Page 63 of The Starlit Ring (The Chronicles of Liridin #1)

R ia was radiant. Dressed in a blue gown with silver embellishments, she positively glittered down the aisle.

Banners of lilac and gray were hung about the garden.

Tiny ornaments sparkled in the trees. The crests of both Olmstead and Tocchia were on full display, bracketing opposite ends of an altar absolutely overflowing with red roses.

The court sorcerers ensured a sunny day, and I blinked furiously, unaccustomed to the bright light after more than a week of confinement.

This was my second venture outside in two days, and I was properly upright, seated in a chair, bulky bandages hidden beneath my dress. I sat beside the rest of my family, who were solemn and sullen as Ria passed us, sparkling in the sunlight.

I wanted to tell her that she was exquisite. That Prince Gavin would be lucky to have her. That I wished her nothing but unfettered joy when I saw the way she caught his eye and beamed. This was the sort of elation that Marius could never have brought her.

(Because he was outspoken and absurd and mine . I felt that claim, all the way to my bones. I was his, and he was mine, and we would be together, one way or another.)

But I couldn’t say any of this, because I’d been forbidden from stepping within five paces of Valeria, and she was ordered not to talk to me under any circumstances.

That hurt worse than the stab wound. I desperately wanted to tell that I forgave her. That I understood I’d stolen her betrothed—her birthright—out from under her without even an apology. I would’ve understood if she’d stabbed me a second time.

I didn’t regret a single moment with Marius. But I regretted the pain I caused Ria. The rift I’d created between us.

During the vows, tears formed in my eyes.

They ran down my face for the rest of the ceremony.

Truly, I was happy for Valeria. Excited for the life ahead of her.

Another part of me could not stop thinking of the vows Marius and I had exchanged, so brief and perfunctory, brought about by necessity.

I nearly sobbed when Ria and Gavin’s blood pooled together within the ring.

For a few minutes, I wore that ring and dared to hope.

Now it was in its rightful place on Valeria’s finger, and I was alone, torn away from the man I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with.

While I hoped for a reunion, I didn’t dare anticipate one.

Didn’t let myself think about it for longer than a second or two, pushing the thought down before it could crush me.

There was a very real possibility I’d never see Marius again. That my father wouldn’t let him near me. That I’d spend the rest of my days locked in my room.

I’d lost much of my value, after all. My injury was so severe that I was unlikely to bear a child in the future. And though I hadn’t particularly wanted one, the diagnosis left me shaken. I hadn’t expected to have the choice taken from me.

And my prospects with it.

Even Marius might not want me anymore. We’d hardly discussed family planning, but as a future king, he would be expected to produce an heir. Perhaps several.

I couldn’t bear to think of it, so I tried to focus on the ceremony.

When Ria kissed Gavin, it was just a brief peck on the lips, but her grin betrayed her exuberance. I wondered if she’d been fucking Gavin the entire time I’d been with Marius.

I hoped not. The hypocrisy would eat away at me.

Fallamor found me afterwards, when the reception was underway.

Couples swayed to the music. Others milled about the gardens, or sat, still eating.

A plate rested in my lap, holding a tiny piece of cake.

I’d not eaten a bite, too wary of the many eyes on me.

It seemed everyone wanted to crane their neck for a glimpse of the wounded idiot who’d tried to marry Prince Marius in secret and failed.

As self-conscious as I was of my sallow skin and limp hair, I couldn’t be upset with them. In their shoes, I’d have done the same.

“Princess Talina,” Fallamor hissed, voice just as panicked as it had been that fateful night in the Star Room. “Fuck, are you alright? They wouldn’t let me see you.”

I looked into his wide, frantic eyes, and believed him. “I’m going to make a full recovery,” I said, gesturing down at myself. “I’m sorry. For everything.”

“What are you talking about?” he demanded.

In his formal attire, he was every inch a prince of the sea.

Silky blue fabric clung to him. Lace frothed like sea foam at his collar, his sleeves.

Long, dark hair fell in waves down his back.

A wreath of pearls and tiny starfish rested atop his head.

“No, no. I should be apologizing. I watched you nearly die, and I-I did nothing.”

“You restrained Valeria,” I reminded him. “I appreciate it.”

“She didn’t need to be restrained,” Fallamor groaned, tugging at a lock of his hair with so much force that I thought he might tear it out. “She was completely hysterical, watching you bleed out. Screamed at me to either help you, or let her up, so she could.”

That warmed some small, frozen part of me. “It’s alright. Listen, it was really chaotic. I appreciate your help.”

He shook his head. “Marius was furious, and he was right to be. ”

Marius. I fixated on that name. For the first time in days, I found the strength to sit up straight. “Have you seen him? Is he all right?”

“He’s… fine,” said Fallamor, tilting his gaze skyward, then back to me.

“A force to be reckoned with, as always. Angry beyond belief. He’s not allowed to leave Liridin until after the coronation.

” He lowered his voice until it was just above a whisper, “He went on a rampage. Tried to break out of the palace. Had to be contained because he doesn’t really know how to use the wings yet.

I guess they thought he’d try to fly away. ”

“I can only imagine,” I said, flinching at the mental image of Marius halfway out a window, determined to learn to fly in the way of baby birds, ignoring the guards tugging at his legs. “Are you in contact with him?”

Fallamor shook his head. “Not right now. Halin’s been updating me, but he isn’t here today.”

Maybe, when I was well enough, I’d climb the Bridge of Glass and track down Marius myself.

The palace was cast in Liridin’s shadow, but not a single winged person was present for today’s festivities.

Their absence was impossible to overlook, and I shot more than one dirty look at the veil of mist high above.

I wouldn’t get the chance to find Marius. I was too weak to walk up the bridge. Even if I somehow managed, Father would fight to have me brought back to Olmstead. I refused to bring war to Marius’s doorstep.

Several glasses of wine later, I caught Valeria’s eye and waved at her.

She waved back, hesitant and uncertain. Even the slightest acknowledgment eased the tension in my shoulders.

Though I fought and struggled, I was dragged from the palace, deposited weeping and thrashing into a carriage.

From the tiny, latticed window, I watched the city fade behind me until the palace was a tiny pinprick atop a hill.

The sea beyond it was white capped, and angry.

Gulls circled in the sky, bright against the oncoming storm clouds.

Rowan held my hand, and napped intermittently. After a long while, I joined him.

Liridin was visible the longest. Through its veil of trees and mist, I could barely make out a distant tower, spiking into the clouds.

And then that, too, was gone, obscured by the clouds.

A sea of tall, green grasses surrounded us, swaying in the breeze. Beyond, the mountains awaited, craggy and forested, their peaks dusted with snow. The forest around us thickened, and I closed my eyes, drifting into darkness.