Page 40 of A Legacy of Stars (The Lost God Legacies)

40

STELLA

S tella paced the Olney Castle sitting room, wringing her clammy hands.

The past two days had been a whirlwind that put the Gauntlet Games closing ceremony on hold. The rebels who had been captured were being held for questioning, but Isla and Evan were confident that they’d rooted out all but about thirty of the rebels. While it wouldn’t instantly solve the unrest in the two kingdoms, the mood in Olney City was already calmer.

The full-out rebellion had angered people who were sympathetic to the Sons of Endros’ cause because of the hunter lives lost, wounded spectators, and property damage it had caused to local businesses. Stella was relieved to see the people of Olney coming together to help each other rebuild.

Now that the most urgent matters had been dealt with, it was almost time to officially close the Games. Stella was uncertain how they would handle the favor since the tiebreaker hadn’t fully been decided. In a few short moments, Stella and the remaining competitors would find out how the gods would proceed.

Stella’s stomach tumbled at the thought. She suddenly wished she hadn’t sent her mother and Rosie away after they’d helped her get ready. Now she had nothing to distract her from her racing thoughts. It was taking every bit of her self-control not to accidentally send every confusing emotion directly through the bond to Teddy.

She crossed the sitting room to the table where refreshments had been set up, poured herself a whiskey, and knocked it back in one gulp. Immediately, she refilled the glass and drank down another. She was refilling the glass for a third time when a shadow fell over her.

“Slow down, sailor. You don’t handle your liquor well enough to keep that pace.”

Stella glanced up as Kate walked into the room. She froze mid-pour and turned to face her friend, blindly setting the bottle of whiskey back on the tray.

Kate looked beautiful in a sage-green silk dress that floated behind her as she walked. Her dark hair was twisted into an updo on top of her head, and her mouth was set in a determined frown.

Stella took a wary step toward her. “Kate, I’m?—”

“Now that is quite a dress. You really should wear red more often.” Kate crossed the room and gestured for Stella to spin.

She appeased her friend, doing one slow turn. The bright red scalloped layers of silk ruffled as she spun.

Kate whistled low. “I saw the final challenge, so I’m guessing this isn’t for Arden.”

Stella shook her head. “I picked this one for me—so I’d feel confident, but now I’m afraid it will just draw attention to me when I can’t keep it together out there.”

Kate’s frown morphed into understanding. “Well, if even some small part of you picked this to impress someone else, I think it’s safe to say they will regret walking away from you.”

Tears pricked at Stella’s eyes. “He didn’t. I walked away from him.”

“What? Why?” Kate stared at her in shocked disbelief.

“Because when I finally stopped thinking about what ‘we’ wanted, I had a chance to think about what I want, and I don’t want to be queen.”

“But you love him. ”

The lump in Stella’s throat was so large that she feared she would choke. “But I love him. He’s ridiculous and uptight, but I love him.”

“So you’re drinking to?—”

“Numb out the fact that I’m going to be attached to him for life.”

Kate’s eyes went comically wide. “We don’t know that. The gods might grant no favors—and are you so sure Teddy won’t ask for it to be broken if he is granted a favor?”

Stella took a sip of whiskey and shook her head. She looked out the sitting room window at the roses in the queen’s garden. Daylight was fading into the golden light of late afternoon, which made the garden look even more whimsical than usual.

“No. He’s going to ask for a blessing for him to choose his own wife instead of having a politically advantageous one chosen for him.”

“So, you?”

Stella shook her head. “I already told you I don’t want to be queen.”

“He’s gorgeous and in love with you, and from how loose your hips looked in that challenge yesterday, he knows what he’s doing in bed?—”

Stella scoffed. “You can’t possibly have read that from watching that challenge. It was chaos.”

Kate arched a brow. “So he is good? I knew it! No one is that hot and repressed without being wild in the bedroom.”

Stella’s cheeks burned as her friend eyed her.

“Well?” Kate prodded.

Stella looked away. “Yes, he knows what he’s doing.”

“I knew it!” Kate screeched.

Stella clapped a hand over her friend’s mouth. “Keep your voice down, pervert.”

“Say more and I will.”

“He really knows what he’s doing. I couldn’t walk for a full ten minutes afterward and if you breathe a word of that to anyone, I will set your brother up with Colleen Ruby.”

Kate froze. “You wouldn’t dare. ”

“Wouldn’t I?”

“You wouldn’t curse me with the chattiest sister-in-law in all of Olney.”

Stella clasped Kate’s hand. “Try me.”

Kate stared her down for a full minute before she blew out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. You are no fun at all. I can’t believe you tumbled that broody prince, and you won’t even share the details. Honestly, it’s selfish.”

Stella was so relieved to have their old dynamic back. She dragged Kate into a hug. “I should have listened to you about Arden. I know you were right, but I wasn’t ready to see it and I needed to get there on my own.”

