Fragile Destiny (The Aether Chronicles)

by Suzanne Lazear

  Padraig nodded and she answered. He continued to ask her questions and she responded. Essentially, he asked if she was prepared to take on the honor and duty of the earth court. He also asked if there were any objections.

  Noli held her breath, expecting someone—anyone—to speak out, to challenge her right then and there for the court.

  No one did.

  Still, she remained as tightly wound as a pocket watch.

  Lord Adair came over and offered her the sword, which she took, stating that she accepted the responsibility of defending her court and people with her life. At least that’s what Padraig told her she said. As her hand curled around the hilt, she felt a little shock course up her arm. It wasn’t enough to make her cry out, but it was enough to remind her that this was very, very real.

  As Padraig continued with the last bit, her eyes found V, who gave her a smile and nod of approval. James outright grinned. It was difficult to not grin back. It took all her concentration to stand and swear upon the Bright Lady and the magic itself that she would be the new queen, serving and protecting the court until she died or was deemed unworthy.

  Taking the sword, she cut her hand, offering her blood as sacrifice to both the Otherworld and her people.

  The air around her sizzled, like it had when she’d taken the court—and when V had proposed, no, married her. She closed her eyes, steeling herself for the pain … but it never came. Neither did the voice. A gentle breeze fluttered through the room, even though they weren’t outside. A murmur lit through the crowd as the breeze swirled around her, rustling her skirts and her unbound hair.

  “She has spoken,” Padraig said softly in the high language.

  Someone helped her put the sword around her. The man with the crown walked over to Padraig. The old man took the crown and held it up, showing it to all assembled as he spoke the traditional words in the high language as to what it represented. Then, he set it on her head, giving her a smile, eyes gleaming. Tingles shot through her, though they were minty, not painful. Fanfare blared in the background. He took her hand in his, which was bony and leathery but strong, and led her around the dais, presenting her to the room as the new queen.

  “Long live the queen, long live the queen,” the crowd chanted as the earth court subjects bowed, acknowledging her new position. However, the grimaces of some of the lords of the great houses didn’t escape her. V and James no longer sat with their house. It was nearly time for their part.

  Padraig led her to the throne and she sat once again. The music resumed. V progressed up the aisle, alone, looking handsome in his court best, his father’s sword at his side.

  This should be reversed. Something stabbed her, not regret or jealousy, but it was still a feeling that she should be walking down the aisle to meet her groom.

  Perhaps, given everything, she should send James into the mortal realm to aethergraph Vix about making the surprise wedding a double.

  Noli caught movement out of the corner of her eye, and she saw James holding V’s crown on a pillow. Her eyes fell on Queen Tiana, who sat primly in a ridiculously diaphanous purple and gold dress that took up two chairs.

  Would the high queen object? Would someone else object? Her chest tightened. No. Everything would be fine. Taking a deep breath, she focused on V.

  Padraig nodded, and she stood. V joined her on the dais and they faced each other.

  Never had she expected to marry this young—though plenty of girls did. But deep in her heart she’d wanted to marry V for a long time.

  It wasn’t as if her dreams would have to go completely by the wayside. She could study plants here, invent, and continue to learn new and exciting things.

  V’s left hand clasped her right wrist, her right hand clasping his left wrist. One of the little girls handed Padraig a basket. The old man began a very long, traditional speech in the high language about duty and marriage. Taking a piece of ivy out of the basket, he wound it around their wrists as he spoke, binding them together—a symbol of their joining not only as husband and wife, but as king and queen.

  The entire time, V gazed at her, a smile on his lips, and it was all she could do to not melt into a puddle like some insipid maiden in a penny dreadful. Even if they’d already been married by magic, this was still a special moment.

  V was hers. Forever. No one could separate them now.

  Padraig turned to them and switched languages. “Queen Magnolia, do you accept Prince Stiofán, first son of the House of Oak, as your partner and king, to rule alongside you through good times and bad, for the good of the court and all who dwell in it?”

  She gazed at V. “Yes, I accept.”

  “Stiofán, first son of the House of Oak, do you solemnly swear upon the land and the Bright Lady to serve and protect your queen, the earth court, and all who dwell within, with your dying breath?”

  V nodded. “Yes, I, Stiofán, first son of the House of Oak, solemnly swear upon the land and the Bright Lady, to serve and protect my queen, the earth court, and all who dwell within, with my dying breath.”

  He might be speaking the words to the crowd, the magic, and the Bright Lady, but his eyes stayed on her. Her heart caught in her throat and her belly fluttered.

  James came forward and handed the crown to Padraig.

  Padraig raised the crown in the air, said a string of things in the old language, then set it upon V’s head.

  Noli watched as his entire being glowed, not with magic but with pride. He’d done it. His dream of becoming king had finally come true.

  And she’d helped.

  Standing to one side, Padraig made a sweeping gesture with his gnarled hand. “May I now present Queen Magnolia of the earth court, and her King, Stiofán.”

  Her heart roared in her ears and she leaned forward, capturing V’s lips with hers, kissing him as deep as she dared with such an audience. When she broke off the kiss she realized that everyone in the room, including Padraig and V, were staring at her.

