Crown of Sunlight

by Payton Taylor

  Kian noticed her looking and said, "We'd better go. We don't want to keep the queen waiting."

  *****

  “Thank you all for coming.”

  Sunny heard the crowd go quiet on the other side of the curtain as the queen addressed them. She and Jo were waiting behind a large, velvet, blue curtain for their grandmother to present them to “their” people.

  Next to her, Jo fidgeted nervously while Seren drummed his fingers and bounced on the balls of his feet and Kian glared at the wall like it offended him.

  Seren took a moment to put in his noise- filtering earbuds. He'd explained that sometimes too much noise was overwhelming for him and that the earbuds filtered through all the noise, allowing him to focus on one conversation at a time.

  Sunny was also starting to feel anxious, but thankfully years of performing had taught her how to prepare herself for a crowd.

  “As you all know, Silvius, my dear son and your devoted king, died a century ago. His tragic death was accompanied by the disappearance of Queen Eleyna and Princess Noelani. The past century has been hard, as I have wondered who will take the throne when my time is up. Thankfully, the gods have brought me not one miracle, but two. The princess, Noelani, is alive, as is her sister Josephine, who Eleyna was pregnant with when she fled Writhia to protect the future of our kingdom. They have at last returned to claim their birthright as the future rulers of Vianna.”

  The crowd gasped at their grandmother’s reveal, and Sunny heard them begin to whisper amongst themselves.

  Guilt twisted in Sunny’s stomach at the thought of all the people she was going to disappoint when she left.

  Jo leaned toward her and whispered, “She’s laying it on a bit thick, isn’t she?”

  “Now,” Asteria continued. “It is my honor to introduce you to the future of our great kingdom: Princess Noelani and Princess Josephine.”

  With that, the curtain rose, and Sunny and Jo walked out onto the balcony overlooking the ballroom to join their grandmother. When they were in view of the crowd, the quiet applause tapered off and everyone placed their right hands over their hearts and bowed their heads. Asteria had told them this was the Viannese sign of respect toward royalty.

  Sunny and her grandmother had also agreed that Asteria would address her as Noelani in front of the kingdom since that was the name they had known her by for a century. Sunny supposed it didn’t matter since she was leaving, anyway.

  She and Jo followed the coaching Mrs.

  Ammon had given them and bowed their heads in return.

  The queen gave them a smile of approval before motioning for them to follow her down the stairs and into the crowd. The mass of richly dressed people parted to create a path leading to a long table where they sat on either side of the queen, while Seren and Kian stood close behind. Sunny noticed that Kian kept a close eye on Seren, who seemed more withdrawn in the presence of so many people.

  The ballroom was truly magnificent. The floors were made of pale pink marble, the walls painted a pastel teal with golden trim. One wall had a row of floor to ceiling windows and directly across from each window was a mirror of equal size, wrought in gold filigree. Three massive crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, which was painted teal and pink. Over the balcony on the back wall, there was a significant mosaic of a sun, made of tiles of different shades of gold.

  Dignified-looking people began to separate from the crowd and line up in front of their table.

  Khione appeared, as if from nowhere, and began to introduce them, starting with people from the Viannese court.

  Her short, black hair was curled around her face, and she was wearing an icy blue gown with sheer sleeves. When she turned to introduce new court members, Sunny and Jo got their first glimpse of her Mark. Several intricate snowflakes seemed to cascade halfway down her left arm in pale blue ink.

  Whenever Sunny or Jo fumbled over a greeting, Khione smirked at them with laughter in her eyes before stepping in to save them from total humiliation.

  After they were finished meeting the Viannese court members, they were introduced to leaders from other lands. They met so many that the faces began to blur together, only a few standing out.

