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“And… it wasn’t an instant success,” he suggested.

“But sometimes things like this aren’t. We just met.

” He stood, pacing. “I came here hoping I could learn how Celene functioned, to emulate it for my own court. I won’t pretend that I hadn’t thought about the potential.

Romance is not really a priority for me, Astra, but if the rumors were true, I thought perhaps I could learn from you.

My mission is to my people, not a queen.

But, if that’s not a concern…” He trailed off, standing before her, his eyes sparkling with something like hope.

She tapped her knee. Romance had been her first plan, but only because it was the easiest path. It wasn’t the only one. She’d experienced her fair share of flings, but she always knew that she’d end up shackled to a noble at some point.

She’d accepted it long ago.

Omnir’s sullen face popped into her mind, void of any experience in those deep-set eyes. She shuddered. Her options were limited, and Mirquios was the best-case scenario.

“And you mean it, about disbanding your court and distributing your power?”

“I can show you the plans, Astra. In fact, I need you to see them as an advisor. This could work.” He held out a hand, lifting her to her feet.

“These inter-court arrangements have always been so hollow. But, we’d have a common mission, and shared passions.

That’s a bond that most would kill for. And perhaps the rest of it comes someday? ”

“Perhaps,” she whispered, a rush of warm adrenaline tickling her bones.

“Do you think your mother would bless a union? Or is she set on Mars? I understand there’s a complicated history.”

Astra’s ears buzzed as he spoke. There certainly was a history that complicated things.

“That’s exactly it,” she gasped, turning on her heel and pulling him through the hallway and up the stairs. “Genius! This will work just fine,” she laughed, the king desperately trying to keep up with her.

“Where are we going?”

“We have an announcement to make,” Astra answered, shoving the door open. “You’ll need to look utterly besotted, my king.”

* * *

“Say it one more time?”

Nayson shook his head, his amber eyes darting between his daughter’s face and the young king she’d flung into the chair across from him, interrupting a rather peaceful tea. “I don’t think I heard you correctly.”

Oestera clapped her hands together, glowing with excitement. “She s aid they’ve Tethered, Nayson!”

The Lunar king leaned back in his chair, rubbing his hands over his chin. Gods bless him, he tried to hide the utter disbelief on his face, but Astra saw every vivid color flare and retract as he sorted through his feelings.

Oestera squeezed her husband’s shoulder. “It’s wonderful news, Astra. We’ve always valued our relationship with Mercury, and now we’ll be family!” Her lips broke into a wide grin, the closest she’d ever gotten to pride flickering to life beneath her scarred flesh.

Astra had prepped for a battle the whole way across the palace, certain her mother would disapprove, but she was damn near delighted.

“It just seems rather sudden,” Nayson mumbled, unsure if anyone was even listening to him.

“I believe you have us beat,” Astra replied, her brows knitting together in frustration. Mirquios stiffened next to her, out of his depth with the complex emotions of her family dynamic.

“Well, yes, but?—”

“I couldn’t have arranged a better match myself,” Oestera declared, ending any more discussion. “The gods have blessed you both. We of all people wouldn’t dream of standing in the way of something so sacred, would we, Nayson?”

“Of course not,” he said, shrugging, his chest still alight with a million opposing emotions. “At least there’s no inter-court scandal attached to it.”

“Exactly,” Oestera chirped. “Ameera! Could you send for some moonshine? We should celebrate!”

Ameera moved quickly for the first time since Astra pulled her into the queen’s private wing. She’d hardly believed the words coming out of Astra’s mouth as she spoke, but she’d had very little time to process. She darted to the maidens in the hall, requesting a celebratory bottle immediately.

“Make it two,” she instructed, glancing at the deepening reds of Nayson’s cheeks.Astra smiled at Mirquios, doing her best to appear ever the doting fiancée.

“I hope I did not circumvent any Lunar customs by asking Astra directly to be my queen. With the… the Tether, we got a bit swept away. I didn’t think she would appreciate being left out of the discussion.”

