadowbreaker,” he began, using my title for the first time. “The council is forever in your debt for stopping Andromeda from destroying everything we have built these five thousand years. As Izadora has rightly said, since the ancient dynasty of Eos-Eirendil disappeared, the fae have waited for the heir of Illaria Lightbringer to return and lead the fae back to their former glory. It is written in the Codex.”
I looked at my grandmother. Her face was impassive, her lips set in a thin line. But her golden eyes studied me evenly. Rhiannon was quiet too and sat with her hands folded in her lap, her back ramrod straight.
“What we propose,” started the Elder Silias, glancing at the queen of the fae, “is that Izadora steps down and hands the crown of Elfi over to you, thus reinstating the ancient line of Eos-Eirendil to the throne.”
What! Were they going to do this now? When the whole of Avalonia stood poised on the brink of war? When they had thought I was a nobody, a half-breed, they were ready to throw me to the dogs. They were too scared to stand up to Andromeda and were willing to give the book up to Morgana. Now they were scared of me, so they were willing to push my grandmother aside and give me the throne. I didn’t trust them.
“And you are right not to trust them,” Abraxas observed in my head. “A shift in power like this could be detrimental to our plan to retake Illiador and get the Dark Dagger. You need your grandmother on the throne of Elfi to keep the elders and the other noble families in check. You cannot remain here to rule the fae, and once you leave, the council will have absolute power.”
“I agree,” I said silently to Abraxas. “I’ll handle it.” As long as I wore the ring he popped in and out of my head whenever he wanted. But I didn’t mind; it was reassuring to know I wasn’t alone and had his help and vast knowledge whenever I needed them.
I didn’t trust the council to rule Elfi and be there to help when I needed allies. But I could not refuse the throne outright; they would see it as an affront to the fae. I had to choose my words carefully. My grandmother had shown that she trusted me by naming me as her heir in front of the whole council. Now I would do the same for her.
I looked at my grandmother again, but she remained silent.
I cleared my throat, pushed my chair back, and stood up. “Thank you, Elder Silias,” I said, nodding at the Elder Fae. “I am truly humbled by your show of good faith and allegiance to my family, the ancient house of Eos-Eirendil.” I paused, glancing around the table. “But I cannot accept the title as queen of Elfi, at least not yet.”
Whispering broke out around the table.
I cleared my throat again. The whispering died down as the Elder Council gave me their full attention. I could see a smile playing at the corner of my grandmother’s lips.
“Elfi already has a queen,” I explained, raising the tone of my voice a notch. “Izadora is the rightful queen of Elfi, and I am her heir.” I paused, giving them time to take it in. “I am also queen of another kingdom. One now ruled by an evil tyrant. I will not allow one kingdom to fall into chaos because I am too busy looking after another. My grandmother is a great ruler, her power is unmatched in Elfi and beyond.”
I walked slowly to where my grandmother sat and stood at her side, putting my hand on the fae queen’s slender shoulder. “The time has come for me to leave Elfi and take my place as queen of Illiador. Izadora will rule Elfi in my name, until such a time as she is ready to hand over the crown to me or to my children. The Elder Council will only support the queen with advice, but will no longer be concerned with choosing a new queen every thousand years. Izadora is your queen and always will be, until I say otherwise.”
A gasp went up from the council. I had effectively taken away all their power.
My grandmother stood up.
“Now that that’s settled,” she said crisply, her gold eyes flashing and her lips curving up in a feral grin, “this council is dismissed. Until such a time as I decide I want your advice.”
The elders’ eyes went wide and Silias stood up. “You don’t have the power to dismiss us.”
“But I do,” I asserted, crossing my arms, just as the enormous shadow of Abraxas fell on the council table as he flew past the castle outside.
Immediately, the whole Elder Council got up, bowed, and scurried out of the council chamber. Only the dowager and my grandmother remained.
“Nicely done,” said Abraxas.
I smiled looking out of the window. “Thanks for the fly-by.”
“Anytime,” said the great dragon.
“You have grown into a fine young lady, Aurora,” my grandmother said unexpectedly, stepping closer and holding me gently by the arms, her gold eyes shining. “I couldn’t be any prouder to have you as my granddaughter and my heir.”
“Thank you,” I said simply.
“It is I who should thank you, for saving my life and my kingdom.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t save the book,” I murmured softly. “I’m not worthy to be Illaria’s heir.”
