Page 17 of The Rose in the Shadows

“People of Athenia, may the Gods shine down fondly upon you,” he called to them, raising his arms high in greeting.

“Praise Gods!” The crowd shouted at their King.

He was quiet for a moment, resting his hands on the edges of the podium. Then he looked at me with a small smile. That grin of pride spread as he let his gaze linger on me before returning to his audience.

I might be playing a role today, I thought suddenly.But I am not the only one.

“Praise the Gods indeed,” he agreed. “The Gods have truly blessed us on this day. Our season’s crops are the most bountiful in many decades, and we will celebrate six years of peace very soon. It is a great time for our beautiful country. And yet, even as our blessings seem immeasurable, the Gods have continued showing their love for Athenia by returning our long-lost daughter to us.”

He paused, sweeping his hand out toward me, and as if on cue, the people erupted in applause. As before, Clayton quietly commanded me to curtsy, whispering the court protocols to follow in a hushed tone that only I could hear. I dropped one leg behind the other and bowed.

“Theadora Moore, the last daughter of Hyrax, has joined us in an admittedly unsettling way. She has lived alone for years,abandoned as an infant following her father's death. She had only the company of a single mortal woman who could not train her in our histories or even alert her to the existence of her own God-given powers. But our God's blessings will not be silenced! And on that bridge, we saw the birth of a truly magnificent display of their might.”

Magnificent was one word for it. As was violent, uncontrollable, dangerous…

“My people, my friends, it is my greatest joy to introduce you to your newest sister, Theadora Moore of House Hyrax.”

He walked towards me, taking hold of my hand and bowing slightly to kiss the knuckles. I didn’t need Clayton to tell me to curtsy again as he did. The Dragon gave me a dark look, squeezed my hand, and pushed me towards the podium. Remembering my orders, I moved my shoulders back and stood tall.

Thankfully, I didn’t trip.

As I stared at the audience, the sun's light was nearly blinding from the podium. I couldn’t distinguish any features from the people I looked down at. I couldn’t tell who was Descendant or mortal. I couldn’t distinguish the delicate gowns and silks of the courts’ people from the more simple outfits of the villagers. But Icouldfeel their eyes, and my breath caught in my throat. I was on display for the world.

You’ve made friends in this castle.

The Dragon’s threat echoed in my mind, and I took a deep breath to steady myself. I let the memorized words of their prewritten speech flow through me.

“My name is Theadora Moore, and it is with great humility and by the grace of my Gods and my King that I stand before you today. As the Dragon has told you all, we understand my father was Zachariah Moore, a necromancer of House Hyrax. Zachariah was a valiant fighter in the Great War and diedbefore even learning of my existence. I was raised in a small cottage near the western forests without knowing my birthright. However, with age, I grew curious about the world outside those woods and made my way here.”

The crowd was silent, hanging on to my every word. The Council had created the story, pieced it together with strings of unconfirmed possibilities. They had thought it was best not to show uncertainty. They proposed that having a beast we understood was better than admitting we were in the dark. I wasn’t surprised. From what little I had learned in my few days at court, I knew they wouldn’t want to show anything other than strength to Promissa. After all, this little meeting wasn’t simply for the benefit of Athenian citizens. It was a direct message to the Kingdom of Promissa.

Try to challenge us now, it spoke, when we’re the country the Gods chose to bless. As if Hyrax himself had purposefully placed me directly onto that bridge of Athenia.

“I am the last of my line,” I admitted. “The last Descendant of the great God Hyrax. I have been blessed with the power of my God and the ancestors that came before me. It is with great sorrow that I, too, mourn the loss of our Athenian brother on the bridge. But we must all take comfort in the Gods, who know the divine plan for us all. Our brother’s death, while it might pain us, was rightful in the eyes of the Gods. Today, he rests peacefully with my forefather in the Underworld. And today, we must all take joy in the return of House Hyrax to the court.”

What beautiful lies they were. As if we could simply blame the Gods for the death of a man. As if his death was a small, inconsequential price to pay for the line of Hyrax.

Whoever had written my speech was surely proud of themselves. They must have thought hard about how to comfort the mourning people of Athenia while still projecting strength and pride to Promissa.

“It is my intent to ascend to my rightful place as a Council member in this court. I hereby swear fealty to the Kingdom of Athenia and my rightful ruler, our gracious Dragon. I will begin my preparations to take my place at his side and look forward to the opportunity to repopulate my people in this glorious land. The Gods have chosen Athenia as their blessed kingdom, and together, we cannot be defeated.”

The Dragon continued the meeting, boasting promises of strength and superiority, but I struggled to pay attention. The weight of my own words was nearly suffocating me. I might be new to palace life, but I wasn’t an idiot. I just stood on a stage and told the world I was swearing myself to serve Athenia, which likely had earned me enemies across the globe.

Out of the corner of my eyesight, I met Clayton’s gaze. His stormy eyes were hard to read, but they flickered golden momentarily, and he glanced away. Something in those eyes, though, told me he was thinking the same thing.

The Dragon ended the meeting with a prayer to the Gods, and suddenly we were all shuffling back into his chambers. He was immediately surrounded by palace workers who offered him new reports and asked for signatures. The other Council members lingered by him, listening intently but not daring to speak. The Queen’s ladies quickly came to her, serving her wine and chatting quietly. Servants dashed to the terrace to clean away the decorations.

The room was such a mess of activity that I wondered if I was as invisible as I felt while I pressed myself into a corner of the space.

It wasn’t long before Clayton found me like that, shoved against the curtains of the windows, chewing on my lip, and watching the room from afar. He said his goodbyes to the servant he’d been talking to and approached me swiftly, his steps purposeful.

“The curtains are sheer,” he reminded me. “Crawling into them won’t hide you.”

“Somehow, I don’t think there’s anywhere I could hide. Not when the entirety of the world now knows my name.”

He looked away, his face clouded. “Perhaps not. Come, I’ll escort you to your rooms.”

My prison was more apt.

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