Page 80 of Terragnata and the Heir of the Earth

“Iammarrying for love, Terra. I am marrying for love of my country, of my people, my warriors. And as for my heart, it is also yours,” he whispered. “I know I don’t act conventionally,seeking you out each night. But you are dear to me in the highest way, youmustknow that.”

I frowned. Ididknow that—and I knew that to Cas, duty came first. I could see a life with him, one we’d imagined as children. He would protect me—he’d care for my every wish. Still, a question bubbled at the back of my mind.Is that what I need?

A pang of guilt lanced my chest. By losing the Skøl, I could save Gia and Jana. I’d regain a sliver of freedom in choice in the absence of forced marriage. If I could forgive him, for the lies and deceit, I’d be free to at least explore what existed between Ezren and me. But all of that would be at the cost of my duty. Cas would have no support in uniting Witch and Fae. I was sure the king would make good on his intention to invade Drakkarian land.

Could I forgive myself if thousands died and I’d done nothing to stop it?

I cleared my throat, speaking low. “Cas, how many of your guard do you consider truly loyal?”

He cocked his head at me. “All of them. They all have fought alongside me, some of them I have pulled from trenches, covered in?—”

“How many of them would you bet, with my life, could not be bought? With gold or silver, or the promise of power and reward?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Five. And another five warriors that are not in my official guard but act on my behalf in… other ways.”

I leaned across the long table toward him. “Could you arrange for them to take Gia and Jana out of here before the Skøl?” I whispered.

He lifted a brow. “Why would you ask such a thing?”

I shook my head. “I can’t tell you. Please just trust me, Cas. I need to know, no matter what, that they are away from here, safe. And no one can know they are gone until the Skøl is underway.”

“What aren’t you telling me, Terra?” Cas ground out, his voice low.

“You don’t tell me anything!” I whisper-shouted. I exhaled. “I’m sorry, please, just, can you do this?”

“Okay,” he shook his head, his body language contradicting his words. “I’ll have three of my best take them out of the city—inland. They can wait out the Skøl in a small farming town. But Terra, the request worries me.”

I tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear, avoiding his eye. “Thank you.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

GREAT PRESENTATION

The night before the Skøl, the competitors stood at the front of the banquet in presentation to the court. They’d all trained in private, so I didn’t gain any advantage by watching them or learning their strategies. This night’s banquet took place on the large patio platform by the sea. The air had grown warmer, and the area allowed for commoners to spectate. The onlookers gathered outside the patio, opposite the ocean, surveying the competitors they would follow so closely over the next three days.

The sun still shone when the banquet began. I arrived first, as per the custom. The cheering from the crowd that followed my name being announced made me jump. I hadn’t realized I’d garnered that type of support—oranytype of support, for that matter.

I’d insisted on wearing battle dress, rather than a flimsy gown, which I was thankful for in the end, as two of the other competitors had chosen similarly. Like House Daini, I wore a leather ensemble. House Odacer flaunted full chain-mail.

The most formidable was House Saxoni—the House of the Defender. She wore a gown, yes, but it was crafted from what looked like one thousand blades, the hilts of the daggersremoved, the points jutting out from where they were fastened in place. The seamstress arranged them so that she could use her arms without being pierced. And she glittered, too, a moving mirror. I stared at her, her black hair piled atop her head, pinned with more blades. Her eyes sparkled in a cat-like yellow, daggers in their own right. She was called Tey.

Brita of House Daini, also known as the House of Glory, was plain featured but looked fearless and battle-tested in her worn-in leathers.

The Odacer was called Livia. Her full chain-mail dress blocked most of her body, but her hair was a muted blonde and cropped at chin length.

Cleo of House Nepos came clad in a tight sheer gown, a tribute to her clan’s alignment to truth and her tall, curved figure. The gown hugged her body and trailed on the floor behind her. Her full breasts sat upright, pointed from the sweet sea breeze that no doubt crossed them. Her bare legs were long and striking. Not even her womanhood was covered by anything more than her own growth, which made me blush, but made many in the room stare in her direction. She had shining brown hair that fell in textured curls all around her. Her cheekbones were sharp and her eyes even sharper, a deep serene blue. It reminded me of the old tales of a Siren on a sea.

The last to be announced was House Brisk, the House of Judgement. The announcer boomed, “Xinlan, of House Brisk,” and I stilled at the familiarity of the name. Surely enough, a pale, lean female with white-blonde hair and dark eyes appeared, more clothed than she had been when I saw her lying naked on Cas’s chaise lounge. My stomach knotted, for I imagined she had not forgotten when I shot an arrow into the flour sack right above her head on the training field. Her simple black gown was more of a satin sheet of fabric, pinned on both her shoulders, draped so that it revealed most of her back. She embodiedblack and white, pure judgment, as her house demanded. Her clan cheered when she entered, as all the others had upon their announcements. And then, the king summoned the six of us, to profess our intentions for all of Valfalla to witness.

Luckily, in this activity I went last.

Livia of House Odacer—the conquering house—went first. She promised that as queen she would help Cas lead Viribrum into its Golden Age, driven by grand conquests that would bring prosperity to all.

Next, Xinlan of House Brisk. Her voice projected over the waves with more strength than I would have guessed from her. She said that she would serve the future king more faithfully than any other, that she would be the balance needed to maintain peace for the kingdom. Fitting, for the House of Judgement.

Then came Cleo of the House Nepos, who claimed she would be a voice for the small, the weak. For the disenfranchised, for those who could not speak their truths. She seemed to inspire love of all kinds, and I wondered if it was genuine.

Brita of House Daini knelt before them, bearing her blade, and said that she would be a warrior for the people and for her king, bringing honor or protection, whatever was in the best interest of the Viri people.

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