Page 76 of Pawns of Salistya

Before I could lash out at her for threatening me with Meredith, she teleported away.

I should’ve let her die the night she was poisoned, left her body to rot away and rid this world of her. But I couldn’t. She was my sister. But more than that, I refused to pull Dwyla into this mess, which is what would happen without Slaviya around. My freedom was stripped away, and I’ll be damned if Dwyla has to follow in my footsteps.

Chapter 33

Istare at myself in the mirror as Meredith placed the final clip into my hair. She stepped away triumphantly, evidently pleased with the final product.

Tonight, I will make a statement. Tonight, I won’t be wearing teal, the symbol of the union between Arlom and Salistya. Tonight, I was wearing a beautiful cerulean gown to represent the Arloman people. It was a blatant fuck you to Slaviya, who I knew would get the intended message. I may have little control here right now, but what I did have I would use to my advantage.

The A-line gown sat snug against my chest, exposing my shoulders, the sleeves falling loosely down my arms. It was cinched at the waist, outlining my hourglass figure. The materialdropped freely from my waistline, landing in a beautiful puddle around the floor. True to my style, the dress had a slit that ran daringly high.

Meredith had worked wonders on my face. She managed to hide the bags under my eyes I’d had since that awful night by giving me a smoky eye that made my not-so-subtle eyes pop even more. A touch of blush and a smear of a natural-looking pink lipstick finished the look. I had insisted on a low bun that sat loosely at the nape of my neck, not wanting an extravagant hairstyle to draw away from the gold crown that sat atop my head. The crown had three spikes at the front, the middle one bigger than the others and holding a large aquamarine stone.

‘You look beautiful, Val,’ Meredith said as she squeezed my shoulders.

‘This is all you, Mer. Who would’ve thought you’d turn out to be such a good maid?’ I attempted to joke, but the half smile I managed to muster wasn’t fooling anyone.

‘It’s going to be okay. It’ll all work out the way it needs to. We have our plan, we just need to stick to it.’

‘What if something goes wrong.’ My lips quivered, a tell-tale sign tears were inevitable.

‘Shhh, don’t put those ideas into your head. They don’t serve anyone,’ she admonished, turning me around to face her directly. ‘There’s a time and place for self-doubt, Valare, and this isn’t one of them. You need to remember that you’re the most powerful physical mage in Fyriane and you get to choose your own path. People like Slaviya act the way they do because they have little power and are fighting for control. Often they are so insecure in themselves that they deflect their issues onto others. You can’t let people like that have power over you. Your mind is the most powerful tool you have, and you must protect it at all costs.’

She was right. Why do I allow people like her and like Sir to have power over me when their intentions aren’t pure? I spontaneously make a vow to myself that from here on out, they wouldn’t have my mind nor my power.

‘You’re right,’ I cleared my throat. ‘I love you Mer. Thank you for always being there. We’ll get through this.’

‘Go protect our family, Valare,’ Meredith whispered.

She hustled me across the room and all but shoved me into the dining area where Eliasson stood. He was dressed in a beautiful azure suit and a crown to match mine. I slowly walked towards him, holding the gaze of his ocean-coloured eyes. They were swimming with too many emotions to count.

‘Are you ready King Eliasson of Arlom?’ I asked.

‘Are you ready Queen Valare of Arlom?’ he parroted in return, holding his arm out for me to take.

I smiled at him hoping he could see my gratitude as I slipped my arm into his and walked towards the ball to face our fate.

As was tradition for the hosting royal couple, we entered the ballroom last. Food and drinks were being served by attendants. As my guest, Meredith had slipped into the room before us and made a beeline to Fyrel. She clearly wanted to spend a last night of bliss with him before everything changed.

I caught the eyes of Rynelle, who immediately produced two glasses of wine for Eliasson and I. He swiftly moved away as we nodded our thanks. Looking around the room, I couldn’t help but smile as I saw Mazyr and Amire in attendants’ outfits as they handed out food. The former was having a hard time keeping his tray straight, while the latter rolled her eyes at him before moving away to leave him to his own devices.

I took a sip of the wine, a fruity aftertaste sitting on my tongue. I felt myself calm significantly seeing my fellow Sol, knowing the key players were in place. So far so good.

The room was filled with Arlom nobility wearing their finest gowns and suits. As always with these events, the nobility was thirsty for gossip. No doubt the rumour mill will run wild after tonight.

‘Valare, Eliasson!’ Qynthia squealed in excitement before pulling us into a group hug. ‘You both look stunning.’

‘Thank you, Qynthia. As always, so do you,’ I said sincerely. She did look beautiful. Her long wavy hair was unrestrained and fell down her back. The burnt orange dress she wore accentuated her body in all the right places and complemented her silver crown.

Slaviya nodded at us as she came up on Qynthia’s right.

‘Slaviya,’ Eliasson and I responded stiffly. I didn’t bother looking at her, not after the way she spoke to me. No, my eyes were firmly fixed on the man who’d appeared next to Qynthia. The man who’s eyes I’d felt on me the moment I’d walked through the door.

Xylan had opted for a tailored black suit that fit his luscious body like a glove. Underneath, he wore a plain white shirt and a black bow tie. He’d shaved the five o’clock shadow I was intimately familiar with, showing his sharp jawline. As I met his pink eyes, he didn’t try to hide the compassion that lay in them, nor his hunger as he looked me up and down.

‘Eliasson.’ He nodded at my husband, shaking Eliasson’s hand before turning back to me with his arm still extended. I placed my hand in his, gulping down the shiver that arose when he kissed my knuckles. Unlike the first time where he held onto me for an inappropriate amount of time, he let go quickly and stepped away, eyes never leaving mine. I felt him knock on my mind, asking to drop my shield, which I did.

You look breathtaking, Minx,he told me with adoration.

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