Page 11 of Bonded to the Fallen Shadow King

No. That would mitigate what I’d just said. I refused to have feelings for anyone except for my father, Elara, Thalen, and Silus.

Gritting my teeth, I turned my back on Briar to face the balcony and the rest of the room. Dozens of eyes focused on me, some eager, others timid, others masked, all awaiting my next words. A startling urge to look back at her sparked within me, but I resisted. She had to learn the rules were the same for her as everyone.

"I offer nothing except what the law requires. Do not look to me for affection or compassion. And do not behave like scaffing idiots. There should be no more bloodshed among you." I fixed a glare on the white-haired fae. She drew back, then straightened her shoulders.

Good. She needed to realize she would never be special, so I continued with my eyes locked on her. "These trials will test your value and your worth. My council will evaluate you. But in the end, Fate will decide. For myself, I want none of you."

I braced my hands on my belt, wanting everyone to know I was not to be questioned or challenged further. “Tomorrow at the noon hour, you will enter the Ascension Hall once more. And you will then enter the first challenge. There are three challenges total. Fate will dictate who survives. The council will make their recommendation. And I will take the strongest as my wife.”

Elara stepped forward on the black-floored balcony. Her long braid hung over her shoulder, catching the warm torchlight. “Your Highness, if you wish to join us for dinner, a place has been set for you.” Her voice was soft but clear.

She was good at diplomacy. It was a gentle reminder that, according to tradition, I was to eat with the candidates. The seats were assigned, and the dinner would progress with two of the candidates coming to sit at my right and left for a set time. Then they would return to their assigned seats, and another two would be brought forth. The feast would continue until each candidate had had a chance to sit with me for a short conversation.

But I had no patience for that. I inclined my head toward Elara, ignoring the hopeful glances of the candidates around me. “Your hospitality is always appreciated, but I leave the candidates in your capable hands.”

The urge to look back at Briar intensified. Was she disappointed with my decision? Why did I even care? She was a wingless being in awful clothing, not even from this world. She’d probably perish before the second trial.

My boot scuffed the rim of the shadow beast’s circle as I paced over the sigil. “Make no mistake. These trials will test everything about you. Your very essence will be on trial. If you are foolhardy, you will die. These trials are merciless. And let me be clear.” I turned slowly, scanning the assembled crowd. “I will not mourn anyone's death.” Then my scrutiny fell on Briar, and my body betrayed me.

Her arms were folded tight across her chest, and her chin was still lifted, her eyes locking with mine.

That strange hum jolted through me, and something tugged in my chest. My mouth went dry, and my wings itched and pulsed.Stop. Feck. Look away,I chastised myself.Straightening my shoulders, I flexed my wings. “None of you matter.”

With that, I leaped into the air. My wings stretched wide to catch the cold currents, and after two breaths I reached the balcony. I avoided eye contact with my friends, especially Thalen. I could practically feel him grinning with smug delight, coming up with every possibility for tormenting me. Silus probably had an eyebrow arched, a silent but deserved chastisement.

Elara stepped to the edge of the balcony and leaped over the railing with easy grace. She kept her wings tight, hidden, and used her shadow magic to descend to the floor. Her arms were spread wide, her palms upturned in a gentle greeting. “Ladies, I am Princess Elara. Follow me.” The heavy onyx doors on the lower level swung open, and the guards continued to stand at attention. They held their halberds with steady grips like shadowy statues. “I will show you to the guest hall. Your rooms have your names on the doors. Dinner will be served in the Guest Banquet Hall.”

She lifted a hand to the door and glanced back at Briar. That soft smile of hers inched a little higher as she looked up at me.

I sighed. Of course she liked that one. Maybe she saw a bit of her own fragility in Briar, despite Briar’s fiery responses. Elara would mostly avoid interfering, but she’d defend her favorites in private. Already she had crossed over to one of the smallest of the women, a trembling white-haired Sylvan Fae wearing rich-green clothing.

A flicker of guilt twinged inside me. Few of these women had asked for this. I certainly hadn’t, but my life wasn’t on the line. If Fate had simply chosen one woman and set her before me, I would have married her.

But this was the law.

I stole one more glance at Briar. How would she fare in the trials?

It didn’t matter, and I needed to remember that.

I strode out the doors at the back of the balcony, Thalen and Silus following behind. They at least had the good sense to remain silent as we progressed through the double doors and into the hall. The guards closed the doors behind us. I kept my shoulders squared and my pace steady until I reached the observatory at the end of the black and gold hall. My boots squeaked slightly on the polished marble floor, and I appreciated that the darkness of the walls mirrored my mood.

At least darkness was consistent. Sometimes I wished I could simply disappear into it. Scowling, I shoved the door to the observatory open. This was my retreat as much as the private library was my father’s. The glass dome ceiling gave an unparalleled view of the eastern night sky with the stars shining in all their glory. Not wanting to address my friends yet, I studied the wooden shelves lining the black marble walls, stocked with books, charts, parchment rolls, crystals, skulls, and everything else I might use while enjoying the cosmos.

Inhaling deeply to calm my nerves, I breathed in the scent of parchment and a hint of sandalwood. A faint whiff of peppermint clung to the books to keep pests that were immune to magic at bay. My hand grazed the gold frame of the telescope in the middle of the room, and I glanced at the crystals and lenses on the table surrounded by my notes and current projects.

Thalen chuckled, alerting me that my silence had already gone on too long.

I set my jaw and turned to face my friends, hoping like the scaffing void that I could tolerate their jests.

Making his way to the section of the room where two black couches were situated, Thalen smiled so widely I feared his face would freeze, making it clear he intended to stay. His feet ruffled the plush rug as he pivoted around the table suitable for serving food or propping up my feet while reading.

“You two don’t have to join me,” I said darkly. “I’d rather be alone.”

Silus shut the heavy observatory door as Thalen plopped onto the couch. He leaned back, making himself comfortable. “Oh, did you not want to discuss that little…intervention that happened out there? Did it embarrass you how fast you fell from your high horse of principles to keep the brambly little copper-haired girl from turning into a smear on the marble? Not that I blame you. She’s the most fascinating one of the bunch.”

My breath caught, and I bristled. He shouldn’t speak of Briar that way.

“She’s also the weakest. Her scent is off.” Silus tapped his nose as he headed over to Thalen and continued, “And she doesn’t have wings. Nor does she seem to have any magical abilities, aside from a mouth that moves faster than her sense.”

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