The queen looked at me sharply. “What is destined is already written—you cannot change that. The world has been awaiting you for a very long time. That is the reason I brought you here, to give you the chance to realize that and to uncover who you are. The Dawnstar was prophesied to save Avalonia from darkness, and you are finally ready for the task ahead. The time has come to take back your father’s throne and end Morgana’s rule for good.” She paused and her voice softened. “The time has come to get your mother back, and make sure Dragath never rises again.”
I nodded. This time I would not fail; this time I would do it right.
“They will plot against you once you are gone,” said the dowager, turning to me.
“Let them try.” The queen sat back d
own in her chair.
“Izadora will need a strong ally among the fae if she is going to hold the throne in your name,” the dowager continued.
“She has you,” I said, still smiling.
Rhiannon’s lips twitched, but she didn’t smile. “Be that as it may, an alliance with the Night Court will greatly help matters here,” the dowager said plainly. “Now that Morgana has the Book of Abraxas we must act fast. You must take an army to Illiador and retrieve the book as well as the Dagger of Dragath.”
I knew what she was getting at. But I let her talk. How was I going to tell her I didn’t want to marry her grandson?
“I don’t want to force you into marriage,” said my grandmother, to my surprise. “But Rhiannon is right. Right now the fae will follow you because they are afraid of your powers. But a marriage to a fae prince will make them trust you. In battle you must have an army you can depend on.”
“But what about Tristan’s father? He doesn’t want the marriage to happen. He was willing to give me over to Morgana just to get rid of me.”
The dowager nodded. “That was before. Now that your true lineage has been revealed, my son is more than happy to overlook your mage side and has given his blessings for this marriage.”
I’m sure he has, I thought to myself, but didn’t say it out loud. He knew marrying his son to me would ensure his line took the throne. To have the magic of the ancient queens bred into your family was the most prestigious thing that could ever happen to a High Fae.
“Think about it, Aurora,” said the dowager. “A betrothal is not a marriage, although it is a contract. You can still take your time to figure things out and get to know each other better. You don’t need to marry immediately. A betrothal will show the fae they can trust you, that you are one of them. Once you have taken back your kingdom and are ready to settle down, then you can get married if you so choose.”
“I know you have been pining over the Prince of Eldoren,” interrupted my grandmother, but her tone was not unkind.
How did she know about him? Had Penelope told her about Rafe?
“I also know he is marrying another.” My grandmother’s eyes softened. “My most trusted spies have informed me Prince Rafael was seen in Brandor recently. They have also informed me that the Red Citadel in the port city of Sanria had a big royal wedding.”
My face fell. He had finally accepted the Emir’s proposal to marry Katerina. Why else would he go there? He had made his decision, and I wasn’t part of it.
“He has put his kingdom before you,” explained my grandmother, voicing my thoughts. “And you must do the same.” Her tone was still soft, but that didn’t make her words any less harsh or true.
I realized she pitied me and my stupid dreams of love. I was slowly starting to realize how blind I was, waiting and hoping against hope that Rafe would not marry Katerina and come back for me. But that was the stuff of fairytales, and this was the real world. I had been only sixteen when I met him, and he had been my first love. At seventeen I wasn’t much older, but I was a tiny bit wiser. Maybe I thought I was in love because I didn’t know any better. But a small part of me was screaming this wasn’t true. That the love Rafe and I had was real. I brushed it aside. It was obviously not to be.
Rafe was married, and he was never coming back. If he had only waited, I would have given him an army. I would have helped him get his kingdom back if he had only come to me. But my grandmother was right; I had to do what was best for my kingdom. Marrying Tristan would help me gain the trust of the High Fae, and when the time came to fight Morgana I would have an army at my back.
I made my decision. I had to take my life into my own hands and move on.
I was Aurora Shadowbreaker, bringer of light, and dragonlord of the ancient house of Eos-Eirendil.
I was the Dawnstar. And I was going to change the world.
28
The Winds of Change
The hall was abuzz with stories of the battle of Abraxas, as it was now being called, and I walked into the grand hall on Tristan’s arm wearing a dress of silver that flowed down to my ankles and hugged every curve. A hush fell over the room when they all noticed I had arrived.
The dowager had sent a flock of house sprites to my room with an array of dresses and jewelry to choose from. I wore long ropes of silvery gray pearls wound a few times around my neck. Glamoured clothes were nice, but they never matched the look and feel of hand-stitched dresses. My gown was beautifully embroidered with tiny white flowers and small pearls stitched into the fabric. The house sprites fussed about me and did up my hair in an elaborate design entwined with small, white diamonds that sparkled in my hair as I moved.