“I think our friendship will go so much smoother if you just recognize that I am right about everything.” Kate drew away and frowned. “Are you well? That tournament was scary—you were really hurt. Did it scar?”

Stella nodded stiffly. “I’m getting better every day. Are we okay, though?”

“That depends.” Kate glanced toward the doorway. “Is your father out there in the throne room waiting? Do you think there’s room in the family section?”

“Kate, don’t even start?—”

“What’s he wearing? He looks so good in green?—”

Stella swatted at her friend, and Kate ran from the room, cackling.

Her visit had the desired effect. Stella was bolstered by her teasing and felt as ready as she’d ever be to watch Teddy bargain with the gods for the right to fall in love with someone else.

The worst thing about the location for the final event of the Gauntlet Games was that the walk from the rear entrance of the Olney Castle throne room to Stella’s place of honor in front of the dais was way too long. As soon as she stepped into the room, the weight of the collective gazes of half of the court pressed into her. The crowd parted as she walked toward the large dais.

She wasn’t sure what she was expecting when she walked out into the throne room, but it wasn’t to find Grimon, the god of death, in the godly seat of honor. He leaned back and casually ran a hand through his black hair, his lips tipping into a lopsided smile when he saw Stella. He nodded to her and his pale blue eyes momentarily flashed with power.

His brother, Samson, the god of lust, stood on Grimon’s left, running his hands down his iridescent golden vest and grinning widely at Stella. His dark, curly hair was fastened in a bun at the nape of his neck and Aurelia, the goddess of the harvest, hung on his arm and whispered in his ear.

The rest of the gods milled about behind them. Stella spotted Adira, Desiree, and Sayla huddled together with her Uncle Devlin, all of them recognizable as the children of Clastor by their bright blue eyes. On the other side of the dais, Cato leaned against the wall, his witch friend Skylar beside him. She winked when she caught Stella staring.

The royal families were seated on opposite sides of the raised dais.

Stella reflexively looked at Arden, but he was either fascinated by the marble floors or ignoring her presence.

Taking her place at the end of the line of surviving competitors, she saw Teddy all the way at the other end of the line beside Katerina Shank.

It was remarkable how the field had dwindled. With Christophe and Drew’s deaths in the final challenge, Dixon’s death in the battle afterward, and Fionn in the wind, only five competitors remained—Stella, Teddy, Katerina, Jeneva, and Rett. Unfortunately, it seemed the Roach truly did live up to his name.

Rett sneered at Stella when he caught her eye and she quickly snapped her attention back to the front of the room.

“Nice of you to join us, Lady McKay,” Grimon chided .

The bells began to toll, signaling the end of the day, and Stella gestured to them as if to prove she was right on time.

The god of death waited for the ringing to stop before he spoke again. “I’ve taken over as ceremony master as we are holding Endros for an inquisition in the Otherworld. This was a very unusual year for the Gauntlet Games. The rebellion broke the covenant of the Games and allowed you all to be freed from your binding pact, even though the final tiebreaker was still underway.”

Stella’s mouth was so dry. Her heart hammered in her chest as her mind called up the memory of how it felt to stand there with her hand around Teddy’s, trying to help him guide the dagger into her heart. The panic hit her the same way it had in the moment.

A soft, buzzing calm feeling filled her chest.

She wanted to sob. The awful, beautiful bond that she hadn’t wanted in the first place—that had become so dear to her and much too personal—was something she was going to have to learn to live with forever. Whenever she was sad, she’d feel Teddy sending comfort, and whenever he was worried, she’d have to stop herself from sending him peace. It suddenly felt impossible.

Her eyes burned and her lower lip began to tremble. Stella drew in a deep breath, trying to compose herself and focus on what Grimon was saying.

“The rules of the Games state that if the tournament is interrupted by an act of nature or any unforeseen emergency, the winner will be whoever was leading at the time of the interruption,” Grimon continued. “Now, there would be more room for interpretation of who was winning, but Teddy had a dagger pressed to Stella’s chest and he drew first blood.”

A twinge struck Stella through the bond, as if Teddy was trying to disagree.

“I’ve conferred with the rest of the gods and we have deemed Theodore Davide Savero the winner of this year’s Gauntlet Games.”

Thunderous applause broke out in the crowd and Stella forced herself to clap along with them .

Grimon held up his hands, and the applause died. “Step forward and make your request.”

Teddy took three steps forward. “I’ve given this a lot of thought. Having spent my entire life as heir to the Argarian throne, my focus has been only on what’s best for everyone else. My entire existence was about thinking of the kingdom first, as I was taught by my father. It’s logical to think that it would be easier to be loyal to your people when you don’t have to be loyal to yourself first. Although that’s a decision that was made for me out of love—I can see now how it’s limited my ability to truly understand what it is to have something to lose personally. This tournament and surrounding events have given me a glimpse of the heavy responsibility that comes with the crown as well as what it feels like to have something to lose.”

Stella steeled herself. He was framing his request so eloquently, but she wished he would just spit it out.