  The first that stood out were Marzanna’s parents, the Emperor and Empress of Morianna. They were both very tall and beautiful. Her father, Emperor Timan, had a stern face that seemed to lighten when he looked at his daughter. Empress Castalia looked like a Greek goddess in a white chiffon dress, and she moved like water. Marzanna stood beside them and gave Sunny and Jo a small wave before frowning at Khione, who had kept her gaze averted throughout the entire introduction.

  Sunny, of course, would remember the queen of Subaque who had gills on the sides of her neck, which fluttered delicately. The city Kian had mentioned earlier was an underwater metropolis located in the Lussan Sea, just south of Vianna. The city was meant for water-dwelling creatures, as well as people whose Gifts were so deeply engrossed in the water element that they needed to live in water to survive. The queen could only be present for a short time before she needed to return to the water. She and Asteria seemed like good friends.

  The King of Thaerene appeared to be a pleasant man for someone who lived in the hottest desert in Writhia. He was also at least six-foot-five, not counting his white headdress. As a present, he brought a bottle of his finest pomegranate wine.

  The King of Pocaea, however, greeted them stiffly and left in a hurry. When Sunny asked Khione what his problem was, Khione explained that Pocaean royalty trained their heirs to inherit the throne from the day they were born.

  “You’ve been gone your whole lives,” Khione told them. “He doesn’t trust you, and he doesn’t think you’re ready to rule.”

  That makes two of us , thought Sunny.

  “Alright, girls,” Khione said, “that’s enough for now. Go mingle, dance, have fun.” Her eyes roved over the crowd and locked onto Marzanna, who was dancing with some guy. She looked to the queen who nodded her approval. “I need a drink,” she muttered before stalking off.

  Sunny and Jo cast her a worried look before walking over to join Marzanna. The three of them danced around, acting silly. Being able to dance felt incredibly freeing to Sunny.

  She was just starting to get a feel for the music when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around, and standing before her was Westin, the man from the bridge.

  Sunny gave him her most dazzling smile.

  His smile flashed against the ebony of his skin. He held out his hand in a silent invitation to dance, and she placed hers in his calloused one.

  When their skin touched, a shiver went through her.

  The music started slow and Westin held her right hand as his other slid around her waist.

  He leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Are you flexible?"

  The way his deep voice rumbled in her ear was doing funny things to her. Then, what he had said registered.

  "Excuse me?" She pulled back a little.

  He was grinning. "I only meant that you're going to need to be for this dance."

  She tilted her head to the side, lips pursed. "I think I might be up for it."

  Sunny swore she could feel his satisfaction at her reply.

  The pace of the music picked up as Westin began to lead her through the steps of the dance.

  "Alright, watch my feet and move this way," he murmured.

  Wrong , she thought. Dancers shouldn't look at their feet. But she grinned up at him regardless.

  He led her through the steps slowly, explaining each one as they went. "Right, left, turn, dip."

  He dipped her, her back arching gracefully, head almost touching the floor before she snapped up crisply.

  Westin stared at her with wide eyes.

  Okay , Sunny thought, this has been cute but it's time to step it up.

  She had been watching the other dancers while he demonstrated, memorizing their movements, and now she put those movements to work.

  The music sped u
p as she began to twirl around him, her feet moving in perfect synchronization with the others on the floor.

  Westin's eyes watched her with the intensity of a predator as she came to stand in front of him once more.

  Hiking up her skirts, her leg kicked out and up, coming to rest on his shoulder, her heels barely giving her enough height to reach.

  Westin's hands found her waist once more as he glided back backward, drawing her with him, her toes pointed and her arms arched artfully above her head.

  The music began to wind down and Westin drew her closer as Sunny returned both of her feet to the floor.

  "'Up for it' seems to have been a bit of an understatement," Westin's eyes were bright with laughter.

  Sunny sighed dramatically, "I do tend to sell myself short."

  Westin threw his head back with laughter.

  He seemed almost surprised at his reaction.

  Sunny felt a strange sense of accomplishment that she was the one who caused it.