  Noli’s cheeks burned. “He didn’t say, and now you may kiss the bride?”

  V laughed. “No. That’s not a usual part of the ceremony. But you may kiss me whenever you wish, Your Grace.”

  Pulling him close to her with her unbound hand, she kissed him so deeply she could hear Padraig clear his throat.

  Her heart continued to roar in her ears when she released him. She could hear giggles and whispers in the audience. Noli glanced at James, who rolled his eyes and mouthed mushy. Queen Tiana sighed and shook her head, not in disapproval but in resignation at the folly of youth.

  No one seemed especially scandalized. Good.

  The fanfare played again, and, with their wrists still bound together with ivy, they progressed out. People bowed in respect as they walked down the aisle. It was difficult to simply look at everyone and smile, when all she really wanted to do was jump up and down and giggle like an over-sugared debutante.

  As soon as they cleared the throne room doors she squeezed his hand and grinned. “We did it, V.”

  With his free hand, he reached up and ran his hand through her hair. “Yes, we did. You … you look beautiful, by the way. I forgot to tell you earlier.”

  She leaned in and gave him another kiss.

  “None of that.” He grinned. “We have a party to attend.”

  Noli pretended to pout as they walked down the hall. She could see guards fall in behind them. After the guards would be the guests: first the other monarchs, followed by the earth court houses; and then everyone else. They would all head to the ballroom for a very large party followed by a long and official banquet with the courts, houses, and other important people.

  “V,” she whispered, leaning toward him. “You’re king.” Suddenly, everything hit her all at once.

  “Are you all right?” His eyes gleamed with concern as they entered an out-of-the-way sitting room so they could
have a few moments alone before they went to the reception.

  Noli took a long look at the man who would be by her side forever, for better or worse. Despite everything that had happened her entire being burst with the love she felt for him.

  She smoothed his hair, which didn’t lie flat even with the crown. “I couldn’t be better.”

  Twenty-Two

  A Change in Plans

  “Ready or not, here I come,” Elise called, trying not to giggle. She opened her eyes and Aodhan silently joined her. As quietly as they could, they snuck out of the chamber.

  Whew. They entered the front parlor. Urco looked at them and stood. She put a finger to her lips, hoping the giant dog understood. He followed them, but didn’t bark.

  Elise put her hand on the door and held her breath as she opened it. She and Aodhan exchange glances as they slipped out, Urco on their heels.

  A guard stepped out in front of them. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  Elise froze. What did they do now?

  “We’re hungry,” Aodhan lied, giving the guard an innocent look.

  “I’ll send for a maid.” The guard herded them toward the door with his body.

  “What are you doing out here?” James appeared, still in his fancy clothes, a covered plate in his hand.

  “They’re hungry, Prince Séamus,” the guard told them.

  “Thought so.” James held up a plate. “I stole us some treats. Why don’t we go back in the room and eat, then play a game?”

  Elise eyed him. James was much more fun than Steven. She turned and looked at Aodhan; after all, the point was to find his father.

  “In.” James herded them back inside before they could speak, Urco following. “Aodhan, you’ll see your father soon. Noli promises. Elise, I know you’re upset about missing the party, but believe me, they’re not that much fun.” He set the plate down on the low table in the sitting room and uncovered it, revealing all sorts of sweet and savory treats, making her mouth water.

  Aodhan frowned. “Aren’t parties supposed to be fun?”

  “They all remind me of Charlotte.” James closed his eyes and bowed his head, his face contorted with a pain Elise had never quite seen before.

  “Who’s Charlotte?” She helped herself to a pastry.

  James’ shoulders rose and fell. “I’m surprised Noli didn’t tell you about her. She was an amazingly wonderful girl whom I loved very much.”

  “Where is she? May I meet her?” Her brother was sweet on a girl? She’d never known James to be interested in girls. Were the pretty things in his room hers?

  He shook his head, eyes opening, though barely. “She would have loved you. But she died. We used to go to parties together.”

  “I’m sorry.” Elise put a hand on his arm. So many people they loved had died—their parents, Quinn, their aunt and uncle she couldn’t quite remember, James’ girl.

  “Me too,” Aodhan replied, mouth half full of food.

  They ate and ate until all the food was gone.

  “What should we play now?” James looked around.

  “We should find Miri—we were playing hide and go seek,” Elise admitted, feeling bad for tricking her.

  James rolled his eyes. “Yes, let’s go find Miri. After all, I promised her I’d come up so that she could attend the party.”

  Kevighn sat in his seat, still as stone, knuckles turning white as he watched Magnolia join herself to another man. It was merely a simple public ceremony, which meant the two of them had already bound themselves to each other.

  “Will you stop?” Ciarán hissed.

  “I … I’m sorry, Your Majesty.” A little sigh escaped his lips. “She looks lovely, doesn’t she?” As radiant as only a woman in love could be.

  “He looks like his father.”

  Kevighn studied Stiofán. Yes, he did look like the old earth king.

  When Magnolia kissed Stiofán with such passion, Kevighn’s heart broke. It was done.

  Ciarán gave him a stern look, then it softened. “Why are they kissing?”