“So many things come together to make a great king,” Teddy continued, ignoring the whispers in the crowd. “My parents have been fortunate to have a wonderful collaborative relationship that grew out of a political marriage. But my father had the chance to choose his wife. I wanted that same honor?—”

Gasps rose from the crowd and Stella couldn’t breathe.

Teddy waited for the murmuring to lull before continuing, “But I’ve realized that the wisdom with which my father made that choice was gained through having a chance to fully become his own person in his time away from court. He had a chance to know himself outside of his role in succession. He had a chance to lose something personally—to understand how to fight for something out of love instead of just responsibility. I love my kingdom and my people, but I’ve spent my life as a symbol for them instead of a person. I feel I’d be doing Argaria a great disservice if I tried to rule without first having the chance to be a real person.”

The murmurs in the crowd had turned into full-fledged conversations.

Queen Jessamin whispered in one of Xander’s ears as Isla leaned over to whisper in the other. Stella felt their assessment. She felt everyone’s assessment.

Grimon raised his hands. “Quiet, please. We need to hear his request.” He nodded to Teddy. “Your Grace?”

Teddy cleared his throat and stood tall. “I would like the blessing of the gods to abdicate the throne to one of my very qualified siblings. They are all brilliant and capable leaders who have had the benefit of becoming their own people, without the pressure of being heir their whole lives, and it’s for that reason that I think they will make great leaders. A good leader must know their own mind. I’d like the time to learn to understand mine.”

Stella stared at Teddy’s back, breathlessly trying to comprehend his words. Her brain felt muddled and slow. He hadn’t asked for the freedom to choose his own wife. He’d asked them to let him be free in all things.

Shocked, boisterous chatter broke out around her, and Stella couldn’t even hear her own thoughts over the noise.

Katerina elbowed her. “He’s choosing you.”

Stella shook her head. “No, he’s choosing him ,” she said thickly. Because it was true. He hadn’t asked for her. He’d asked for freedom.

Grimon stood from his chair and the room instantly fell silent. Stella had always been close with the god who’d insisted on being called Uncle Grim, even though he wasn’t actually an uncle by blood. But the god of death frightened the people of Olney, always quick to fall in line when he spoke.

“We have heard your request. Would any among us object to granting it?” Grimon asked.

The entire room seemed to collectively hold their breath as the gods remained silent. Not one of them spoke.

“Well, then. Consider your abdication blessed. Theodore Davide Savero, you are a prince and a prince you’ll remain. That concludes this Gauntlet Games.”

Teddy’s relief hit Stella in the chest at the same time his shoulders relaxed. Then he promptly turned, cut through the gaping crowd, and left the silent throne room .

Stella wanted to chase him down, but the moment she turned to follow him, the crowd broke up into animated smaller groups to gossip. She ducked around a few, but the more she darted around, the more attention she drew to herself and the more whispers followed her. She turned and collided with a solid body. A firm hand clamped down on her upper arm and she stumbled.

Rett Roachelle towered over her, his rat-like face pinched in a scowl. “You must have a golden twat to get that uptight prick to abdicate.”

“Get your hands off of me. The tournament is over and the only thing preventing me from breaking your nose again is—oh wait, nothing,” Stella snapped.

Rett leaned closer to whisper in her ear. “You and I have unfinished business. I?—”

Stella looked over his shoulder to see what had stopped him so abruptly. Jeneva was standing behind him with a blade to his throat. She glanced around at the crowd, but no one seemed to notice their scuffle.

“It’s poisoned,” Jeneva said softly. “You’ll be dead before your body hits the ground, and we will be long gone. Understand?”

Rett nodded carefully.

“Good. Now apologize to the lady,” Katerina said, stepping up next to her friend.

Rett’s jaw ticked. “I’m sorry.”

Stella bit back a smirk. “Thank you for teaching this monster some manners,” she said.

Jeneva offered her a mock salute. “Happy to.” She leaned close to Rett, and he flinched, nearly cutting himself on the poisoned blade. “Now, my father would like to interrogate you, but I’ve seen enough of your antics for one lifetime. Leave Olney in the next hour. If you don’t, you’ll be arrested and questioned about your connection to the Sons of Endros and their rebellion. If you ever return, you can expect the same.” She glanced at Stella. “Any parting gifts for the man?”

Stella kneed Rett in the balls and he doubled over, then she kicked the knee she’d hurt in the tournament, and he fell to the ground. “Have a great trip home and enjoy your limp, Roach. I hope it’s permanent.”

She spun and ran into the crowd, pushing out of the throne room and into the castle hallway, darting up the stairs to the guest wing. She found Teddy’s room with little trouble, but he wasn’t inside. Instead, she found Alexandra sitting in the chair by his window.

“He’s not here,” she said.

“Do you know where he is?”

Alexandra shook her head. “What did you do to him?”

Stella swallowed hard. “I loved him.”

She didn’t wait to see what Alexandra said. She ducked out the doorway and down the hall to continue her quest.