Page 119 of Blooms of Darkness

“You are Princess Illiana Dresden, and you are stronger than the darkness within you.”

I am Princess Illiana Dresden, and I am stronger than the darkness within me.

Steeling my nerves, I grasped Kalliah’s hand, pulling her to stand beside me. Together, we made our way up the marble staircase to the pavilion of advisers waiting for us.

Waiting for me.

I refused to let go of Kalliah’s hand in case Andras forced her to leave and sit in the stands or stay in the palace to prepare fortonight’s celebration. Lucinda almost always managed to steal Kalliah away to assist with the laundry, or some other menial tasks. She hated someone who should be a mere servant, being seen as so much more. Kalliah had earned her place at my side, and I would be damned if I didn’t prove to my kingdom her importance today. Things would change in Brookmere. They would change with me.

My parents were already seated in their respective places, and the curtain of roses hanging around the pavilion rustled in the wind. Andras whispered something into my father’s ear as he frowned.

My throat tightened the second I rounded the thrones to face the king and queen. I froze. The dark circles beneath my parents’ eyes were threatening to take over their entire faces. The pure exhaustion Fae so rarely displayed was more evident than ever. My father’s shoulders were hunched, and the glow and joy once exuding from their souls seemed matte and tame. My mother’s body now matched my father’s, even though I knew she wasn’t ill.

The worry consuming me earlier was nothing compared to the absolute terror I felt looking at the two of them. How could we be worried about a foolish marriage trial when the king looked like this? We needed to be scouring the kingdom far and wide to find a healer who could replace Elisabeth. Not that Maria wasn’t great, she did her best. There just had to be someone else out there who could assist with my father’s healing. He was the king!

I couldn’t lose him, too, not so soon. Not ever if I had my way.

Kalliah squeezed my hand firmly as she brought me back to the present moment. She gave me a stern glare, seeming to say, “Get through today first.”

Right. She was right.

Pushing my worry down to the darkest parts of my being, I rolled my shoulders and strode forward to the front of the dais to join my parents.

I am Illiana Dresden, and I am stronger than the darkness within me.

A podium had been placed at the front of the dais, for my father to stand behind. A subtle tool for him to be able to support himself without appearing weak in front of the kingdom and amplify his voice with help from magic already imbued into the stand. The small, glowing orb of power hidden from everyone in the crowd would give the illusion of the same amplification of his voice they were accustomed to. In reality, the assistance he required served as a stark reminder of his lessening powers. He managed a flick of his wrist to open the flower veil before him. A roar from the audience heralded our appearance.

“Welcome one and all to the final marriage trial! After today’s trial, we will have the final three contenders from which Princess Illiana will select, not only as her husband, but as the future King of Brookmere!”

A roar from the crowd drowned out even the amplified nature of my father’s words, their excitement building.

“Today, you will witness one of these contenders alongside your Princess and know who has been selected as worthy to become Brookmere’s future successor.” He raised his hands as the crowd somehow cried out even louder.

The five remaining contenders entered the arena in a single-file line from the holding area. Casimir and Ryland waved to the crowd in delight, Ryland with more of a smile than Casimir. Hale blushed with embarrassment, but tried to remain calm, waving here and there. Ian and Kade remained stoic, gazes trained forward, determined, even if the crowd chanted loudest for them. I swear I could hear both of their names rising from the spectators.

As the five men paused to stand in front of the king, he announced each of them to the crowd. When their name was called, they pivoted, taking a bow in front of the stands.

This part of the trial was a complete and total show. It was all for the Fae. As much as all of our lives were on the line to change, they needed to think we were just as excited as they were.

Hale smiled wildly in my direction, waving eagerly to the crowd and placing his hand upon his heart, bowing low to me before turning to the spectators.

When did Hale become such a good man after all?

Ryland gave a quick smirk, but quickly became preoccupied and stared off into the distance.

Ian shot me a small wink when his name was announced, and the crowd didn’t even wait for the king to finish stating his name before they cheered.

Kade was announced last. While he gave the crowd the wave they were obviously yearning for, his body stiffened. When he turned to face me, I couldn't help but feel a shock of excitement run up and down the length of my spine. His shadows began pooling beneath him, and I longed to reach out and wrap myself around them. They were a magnet I could not ignore. The way they branched out from him only in my direction, I let myself believe they wanted me just as badly. The arena echoed with a deafening roar. Even I clapped a little louder for Kade as the king signaled he was ready to continue.

“Today our mighty contenders will test their strength and ability with a weapons test. They must show they are capable of protecting themselves, their kingdom, and the throne. There will be three tasks of sword fighting, archery, and hand-to-hand combat.”

This week's arena had been marvelously recreated to a flat stadium. Divided into thirds, a cache of weapons stood to the right, a bow range in the middle, and an empty ring to the left.

“Be brave, my fellow Fae. Show the queen and myself, as well as Princess Illiana, how you are willing to fight for not only her hand, but the Kingdom of Brookmere!”

The crowd’s unyielding excitement didn’t falter. They’d have to grow weary at some point, wouldn’t they?

A moment later, Vivienne appeared beside my father to offer her blessing for the trial.

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