Rhiannon had also sent me a variety of jeweled crowns to choose from, but I refused them all, choosing instead a small diadem of pearls. When I put a crown on my head, it would be in the throne room of the Star Palace in Illiador.
The High Fae bowed as I passed. Everyone had heard what happened, and they all knew who I really was: the Dawnstar, last heir of the ancient house of Eos-Eirendil.
The grand hall was suitably decorated for a betrothal feast. House sprites moved about refilling glasses and serving bite-sized snacks on large silver platters. I popped one in my mouth as they passed by.
The High Fae were dressed to the hilt, sparkling with jewels and swathed in lengths of colorful fabrics. My grandmother sat on the dais with the dowager beside her. Penelope had recovered enough to come for the feast, and she smiled when I caught her eye. I had gone to see her earlier, but she had been resting and I didn’t want to disturb her. At least she was feeling better. I was glad to have her back.
“Where’s Cade?” I asked Tristan, looking around. Some of the elders were noticeably absent, but I didn’t care. Tristan’s father had sought me out to let me know how pleased he was I had accepted. I didn’t remind him about how he had spoken to me earlier, but I would never forget.
“He’s not coming.” Tristan’s eyes were troubled. “Cade has taken Skye’s betrayal quite badly and blames himself.”
I shook my head. Poor Cade. “He shouldn’t blame himself. We all got taken in by her act.”
“I know. But Cade feels he should have realized sooner.”
“Nonsense. Where is he? I’ll go talk to him.”
Tristan caught my hand. “Leave it, Aurora. He’ll come when he’s ready.”
“But . . .”
My grandmother stood up, and the hall went silent.
She called Tristan and me up onto the dais. “My dear people of Elfi,” she began. “I am pleased to announce the betrothal of Prince Tristan of the Night Court to my granddaughter and heir, Princess Aurora of the ancient house of Eos-Eirendil.”
Cheers and claps went up from the crowd as my grandmother raised her silver goblet.
I turned to look at Tristan, who had his eyes fastened on me. He bent his head and kissed me in front of the whole room. My head swam as his lips touched mine. It lasted only a second, but it was not only a kiss. More like a promise of something else. I blushed as he moved back. Maybe being married to him wouldn’t be so bad after all.
“To Aurora and Tristan,” cheered the queen of the fae.
The crowd echoed, “To Aurora and Tristan.”
I turned to glance at Penelope, who was looking at me with a shocked expression on her face. She didn’t know! Why had my grandmother not told her?
High Fae started milling about to congratulate us, and I didn’t get a chance to talk to Penelope. Dinner was served and I sat beside Tristan, trying to make sense of the conversation around me. But I was failing miserably; my mind was elsewhere and I couldn’t concentrate on what Tristan was saying.
This was it. I was engaged. There would be no more waiting for Rafe, no more wishing he would come back. It was over, he was gone, and I had to move on.
After dinner the tables were moved away for the dancing to commence, and the musicians started up a lively melody as couples milled onto the dance floor. I went up to Penelop
e, who was seated on a chair in the corner of the great hall talking softly to two High Fae ladies. They bowed and moved away when they saw me.
“How are you feeling?” I perched myself on the armrest of the high back chair on which she sat.
“Tired,” Penelope replied, glancing at me briefly, then studying the dancing couples. “I shouldn’t have come down for the feast, but Izadora insisted. Now I know why.”
“I can take you back to your room if you want.”
She shook her head. “You cannot leave your own betrothal feast until everyone has left.” Penelope was always so proper. “It would be considered rude.”
I sighed. “I saw your look when my grandmother announced the betrothal. I thought you knew she was going to announce it today?”
Penelope shook her head again. “No. I didn’t know. I was surprised, that’s all. I thought you were still in love with Rafe. I didn’t expect you to say yes, now that Izadora cannot force you to do anything you don’t want.”
I hung my head. “What use would that be? Rafe and Katerina are married. He’s never coming back for me.”
“What?” Penelope demanded, her blue eyes narrowing into ice chips. “Who told you that?”
“My grandmother.” I told her everything Izadora and the dowager had said.
She shook her head as I was talking.
“This time Izadora has gone too far,” said Penelope. “She may be my sister, but she can be a real bitch when she doesn’t get her way.”
“Penelope!” I gasped. I had never heard her use such a word before. Penelope was always so soft spoken and gentle. “Why are you so angry? What did she do?” But a slow dread had started creeping into my heart.
Penelope shook her head. “It’s not what she did, but what she didn’t do that is the problem.”
My eyes narrowed. “I don’t understand.”
The Rise of the Dawnstar Page 29
