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Chapter Thirty-Two: Rhea

My heart thunders in my chest, and my palms grow clammy as we reach a door where an image of a massive, tangled tree under the stars is burned onto its front. The king and queen are waiting in the room on the other side, and I’m not entirely convinced that the nausea burning in my stomach won’t expel itself at any moment.

“This is the queen’s dining hall. It’s the smaller one of two in the palace and reserved just for our family,” Nox informs me, perhaps mistaking my unease for curiosity.

A few palace workers pass us in the hallway, their eyes scanning where Nox holds my hand before widening in surprise. It seems to be the reaction of everyone who sees us together, which admittedly hasn’t been many people since we’ve kept mostly to his room.

“Wait,” I screech, tugging on his arm while his opposite hand reaches for the door. “What if— I mean, you know what I am like and my history. I’m not exactly someone worthy of a crown prince. What if they don’t want us to be together?”

Bewilderment pulls Nox’s brows high on his forehead before he wraps his arms around me. “Sunshine, there is so much wrong with what you just said. First, you are literally a princess—”

“Hardly! Only in title.” Even then, I wasn’t exactly sure I could claim that title anymore after running away. Not that I necessarily wanted it.

“Fine,” he says, huffing out a laugh. “Excluding the title of princess, my parents will love you simply because I do. But even if—for some ridiculous reason that I can’t fathom—they don’t, their opinions or anyone else’s are inconsequential.”

“You can’t mean that.”

“I absolutely do.” When I don’t seem persuaded that this meeting won’t be a complete disaster, he adds, “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. We can always wait until you’re ready.” He smiles down at me, but doubt still lingers within me.

“But?”

With another short laugh at my coaxing, he continues, “ But they might have an answer for how we can move around here without so much attention brought to you. I can mix my signature with yours when we are near each other, but that means I’d have to go everywhere with you.”

Pinching my lips, I exhale slowly through my nose. I hear what he isn’t saying—that while he’d happily do what I ask, it will hinder me to do so. I don’t want to be another cage for you .

It takes a few moments for the bravery to seep in, and I nearly convince myself that I should run back to Nox’s room before it does. But Alexi and Bella flash in my mind, and eventually, enough courage wells within me, so I give Nox a small nod.

He opens the door, and we step into the dining space. I take in the glittering white stone walls, made brighter by the two gorgeous three-tiered chandeliers above glowing with small flames. The portraits decorating the space draw my eyes, but I don’t get the chance to study them before a throat clears. Nox squeezes my hand in comfort and leads us to the long table centered in the space, his parents standing on the opposite side.

“Your Highness, it is wonderful to meet you,” Nox’s mother says as she lets her gaze roam my face.

Her curly brown hair is twisted into an elegant updo on her head, her beauty classic and regal. Forest-green fabric lays delicately over her brown skin, layered in a crisscrossing pattern that accentuates the curves of her body. Gold roses embroidered in small patterns trail down the length of her dress. Next to her, the king is dressed in a similar shade of green, the sleeves of his tunic rolled to right below his elbows.

I’m caught up in wondering if my own flowing skirt and matching pink top are too informal when I realize that she is addressing me . “Oh, you don’t— Just Rhea is fine.” Then, remembering who I am speaking to, my eyes grow wide, and I add on a quick, “Your Majesty.”

“I have a feeling,” his father drawls, a familiar smirk on his lips as he gestures for us all to sit, “that there is nothing just about you, my dear.” My chin dips, my hair a honey-colored curtain that falls around me for a moment before I force myself to look back up. “And I am happy to drop all formalities. My name is Sadryn, and this is my wife, Alexandria. We are incredibly happy to meet you, Rhea.”

Nox pulls out my chair before taking his own. Where his posture is completely at ease, I sit perfectly straight, my muscles straining.

