The doors opened and several people entered, all wearing deep blue and silver colors. My father, who had disappeared halfway through the party, had returned moments before these people had. My insides knotted and my palms started to sweat. Who were these people?
"King and Queen Malum of the Southern Kingdom of Vivanenth," a man shouted to the crowd. I narrowed my eyes. House Malum. What were they doing here?
In Vivanenth, there were four kingdoms; north, south, east, and west. Each with a ruling House and special colors and meaning behind them. My home, the Northern Kingdom, was the spring court. The Southern Kingdom was the winter court.
"What is this?" I asked, looking at my brother. He only shrugged, at a loss for words for once. My father stood and greeted their king by lowering his head. King Malum returned the gesture and looked around.
I looked over their family. The king had short, silver hair and pale eyes. He was tall and rather thin, the robes hanging off of him as if they were too big. The queen looked like her king, tall and thin, with long silver hair and frosty eyes.
But their children, the prince, and princess were breathtakingly beautiful. She was the eldest. A tiara was perched on top of her pale blonde hair, which was pinned away from her face. High cheekbones, full lips, ice blue eyes. She looked like royalty.
And he was no exception. Dark blonde hair, strong jawline, but his eyes were different. They were still the same silver-blue as the rest of the family, but his eyes were on fire. He raked his gaze across the room, landing on me. I stared back, fighting back the urge to look away. He smiled at me softly, but I didn't smile back.
My father broke our little contest. "People of the Northern Kingdom, I have an announcement to make," my father said. I held onto Peter's hand tightly. "Today is not just my daughter's seventeenth birthday, it is also a day where we make history."
Make history?
"To avoid a war that would cost the lives of thousands, and to stop a famine, the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom are to be joined."
Silence.
I looked at my mother, who only nodded and smiled, as a queen should. I've never heard anything of this. Why was this happening now?
"And to seal this union, the Ebony and Malum heirs will be married."
Peter squeezed my hand. Married. I replayed the words in my head again and again and looked at my mother, then my father, then Peter. I was always promised I could marry anyone I wanted to. I looked at the boy with the burning eyes.
My future husband.