  “A mortal custom.” Kevighn tried not to watch.

  The couple left, and then the monarchs followed. Tiana went first, followed by the water court, the air court, and the fire court. Finally, Ciarán and the dark court.

  Everyone proceeded to the grand ballroom, which had been stuffed with so much greenery that Kevighn could almost imagine himself outside. The ceilings were excessively high. Music played and tables were piled with delicacies—and a giant cake. Noli’s doing for certain. He recalled how much she adored cake.

  He glanced at Ciarán. “I’m going to find some refreshments.” They exchanged a knowing look, and Kevighn left the table. Of course he wasn’t really getting food, but it wasn’t as if he could say out loud that he was going to look for Aodhan. The fact he hadn’t seen Elise at the coronation worried him.

  Kevighn wandered around, trying not to let it bother him that most people openly shunned him. Then again, he was an exile and shouldn’t even be at such an event. Only the fact that he wore dark court colors, and came with Ciarán kept him from being thrown out. Not that he would mind.

  A waiter walked past, holding a tray filled with glasses of wine. He plucked one off, drained it, and set it on the tray of a waiter collecting empty ones. When another tray passed he helped himself to one and sipped it, walking around the perimeter of the room, searching for any sign of Elise or Aodhan, praying Magnolia didn’t have them hidden away some place.

  The high queen and her entourage brushed past, and he flattened himself against the wall hoping she didn’t see him.

  When Tiana passed without comment, he exhaled. Like she had eyes on the back of her head, she spun on her heels, glared at him in a way that would incinerate a lesser man, harumphed, then sailed on as if nothing had happened.

  What did she think of the girl she disliked taking her old court and marrying her son?

  As he prowled the edges of the ballroom, an odd feeling washed over him. It started in his spine and trickled up into his shoulder blades. Every time he tried to discreetly look around to see who—or what—watched him, he saw nothing.

  Neither did he see the children.

  Hmmm. Perhaps it was time to leave the ballroom, especially before he saw Magnolia. He wasn’t happy for her, not one bit. Stiofán would hurt her, not to mention that the great houses would eat her alive because she was common—and formerly mortal. Those who liked to think themselves elite wouldn’t welcome her into their ranks with open arms, especially given how unique she was.

  No. It was better he allow Ciarán to keep him busy so he didn’t have to watch them ruin her. Just like they’d destroyed his sister. One would think the earth court would nourish, but it only seemed to kill.

  Slinking along with the stealth of a hunter, he exited the main doors. Several large, uniformed, earth court guards blocked his path as soon as he crossed the threshold. Ciarán’s girl wasn’t among them.

  “Where are you going?” the guard demanded, hand on the hilt of his sword.

  “I just wanted to get some air.” Kevighn tried to slide between them.

  One grabbed his wrist in a vise grip. “This way.”

  The guard marched him back into the ballroom and into a small—and well-guarded—private garden. Kevighn wandered around the garden, which seemed to lead nowhere, probably on purpose so party guests wouldn’t meander into the more private parts of the palace—exactly what he needed to do.

  Re-entering the ballroom, he ducked out the other exit, pretending he needed to use the washroom. Again, he was met by guards, escorted there and back. As soon as he returned to the ballroom, he saw guards openly watching him. His stomach sank.

  He tried to sneak out a third time.

  Another guard withdrew his sword and blocked Kevighn’s path. “You need t
o stay in there, Silver, or I’ll personally escort you to dark court territory.”

  Silver. The guard knew him. Or at least of him. The realization caused him to stumble back into the ballroom and grab the first glass of wine he found. Not far from the dessert tables, Kevighn leaned against the wall, sipping the red liquid. It wasn’t nearly as good as what Ciarán made, but would suffice.

  Someone was having him watched, which would make retrieving Aodhan impossible.

  “Hiding, Kevighn?” Magnolia stood before him, radiant

  in her gown. She no longer wore a train on her dress or the elaborate cape, but the crown of leaves decorated her wavy hair, the sword at her side.

  “Magnolia.” Startled, Kevighn sloshed wine over the rim of his cup, leaving red splotches on the wooden floor. “I’m not congratulating you.” It came out more like a pout than anything else.

  “I don’t expect you to.” She looked around, as if looking to see if anyone was watching … probably that whelp of a prince. However, he wasn’t a prince anymore—or a whelp for that matter. At least they weren’t still tied together with ivy.

  “Are you having me watched?” He took a sip of wine.

  She shrugged. “Is Aodhan who I think he is?”

  “Perhaps.” It would be dangerous to speak of such things here.

  Her head tilted as if she was considering this. “He looks like her, doesn’t he … except for his hair.”

  “You figured it out?” Kevighn’s heart skipped a beat. This was dangerous knowledge.

  Magnolia’s smile went coy. “If I did, I’d keep such a thing to myself. After all, knowledge can be dangerous. I won’t harm him.”

  “I know.” That was the only reason why this hadn’t been elevated into something more.

  “You should go home.” Without a look back, she left him alone.

  A few moments later, Ciarán found him. “You’re still here.”

  “I’m being blocked.” He sighed. “Every time I make a move, a guard is right there.”