“Our son told us a little about you, that you are from the Mortal Kingdom and that you were held prisoner by King Dolian,” Sadryn says, his hand wrapped around his wife’s and resting on the table between them. I nod my head as I work to swallow down the thick knot in my throat at the mention of my uncle. “My condolences to you. I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult that was.”

“It must have also been challenging to discover you have magic,” his mother adds, her voice gentle as she studies me. “Training for those with magic begins at eight years old in our kingdom, so I can only imagine how terrifying it was to feel something so unfamiliar for so long.”

I simply nod again, my hand assuming a death grip on Nox’s. It is strange to talk so openly about my magic when I’ve kept it hidden for so long. In the course of three months, I had gone from one person other than myself knowing to innumerable more. Nox, my uncle, the members of the King’s Guard, now his parents… It is disheartening trying to reconcile the fact that Alexi died so that this part of me could stay hidden.

“For the sake of honesty, I’m going to be blunt, Rhea,” Sadryn says, leaning forward and placing his elbows on the table. Nox tenses, the movement more felt from where I hold his hand than actually seen. “Did Nox explain magical signatures? How we can sense the magic around us?”

“Yes,” I croak out, heat flooding my cheeks. Nox’s thumb gently drags across the back of my hand.

“The magic in our kingdom is dwindling, for lack of a better word. Each generation of mage has become weaker with it, and while I won’t bore you with the details of the other changes that have been happening, the point I’m making is that, with the exception of our son, no one else has a signature as strong as yours. It’s going to draw attention and questions.”

Nox sits up straighter, his free hand forming a white-knuckled fist on the table. “They will not have access to her.”

“That isn’t what your father is saying, my star.” I smile at the term of endearment Alexandria uses for Nox, and he gradually relaxes his stiff posture. “We have something that we think can help.”

His mother reaches for a small black pouch hidden by a flower arrangement in the center of the table. Opening it, she pulls out a silver chain necklace with a small shiny black pendant dangling at the end.

“Do you know anything about dragon stone, Rhea?” she asks, holding the necklace up.

“No. I’ve never heard of it.”

Alexandria hands the necklace to Sadryn, the dainty jewelry nearly lost in his large hands. “We trade the Fae Kingdom for their dragon stone because it makes for incredible building material, as you can see by the walls and floors of this palace.” His free hand gestures to the space around us, the stone reflecting many glittering flares of light as if in gratitude to his compliment. “But it also is an excellent conduit for our magic. Dragon stone has the ability to hold magic that is imbued into it without the magic diminishing over time.” He reaches over and passes the necklace to Nox. “Only if the stone is broken will it release the power it holds.”

Nox holds it up for me to look at, and when I see what the pendant is, I’m unable to stop the smile that grows. “It’s a dragon.” Nox’s eyes move to my lips, his own curling upwards.

“The necklace is an heirloom, one that was passed down from the last queen of Void Magic. But we think if Nox spells it to dampen your magical signature, it should quell any inquiries as long as you’re wearing it,” Sadryn says.

I inspect the pendant, the tiny dragon carved in exquisite detail. It looks as if it is gliding through the air—its wings spread out wide with tiny linear divots chiseled into the wingspan. Its tail curves back and forth while its mouth is open as if in mid-roar. I run my thumb over it, marveling at the coincidence of getting something dragon themed given my deep fascination with the creatures.

“If my spell lessens how her magic is sensed by others, will it also affect how she wields it while wearing this?” Nox asks.

“Yes, it will put a damper on it,” his father answers.

“Is that a good idea? To have something that doesn’t let her access her full power?”

“Unfortunately, it is the sacrifice that must be paid in order to hide the magic she does have from everyone else. It’s the balance that is required,” his mother responds.

Nox’s jaw clenches tightly as he thinks over her words.

“Maybe, when it is just you and I, we could take the necklace off?” I suggest.

If our magic is so similarly strong, then he would need to be the one giving me more extensive training with it anyway. He runs a hand through his hair, the shorter strands up front flopping back over his forehead in a cascading wave.

