Page 118 of Princess of Air

The crown settles onto my head, and I think of the cushion of air I had gifted Rylan. I don’t want one—the weight of it should be felt.

“Rise, Princess Arabella, future Queen of Alchos.”

The applause rises with me. Mother takes my hand. “All hail Princess Arabella.”

“All hail Princess Arabella.” It echoes against the palace and the buildings lining the promenade.

Then every man, woman, and child present bows before the two of us. My own sister drops to a graceful, low curtsy while my brothers, Father, and Tomas each take a knee, heads bent in deference.

“They bow to you,” Mother says quietly, “in the faith that you will raise them up. Never forget your power comes from them.”

I squeeze her hand. “I won’t forget, and I won’t let them down.”

“I know, darling.”

My family rises, starting a wave of people following suit before us. Bursts of dazzling light explode in the sky, drawing the crowd’s attention upward. I glance at Nina, who winks in return.

For months, I’ve focused on endings. The end of the trials. The end of my betrothal. But for all those endings, there are new beginnings. This excitement has been a prologue. As I watch the colorful display in the sky, I know my story starts now.

Epilogue

Lillian turned the corner and rose to her toes to walk through the hallway that housed the King’s study. Avoiding him was nothing new, though his foul mood in the wake of Jamys’ passing amplified her motivation to not attract his attention. If he’d been sorrowful, this time might have united their family. But Urian didn’t comprehend emotions as inane as sadness. The King’s only feeling was bitter rage at the loss of an heir who would have added magic to his line. And disappointment that he was left with his daughter.

Hence, she kept the heels of her shoes from hitting the floor. This slowed her pace enough that an attendant strode past her and into her father’s study before she passed it. Now she was still close when he received whatever message was being delivered and—

“Those gods damned idiots!”

The King’s roar was like a bowstring to propel her faster. She might have been a successful ballerina for the way she could prance about on her toes. Her dance was cut short when she slipped into an alcove to listen for the reason behind this outburst. It would do her well to know before she was potentially part of any conversation about it. Not that she was generally expected to add much to conversations.

“They’re putting that fucking whore on the throne?!” At least his temperament allowed her to hear from a good distance. The unfortunate messenger’s response was not loud enough to reach her, but her father’s end was enough to piece together what had happened.

Nina had already been eliminated from Alchos’ competition for the throne, so Arabella must have won.

“Jamys would have been the King of Alchos!” Urian’s words were punctuated by loud steps on the stone floor. The Princess could picture him spinning the dagger between his fingers as he always did when he was agitated. The blade had never seen a physical fight, only his internal wars.

Whether the King was angry about this turn of events due to the missed opportunity to install Jamys there as consort, or because he hated Arabella as he implied, was left to be determined. It would have been nice to think he wouldn’t have had his son marry a woman he thought a whore, but the magic in her blood would certainly forgive all flaws.

That these flaws were machinations of the King’s mind was also easy enough to assume. Lillian continued to her apartments, replaying her interactions with the Princess in her mind. Arabella had been nothing but kind and amiable to her. Jamys was besotted with her in a way Lillian never thought she’d see. He’d even played music for her. That secret had been tightly held by him for as long as Lillian could remember, and if he was close enough to her to…

A tear tumbled over her eyelashes, and she swiped it away.

Jamys was an exceptional brother, and Arabella would have been a lovely sister. Of course, Lillian could see why her father would have issues with the next Queen of Alchos. The way she dressed was certainly… Well, it made Lillian blush to think of it. The dress Ara had worn the night they found out about the siege in Dockerly—that displayed her long leg, the smooth skin of her back, and nearly exposed her breasts—would be enough to earn her the label of whore from Urian. Lillian’s reaction to it was more akin to jealousy. Of Arabella, of course. That she had such freedom and confidence.

Lillian got to her apartment and collapsed onto the chaise. Had her corsets gotten tighter since they returned to Ceraun? Breathing was more difficult after the time spent in Alchos, since Jamys died and she became the heir to her kingdom.

***

“I wanted to prepare you, but there’s no time,” Anilla said as she and Lillian walked to the sitting room. “Your father was talking my ear off.”

Lillian wondered what he gained from that as he doubtlessly wouldn’t care about any response her mother might have.

“Princess Arabella won the trials in Alchos.”

Lillian nodded. “Yes, I heard.”

“Well, your father’s fury over the loss of Jamys’ betrothal has been reignited.” Anilla’s lips pursed then. Where Lillian was disappointed in her father’s lack of care over Jamys’ death, her mother was enraged. “Unfortunately, that means his sights are set on you again.”

“It’s not as if I can marry Arabella.”