by Jayne Faith
“I’m so very sorry for the loss of your friend,” he said, his voice soft with genuine emotion. “I could tell he was a good man, and I had truly hoped he would win.”
Lord Toric paused, but I did not respond.
“I want to find out who drugged him. I want that person punished,” Lord Toric said. “Not just because interfering with the Tournament is a violation of the sacred texts, but also for you. And for Orion. This is all I can offer, but I need your help. Who told you that your and Orion’s food was spiked with a drug?”
“My useless so-called guide, Clarisse,” I finally said. My voice sounded strange in my own ears—hard and hollow. “She said it was Akantha. She offered some sort of reward to the other guides if they would persuade their Obligates to make sure I didn’t survive the challenge. And to make sure the others had an edge, she poisoned my food. I stopped just short of drinking the water in my dressing room, and I didn’t eat any of the food. I don’t think Clarisse knew that Orion’s food had been poisoned, too.”
Thinking back on the challenge, I realized none of the other Obligates had truly followed through with the sabotage. Perhaps they’d been too focused on trying to survive the challenge themselves and hadn’t the wherewithal to try to interfere with me. Kalindi had been strategic in trying to make it more difficult for everyone else to make it across the board, but her actions hadn’t been aimed specifically at me. That part of Akantha’s plan, at least, had fizzled. Not that it gave me much satisfaction.
“The Priestess, investigators, and experts in law have been pulled into this matter,” Lord Toric said. “I know you are not familiar with our sacred texts, and you probably do not care about the details right now, but this magnitude of interference with the Tournament is an extreme violation, and one we are taking very seriously. I don’t know whether I will be able to prove that Akantha was behind this, but I want you to know that I’m trying. After a review of the footage, everyone agrees that it looks as if Orion may have been drugged. The Tournament has been halted until the matter has been sorted out.”
Anger bolted through me. So it was okay to send Earthens to compete and die, but stars forbid a Calistan interfere with that process? No one would care about Orion’s death if he had not been drugged.
Damn the Calistans and their blasted sacred texts!
I began to sweat with the effort of keeping my anger hidden.
“If you can prove that Akantha was behind it, what would be her punishment?” I asked, my voice tremoring only a little.
“She would be put to death.”
I closed my eyes, willing Lord Toric to leave me in peace. All I wanted to do was sleep and pray that Akantha was found out.
After a long moment of silence, he touched my shoulder again. “I will come back soon to see how you’re doing. In the meantime, if you need anything at all, I’ve left a message tablet on the desk in the library. You can send your requests, and one of my servants will bring you whatever you need.”
He lingered, but if he was expecting my thanks, he was going to have to wait a very long time. I had no gratitude left in my heart.
Finally he left. Eventually my mind allowed my body to shut down, and I slept.
Lord Toric visited me the next day. He tried to sound encouraging, but his case against Akantha was still only circumstantial. I asked whether I could testify against her, or give a statement, but he said that Earthens were not allowed to participate in Calistan legal proceedings. That meant Clarisse and the other guides couldn’t make statements, either.
“So then it’s hopeless,” I said flatly.
“Not necessarily. I have investigators interviewing Calistan servants. If anyone witnessed something that could connect Akantha to what happened, then we will truly have a case against her. I’m not giving up, Maya.”
We were in the library in my quarters, and I sat with my legs pulled up on a sofa, my back against the armrest. I could almost imagine Lana sitting at the other end. The two of us like bookends, as Mother used to say.
I stared out the window. The light of the dying semi-sun still glared during the day. “I would prefer it if you did not visit me again until there is a new development,” I said. I didn’t say it unkindly or with any anger. It was more a plea. “I cannot stand to hear more bad news. I hope you understand.”
“Maya, please, I . . .” He stopped and let out a defeated breath.
I turned to look at him, but he sat with his elbows propped on his knees and his head hanging.
I looked away, and eventually he rose and left me alone.
