The Darkness Beyond the Stars

Chapter Three: And now the entire Elvenaer race arrives

Far away, a horn blew. I whirled around. A shout rang out from the castle. Something about a group of elves.

They were here.

I flew inside the castle. Iio was inside, and she dragged me to my room.

"You have to change! Here, put on your blue dress, no, not that one, the dark one. No, the other one. Yes, that one. Hurry up! Can't you even put a dress on? Wait, don't tie the belt like that, let me do it. There. It's better that way. Now, take your hair down, and do it this way, stop touching it, you'll mess it up. There you have your crown, now you are done."

I looked at her desperately. "I don't want to do this."

She grasped my shoulders, turned me around, and pushed me out the door. "Go."

I took a deep breath, and made my way to the throne room.

The walls were high and made of a sweet-smelling pale wood, and the sunlight danced through the open windows and over the room, but today it seemed harsh and garish. I went to my throne on my mother's right hand, and sat, my skirts rustling in the dead silence. Courtesans lined the walls on either side. Father and Mother were both there, and they smiled at me. I managed a half smile back, and smoothed my skirts. My breath seemed unable to make its way into my lungs.

The tall doors at the opposite end of the room opened.

"His Royal Highness King Aratel and Her Royal Highness Queen Luvitana. The seventh son of King Araquminas II, his Highness Prince Raön of the Free Elves."

And there he was again. Tall, noble, broad-shouldered, shining in the sun, dressed in vivid blue and green with silver armor. I couldn't look away as he strode across the room towards me. His hair was an unearthly white in the sunlight, braided and free down his back. As he moved, it was as if he was the king here, not my father. I watched his face. His skin was browned and his face noble and handsome, but it was also wild in an unnerving way. As I watched, he met my gaze. I froze. His eyes were far bluer in the daylight. Bluer than the sky and harder than steel. They softened, and he smiled slightly. I wrenched my gaze down to my hands, but it was drawn back up.

The prince bowed, but only slightly, as if he was bowing to an equal. "I am honored to be here in Cilliria, King Aratel, Queen Luvitana." His voice was dark, but not in key. He met my eyes. "Princess Lilya."

So yeah, he pretended not to have met me before. Ha.

"You are welcome here, Prince Raön." Father stood, and reached out his hand to me. I stood reluctantly. He led me towards the prince, and placed my hand in his. I suppressed an urge to snatch my hand back, but he held it gently, and at least his hands weren't clammy. I shuddered.

"Here is my daughter, your betrothed."

My eyes widened. I wanted to sink through the floor, or explode, or do anything but stand there in front of the whole court holding the hand of Prince Raön of the blasted Wild Elves, no matter how handsome he was. I made the mistake of looking up at him. He was smiling at me, blast him. I looked at my father, and tilted my head, glaring.

Then my eyes caught something behind Raon. Prince Ryoc was standing there, eyes hooded, fixed on me, a black leather jerkin dark against his skin. I felt my skin crawl. He tilted his head up, and smiled slowly, shaking his head slightly. You're wasted on him. 

I gritted my teeth.

Then the prince bent and kissed my hand, and looked up to meet my eyes. "Again, I am honored beyond words, your highness." His eyes seemed to laugh at me.