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Chapter

Forty-Six

Thale, or Ilia, for both were her name.

Thale and Ilia were the same person?

What was it that Dainan had said to me?

I’d asked him if the book had predated the Primals, and he’d said, “ No…I think it talks of a specific Primal. ”

Did he think Ilia or Thale was a Primal?

If so, which one was she?

Why had he given me Ilia as a nickname?

Was it that I reminded him of her?

Thale had been described as having hair similar to mine; beyond that, I wasn’t sure what the comparisons could’ve been.

I’d asked Addie when I arrived in Azmeer if there were other books on Thale in the library and she had thought not.

This had been a fluke chance.

Is it possible the house libraries possess volumes that contain valuable information in regard to Thale or Ilia?

My mind couldn’t view them as one, not yet, anyway.

???

Good morning, Brida.

The door whispered to me as I approached.

“Good morning, whoever you are, ” I whispered back.

There was no chuckle or response beyond the door opening and welcoming me back inside.

The shadows that roamed within the House of Shadows gathered at the door to greet me, each hissing in turn as if saying they missed me.

I kneeled towards them and extended my arm as a few of them began to dance along my fingertips before journeying up to my shoulder and neck.

“There’s someone we need to see,” I whispered as I made my way to the stairs.

Tura stood behind the desk as she always did.

Her face lit up when she saw me.

“Hello dear,” beautiful lines crinkled by her eyes when she smiled.

It illuminated her face in the most endearing way.

Despite all of the ageless beauty that roamed the halls of Azmeer, I was transfixed by Tura.

“Hello, Tura,” I said as I reached the desk.

“I’ve missed you,” I offered her a smile.

“It has been a lonelier place without you here the past few weeks, love,” she smiled back at me.

“I must admit, though, that I wasn’t quite expecting to see you just yet.” She leaned in a bit closer, “Alvar has been keeping me apprised of your health, and he made it seem as if you were still quite tired.”

I placed the book on the table, “I was wondering if you could perhaps do some research for me. I checked in the main library but…”

“Oh, their selection is trash,” she reached for the book, looking at its spine.

“You want to read poetry?” She raised an eyebrow at me, “This is a bit of a surprise.”

I laughed.

“Do you not think of me as a romantic, Tura?”

Her face didn’t change.

“It’s not really poetry,” I gestured to the book and she handed it back to me.

I opened it to the page and pointed, “This story mentions Thale, from The Trials of Thale , are you familiar with it?”

“Of course, I’m familiar with Thale.”

“My apologies, I just wanted to be sure.”

She smirked.

“This book mentions someone named Ilia and how she and Thale are, in fact, the same.” I handed the book back to her.

“I was wondering if it would be possible for you to see if you could find anything on this. Prior to this book, the only mention of Thale I’d ever seen was the Trials, and I’d never heard of Ilia before last night.”

“The name sounds familiar,” Tura clicked her tongue while thinking.

“I’ll look into it and see what I can find.”

“Thank you.”

My shadows waited for me at the base of the stairs and slithered alongside me.

They’d become my constant companions while in the House of Shadows.

I found myself staring at them as I walked, listening to the conversations they appeared to be having amongst themselves.

The tones of the hisses changed as we reached the halfway point on the stairs.

What had been faint hisses grew louder.

“What’s wrong?” I said, kneeling to the floor.

The shadows began to swarm around me, as if forming a barrier.

“What are you doing?” I muttered as they continued to increase in their volume.

“ What the fuck is this ,” I looked up and saw Iona standing above me.

I rose to my feet, and the shadows followed suit.

I’d never seen them do this before.

The shadows formed a living shield in front of me, one that was in constant motion and talking in a language that they understood.

After taking a step back, she snarled, “ Where is he? ”

Something looked different about Iona, I wasn’t sure what it was.

I cocked my head to the side and stared at her, all the while saying nothing.

“ Where is he ?” She repeated herself, her tone growing firmer, vitriol dripping from each syllable.

“Based on the level of possessiveness in your voice, I can only assume you’re speaking of Dainan,” I took a step forward, my shadows moving with me.