I passed the next couple of days in solitude, mostly in the library. I pulled books from shelves at random and sampled snippets the unfamiliar stories written by Calistan authors. I was not in a state of mind to truly enjoy the books and couldn’t focus long enough to read one all the way through, but at least they distracted me.
Every morning when I awoke, I expected Clarisse would come to my door to give me the form-fitting Tournament clothing and tell me that the search for Orion’s murderer had been abandoned and I had to enter the next challenge.
But the days wore on, and I was not forced back into the challenge. Lord Toric did not arrive with any news.
After a week, a servant arrived with a message.
I deeply regret that the case against Akantha has not progressed appreciably since we last spoke. I know you asked me to stay away until there was news, but I have a proposition for you. Jeric and Akantha’s engagement party is tomorrow night, and it would be my great pleasure to have you accompany me. I imagine few things would grate on Akantha more than seeing you there by my side, and I hope I’m not being too presumptuous in assuming that you would enjoy that as much as I would. Please say yes. I miss you more than I can put in words.
--Toric
I found the corners of my mouth pushing outward. It took me a moment to realize that I was indeed smiling at the prospect of seeing Akantha’s reaction to my presence at her engagement party. And perhaps the idea of accompanying Lord Toric played a tiny part in my pleasure, too.
I looked down at the message tablet, where two options were blinking at me: Accept Invitation and Decline Invitation. With a little curl of anticipation dancing in my middle, I tapped Accept.
A moment later, the tablet flashed with a confirmation: Response received.
I imagined Akantha wouldn’t be the only one who’d react with shock at seeing Lord Toric escorting an Obligate to an important event that was sure to be attended by the most important people in the nation. The thought of causing such a stir among Calistan royalty and nobles gave me a zing of dark delight, which was followed quickly by a soft laugh of surprise.
Oh, how much I’d changed. The Maya who’d left Earthenfell would have cringed and fretted at the thought of upsetting the status quo or causing any sort of commotion. But the evolution of that girl had begun the moment I’d stepped foot on Calisto, and Orion’s death had been another terrible blow to that girl’s innocence.
Remembering Orion sobered my mood in an instant. But I’d resolved that if ever I felt afraid or uncertain, I would think of him and his quiet courage. I was alive. And I would not let his sacrifice for me come to nothing.
The next morning after breakfast, a messenger arrived with a bundle. Tullock escorted her into my chambers and made me stand back while he unwrapped what she’d brought. He pulled a dust cover from a hanger to reveal a dress of deep shimmering purple twinkling with tiny crystal detailing.
I blinked several times in awe of the pure beauty of the garment. A rectangular box contained silver-white, high-heeled shoes with thick platform soles. A smaller hinged box held a crystal necklace with a tear-shaped lavender jeweled pendant and a pair of dangling white crystal earrings.
“Someone will arrive after dinner to do your hair and makeup,” the Calistan messenger said. She curiously looked me up and down, and I couldn’t begin to imagine what was going through her mind. She must have guessed that the outfit was for the royal
engagement party.
I squared my shoulders and nodded at her casually, as if that sort of thing happened every day. “Thank you.”
After the messenger and Tullock left, I stood back and simply stared at the dress. It had obviously been custom-made, as I was much smaller than even the shortest Calistan woman. The craftsmanship was absolutely divine, and the jewels alone must have been worth a small fortune.
For the first time since the game of survival, I looked forward to leaving my rooms. And it wasn’t just because of the beautiful dress. It was time to re-engage with my purpose. It was time to move forward.
*
I sat on the divan just inside the exterior door of my chambers, waiting for Lord Toric and trying not to crease the skirt of my dress.
I’d already practiced walking in the silver shoes, which gave me four or five inches of extra height due to the platform soles and the high heel. After a few minutes of walking back and forth using the tips Iris had given me, I’d quickly realized I should sit as much as possible until Lord Toric came for me. My toes would probably be blistered by the end of the evening, but it would be worth it to feel a bit less diminutive in a room full of Calistans.
Despite my earlier determination, my heart flutter-tapped like a little agitated bird.
