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A gasp lifted from somewhere across the room, barely noticeable over all the chatter, and Ryn spotted an old white-haired woman by the far wall in a green robe.

The robe reminded her of Kai, and a lump sank through her chest. The woman only stared at Ryn—no one else—and Ryn brought a hand up to her cheek, sure there was dirt on her face.

Sure that everyone noticing the girl in the dirt-stained dress was horrified.

The old woman whispered something to a female Folke guard beside her, but Ryn dropped her gaze to the floor before she might lipread the words.

Only hours ago, she was washing apples for Matthias’s birthday pie. She’d made him a promise to bake him one, and then she’d laughed to herself the whole walk home afterward at how red his cheeks had gotten over it. It dawned on her now she wouldn’t be keeping that promise.

In fact, she might never bake for Kai or Matthias again.

She took a small step backward, inching into line beside the triad of beautiful, colourful maidens.

Folke guards filed in, one standing before each of the first two maidens and whispering a pledge to guard them during the trials, likely also silently pledging to trap them into this event of the King’s delusional madness, even if the girls didn’t realize it.

Ryn swallowed as a sturdy fellow in blue and silver walked in her direction.

He was only a step away when another Folke swooped in and cut him off.

Ryn blinked at the female Folke guard standing before her.

The girl didn’t look to be any older than Ryn.

She wore the glassy blue armour of the Folke with silver shoulder plates, the coiling white dragon up her sleeve, and a long sweeping blue guardsman cape covering her back.

A nametag was stitched into her protective vest with Weylin letters Ryn struggled to read.

She thought the first letter was an ‘H’…

then an ‘E’… She couldn’t know for sure, but the nametag might have spelled ‘H.E.V.A.’

Ryn eyed the sword strapped to the girl’s belt, then brought her gaze back up. The guardswoman, even though Ryn looked her right in the eyes, said nothing.

The Folke who’d been on his way to claim Ryn grunted and stepped to the final maiden instead.

As Folke continued to introduce themselves to their maidens down the line, the guardswoman before Ryn— Heva —didn’t speak. She just stared. She looked directly into Ryn’s face with a hard gaze as if searching for something.

A large set of doors swung open at the front of the room, and the Folke led their maidens out into the darkening sunset.

Ryn watched them go—one, two, three—along with the crowd of nobles cheering after them.

The security building was nearly empty when her guardswoman finally moved.

“Heva” spoke for the first time as she turned and headed for the door, revealing silver beads in her slick black ponytail.

“Stay close to me, Maiden. Don’t wander off, and don’t trust anyone.

Not even the other Folke.” The last part she murmured.

Ryn stole a glance toward the security building halls, imagining a back door somewhere past them. Imagining slipping away before she could make it into the palace. Imagining—

Heva’s boots stopped tapping over the floor, stealing Ryn’s attention back.

“Don’t risk it,” the guardswoman advised.

Ryn swallowed. “Why not?” she rasped.

The first flicker of sorrow crossed Heva’s face; her brows tugging in, the corners of her mouth tipping down.

“They’ll kill you,” she said. “They won’t listen to you explain or beg for mercy.

They’ll force you to spill the names of your loved ones, and then they’ll send an arrow through your back.

You’ll be nothing more than a spirit in the wind by morning. ”

Bumps formed over Ryn’s arms, and she brushed her fingers along her tight flesh. Yet, still, she said, “I don’t fear death.”

Heva cracked a dull smile. “If that’s true, maybe you’ll survive in the palace after all,” she said.

This time, when the guardswoman took another step to lead the way out of the security building, Ryn followed.

The evening sky was a crystal blue canvas with one last brush of gold lingering from the setting sun.

Ryn watched the serpentine white dragon slither back and forth in the high heavens; a gift from the Celestial Divinities.

It was meant to guard Per-Siana and watch all its citizens across the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces so the Divinities would know what judgements to bestow upon each person after their death.

Ryn never bothered to acknowledge the great judge of the Divinities before now.

She thought the dragon wouldn’t spot her among the Per-Siana people.

Now, she wondered if all her secrets were written across her face for the great judge to see, and if he would smite her with fire.

