Page 9 of Unbetrothed

My heels clicked on the floor. Hundreds bowed and curtsied on each side, igniting flames of confidence in my gait. This was how it should be.

At the end of my walk, a servant offered his arm to help me up the stairs. I lifted my crimson skirt, ignoring him.A dignified princess doesn’t need help.But I miscalculated the step, and my foot slipped.

I dropped my skirt, and my hands hit the edge of a stair before my face could. A collective gasp echoed through the cavernous room.

Humiliation layered on humiliation.

I blinked back tears.

The same servant offered a hand, his brow wrinkling. A rush of heat shot to my cheeks. If only I could disappear.

I pulled myself up on my own and climbed the last step. My dear papá and mamá remained seated, but they leaned forward.

Chin up. Shoulders back. I curtsied in front of Papá’s golden throne. I took my seat next to Mamá. My vision grew fuzzy until the individual spectators lumped together into one gawking mass. The whine of a violin commenced. Musicians strummed the guiterna, and the tap of drums mingled through the hall.

Facing forward with a serene expression, Mamá whispered from the corner of her mouth, “This will soon be over.”

I bobbed my head and attempted to replicate Mamá’s calm example. Tears burned in my throat.

“You look stunning.” With that compliment, Mamá turned her attention toward the line of suitors and their families.

The procession seemed never-ending. And while the princes lined up to show respect to Papá, the noblemen’s sons were the ones to make eye contact with me. Those were the suitors, all dressed in finely patterned doublets. Some prospects I’d seen around court, and others came from distant kingdoms.

I swallowed hard. The thought thateach of them wanted to become my husband lurched in my stomach.

Pricks of pain crept up my fingers, followed by the metallic coloring stretching to my third knuckle. This didn’t bode well for the time remaining until … my end.

Papá stood before half of those in line could make the proper greeting. Knowing him, he had had enough of the endless bowing. He strolled over and took my hand, inviting me to dance. We stepped down the dais stairs. This time, I was careful to place my foot mid-step. Stringed instruments trilled the traditional Paso Giddelian as we spun into the dance. I peered up at Papá, calmed by the affectionate gaze.

“Daughter, you’ve never looked more lovely.”

A blush crept up my cheeks. With his high spirits, he appeared ready for me to tell him about the oath.

Papá continued, “I know we’ve put more pressure on you since Himzo threatened to attack. The Agata Sea alliance isn’t as strong as it used to be, and we need other kingdoms to join our fight.”

“If you allowed me to visit the valley—”

“No.” He firmed his jaw. “We already lost your uncle to that place. How could I bear losing you?”

“Can I benefit anyone without some sort of magic? My markings promise us a great power. If I have half your gifting, we could be an unstoppable force.”

Candlelight glimmered in his green-and-brown flecked eyes. “You need no gift to shine.”

Warmth blossomed in my heart, and I basked in Papá’s protection and acceptance. We continued to step in the same mechanical pattern in perfect synchrony with the music. How easy it would be to accept his words as truth. But an argument continued to form in my head. I needed him to think like the commander of his army rather than a protective tigress with her cubs. It slowly occurred to me that I would have to sneak away. Papá had no intention of letting me go on a dangerous quest.

He lifted my hand high and led me to the first suitor: Marden.

I kept my cheek muscles still, though everything in me recoiled.

Marden was a nobleman—tall, handsome, and everything Papá wanted for me. If only he weren’t so … boring. After he twirled and dipped me a few times, another suitor tapped his shoulder to cut in—thank the Ancient One—and I danced with the new suitor, who sported a strip of beard on his chin. A musky cologne overwhelmed my nose.

This transfer of dance partners continued on and on. One name after another, most of them taller than I was by half a head or more. I rubbed my sore neck, muscles protesting for a lesser angle. My feet complained the most, constrained in pointy shoes. But there was no hope of soothing my poor toes until the night’s end.

In the crowd, a group of men stared at me. One round fellow failed to hide a giggle behind his fist. Unease settled deep within me. My lanky dance partner grinned with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes, the color as inviting as shallow seawater. It reminded me of childhood days at the beach, of Cosme and Lux, one-upping each other until someone got hurt.

Lux tapped the man’s shoulder, releasing me from having to endure this stranger. I breathed easily, letting Lux embrace my waist and hold up my hand. The tip of my shoe caught on my other heel. I stumbled through a spin and turned into his body—his face so close I could shift up the smallest bit and kiss him. All the watching courtiers and royalty blurred in my peripheral vision.

His eyebrows arched as he scanned my face. “Let’s take a walk on the terrace. You need a break.” Giving me no room to object, Lux led me off the dance floor. He held one hand high and touched my back with the other. My senses awakened to the warmth and pressure of his fingers.

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