When a knock came at the door, I patted my hair, squared my shoulders, and went to answer it.
Lord Toric’s large frame seemed to fill the doorway, and for a moment I lost my breath. He was dressed in raw silk trousers and a cross-over top in a shade or two darker than the purple of my dress. A simple white braided belt—one of Lana’s, I was sure—looped around his narrow waist. He wore the Lord’s crown on his head and metal cuffs around his wrists and ankles.
He looked every bit a king.
I inclined my head and gave him a deep curtsy.
“Please,” he said quietly, and I looked up to see his outstretched hand and his aquamarine eyes trained intently on me.
I swallowed and finally let out a breath as I reached for his hand.
With his fingers closed around my hand, he held my arm up and stepped back, looking me up and down. When his gaze met mine, he gave the faintest shake of his head, and his eyes gleamed with heat.
“You are an absolute vision. You look even more beautiful than I’d even imagined,” he said. Then his eyelids lowered a hair, and he gave me a smile as a deliciously wicked glint lighted his eyes. “And I have a very good imagination.”
I arched one brow at him and smiled back, even as I felt my cheeks warm under his intense attention. “Thank you, my Lord.”
He finally stepped close to my side and then looked down at me. “Are you ready for this?”
I nodded and slipped my hand from his so I could grasp the crook of his elbow.
Walking slowly for my sake, and with three guards in formal black uniforms bearing a silver seal following behind me and Lord Toric, it felt like a small procession.
I kept my chin high, ignoring the stares we attracted as we walked through the palace.
We didn’t have far to go, as the party was taking place in one of the halls high in the palace—the floors reserved for royalty. The room Lord Toric took me into was smaller than the banquet hall where I’d met his brother at the celebration following the first Tournament challenge. But it was even more beautiful and ornate, with all the sparkle of the larger hall, plus intricate tapestries hanging from the walls.
In the center was a table that looked as if it had been carved from one large solid milky-white crystal. On it was a shining silver fountain with deep maroon liquid bubbling up through the top, cascading over the fluted edges of each tier, and pooling in the bowl at the base.
Just as I was about to turn to Lord Toric and remark on how lovely the room looked, I spotted Akantha. She was dressed in pearl white edged in silver with the sides of her hair pulled back from her face and a sparkling tiara resting on the top of her dark hair.
Her face twisted in unchecked appalled surprise, and then she lowered her chin and narrowed her eyes like a predator zeroing in on its prey. Apprehension stirred deep in my chest, and I tried to slow my steps.
Lord Toric continued forward without breaking stride, and he clamped down with his arm, pinning my hand against my side and forcing me to keep up with him.
“You’re my guest,” he whispered without looking down at me. “You’re on the arm of the Calistan Lord. Do not doubt that you belong here, Maya.”
I took in a deep breath through my nose and let it out slowly, trying to take his words to heart. I knew I did not truly belong there among Calistan royalty and nobles—even the Earthen harem women were absent—but I had been personally invited by the most revered and powerful man on Calisto and Earthenfell. If I couldn’t draw at least a little confidence from that, I reasoned, then there was no hope for me.
As we approached, the two Calistan women Akantha had been chatting with seemed to recognize me at once. One let out a little yip of surprise and then pressed her fingertips to her lips. The other turned her head slightly, looking back and forth between Lord Toric and me from the corners of her eyes as if she could not quite believe what she saw.
The two ladies dropped into hasty curtsies, and Akantha followed with a slower one a beat later.
Lord Toric ignored the two women and stopped in front of Akantha. He gave her a little tilt of his head, an acknowledgement that was something less than a bow but more than a nod.
“Akantha, I offer my congratulations again,” he said. “And I hope you enjoy yourself this evening.”
She gave him a sour smile. “On behalf of myself and my fiancé, I thank you for your well wishes, my Lord.” Her tone was pure ice. Her gaze stayed steadily on Lord Toric, but I could tell by the way the muscles of her face flinched with the effort of staying composed that she was acutely aware of my presence.
