Page 35 of Ruined Kingdom

The warmth spread from my chest all the way to my fingertips and toes.

That was when light sprouted out of me. It consumed the dress I was wearing and left something far more beautiful in its wake.

I couldn't quite pinpoint what the material was made out of, but it looked like the fabric of the universe.

It was the embodiment of all the light and stars. Simply to say it was why it wouldn't do it justice. It was made up of all the colors, just as light was.

The light ran like liquid over my skin, forming something so divine that I was sure my mind couldn’t possibly have conjured it up. It gave me sleeves of stars before wrapping around my fingers with the same shimmer. Then, the light rolled and spread like honey down my body, forming a tight-fitting gown that flared out dramatically past my legs.

“Marvelous. Simply marvelous! This is my best work yet!” Delphine celebrated in triumph.

“How did you know? I wasn’t even thinking of a dress.” I questioned in astonishment as I turned about, watching my dress flow with me.

“You didn’t need to. This has been created out of the love you hold for our King.” Her voice softened with delight.

I ducked my head as prickles of happiness washed over my heart. “Thank you, Delphine. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

The doors opened behind me, allowing the light in the hallway to rush into the room.

The maids and Tieni were waiting there patiently, and upon seeing me, they all gasped.

Tieni reached out to me, urging me to come to her. “My dear, you are a vision.”

I took her hands, squeezing them as excitement and anxiety stirred in the pit of my stomach.

“Are you ready?” She searched my eyes for any ounce of uncertainty, but there was none to be found.

I had never been more sure of anything in my life. I dropped my head once to assert that I was perfectly ready.

“All right then.” Tieni blinked back tears before motioning all of the maids to lead us.

With every step I took, my chest grew tighter. I didn't know what fate had in store for us, but I didn’t want to waste what time we had together worrying about things I couldn’t change. I was going to love with everything I had, and when the time came, I would fight like hell to protect what I love.

Tieni and the maids led me down a dark corridor. The stone was nearly black from either age or smoke. The ceilings were higher than the rest of the castle and were vaulted with intricate stonework.

“This part of the castle was walled off for many years now. It is the most sacred space in our kingdom. I suppose you can think of it as our place of gathering. It is where Helene’s presence is the most concentrated.” Tieni spoke of this place like it was a child and not a room.

It must have been special the way she described it.

The room—calling it a room didn’t do it justice, though. This was a cathedral of massive proportions.

The long hall was structured in the same nearly black stone as the hallway, but the windows were made of various bright colors of stained glass.

Even the ceiling had a stained glass dome that concentrated the moonlight in one spot.

And in that spot stood Kaine, waiting for me with his hands folded in front of him. “There’s my beautiful mate.”

I looked around, only then realizing that the hall was empty.

It was just the staff of the house.

The last time Kaine did this, it was with Lilliana…Yenisey.

The thought put a sore feeling in my stomach.

I suppose I should say Lilliana since that’s who she is.

At least, that was what the Fae King had told me. He could have just been trying to get me to distrust her, but I knew better than to trust a word out of the mouth of that monster.

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