CROWN OF GLASS ✔

77 | ACT V, SCENE IV

"Open the doors," I ordered, bracing myself.

The heavy, gilded doors swung inwards, opening to reveal the completely filled room, all eyes expectedly on me. Watching my every move, every step.

Right at the front of the circle of benches sat Eric, Amphitrite at his side. Both of them were dressed in light grey, their faces even paler. His face was emotionless, wiped clean of any expression. My sister, on the other hand, looked at me with bloodshot eyes, eyes that silently begged me for forgiveness.

I kept my head high and walked right past her.

On and on I walked, the crowd full of familiar faces. Each and every immortal had taken the pains to attend my Trial. Llewellyn, Vanessa, Verona, Miriel... behind them more faces - Celinette, Erida, Irina. Sarette, Leander, Therese, Rayden, Olinda, Elias. Vincent and Halette. Lunette and Edmund, with a panther growling near their seat. Fayette, hidden among the crowd. Vivian gave me a silent glare as he noticed the absence of my walking stick and the slight limp with which I still walked.

So many of the commoners had squeezed in too, both rich and poor, high and low. My court and officials from Dracnesse. All the remaining nobles from Stormholt, Ellesmere, Normount, Vertgate and Allington. And surely a few spies from the foreign islands of the three rebel states, who no doubt would be gleaning every bit of information they could gather from this about our politics. There was no sign of the three blasted Everly children, or my damned brother who Tristan still hadn't taken in for questioning.  

Tristan was standing near the high table, his hand casually resting on his blade. One eye rested on me, warm with love and affection, and the other on Thanatos, silent with the promise of danger. The waves in his hair caught the sunlight as he gave me a knowing look. We had both agreed to keep public displays of affection to a minimum at the Trial - it was important for Thanatos to think that I was helpless and without allies at first.

The council was dressed in deep black.  

Emerick did not so much as turn his head when I entered, but Deimos did - his lips curling as a flash of hatred sparked in his deep purple eyes. Justaline flicked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, anger gleaming in her envy laced gaze as well. Helios was bloodless, cold light flickering out from between his fingers. Beside him, Nyx and Atherton were deep in a discussion, voices tuned so low that even I could not hear. Cymbeline tapped her fingers impatiently on the desk. Eros's gaze was hard, his eyes suspiciously flicking between Tristan and I. My father's face had drained of colour, lined with concern and exhaustion.  

Finally, I locked my eyes with Thanatos himself, his eyes boring into mine with an unflinching, steely glare. This man and his sister had placed a death curse on Tristan - on an innocent only doing his best to honour his sister.

If it came to war, I would tear out his heart first.

One seat remained empty.

For Apollo, the head of House Valmont.

My blood ran cold as I drank in the unnerving silence of the Hall. What if he walked in - right here in front of all these people?

If that happened, I knew that protocol or no - Tristan would slaughter him in cold blood.

"Would you mind walking a bit faster, Lady Tremayne?" Thanatos's voice echoed in the now silent hall, dull like grating iron. "We do not have time to waste. And your heels click too loudly on the floor."