She stepped back, not taking her eyes off them.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Iona ,” her name tasted like poison in my mouth, “but I have no idea where he is as I haven’t seen him.”

She held firm and didn’t move.

“If you want to find him, it seems that all you need to do is ask your father. He makes sure you get exactly what you want. Even if it’s someone that doesn’t want you .” I snarled at her.

“If you go near him…”

“You’ll do what?” I laughed, “Last I heard, you weren’t to be his wife for another few weeks.” I’d said the wrong thing as her grin grew sinister.

“You appear to be misinformed, Brida.” She leaned in as close as the shadows would allow, “Like I said, stay the fuck away from him.” Turning on her heel, she walked away.

The shadows recoiled and crawled up my body as if attempting to nuzzle themselves against my neck.

“Thank you,” I whispered to them as I made my way to the door.

???

The tapping of my shoes against the limestone floor, once a comforting rhythm, now served as a painful reminder of everything that had unraveled since my arrival in Azmeer.

Every step echoed not only through the empty halls but through the cavernous void within me.

I’d come here for my father, hoping to find some way to help him.

But somewhere along the way, I had begun to hope, to believe that this place—Azmeer, these people—could be something I wanted for myself.

Yet that hope seemed like a distant memory now.

I had thought I’d found friends.

Oz, with his mischievous charm; Tamra, whose calm strength had been a quiet source of stability; Lil, who had become so dear to me that the thought of her absence was a constant ache.

And Emia… I’d written letter after letter to Emia, hoping for some word, some sign of life in response to her last cryptic message.

But there had been nothing—just silence.

Her ominous message, “Dawn,” lingered in my mind like a weight I couldn’t shake.

What had she meant by that?

Was she warning me, trying to protect me, or had she gotten too close to something dangerous?

I didn’t know. And not knowing gnawed at me, adding to the pile of things I had yet to face, things I couldn’t yet untangle.

Opening the door to my room, I was surprised to see a familiar face.

“Good morning, Brida.” Alvar rose from the chair at my desk.

“Your majesty,” I responded, my voice holding a teasing lilt I couldn’t quite suppress as I closed the door behind me.

Alvar's lips curled into a small, amused smile. “My my, so formal this morning. You know you may always call me, ‘Your Royal Majesty.’” He stood, his posture relaxed, but there was a heaviness in his eyes that set my nerves on edge.

Without warning, he moved toward me, arms outstretched, and before I could register what was happening, I was enveloped in his embrace. It was warm, steady—but it startled me. Alvar had never hugged me before. We were close, yes, but there had always been an unspoken boundary between us—until now.

I pulled back enough to look at his face. His eyes, though similar in shape to Dainan’s, were different—calmer, softer. Where Dainan’s gaze burned with an intensity that could set the world alight, Alvar’s always seemed as if they were holding the world together, piece by careful piece. He was never ruled by his emotions the way his brothers were. It made me wonder about his mother and how much of her lived in him.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, a growing knot of anxiety forming in my chest as I made my way to sit down.

“I’m happy to see you out of bed,” he said, but there was something guarded in his tone. He wasn’t meeting my eyes.

I raised an eyebrow at him, pressing further. “You might as well spit it out, Alvar. Is one of us dying?” My attempt at humor felt thin, forced.

He gestured toward the space beside me. “May I?”

“Of course.” I nodded, even though the unease inside me tightened.

Alvar crossed his legs as he sat beside me, hands resting one on top of the other, his usual composed stance, the perfect presentation of a king.

“There are a few things I wanted to share with you before the Court of Whispers releases the information later today.” His voice was calm, but the way he said it set my heart racing.

“I wanted us to have a chat, as the next several days will be busy.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. There was a flicker of pain there, just beneath the surface.

“I hope this isn’t your way of asking me to help you plan a party, ” I joked weakly.

A low rumble of laughter escaped his chest. “If only it were.”

But the levity was short-lived, his expression somber now. “Firstly, I wanted you to know that placements are officially over as of this afternoon. Each of the inductees will be informed by the person they have been working with—at least, they will be in the House of Shadows. I’m not entirely sure how the other Houses handle it.”