  “So, which is it?” Westin asked as his laughter subsided, “Sunny, Bringer of Nightmares or Noelani, Lost Princess of Vianna?”

  Sunny gave her signature, devilish grin. "Which do you think suits me best?"

  "Noelani," he said immediately. His honey- colored eyes scanned her face.

  "And may I ask why?" Sunny asked, meeting his intense gaze.

  "The actual definition of the name, Noelani, is ‘heavenly,’" his smoky voice said matter-of- factly.

  Woah, that isn’t the usual pickup line I’m used to.

  "You're sweet," she said, and his eyes darted away as if that made him uncomfortable.

  "What? Has no one ever called you sweet before?"

  He furrowed his brow. "Other than my mother? No."

  Sunny laughed and decided to enjoy the dance for a bit. She got comfortable in Westin's arms as they glided across the dance floor. As they moved to the sound of the music, she noticed how tall he was. She'd noticed after he’d saved her the other day, but being this close to him, he seemed to tower over her. He was all thick, corded muscle. His goatee and military-style buzz cut gave him a ruggedly handsome appearance.

  After thoroughly checking the man out, Sunny decided she wanted to know more about him.

  “Well,” she said, “Now you know my day job, princess of Vianna. What do you do besides chasing women off of bridges?”

  A corner of his mouth lifted in a half smile.

  “I’m a soldier from Ettria,” he told her.

  That must be why his accent is different , Sunny thought.

  Marzanna's words from the other day came back to her, I've only traveled through Ettria once, and something was off about it.

  "What's it like there?" she asked, expecting him to say what a great place it was. He was a soldier, and soldiers loved their countries, right?

  But instead, he clenched his jaw and glanced out into the crowd, though Sunny doubted he was actually seeing anything.

  His eyes latched back onto hers before answering vaguely, “It’s colder there and much more mountainous. It’s not as bright as Vianna.”

  Sunny got the feeling he didn’t want to talk about it, and she was enjoying their dance, so she didn’t press.

  He changed the subject. "What's it like?

  Feeling everyone's Gift at once?"

  She opened her mouth to reply then closed it. At first, it was extremely overwhelming, but now she enjoyed it. She'd grown attached to her Gift, and she didn't want to think about how hard it would be to part with it.

  "Invigorating. I can feel the strength running through your veins. I can see it and sense it,” she said quietly, and she saw him swallow.

  Realizing she'd gotten a little intense, she tried to lighten the mood. “So don't go sneaking up on me, Westin Airoldi, because I'll sense you coming from a league away."

  Westin cocked his head, amused. “Judging by the mark so openly displayed on your back, I think you could hold your own.” His voice was deeper than before, low and husky.

  “So, you noticed the back of my dress, what do you think of the front?” Sunny asked, matching his tone.

  He stepped back, and Sunny saw his eyes start at her feet then slowly rise up her entire body before locking back onto her face. They stared into each other’s eyes, and everything else faded away.

  Sunny’s heart was thumping in her chest and her breath started coming quicker. There was something about Westin she was drawn to.

  He licked his lips before shrugging, "It's alright, I guess."

  Sunny arched a brow, "Just alright? I'm sure I could find someone who thinks I'm more than ‘just alright.’" She turned as if to walk away.

  But Westin grabbed her hand, pulling her back to him, so close that she could see the darker flecks of mahogany in his amber eyes.

  The same eyes that kept darting back and forth between her eyes and her lips.

  Sunny figured, what did she have to lose? She was leaving soon and would never see Westin again. She didn't expect to feel the pang of sadness that tore through her. She decided not to dwell on it and, in standard Sunny fashion, she boldly threw her arms around his neck and smashed her lips to his.

  Sunny thought he would've been caught off guard, but he responded instantly. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist, and she felt as if they were two magnets coming together. There was so much heat, so much desire, so much passion in his kiss that she almost swore she could feel it the same way she felt her own passion.

