The dressmaker returned in the late morning with a glittering white gown that hugged my figure despite revealing very little skin. Then I had plenty of time to waste, time that I filled lying in bed, trying and failing to sleep through the dread crawling up my spine. I bathed in the middle of the afternoon, in time to let my hair dry before the servants came to do my hair and makeup. Then a carriage took Yesida and I into the city as the sun set, before the crowds became too thick.

I clung to him as he squeezed my hand. “We’ll get through this together, Eujia.”

I wanted to tell him this wasn’t safe, that he needed to call off the wedding or at least relocate it to the castle sanctuary. But I couldn’t oppose the Council, couldn’t risk Mother and Ranine’s safety. I was trading Yesida’s safety for my family’s, and the guilt struck me like a blow to the chest.

But the Spymaster was aware of the dangers. Surely he had precautions in place.

So, I only squeezed his hand in return and said nothing.

Though it was far from traditional, we dined with the priests in a small room behind the chapel’s sanctuary. My eyes kept drifting to the young priest of Valil, marked by the golden rose pinned to his fitted jacket, which emphasized his toned muscles. He was stunning, the picture of vanity, like most priests of Valil. I imagined he had a knack for seduction, taking worshippers to bed in the name of his favored god. And one day, when he’d begin to show signs of age and his charms no longer worked, he would likely end his life and offer his body to the worms. Such was the disturbing tradition for those that preferred the god of beauty and decay. But was he one of these Knights of Valil? Was Yesida in danger even here?

Yesida cleared his throat, and my attention snapped to him. “Are you all right, Lady Eujia?”

I forced a smile. “Yes, I’m sorry. I was lost in thought. Did you ask me something?”

“The fireworks should begin in a few minutes. Would you like to see them?”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Anything to get away from these priests. “I would.”

Our combined guards walked with us to the sanctuary’s upper balcony, where we looked out over the crowd through a tall window. They danced in the dark street to music I could barely hear or climbed onto the rooftops to get a better view. Then with a loud bang, a sparkling trail shot into the sky and exploded in a burst of color, followed by a barrage that spanned the length of the blocked off main road.

Yesida’s hand found my hip, and he pulled me close to his side.

“I’m guessing those are yours,” I said.

“They are.”

How many crystals were needed to fire all of those mechanisms? How many were destroyed with each explosion? How much gold had it all cost? I should have just enjoyed the beauty of it, but all I could think was how wasteful it was.

Even after the display ended, we stayed to watch the celebration below until the earliest of the guests arrived.

“We’d best get ready,” Yesida said.

***

My hands trembled, and I clasped them in front of me, but it didn’t help. I waited before the sanctuary’s side door while my attendants fussed over my hair and gown, making sure every little detail was perfect. Then the door opened, giving me a clear view of Yesida in his gold-trimmed suit and robe. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened slightly, making my cheeks burn. Seeing his reaction, the guests at the very front leaned forward to get a glimpse of me through the doorway, and they whispered to each other.

Ignore them. I could get through this. I only needed to step through that door and up those few steps, then do as the priest said. It would be easy. Then it would be over with, and the Council would have had their way. I could do this for my family.

I forced myself to move, and I stopped before Yesida, who couldn’t tear his eyes away from me until the priest loudly cleared his throat. I went through the steps in a daze, placing my hands in Yesida’s and repeating the phrases the priest told me to say. Just like we rehearsed. The priest asked if there were any objections, and—

“I object,” a man’s voice said.

I flinched and crashed back to reality, my eyes darting across the room for whoever had said that. A Givel man with steel-gray skin and long, loose black hair stepped out of the crowd near the side of the room, approaching the platform until the guards stood in his way. His scarlet eyes were focused on me, as if the rest of the world didn’t exist.

Yesida gave me a questioning look, but I shook my head. Who the hell was he? I gripped Yesida’s hands tighter, just in case we needed to blink away.

“I object,” he repeated.

The priest sighed sharply. “For what reason do you object?”

The stranger smiled in a way that made my skin crawl. “Because she’s mine.”