She was the last one to board the new silver carriage.

She sat in the back row, eyes closed, lips sealed, her heart sinking further and further until it was a weight upon her stomach.

Crowds formed at the street sides, cheering and tossing glitter and blossoms that brushed along Ryn’s hot cheeks. She peeked an eye open at them.

A Heartstealer.

There were legends of ancient kings who’d invoked the practice of Heartstealers.

It was a courtship system that allowed the three fairest maidens in the kingdom to be rewarded with trials to try and “steal the heart” of the King.

The maiden who won the King’s heart would be wrestled into a silver crown and trapped in the palace forever.

Whispers from other maidens lifted from the front of the carriage. Ryn almost put her hands over her ears to drown them out until one said, “I hear the King is handsome. We’ll finally see if the rumours of his striking beauty are true.” A series of giggles followed, and Ryn cringed.

“I’m sure we’ll learn the real story about all that’s happened this year, too. I know he didn’t do it. Our sweet King would never do such a horrid thing!” another maiden chimed in. Everyone knew what “horrid thing” she referred to.

Ryn released a tsking sound and shook her head.

These girls. These poor, easily fooled girls.

If the King was handsome, why did he hide away in the palace?

If he was civil, why did he murder the first Queen?

What sort of upbringing made these maidens so na?ve?

How were they foolish enough to get dressed up and enter the trial period by choice ?

Who cared about becoming Queen when they could be murdered in their sleep?

The carriage wheels crunched over the last of the pebbles as they turned onto the smooth Navy Road, and Ryn finally peeled her eyes open. They stung as they adjusted to the brilliant colours of the main street.

The first thing she noticed was all the silver magic in the air—coin-sized balls of light illuminating the path. Her brows furrowed as heaviness settled on her shoulders like something was pushing her down, trying to crush her body.

Magic. Ryn had felt the effects of it before, but not like this.

The magic was so thick this close to the palace, she could taste hints of metal and sweet, buzzing sparks.

She blinked away the dizziness that rushed in as the carriage drew closer and enveloped her into an invisible sea of pressure.

The maidens ahead were smiling; none of them affected by the magic, or if they were, they didn’t care.

The Navy Road was a deep blue stone, scattered with crystals to mimic the night sky and to offer praise to the Celestial Divinities—at least, that’s what was preached by the heralds outside the Temple of Nyx by Ryn’s home.

The road’s straight line cut through the centre of the Mother City and pointed to the glittering palace whose spokes pierced the heavens with glass, catching the sunset and making the building glow as if consumed by white fire.

The glorious structure rested in the exact middle of the kingdom of Per-Siana.

The beautiful slaughterhouse where Ryn would die.

Ryn had never been on the Navy Road. She’d never once attended royal parades, or the Festival of Stars, or Celestial revelries, or night dances.

She’d never crossed paths with the King, couldn’t possibly have caught his eye.

She hadn’t even made friends with anyone outside of Matthias and Theo; Kai’s closest allies.

She lived a quiet life at home washing clothes in the stream behind their house and nurturing apple trees.

She imagined the orchard would rot without her, and she doubted there were cool streams inside the palace.

Ryn rubbed her sore wrists as she studied the passing alleys between the tall white buildings.

Her sandals and gardening boots were back at the house since the Folke hadn’t allowed her to grab them for the journey.

But maybe, just maybe , even with bare feet, she could make it into an alley, and then she could race to…

To where? Ryn studied the unfamiliar glass roofs, the silver towers, and gold sculptures painted with star runes. She’d never find her way home from here without a map. And if she was caught escaping, she’d be tortured like her guardswoman said, and she might give up Kai’s real name.

Ryn swallowed the lump in her throat as the carriage pulled through the great palace gates. They swept by enormous vertical banners with stitched artwork portraying members of the Intelligentsia —the wisest and most elite sage magicians in the kingdom. There were at least twelve of them.

Ryn grabbed the rail of the carriage, her lips peeling apart when she spotted three banners of the maidens. The banner trio depicted young women with lovely, smooth faces and long silhouettes in sparkling gowns; the truest beauties in the land—the same girls sitting in the carriage ahead of Ryn.