  The taste of him—sweet, and warm, and delicious—left her feeling intoxicated.

  The palm of Westin's hand slowly grazed Sunny's bare back, leaving chills in its wake. His lips were soft and slow, as if they had all the time in the world.

  When she put her hands on the inside of his jacket and ran them up his sculpted chest, he took a step back, breathing heavily.

  He cleared his throat. Cleared it again.

  Sunny frowned, wondering if she’d imagined the whole thing.

  “Thank you for this dance, Princess Noelani,” he said quietly, voice subdued.

  All the warmth seemed to leave with him as he stepped away. Sunny stood there for a second, watching Westin. He looked as though he was having an internal battle going on inside his head.

  Why would he end something that amazing?

  She went to turn away when—quick as lightning—he grabbed her wrist once more and urgently whispered, “Be careful who you trust. Stay with your sister and guards all night.”

  Before Sunny could reply, he stalked off and disappeared into the crowd.

  As she was standing there, gaping at the spot where Westin was just standing, she felt her grandmother sidle up beside her.

  “Be careful of that man. He’s the Ettrian King’s general. I don’t know what he’s doing here, but he is not to be trusted.”

  Sunny wondered why everyone was giving her warnings tonight.

  Chapter 20

  Leo

  Writhia, 5219

  Vianna

  Usually, Leo spent his time at parties mingling, trying to charm whatever information he could out of the drunk partygoers and worming his way into the powerful people’s good graces. At this party, however, he was lurking in the shadows like some sort of socially inept misfit.

  He had just gotten a message from his tech girl, Elara.

  According to her, older news reports stated that a hundred years ago, when Leo was just a child, the Ettrian King was good friends with Sylvius and Eleyna Corvinus. They were often spotted dining and attending parties together. When Sylvius was killed, Eleyna and her daughter, Noelani, stayed a few weeks with Azmodeous, the two of them taking time to grieve together. A few months later, Eleyna and Noelani vanished without a trace.

  Leo suspected Azmodeous had had something to do with that, that he was who Eleyna had been running from. The king was the only person in her life who had been dangerous enough to warrant moving to another realm to get away safely.

  He and Airoldi had been tasked
with keeping an eye on the princesses until it was time for the king to make his move. So far, he only saw one, and he was having a great time watching Airoldi’s sorry excuse at dancing with her. Leo could see why he was so fixated on the girl, she was beautiful. She definitely fit in with all the sun imagery.

  Leo made his way through the crowd.

  Westin seemed to have one sister under surveillance, maybe too much surveillance. He would have to ask Airoldi about his little crush later.

  As he pushed through the throng of party guests, he kept a lookout for the other sister.

  When Leo found the younger princess of Vianna, he wasn’t quite sure what to make of her. She made a striking figure in her dress of pale pink lace. Her dance moves were also striking, but in a much stranger way. He knew she wasn’t from there, but Leo had never seen someone dance quite like that before.

  While her dance partner, Seren Reed, jumped up and down, bouncing with the beat of the music, she was framing her face with her hands and alternated between pointing to the ceiling and the floor. Reed yelled something indistinguishable over the music, and she laughed, her face lighting up in a way that made Leo question how she could be descended from a man like Azmodeous.

  She turned, and Leo saw the elaborate, swirling tattoo across her back. She really was powerful. Leo had never seen the king's Mark, and he wondered whose was bigger, a thought that made him chuckle before another thought occurred to him. If the king got his hands on her and won her over to his side, Ettria would become even stronger. With this girl as his heir, he could easily begin conquering other countries. Between the two of them, they could perhaps even force foreign leaders to simply hand over their crowns and thrones.

  No war necessary.

  It was a chilling thought. Leo watched Josephine Corvinus twirl across the floor with her friend, and he wondered if there was darkness behind her light teasing smile.

  As the song ended, she said something to Reed and began walking toward the table of refreshments. Leo decided it was time to meet the princess.