Page 81 of Terragnata and the Heir of the Earth

Tey of House Saxoni stepped forward next, and she put on a display that left the other competitors seething. She flung her arms to the sides and dozens of blades left her dress, piercing the sky and then diving into the sea. The crowd erupted, and she shouted she would die before letting a drop of Viri blood shed; that she would protect her people, her king, with her own heart. The other competitors huffed at her display, but I did not, for it gave me two things: knowledge of her magic, which seemed to be control of the forces of gravity, and an idea.

A hush fell over the crowd as they waited to see what the favorite would say, what she would do. Even the ocean seemed to grow quiet in anticipation.

“Many of you do not know me.” I spoke firmly, yet I sounded unsure to my own ears. “Many believe me an outsider, with Witch blood and human rearing.” Some murmured in agreement, and I almost faltered. “But I am no stranger to you,” I shouted. “I am the daughter of Viturius of Viribrum, the great warrior of the North, of no house, of no clan. He was of no alliance to anyone but his people. He fought alongside many of you in battle. He showed you strength, cunning, and, most importantly, loyalty. Loyalty to you and to no one else. Not to a house, not to a select few, nor to himself. I cannot say that I deserve to be your queen more than the others that stand before you, willing to die for the position. Only the Skøl will decide. But I can tell you that if I am crowned, I will be loyal to the Viri people and will spend each day serving them in the best way I can, as my father did.”

And with that, I knelt on the stone, sending my power down through the thick rockery beneath us. I let a rumble loose, just enough to shake the platform gently at first, and then a bit firmer, letting it build. I bid the Earth beneath the stone to shift, ever so slightly. And it obeyed. A small crack formed in the middle of the stone patio, releasing pressured water that had roiled beneath, built by swelling waves. And waterexploded, shooting up into the air. Before it came down, soaking the crowd, I spoke a simple cantrip Fayzien had used against me once to knock me off guard. “Vapor-ropav,” I murmured, and the water turned to snow midair.

Flakes of glittery, salt-filled crystal floated down around us. And when they landed on the stone floor, little flowers bloomed in their place. Salt, water, and small specs of dirt were the basis of my concoction—just needing some silent urging from me totake shape. I hoped it’d show the Viri that even when there seemed to be nothing, I could bring life.

The crowd stilled in shock for one long, painstaking moment. Relief washed over me as cheering and shouting replaced the silence. I had debated if I should show them my element, for it was a branding of my Witch heritage and difference. But in the end, I decided to listen to Ezren and Jana’s words that had begun to beat within my heart. There was no point in denying who I was.

The snow dissipated, assisted by the gentle summer wind and sea that breathed in the air. The ceremony commenced with celebrating, which was, of course, augmented with drink, food, and dancing.

Cas approached me once the gathering was underway, standing by my side, turning to admire the revelry.

“Quite the display,mi karus. Fairly, ehm, dauntless of you, shall I say,” he winked at me.

I didn’t turn to face him. “Well, I couldn’t have them thinking I was boring, could I?”

Cas chuckled. “I dare say, Terra, you’ll never be in danger of that.” And then he took my hand, discreetly, giving it a slight squeeze. “Please be careful tomorrow,” he whispered.

I exhaled, steadying my nerves. “Is everything in place for Gia and Jana?” I said back, my voice low.

“Yes. They will be taken care of.”

I nodded, doing my best to act unafraid of what lay ahead. Then I looked up at him. “Cas, if… if everything goes well, if I win, what happens next? What does that future look like? For me, for us?” I asked, unsure if I wanted to know his answer.

He fixed his gaze to the roiling sea in the distance. “We will be wed fairly quickly. You will have to go back to Nebbiolo, for a time, to appease the Rexi. And I won’t allow that before we are husband and wife. Our union would afford me muchgreater reign to ensure your protection. I don’t know if I’ll be able to come with you—Darlan may not allow it—but I will send warriors sworn to you. Then you will return to me, and you will prepare for queendom. And one day, we will rule all of Viribrum and Nebbiolo. And possibly more.”

My stomach tightened at the ‘fairly quickly’ bit, which contrasted with the victory period Jana had foretold. I wondered if his plan factored in the minor detail that my life—my body—was still bound to another. But not wanting to speak of Ezren, I whispered, “Cas, I don’t know if I want to rule. I don’t know if I should.”

“Terra, we’ve talked about this. It’s your destiny, whether you like it or not.”

I nodded, unable to say more. But a thought pricked my mind. I wondered if Ezren’s comments about not denying oneself extended to the queendom. Did I hesitate to accept becoming queen because I didn’t want that life for myself, or because I felt unworthy?

Or did I know somehow, deep down, that destiny had something else in store for me?

Gia endedup by my side for the rest of the night. Cas, by honor, was bound to spend time with each competitor. My eyes became sharper when he lingered next to Xinlan. I couldn’t help but observe the way she grazed her fingertips on his forearm, or how she leaned too close to him when she spoke. He had not made promises to me. In fact, he had been honest from the start about his intentions. And I desired another. But watching their interaction seemed to burn a hole in the lining of my stomach. I couldn’t distinguish the jealousy of wanting him from wantingsomething he had, whether that was power, or freedom, or the love of another.

We walked back to my room when it was acceptable to leave, though the banquet was not quite winding down.

“Neferti was not present tonight,” Gia noted.

I huffed out a breath. “She doesn’t approve of the Skøl.”

“Have you tried to spend much time with her?” Gia asked. “She is your mother, after all.”

I shook my head, trying to block out the memory of her chrome nails pressed into my throat. “She is not my mother.”

“What do you know of her?” she pressed. “Have you interacted with her alone, even once?”

“Gia, she’s not like that, and you know it. I don’t want to talk more about this,” I said, my tiredness and stress letting my tongue cut sharper than I’d wanted.

She grew silent as we approached my chamber, and I turned to her, pausing before we were within earshot of the guards posted at my door. “Tomorrow, Cas will arrange for you to go somewhere safe. Maybe it seems a silly precaution, but I don’t know what will happen to me in the Skøl, and I won’t be able to check in on you. I will be much better focused if I don’t have to worry about your safety,” I said, a lie disguised with truth.

She narrowed her eyes ever so slightly but nodded.

I returned her nod with a tight squeeze, feeling the swelling bump in her belly that now separated us. She cupped my cheek and stared at me. “Do not forget who you are, Terra. And do not for asecondhold back. Especially if your life is on the line—you give them everything you have.”

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