Page 12 of The Kingdom of Flames

“It should be whoever sews seed in her womb,” the Green Lord smiled and leaned forward. “She is potent. She is ready. I can tell. Let us all take her and see what banner grows within her after breeding.”

Celestine covered her mouth in horror.

“Now even I think that’s cheating, coming from the Lord of Pollen,” the Yellow Bannered lord laughed.

“Indeed.” The Lord of Red glared across the throne room.

“Let us disperse of this!” Vermilion leaned back in his chair. “One of you take her, break her, and let us return to the game. Spring will reign supreme.”

“Oh, will it?” growled Lord Cedarheart.

“Enough,” the gentleness of the Lord of Black in his Winter quarter was tragic. “There is no court without a people to treat with the skies. Just because some of you choose to ignore the Painted Realm, do not think that world is not the other side of the coin. Without it, ours may fall as well.”

“There can’t be death without life, you mean. There can’t be you without them.” Lord Solis laughed.

“Indeed,” Blackdawn spoke. “Nor any of us. Let us each court her. No hunt. No chase. She may select her husband at any time.”

“We can’t have the girl ranging from all over,” the Lord of Pollen snickered. “She’ll get lost.”

“Season,” Blackdawn stared at Celestine. “By season. She visits. If she selects a groom, so be it. That groom will decide the order of this court.”

“Who decides who goes first?” Lord Emberfell asked.

“Chance?” Lord of the Gold Banner grinned.

“A race,” Lord Skye of the Blue Banner stated.

“Blood,” Encarmine said.

“Blood.” Blackdawn of the Black Banner agreed. “One champion from each Season to first blood…for her first blood.”

Celestine felt the world tumble out from beneath her. Being hunted, being killed had been on the table. Being married even by one lord.

But sampling all? Visiting all?

“To court twelve lords will be the end of her,” Blackdawn said from his lonely throne.

“So?” Lord Scarlet asked. Celestine looked at him and his cruel face. So hauntingly beautiful, so deadly.

“A month of courtship then, for each banner, at our estates.” Lord Solis, of the Yellow Banner said from his throne of chains.

Silence reigned.

Celestine looked around the court at the beautiful, otherworldly faces. She knew the rumors were true now. They hunted brides, whether to use them for a night or a season. Perhaps their immortal magnificence broke them. Perhaps their depravity and hunger slew them. Perhaps it wasn’t their touch but the absence of it that stole a woman’s voice and mirth from her.

But more than her own demise, she needed a solution sooner than that.

“You must hold the truce until I decide.”

Looks were traded across the courtroom. It was the white bannered lord who answered her.

“No.”

“Yes,” Blackdawn whispered. He cast a look at his brother in winter. “Do not forget your place. You do not speak for winter.”

“And you do not speak for this court,” Azure called out.

“The truce holds,” Lord Silas said. “What of her?”

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