“Alright. If this is the best way to keep anyone from looking too closely, then I agree with you, Sunshine. We’ll take the necklace off when it’s only you and me.” His magic rises to his palm, the dark luminescent purple mixing with wavy lines of pure black. It pulsates when he lowers the pendant until it’s submerged.

“Not too strong, Nox. We don’t want her to be completely cut off from her magic,” his father insists.

“Something like that is possible?” I ask.

“There is a way to temporarily block a mage from accessing their magic.” Seeing the look of trepidation on my face, Sadryn adds, “Though it would take a group of people to overpower either of you.”

Nox’s magic fades back into his palm, and his gaze finds mine again, tight lines framing the corners of his mouth. At my encouraging smile, he motions for me to turn around. I scoot to the edge of the wooden chair, twisting my body to the side and giving Nox my back. His hand gently pulls my long hair over one shoulder, and then he fastens the necklace around me.

A humming sensation blankets my skin, the feeling not unpleasant but still jarring. My magic rises in response, and for a moment, I wonder if the necklace is doing anything at all. Then, as if someone has poured water onto fiery coals, my magic settles within me. It’s still there, smoldering under the surface, but I can’t feel it as strongly.

I turn back to look at Nox. “It’s working. My magic feels quieter .”

He doesn’t exactly look pleased by this update. “I can’t feel you as strongly now,” he says, his hand reaching out towards mine.

A small door off to the side of the dining hall opens, and a man carrying two trays of food walks in, a line of people following behind him. They set the table—plates and forks quickly appearing before me. Already conscious of my lack of knowledge regarding different foods, Nox quietly begins to explain what everything is and then assembles my meal with the foods I give a little nod at. I catch Alexandria and Sadryn watching their son closely, small smiles and curious eyes expressing emotions I don’t quite understand.

“We have two more matters we should discuss,” Sadryn announces about halfway through the meal, his hands casually interlaced over his plate. “One being the backstory for how Rhea came to be in the palace, and two being how she came to capture the heart of the crown prince.” My fork freezes on its way to my mouth, my eyes darting over to Nox.

“The kingdom already believes that I was out enjoying an adventure before stepping into my role as heir apparent,” he says, leaning back against the chair. My brows furrow at this information. “We can just tell them I met Rhea in one of the small villages at the border.”

“They didn’t know you were in the Mortal Kingdom?” I question.

Nox rests his hand on my thigh, his thumb drawing small circles on the side of it as he shrugs a shoulder up. “We didn’t want to cause a panic. Not when it was already so unusual to feel such strong, pulsing magic.”

“It is an easy enough story; I assume you two can work out the details in private then?” Sadryn asks, a brow lifted towards us. We both nod in agreement. “I will remind you again, Nox, that because you are interested in Rhea, the council will be as well. They do not have a say in who you marry, but they will still want to meet the woman who may become their future queen.”

“Oh, I’m not—” I press my lips together to halt my rebuttal. If Nox and I were to eventually marry, of course I would become queen. I can’t explain why the full weight of those words and what they mean suddenly cascades over me. Nox leans forward, an inquisitive look etched into his face, but I force my gaze away and down to the table.

“In any case,” Sadryn drawls, pulling my attention back up to see the hint of a smile on his lips, “it is something that the two of you need to be aware of and prepare for. The council is antsy about why you haven’t spoken with them yet, Nox, and when they find out that you have come home with a new paramour, they will have even more questions.”

“If they don’t have an official say in who I choose to marry, then why would they even bother questioning Rhea?” Nox argues, an edge to his voice that thickens the air. Or perhaps that is his magic I feel.

Sadryn and Alexandria share a glance with each other, neither seeming to want to speak but Alexandria finally conceding.

“They would care because they know that you and Councilman Borris’ niece are friends.” Nox’s hand goes lax on my thigh. Alexandria nods, a wince crinkling her face. “They are planning to talk to you about a betrothal to Haylee.”