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Mara woke drenched in sweat from a restless night’s sleep. She peeled her dress from her body, sliding into the tub Ternia drew for her.

Mara struggled with the reality of being tethered to the prince as Evrardin had solemnly stated. Especially considering their bond was supposed to be heightened because of the Summer Solstice. She bit at her nails, Evrardin’s words reverberating in the echo chamber of her mind.

The throng of onlookers would make her feel like she was some contemptuous spectacle to be mocked. She couldn’t decipher why she was so perturbed by the idea that this was somehow an itinerant gala for the constituents. As a princess, Mara had done a plethora of things in front of a glut of gawking courtiers. Her father’s subjects had watched her every move—they’d watch her on her chamber pot if given the chance. Yet, nothing had been as foreign to her as to what was about to happen later that morning. She was not used to the pious attention the Solar Sect was bound to grant her.

Ternia helped her dress, sliding on a light-blue silk dress, a large slit up each side of her legs so olive fragments of her thighs were exposed when she walked. The bodice was a snowy white and scooped down into a heart-shaped neckline but raised high in the back. Large flowing sleeves began at the middle of her bicep and billowed out the rest of the way down, connected to her shoulder with a thin stretch of fabric. A golden array of small sun sigils lined the hem of the dress and around her waist while a belt of golden suns hung loosely on her hips. Her bronzed hair had been swooped up into a chignon and a beaded headpiece ran down from her scalp and weaved with her bun.

She gazed in her mirror, her hair unwieldy and escaping her updo from the humidity, the curled framing tendrils frizzing outward. Freckles danced across her nose and cheeks from her recent time in the sun. A pretty gold sparkle coated her eyelids matching her dress. The golden earrings she donned featured a sun with a dagger plunging through it.

She felt exposed, more of her skin showing than she was used to. The south not quite as warm this time of year, resulting in much more conservative attire—apart from her birthday gown her father made her wear. She was almost certain the north hadn’t seen snow in centuries, which she found to be a pity; Mara always loved the snow. Perhaps Acastus would let her visit Venmore during winter on the occasion.

Evrardin arrived at her door to escort her, and for once, she was thankful to see his face. While they weren’t friends in any sense of the word, she knew him better than any other person in Kairth—much to both of their dismay.

He appraised her briefly. Mara expected him to compliment her, even if he didn’t mean it. It was only polite to do, especially with her handmaidens and sentinels present, the spectators expecting chivalry. But he didn’t.

“Shall we?” he asked, his voice monotonous as he extended his elbow for her. She surmised the prince must think her incapable of walking knowing Evrardin would only ever interlock their arms if commanded.

“Thought you were to be my only chaperone,” she mumbled, filling the gap of silence. She thought back to Sir Yven, not caring as she climbed up to the forbidden section of the library after Evrardin had promised he was her sole ward.

“More important matters drew my attention,” he almost snarled like he wanted to hurt her feelings, his elbow still extended for her.

She shook him off, straightening her spine, determined to show him she didn’t care about his stupid remarks.

Nonetheless, she rested a hand on his forearm and began walking down the hall by his side. Only a few beats passed before Mara couldn’t pretend to be insouciant any longer. “Will it hurt?”

He looked down at her, confused.

“The whole initiation affair. It didn’t say anywhere in my reading what it felt like to be bonded. I just… Does it hurt?”

“No.” His eyes traced hers momentarily before shifting back to his feet. “Your body remains in this realm. It’s just your mind that will wander with your soul. Try to remember that. You're not physically in the Veil. Not really .”

Mara laughed halfheartedly, fanning her fingers down her dress to keep them busy. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” she mumbled.

“It will be over quickly. The high priest usually performs such rites with impious haste. These types of ceremonies are a common occurrence?—”

“Didn’t you say a lot of people would be in attendance?”

He nodded.

“And is that a common occurrence?”

Ev paused before answering. “No.”

Mara’s stomach simmered and rocked back and forth. She suddenly regretted eating breakfast.

“There's nothing to worry yourself over, liten rev . You barely have to do anything on your part but be present. You should be used to that.”

She didn’t know why he was trying to comfort her—perhaps he just didn’t want to have to deal with her having a meltdown, drawing attention to them. Mara finally let her curiosity get the best of her. “What does that mean?”

His dark eyes met her lighter ones, his brows furrowed in interest that made her body warm. She watched as the scar on his lips moved when he clenched his jaw. She could see the small splatter of freckles that were hidden across his dark skin and under his beard. A few peppered pieces intermingled in his facial hair along the edge of his hairline. He appeared too young to have grays, so she imagined they appeared from facing horrors rather than with age.

“ Liten rev ,” she added, completely butchering the cadence, not having the captain’s northern accent when he spoke what she assumed was his mother tongue.

Before he could answer, they were at the expansive doors of the Old God’s Cathedral, the wood branded with suns that had sharp rays jutting out all along the crest. The Solar Sect would be just inside.

As a sentinel opened the door for them, Mara’s eyes slowly widened at the sight of the crowded church. All the pews were taken and an overflow of courtiers stood in any open spot they could. “Shit,” she muttered under her breath, all rationale leaving her mind.

Mara thought she felt Evrardin pull his arm closer to his chest so her side skimmed his. Fire bloomed across her from the heat. She couldn’t do this. What had she gotten herself into?

“Such a dirty mouth for someone so close to the sacred gateway of the gods,” he whispered.

