Page 82 of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash
Haven hummed in approval.
‘I think red rather suits you,’ she mused. ‘We ought to implement it into our own colours.’
Mal snorted, but the sound was hollow. Because inthat moment, standing in the dress of a drakonian queen, with a drakonian prince waiting for her at the altar—
She had never felt further from herself.
…
The Temple of Fire stood like a sentinel at the very edge of the bay, perched where the land stretched out into the sea before curving away into the horizon, vanishing into mist and water. It was not far, but tradition dictated that the wedding party walk the path—a solemn, almost ceremonial procession to the sacred ground where the vows would be sealed. Ash would already be there, waiting. Alongside the drakonian royal family, he would stand at the temple’s heart, bathed in sunlight and expectation, while Mal would be the last to enter.
The weight of it—of this moment, of the inevitable march forward—settled in her chest, making the tight corset feel even more suffocating.
And then there wasthe dress.
Layers upon layers of crimson fabric tangled around her legs, the intricate embroidery catching at her fingers as she tried to adjust the suffocating bodice. The heat of the land wrapped around her like a second skin, the air thick with the scent of scorched earth and salt from the nearby bay. Each step was an effort, the shoes cutting into her feet, the corset cinching her ribs like a vice.
Yet, despite her discomfort, Mal was keenly aware of the eyes that flitted towards her. Flora Hawthorne walked a few paces ahead, her graceful frame wrapped around Zahian Noor’s arm. The sight made Mal’s brow lift ever so slightly. Interesting. The sisters of House of Sand whispered betweenthemselves, casting lingering glances in her direction, their veils fluttering like desert silk in the breeze.
Mal clung to Kai’s arm, grounding herself in the familiar weight of her brother’s presence. Ahead, Haven and Kage led the way, Kage’s shadow crow circling above them, its caws breaking the heavy silence.
‘Are you nervous?’ Kai asked, his voice low, teasing.
‘Right now I’m just trying not to faint.’
‘So that’s a yes.’
Mal rolled her eyes, but the movement made her head spin slightly. ‘Why did father have to choose such a hot land? Couldn’t I have married the prince from the Kingdom of Ice? They are basically our neighbours. And he isverygood-looking.’
Kai snorted.
‘We still have time. Let’s turn around,’ he mused, his voice dripping with mischief. ‘Surely no one will notice if we get on our wyverns and fly off.’
A smile threatened to break through her lips. For a fleeting second, Mal allowed herself to imagine it—the look on their faces when they found the princess missing from her own wedding.
‘But then I would start a new war that would probably last another hundred years.’
‘Well, they do say there’s always a downside to getting married.’ Kai elbowed Mal in the ribs. ‘Yours is starting war.’
‘Ow, Kai, don’t elbow me! I can hardly breathe in this damn thing.’
A sharp voice cut through their playful banter. ‘Stop it. I can hear both of you. Behave yourselves.’
Haven’s tone was all steel and authority, her future-queen voice in full command. The moment she turned back around, both siblingsstuck their tongues out at her.
The Temple of Fire rose before them, a colossus of stone and fire, a sacred beast waiting to devour them whole. Two enormous fire pits flanked the entrance, their flames reaching so high Mal wondered if they might lick the hem of her gown and set her ablaze before she even stepped inside. Kai whistled low.
‘How many steps do you think it has?’ he asked.
‘More than enough to make me trip.’Mal’s stomach sank at the sight of the steep staircase leading up to the entrance. ‘I’m not making it, brother.’
Kai’s laughter rumbled beside her.
Haven turned again, her gaze sharp with warning. Her shadow-serpent regarded them through languid, half-lidded eyes, exhaling the occasional low hiss—a subtle, silken warning that slithered through the air, a soundless command to maintain order beneath its watchful gaze.
‘It has twenty-six steps,’ Kage said, speaking for the very first time.
‘He never talks and when he does, it’s to make my soul cripple with despair,’ Kai groaned.
