Page 15 of Kingdom of Briars and Roses

“You are so much more than you think you are,” she said softly. “And I promise to explain it all first thing tomorrow. Deal?”

Duty warred with emotion. She was right; this wasn’t the time to get into it.

“Deal,” I muttered.

“You have the heart of a queen—and a warrior, even if you don’t see it yet.”

“I feel like a prize horse being sold as a broodmare,” I blurted.

Rather than being angry, she nodded grimly, understanding shining in her green eyes. “I know. But this alliance is only the first of many maneuvers you’ll make on the battlefield. I believe in you. I always have. And I love you. Not for what you’ll do for us. For who you are.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting her words wash over me. When I opened them again, I found a renewed sense of determination settling in my chest. I wasn’t just doing this for myself. I was doing it for Sevanwinds—for Lilah, for the people who lived behind our castle walls and in Rosewood beyond, for everyone who depended on us to protect them.

“You can count on me,” I said quietly, more to myself than her. “I’ll do what it takes to keep us safe.”

My mother smiled, the lines of worry around her eyes softening until the only thing I saw there was sadness. “I know you will.”

She leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. It was such a rare display of affection from her that it took me by surprise. When she pulled back, her eyes were full of pride, and for a moment, I felt like the future queen she believed in so fiercely.

The dutifulruler she needed me to be.

As she turned to leave, she paused at the door. “Tomorrow, at the party… don’t let your doubts show. Nor your knowledge of what happened in the forest today. The court will be watching. And so will Callan.”

I nodded, the stakes of my task settling deep within me. The mask of a princess, of an heir, was one I’d learned to wear long ago. Tomorrow, I would wear it ruthlessly—death magic or not. The people I loved deserved nothing less.

Chapter Six

Aurelia

Sunspire’s rooftop had been transformed by the time I arrived to the party. Lanterns, glowing with soft golden light, floated above the courtyard like fireflies, casting a romantic haze over the night. The scent of roses, jasmine, and moonflower drifted through the air, carried by the cool night breeze. The stars glittered like jewels in the inky sky above us, and the sound of music—the soft strum of harps and lilting voices—filled the space with a dreamlike quality.

All around me, guests moved in a swirling mass of gowns and laughter, wine glasses in hand as they exchanged pleasantries. It was a scene straight from the bedtime stories Lilah loved—where everything appeared perfect.

Except I was standing at the center of it all, about to promise myself to my future mate. And I was dreading every step along the way.

Callan had kept his distance so far, though his presence lingered in every glance sent my way and in the hushed whispers between courtiers who tracked his every move. They were eager for the future our marriage would bring. Or, more accurately, eager to mingle with Autumn fae courtiers.

The other courts had been out of touch for years. Our borders were open but rarely traveled as the roads along the way became more and more prone to bandits and thieves. And in recent years, Obsidians. As Heliconia’s power grew, the darkness in the realm spread until travel between courts had become almost non-existent.

Callan’s arrival, though he’d been accompanied by enough soldiers to fight a small war, was evidence that we might one day travel between our borders safely again. The only thing Summer fae loved more than a loud party was one with new friends.

I might’ve agreed if I weren’t being forced to wed a male I barely knew while keeping a secret that might well get me imprisoned—or worse. Now that it had wakened, the magic inside me refused to rest. It churned and coiled, begging to be freed.

I couldn’t let it.

Adrenaline coursed through me as, across the space, Callan tipped his head back and laughed at something a courtier said.

Not for the first time, I wished for a friend beside me. But Lilah had gone to bed hours ago on Mother’s orders—much to my sister’s disappointment. And Sonoma was off guarding the borders. Even Lesha and Amanti, the other two Aine who lived in Sevanwinds and served the crown, were absent tonight, patrolling and keeping watch from the skies.

The only other person I spent time with was Maelis, Lilah’s tutor. She’d come down with a cold this morning, opting for rest at home tonight.

Sadly, that was the extent of my list of friends, and even they were either family or servants of the crown. I wasn’t sure that qualified them as true friends, but they were all I had.

Growing up, I’d become friendly with a few of the daughters who came to court, whose fathers were mostly militaryleaders or advisors to the king. But as I’d grown older, Sonoma had demanded I put in more training time, and my parents had required my attendance at dinners with guests and dignitaries. We’d quickly grown apart, and I’d clung instead to my family and the Aine for support. I wasn’t lonely, but sometimes I wondered if that was only because I had no idea what I was missing.

Either way, in this moment, I was on my own.

I lifted my glass of wine to my lips—liquid courage—but the taste was bitter. My thoughts kept drifting to that moment in the foyer yesterday; the way Callan’s smile hadn’t quite reached his eyes, the way his words had felt more like well-placed moves than genuine conversation.

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