She barely heard him as he led her to the dais where the prince stood waiting. The room’s cacophony of voices settled, all eyes following the princess. The people seemed to look at her with wonderment. They were excited for a royal wedding. The Sun Prince was uniting to carry on the bloodline, something the pious Sun Court reveled in. Their prince would be able to take the throne after his father—officially, now. And that was something they viewed worth celebrating.

Though, she felt something else in the eyes of the audience as she hesitantly made her way to the dais. The people seemed intrigued, hushed whispers floating in the open air.

The prince strolled to the steps, reaching a leather-bound hand out for Mara to take hold. His dark eyes gleamed in the light making them look paler than usual. His midnight hair had been pushed back, the ends curling slightly, a loose piece floating above his eyebrow. He was extraordinarily handsome.

“You look lovely,” he said as he leaned down to match her height, his hand engulfing hers.

Mara managed a polite, “Thank you ,” before fixing herself at his side. The large gaping windows behind the altar let in rushes of cool air from the ocean. The cathedral sat directly on the cliff’s edge; she could hear the waves crashing against the rocky shoreline below. The sun glimmered brightly off the water’s surface, refracting back into the holy room, making Mara squint as she looked out onto the expanse of the sea. She decided she’d reward herself after getting through today with a long overdue perusal of the seaside. A grin stretched across her face, listening to the seagulls caw instead of the men around her.

The high priest nodded his head at the prince before turning to direct his words to the crowd which broke Mara out of her reverie, her smile fading, the sun dimming as a cloud slowly began to pass in front.

“Beloved devotees of Trana, reverent members of the Solar Sect, heed my words as we gather today, embarking the Sun Prince upon a sacred journey in honor of the sun goddess. A communion with the divine that shall illuminate our spirits and guide our paths. As the sun kisses our lands and the moon dances in the heavens, let us join hands and hearts in reverence. For in this hallowed sanctuary, under the watchful gaze of Trana, we shall partake in rites ancient and venerable.” He paused as he took a moment to gaze upon the hushed congregation. “Children of the sun, followers of the light, our bloodline shall once again be strengthened with the holy binding of the Glass Princess, Maralena Faintree, with our reverent Sun Prince, Acastus Genoivre. Let us call upon Trana to weave their threads of dancing blood with purity and faith.”

Mara held her breath, listening as the high priest addressed the crowd on his pulpit. He stood tall and resplendent contrary to his weeping features, clad in a dark-red robe, decorated with intricate golden embroidery, elevating his already powerful and divine status. The simple gemstones on his circlet glimmered with the colors of the celestial realms, entrancing Mara.

He outstretched a weathered hand, gesturing for Acastus to step forward into the expansive pool splayed on the dais made of ivory stone, its waters shallow, no deeper than her knee. The water shimmered in the rays that echoed through the high stained-glass windows. A gorgeous statue of Trana, a crane looking down on the gathered crowd made of the same stone as the pool, littered with wrapping vines and golden blooming flowers, separated the dichotomies of water. Acastus slid his shoes from his feet then stepped in, leaving the rest of his clothing on. His eyes shot up and met Mara’s, his head gesturing to the other side. Mara straightened her back and made haste as she approached the opposite side of the pool, removing her slippers and looking hesitantly out at the crowd.

The priest seemed pleased, looking at the hefty tome he somehow held with ease in his ancient arms. “As the prince and princess succumb in our Hallowed Cistern, a mirror to the Veil, Trana will guide their souls, tethering them together for as long as they both shall live. Let the height of the Summer Solstice grant the sun bloodline its divine rite.”

As if on cue, the sun gleamed dangerously bright, a beam streaking in to cast directly onto the statue of Trana in the center of the pool.

The priest glanced up expectantly, waiting for them to submerge completely in the holy water while the sun still shined at its peak. She looked at herself in the stoic water, her image distorted, but she could still see the sleepless nights in her eyes. She never thought about the reflection of water as a mirror until now.

Mara tentatively crouched in the cistern, her hands reaching out to steady herself as she sat. She didn’t feel the ice-cold water, her skin still burning from all the attention, the chill welcoming rather than isolating. She took a deep breath, trying to settle some of her nerves.

Acastus smiled as he took a seat across from her. Mara’s eyes intuitively flickered to Evrardin who was already intently watching her from behind the cistern, his hand on the hilt of his sword like it always was, scrutinizing her every move. She swallowed hard, her body raising with gooseflesh from the murmuring of the audience. Evrardin raised his hand discreetly and then tapped his temple once before dropping his hand. He moved so fast, she might have missed it if she wasn’t paying attention. She bit her lip, trying to stop the astonished smile that pulled at her lips. Evrardin was attempting to comfort her; to remind her that this was all in her head. She’d be fine . All she had to do was exist.

She shouldn’t have felt pacified at his one small gesture, yet her body loosened, finding comfort in the divine water. She refocused on the high priest, her ears ringing too loudly for her to hear his words. He leered over at her from his text. Acastus was staring at her too. Shit , he must have said something to her. “I’m sorry, what?”

The high priest didn’t roll his eyes, but he might as well have. “ I said , now you lay back in the Hallowed Cistern and let the sun goddess guide your very soul.”

Acastus nodded before extending his body and sinking himself entirely in the water like a river serpent. Mara hesitated but followed suit. She could hear the high priest reciting some sort of prayer or incantation, but she couldn’t make it out. All she could focus on was the fact that hundreds of people were scrutinizing her, expecting something marvelous to happen.

And what if nothing happened? Mara had never asked that. What if she screwed up and the bonding failed? What would the prince do then?

When she finally submerged herself all the way, all the murmurs were drenched by the water in her ears, and she was immediately suffocated by darkness.