Lord Toric glanced from side to side. “Where is the lucky man, anyway?”
“He had something important to attend to. I’m sure he’ll be arriving any moment,” Akantha said. “And if you’ll excuse me, I see more guests I should greet.”
She dropped into a terse curtsy and then strode away, leaving us in a cloud of her musky perfume.
Lord Toric turned, steering us away from the two women who still stood staring at us.
“I think that went very well, don’t you?”
I lifted one shoulder. “No attacks. No wounds. Not even a cross word or a raised voice. Yes, I’d call it a raging success.”
He snorted a laugh and shot me a wry smile.
“I’d bet a case of my favorite vintage that Jeric is already half-drunk, hiding somewhere,” he said in a low voice. “Akantha will probably have to send someone to drag him here, if she hasn’t already done so.”
As much as I hated Akantha, I actually felt a brief flicker of pity. How awful it would be to stand alone greeting guests at your own engagement party while your fiancé tried to disappear. Even if there’d never been genuine love between Akantha and Jeric, it could not feel good.
Lord Toric cast a glance at me, quickly taking in my expression. “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t feel sorry for her. She knew exactly what she was getting when she set her sights on my brother.”
“I just couldn’t dream of choosing a husband as—as some sort of strategic move,” I said. “I honestly can’t imagine that there’s much happiness in her life.”
“You’re too kind,” he said and reached under his elbow to quickly squeeze my hand.
I pasted on a pleasant smile as Lord Toric exchanged brief words with other guests. The expressions on the faces of the Calistan royals and nobles we encountered ranged from politely masked surprise to open shock each time one of them recognized me. Lord Toric didn’t linger or allow himself to get pulled into conversation, for which I was thankful. I got the sense he kept the interactions brief not only for my benefit, but also because he had little interest in conversing with the people around us. I wondered what problems my p
resence that night might create for him.
Not for the first time, I suspected that the life of a Lord might be a lonely one. Everyone knew him and all heads bowed in his presence, but how many were like Akantha, angling for power or looking for some weakness to exploit?
How did Lord Toric know who he could trust?
As we moved through the room, I realized he was aiming us toward the long table set up on a raised platform at the far end.
I recognized Lord Toric’s sister, Cassiopeia, standing near the table and speaking to a stately looking woman. Cassi, as Jeric had called her when he’d pointed her out to me, was in profile and her dress draped over the swell of her pregnant stomach.
The two women were deep in conversation and did not notice us until we were only a few feet away.
Lord Toric stopped and stepped away from me slightly, so I let go of his elbow.
“Queen Stella and Princess Cassiopeia, meet Maya.”
The older woman turned to us, and her head balked back when she saw me. “Toric!” She looked at me again, gasped, and her hand flew to her chest. “What in the name of the stars have you done?”
I quickly bent into a deep curtsy, which gave me an excuse to look down as Lord Toric went to his mother and towered over her, speaking in a low voice. “Calm down, Mother. Don’t make a scene.”
“A scene?” The Queen looked at me in horror and then turned her outrage on her son. “You’re the one who’s made a scene! What is the meaning of this? And after she attacked Akantha on live broadcast? This girl is obviously unstable. I can’t believe you’d bring her here.” She blinked rapidly in agitation and fanned her face with one hand.
I stood by awkwardly, my fingers interlaced and pulled tight against my waist as my cheeks started to burn.
“Really, Mother, there’s no need to be so dramatic,” Cassi said with a soothing touch on the Queen’s shoulder.
Cassi cast me an apologetic little shrug of one shoulder and a slight roll of her eyes, and I decided right then and there that I liked her very much.
The Queen gave Lord Toric an injured look. “I just don’t understand why you’d embarrass yourself this way. This was the perfect opportunity to get to know one of the ladies who might become your wife. And instead you’re showering your attentions on an Earthen girl who isn’t even in the harem? You know you shouldn’t get attached to any of the Offered. This girl could end up in the flame—”
