Beauty In Darkness

11

My eyes widened and I was able to cast one quick glance at Lily, her face full of sorrow and love, before the shadows crept over me and the noise of the feast faded away. I gasped as the world around me went dark and silent, my skin tingling with the feel of magic. My fingers tightened around Raith’s, his stiff presence at my side the only sign I wasn’t alone in the black ink that had swallowed everything around us.

The darkness slowly receded. Dim light returned, and with it, the sound of flames flickering in a draft. I drew a deep breath as I took in my new surroundings. Gone was the great hall of Talador’s royal palace, and in its place was a small, empty room carved from smooth black stone and lit with dozens of candles. We must have teleported, though I hadn’t seen Raith cast a rune.

“Where are we?” I asked.

Raith dropped my hand like it was a dead fish he couldn’t wait to be rid of. “Your new home.”

Seven

Rose

I

spun around to face the infuriating wizard. “You could have given me a chance to say goodbye!”

Raith threw open the door and strode from the room. “You had all day to do that.”

I huffed and chased after him down a hallway of the same black stone, made glaringly bright with torches every few feet. “Some warning would have been nice.”

“I told you we would leave as soon as the wedding feast was over.”

“Yes, and that still gave me a few more hours!”

An older, stately gentleman emerged from a doorway. “Good, you’ve returned. The ledgers you requested are in your study and—” He cut off when he saw me, taking in the sight of my diamond-covered wedding gown and silver tiara with surprise.

“Rose, this is Oren,” Raith said. “He runs the castle and acts as my advisor in most matters.”

“Your majesty, it is an honor to welcome you to Ilidan,” Oren said, with a deep bow. It took me a moment to realize he was addressing me as “majesty.” Another thing I would have to get used to now that I was a queen.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said, mustering the best smile I could. I studied Oren’s lined face for any sign of disgust or reluctance, but he was either too well-trained for that or truly had none, even though only hours earlier our kingdoms had been at war. Even if Oren didn’t dislike me on sight, I couldn’t expect others to treat me so well. What would the people of Ilidan think once they discovered they had a new, unexpected queen, who had formerly been their enemy?

“I’ve already prepared the royal consort’s chambers and had your belongings moved into them. Please let me know if there is anything else you require.”

“Oh,” I said. “Thank you. I hadn’t realized my things were already here.”

“I brought them over earlier,” Raith said.

I was torn between feeling impressed with his teleportation magic and resigned that even my belongings had been brought here without my knowledge. Everything was happening so quickly, and it felt like control of my life was slipping out of my grasp completely. Not that I’d ever had much control, but I’d cherished what little I could chip away from my father’s rule. Now even that was gone.

We moved through what I now realized was Ilidan’s main residence for the royal family, Varlock Castle. From the stories I’d heard I’d gotten the impression it was a gothic, foreboding keep full of cobwebs, dark magic, and darker secrets. A place where if you opened a closet door, you might find a dead body stashed inside. I didn’t see any cobwebs, but I couldn’t rule out the rest just yet.

We stepped into a large entry decorated with hundreds of candles, torches, and braziers scattered around the room. They illuminated every corner and nook, making the space almost as bright as if it were the middle of the day. Perhaps to lighten up the otherwise dreary castle, which seemed to be made entirely of that smooth black stone that danced with the reflections of flame and light. The castle was disturbingly quiet, and only four guards in red and black armor stood around the room despite its size. Then again, Raith had entered my kingdom unprotected—maybe he believed his magic kept the castle safe. I was certainly familiar with the arrogance of kings, though my father preferred to show his power by filling our castle with as many soldiers as possible.

“Your rooms are this way, your majesty,” Oren said. “If you’ll follow me…”

I hesitated, glancing back at Raith before addressing Oren. “Would you please give us a moment?”

“Of course,” Oren said, before stepping away to a discreet distance.

“What now?” I asked Raith quietly, hoping he understood the silent questions hiding between those two words. Where do we go from here as husband and wife? What is my role as queen? What do you expect of me?

“I have some business to attend to in my study,” Raith said, his voice clipped. “Oren will show you to your chambers and we’ll discuss everything else tomorrow.”

I smoothed the skirt of my wedding dress, my hands restless. “Will you join me tonight?” He frowned, but his eyes followed my hands before sliding slowly back up my body to my face. “You must be exhausted.”

“I’m fine.”

He turned away with a sharp exhale. “Go to your rooms. I’ll meet with you later.”

Later. A trickle of warmth spread through me at this small victory and at the anticipation of our future encounter. I inclined my head slightly. “I’ll see you then.”

But as I turned away, he stopped me with one word. “Wait.”

My pulse raced as I faced him again. “Yes?”