Page 117 of Enchanted Shadows
Again, this was a land bursting in green but shrouded in darkness. The castle, like her ships, was sharp angles and black, dark. It was far smaller than I thought it’d be, but it was built sprawling instead of upward like ours.
It struck me that I’d now been to three of the five castles in the realm. Which was shocking, because I was a damn terrible delegate. Pretty words just weren’t my thing. Brute force, however, was. Yet here I was.
I quickly reminded myself part of my plan wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow, so I needed to play nice for now. Tonight required... finesse.
“Your mother will be waiting right away,” Calix told Kessara as we clomped forward in an open top carriage big enough to hold us and half of Team One. The rest of Team One followed in another such carriage.
Calix had only tried to talk to her twice today. And twice she’d shut him down.
Kessara dipped her head toward Miles. “It may seem obvious, but just in case it needs saying, if my family would like to playtheir parlor trick of imprisoning us to remind us who is in charge, the Wylan team will retaliate.”
Calix scoffed. “You really think she’d do that to you?”
Kessara snapped, “Let’s not pretend like it hasn’t happened before.”
“Yes, but that was Damek’s doing. Your brother is—has always been—difficult.”
Miles snapped, “So why are you chummy with him, then?”
Calix closed his eyes a brief moment. “Likely the same reason the twin princes humored their father and stayed close to him. To try to water him down. To try to curb his ambitions and temper with logic and rational thinking.”
This prick really thought he was so noble, didn’t he? Based on everything Kessara had told me, I wouldn’t put it past Calix to have been encouraging those very things in private.
Kessara’s eyes met mine as if she were thinking the very same thing.
I reached my hand across to her thigh and squeezed.
Calix clenched his teeth, clearly displeased I was touching what he still saw as his.
I didn’t find it in myself to move my hand.
Upon arriving at Itzahl Castle, other than having my first thought confirmed that it was lower to the ground than the other castles I had been to, the second thought that struck me was that there was a hell of a lot of glass. Again, it was mostly dark, cast in shadows already though there was still an hour or so of daylight to be found. The castle had intentionally been built in and around the trees, granting immediate access to the shadows.
Without delay, we were ushered into the throne room in Agria. A wall of glass windows sat behind the thrones, a balcony beyond those.
There sat her mother and stepfather in crowns, and who I had to assume was her half-brother just behind them in another chair,a smaller crown on his head. Her parents at least looked pleased to see her; I wasn’t so sure about Damek as he appeared unbothered, his court mask intact.
Her mother had her graying dark hair braided in long strands out of her face, only drawing attention to the the massive crown on her head. Her dark, watchful eyes told me immediately who Kessara developed her observation skills from. Kessara’s cheek bones and eye color may match the Valanova twins, but the graceful way she carried herself was like her mother. I also noted Kessara’s skin tone was slightly lighter than her mother’s shade of darker brown.
“My daughter!” her mother smiled. “So good to see you alive and well. You could have at least let us know of your travels.”
“I would have,” Kessara said, voice strong despite how hard she was squeezing my hand in hers, “had it felt safe to.”
Her mother considered that for a moment before her eyes finally moved to me. Apparently, appearances won out over curiosity. She wasn’t biting. “And how exactly has Wylan managed to ensnare you in so little time? What is this I hear about you gettingmarried?”
Kessara looked to me with a smirk. “I did. To this man. Commander Owen Raikes. Also an honorary prince and heir in Wylan, but his military reputation precedes that.”
I noted the order she’d said my titles in. “Lovely to meet you.”
“Is it?” One of the queen’s eyebrows quirked in a way which screamed “queen.”
“It could be?”
Her lips turned up at the corners before she looked back to her daughter. “You look well. And I know you must be tired, but tell me, did they treat you well? Or send you packing?”
Kessara raised her chin slightly. “They welcomed me. With open arms. Are allowing me to train with a team there.”
She considered that a moment. “I see we have much to discuss.”
