Page 20 of Celestial Bodies

Julen couldn’t speak. His heart was about to pound right out of his chest.

Dacias continued, “What do you say we meet here tonight? I know a spot called The Blue Lagoon that I think you’ll love. It’s quiet. Private. We can just talk, and nobody will bother us.”

Now, Julen was onfire. His stomach bubbled.Like…a date!?But that wasn’t what Julen asked. “You mean alone?”Of course, he means alone, idiot!

Dacias had the most delicious smile on his face.Those lips. “That was the idea. Just you and me. They have performers, too. So, we’ll have something to watch if the conversation gets stale. What do you say, Arlo?”

Getting tipsy and flirting at a dance court was one thing, but being asked out by a man this gorgeous in a bookshop didn’t happen in real life.

For a moment, he forgot about the territories, his father, the whole damn planet!Is this happening? Yes! Yes! A hundred times, yes!Julen almost floated away on this bubble of bliss, but it popped, and he landed with a thud.

He looked down as dread took hold of him. “I have a family obligation tonight.”That fucking engagement party.

Dacias continued. “How about after? Surely, it won’t go all night?”

Julen shook his head. “I don’t know when it will end.”

Dacias looked down. Defeat looked heartbreaking on him. Julen’s stomach clenched, and his guilt, or something else, took over.

“But, I will try.” He knew he was lying, but didn’t want to see that face. He couldn’t meet Dacias tonight. Or any night. He had to focus. Julen’s life was unraveling. Between his stunted powers and the dreadful wedding, he couldn’t afford any distractions. He needed to manifest and figure out some way to break up his engagement to Glacia.

Dacias perked up. His eyes danced with glee. “I can’t wait. Don’t be afraid, Arlo. I understand why you are nervous, but we have one life on this planet. Let’s do what we want rather than what we should for once.”

Julen sighed. If only he were Arlo and not Julen Zephyrus, he could savor this moment. He closed his eyes and nodded.If only it were that simple.

10

Chapter 9

Julen

Julen stood at the end of the long, indigo carpet that stretched from the great hall to the throne room, where the engagement party would take place. His parents stood to his left, and the guests hovered around the circumference of the room.

They all faced the castle entrance, awaiting the much-anticipated arrival of his fiancée. His mother looked pleased. Lauta choreographed Glacia’s entrance down to the second.

At last, Glacia arrived, flanked by her parents. The crowd erupted as they strolled from the entrance to Julen’s side, where he wrapped Glacia’s arm with his. They bowed, and her blue gown adorned with jewels shimmered under the glowing crystals. Rising together, Julen almost rolled his eyes as she feigned appreciation for the cheers and applause with the conviction of a consummate actress. Glacia turned to Julen, smiling. It looked so forced. If her mouth stretched any farther, the corners would start bleeding.

Julen attempted small talk as the crowd began to settle, telling her how beautiful she looked. She thanked Julen and leaned in to kiss his cheek. He shivered as her cold lips pressed against his face.

Together, they walked into the throne room, followed by their parents; the guests milled in after them, eagerly awaiting a speech from the king himself.

Haligran strode to his throne, stood for several moments looking at the crowd, and then sat down with a look of scorn smeared across his face. His mother made the speech, not the custom in Lapistra, thanking the guests for attending and cooing over how lovely thehappy couplelooked together.

Another beat of applause followed before Queen Lauta finally motioned for everyone to enjoy themselves. Glacia’s hand clutched Julen’s arm, and she pried herself away.

“I need a beverage,” was all she said before disappearing.

Julen was left to fend for himself. He looked about awkwardly, attempting to join a conversation, but whispers of his failure at the showcase reached his ears, regardless of their hushed tones. The hypercritical stares gave him goosebumps as the whispers continued, discussing the marriage like a wise chess move on the King’s and Queen’s part. His father looked furious, as usual; Lauta milled about socializing—an intoxin already in hand—and Julen stood alone.

Eventually, Glacia’s mother invited him over to fawn over him in front of a group of noblewomen, flaunting her soon-to-be royal status before launching into a hyperbolic speech about her extraordinary daughter.

“Glacia’s commitment to her studies hasalwaysbeen paramount, and her religious devotion is singular among her peers. You know how most youths are these days. I long for the time when Lapistrean children held firm to a life of virtue in the name of the blessed Mother Planet.” Glacia’s mother paused for effect; her gaze cast downward with reverence.

Aaand…“Well, Glacia nearlyfaintedwhen we informed her of the engagement, so committed was she to her education and religious virtue—”

Julen fantasized about drowning himself in a bowl of punch as Glacia’s mother spent the better part of an hour raving about her daughter in an endless monologue. Her grating voice bounced off the walls, and her face beamed with delight as the countesses and duchesses surrounding her seethed with jealousy. Her daughter, not theirs, would soon be aprincess.

The cavernous throne room featured ribbed vaulted ceilings supported by massive columns. The stone, worn to a dingy gray, had additional ribbed designs and deep grooves that had gathered blackness at the edges. It lookedlike the anus of a cathedral.

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