“Perhaps you know her just fine, then,” Nayson scoffed.

“No offenses here,” Oestera beamed. “Tethers are impossible to predict. We’re much less formal than some other courts when it comes to these things. Of course, we’ll have to discuss the marital contract, but we don’t need to get into all of those details now.”

“Where is Lunelle?” Nayson asked, interrupting Oestera.

“I would like to tell her privately,” Astra said. She pursed her lips, the one thing she hadn’t been able to solve for was how she was to leave the sister she’d only just gotten back to.

“Of course,” Oestera said. “Our girls are very close.”

“I’ve gathered I come second to Lunelle,” Mirquios said. “I hope to earn her trust and affections, as well.”

“You say that now,” Nayson sighed. “Wait until they have their silent conversations about you at the dinner table.”

“Father!” Astra protested.

“I’ll adjust,” the king replied.

Nayson nodded, reaching for the bottle of moonshine as Ameera reappeared at the end of the table.

He poured heavy.

* * *

“Come in!”

Lunelle sat behind her reading desk, the very portrait of a Lunar queen as Astra took in her ethereal sister from the doorway.

“I was just looking over a report from Ellume—it seemed to put Mother on edge earlier.” She moved to hand her sister a stack of parchment but paused when her eyes caught Astra’s. “Oh gods, what’s happened?”

“Well,” she said, sounding rather stupid as she edged into the room. She’d thought about how to tell Lunelle all afternoon, but the words just never seemed to capture the exact weight of her feelings.

Lunelle knew her sister far too well to belabor it. “Just tell me, whatever it is. Has that king of yours proposed?” She laughed as she tucked her stationary into a drawer, sitting back in her chair. “Oh,” she sighed, catching Astra’s solemn stare as she sank into the chair across the desk.

From birth, Astra knew their girlhood would end this way.

That was the job description—they’d never grow old together.

She’d always imagined Oestera would drag her kicking and screaming down the aisle to marry some distant cousin as a last resort, and they could both blame their mother for their inevitable separation.

She’d never thought she’d be the one holding the knife.

“Lu,” her voice trembled. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry!” Lunelle pushed away from her desk, rising. “Do not be sorry, Astra.” She rounded the desk, perching on the smooth surface beside her sister. Her eyes dropped to Astra’s left hand, a lovely cluster of aventurine and diamonds settled on her skin.

“We Tethered,” she lied. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have agreed so suddenly?—”

“Yes, you’re known for your careful, deliberate planning,” Lunelle chuckled. “Mother above, As. This is wonderful,” she mumbled, tears welling at the back of her throat.

“I genuinely believed it would never happen for someone like me, but... but it did.”

“A Tether,” Lunelle sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Who could fight that?” Her eyes hardened as she grazed her sister’s face, pushing the rush of emotions into a neatly contained ball.

The way a queen would.

“I think he and I could do good together, Lu. We see the world the same way. We want the same things. He’s funny enough, smart.”

“And handsome.”

“A noted perk.”

“Mercury is far away,” Lunelle whispered.

“The Rift makes it a quick trip,” Astra insisted. “Mother can’t ban me if I’m no longer her loyal subject.”

“You forget that come Winter I’ll be on the throne. Your ban would be lifted either way.”

“He’s a good man,” Astra repeated.“I feel it in my bones, Lu.”

“But a man nonetheless,” Lunelle hummed. “Be careful, As.” Astra swallowed, the sorrow in her chest easing into a melancholy gray, tinged with little flashes of yellow happiness. “You know, I’ve yet to even introduce myself to him. He’s been so obsessed with you.”

“I think you’ll find him quite charming,” Astra insisted, resting her hand over her sister’s and releasing the breath she’d held since the moment the idea formed at the base of her skull.

“Sure, except for the whole stealing my sister away to a far-off land thing.”

Astra chuckled. “You will have to look past that part, yes.”

“I’ll do my best, As.”

Lunelle waited until Astra was surely across the palace and out of view of her emotions before she allowed her tears to flow across her delicate cheeks.