Placements are over. .. The thought sent a cold rush through me. But Kadian—he’s barely had any time within the Eternal House. How could it be over already? Panic sparked in my chest, but I swallowed it down, focusing on Alvar’s words.

“To be offered a final position in a court, it is, of course, not solely the decision of one, but several. Each house will congregate this evening, and discuss who will be offered a position and where. Once there has been a final tally, the decisions will be given to the Master of Trials.”

I nodded, my throat dry. “When will we be informed of the final decisions?”

“In two days' time. It will be handled in the same manner as the Eternia. Names will be read. You will make your way up to the front and be told which court, or courts, desire you.” He smiled, but it felt distant like there was something unsaid lingering between us.

“And then?” I asked, trying to ignore the growing fear that I wasn’t ready for whatever came next.

“And then you will declare before everyone your choice.”

I could feel the sweat gathering at my back, a cold, uncomfortable sensation that only heightened my anxiety. I stood abruptly, unable to sit still anymore. “I’m guessing there’s a banquet of sorts to celebrate?”

Alvar rose with me, his movements smooth, composed. “Typically, yes. However, there has been a slight change in the plans this year.”

“A slight change?” I echoed, the words hanging in the air like a warning.

He hesitated, just for a moment, and then his gaze softened. “I assume by now you’ve heard that I haven’t been successful in what I sought to accomplish since our last conversation.”

So this was what Iona had meant.

“Unfortunately,” Alvar continued, “a soon-to-be king has very little power until he is actually king. It seems I’m being overruled by the Courts regarding whether these marriages should be allowed to take place.” He sighed heavily, the weight of it all clear in his expression. “It has also come to my attention that you had a rather unfortunate encounter this morning.”

My stomach twisted. “Iona, you mean?”

“Word came to me that you had returned to the House of Shadows, which I was most pleased to hear,” he said, a small smile gracing his lips. “However, I was told that Iona cornered you on a stairwell.”

No one else had been there. Who would’ve seen…

Unless…

“Did the shadows speak to you?” I asked, my voice quiet but edged with suspicion.

“A very interesting theory, Brida.” A low laugh escaped him, easing some of the tension between us. “But no, they did not speak to me.”

Then how did he know?

I exhaled, though the unease still clung to me. “What was the slight change you were referring to?”

“Ah, yes.” Alvar clasped his hands behind his back, his regal composure slipping into place again. “Typically, new court members are ushered to their respective courts as part of the evening’s celebrations. Some are then given posts within the courts themselves, while the majority return to Azmeer to begin work the following morning.”

“Okay…” I said, my voice trailing off, my mind still racing to keep up with everything he was telling me.

“The weddings are to take place in three days’ time.”

The words hit me like a blow to the chest. The spark of hope that had flickered in me earlier was now smothered, replaced by a suffocating sense of dread.

“In order to ensure that everyone is here for the royal marriages, the dinner will be postponed to the night of the wedding. Drinks are served in the ballroom, however the wedding feast is traditionally reserved for members of the royal family,” Alvar explained, though his tone was gentle.

“I see.” My voice sounded distant, not quite my own. “Thank you for letting me know.”

“Brida,” Alvar said softly, taking my hand in his. “I want you to know that you were an unexpected gift.”

His words stunned me. I blinked up at him, my vision blurring as my emotions warred within me.

“In all my years,” he continued, “to which you have reminded me, there have been many.”

I forced out a laugh.

“You are the sole person to have requested me during placements. It has been my privilege to get to know you.” He lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a soft, reverent kiss to it. “I have valued our time together, and look forward to many more years of friendship.”

He squeezed my other hand before letting go and retreating to the door.

“Alvar,” I called, my voice barely above a whisper.

He turned back, his expression open, waiting.

“I read that in previous years, family members were invited to the Courting ceremony. Is that true?”

A grin spread across his face, warm and understanding. “Why yes, Brida. It is.”

I felt my throat tighten as the weight of my father’s illness pressed down on me.

“I’ll see you at the ceremony, Brida.”