The palace was bustling with activity, reminding me of the days before my sister’s Ceremony years ago. Butlers and maids walked briskly through the halls, silver trays and fancy dresses dancing around the foyer. Making my way down the stairs, I gripped the banister tightly.

“Now make sure the tablecloths are not wrinkled. Cream, not white. And each table must have a vase of roses. Pink, not red. The florist should be here within the hour to make the final arrangements.”

Hearing it all out loud, a tightness formed in my chest and my knees wobbled on the stairs. It was all too real. My future was in the hands of the fates.

I needed to get out of here. My heartbeat thudded in my ears: go, go, go.

“Oh, Lady Arwyn!” one of the maids called out, rushing toward me with wide eyes. “Remember you have your final dress fitting tomorrow!”

I froze, my heart thumping in my chest. After a moment I recovered. “Yes. That’s correct.”

She smiled. “Your mother asked me to have you meet her in the foyer at precisely ten in the morning. Will that be a problem?”

I shook my head. “No, that will be fine. Thank you.”

I ran back up the stairs and closed the door to my room. Checking to make sure it was still locked, I made my way over to the window to make an escape. With one foot over the edge of the window, I sighed.

So much for maturity.

Maybe going somewhere to clear my head would be for the best. And with my Fate Ceremony mere days away, a million possibilities and questions weighed down my shoulders. I thought back to the times I spent with Raydir after school. One of our favorite spots as we grew older was the Flower Gardens which were always in bloom.

Maybe going back there would bring me some answers about what to do.

I slowly lowered myself out of the window, carefully using the vines as handholds to ease down the side of the palace. I only managed to poke my hand with the occasional thorn twice, which was better than most of my previous escapes.

Finally, my feet hit the ground. I waved to one of the carriages that often took me into town and instructed the driver to bring me to Runswick. As the district between the dukedom, it housed the markets, academic buildings, and combat arenas. It was also known for showcasing the most beautiful arrays of flora we had ever seen at my favorite place: the Flower Gardens. The day was still young; I had plenty of time for a visit before I needed to be back.

“Preparing for your Fate Ceremony, Lady Arwyn?” the driver, Boyd, asked.

The scenery passed by as if in a blur while the carriage bounced along the road. Gwyniar really was quite beautiful. It wasn’t long before the large manors belonging to the members of the council blended into smaller, yet still eloquent houses for the other citizens of the dukedom. The tudor style matched the rest of Gwyniar, offering a peaceful and welcoming atmosphere.

It seemed like a simpler lifestyle the further we got from the palace, something I’d never realized until recently that I wanted.

I shuddered. The thought of being bogged down with leading the dukedom was eating me up inside. Politics had always been Arabella’s strength. She was a natural-born leader and knew how to appeal to people. For me, I wanted to do something more freeing. Something where I could be in charge but I could still have my freedom. Leading a dukedom wouldn’t let me do that.

I sighed. This is why I needed to get out of Gwyniar. Maybe Darqua could offer me that freedom. At least, I knew it could offer me the freedom of being with the man I loved.

“Here we are, Lady Arwyn.” The carriage came to a stop.

Blinking, I realized just how much time had passed. The older I got, the faster the rides to Runswick felt. But my impatience that had sprouted up from the time I was little only became moreso with age. I didn’t know how much more I could take of waiting for my Fate Ceremony. I needed to know soon what my future would hold.

“Thank you. I will be back within the hour.” I handed him a few misekos, the currency in the dukedoms, and hurried away to the square which was bustling with people.

As I walked in the direction of the Flower Gardens, my gaze traveled over the other villagers. Unfortunately, it strayed too far from the sights in front of me that I barely had time to react when someone called out, “Watch out!”

I shrieked as my body collided with someone else, and we tumbled to the ground.

“My sincere apologies,” a male voice said.

I pushed him off of me, brushing off my skirts as he helped me to my feet. “It-it’s not your fault. I should’ve been looking where I was going.” Looking up into his steel blue eyes, my cheeks heated in a warm flush.

The stranger smirked. “I will say I do enjoy people-watching myself. Although, it seems it can be quite a dangerous pastime.” He brushed off his blazer.

“I wasn’t people-watching,” I protested, crossing my arms over my chest and frowning. He looked familiar.

His smirk deepened. “Of course not.” He reached out to take my hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a small kiss to it. “I’m Darius, your grace.”

I eyed him carefully before dipping my head in his direction. “Lady Arwyn Kingston.”

Why did he look so familiar?

Darius flashed me a smile in return and lifted my hand to his lips. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance out here, Lady Arwyn.”

“And you as well.” I tucked my hair behind my ears. “If you’ll excuse me, I must be going.” As I started to walk away, I realized that Darius was following behind.

“Ah. It looks like we’re going the same way,” he stated.

I narrowed my eyes. “What a coincidence.”

“May I accompany you to your destination?”

I opened my mouth to say no, I was doing just fine on my own, but I was intrigued. I knew he was familiar, knew I’d seen him before. So what better way to find out how than to let him come with me? “Lead the way.”

I let him lead me toward the gardens. It wasn’t a very far walk, and I was grateful for the exercise. A silence lingered between us. As we approached, the sweet smell of honeysuckle and fruitiness wafted to my nose, instantly making me calmer. The gardens had always been a safe haven for me, and today would be no different despite my newfound company. Once there, we sat down on a bench together.

“The gardens are beautiful this time of year,” I commented.

“Indeed.” He nodded.

“So tell me, what brings you out to the gardens on this fine afternoon?” he asked. “Or let me guess, you have a lot on your mind and you’ve come here to clear your head?”

“Impressive.” I smoothed out invisible wrinkles in my dress. “So, Darius, you think you have me all figured out?”

Darius shoved his hands in his pockets. “I tend to be able to, er, read people quite well.”

“Oh?” I raised my eyebrows. He sure was full of himself. I doubted he actually knew as much as he claimed. “Well, tell me my story then, hm?”

Darius leaned back, nodding to another passer-by before saying anything else. “You, Lady Arwyn Kingston, are the daughter of Lord Theodore.”

I rolled my eyes, internally breathing a sigh of relief. This Darius guy clearly didn’t know as much as he let on. “Everyone knows that, Darius.”

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He grinned. “I’m starting off easy. Just you wait. Your heart roams free, desiring to be with someone you cannot have.”

I narrowed my eyes. As private as Ray and I tried to keep our relationship, we were about as subtle as a wolf howling at the moon. I wondered just how much he truly knew about us. If he was telling the truth. “Anything else?”

He thought about this for a minute, stroking his chin between his thumb and index finger, before continuing. “Your heart is competing with your mind over your reality. You want a future that would lead to inevitable consequences yet you yearn for familiarity with your current lifestyle.”

I cleared my throat, trying not to let my shock show through. Maybe he really could read people. “Quite impressive. What about you, Darius? You clearly know me, so what’s your story?”

Darius laughed. “I like to leave that up to mystery. I’m sure you’ll figure out how you know me soon enough.”

I scoffed. How bold. But he was right; I did want to know where I’d seen him before.

As the sky started to turn orange, I knew I had to get back.

I stood up from the bench. “If you’ll excuse me I must be going. I have a prior engagement and I cannot be late.”

Darius followed my lead, jumping to his feet. “May I accompany you to your carriage?”

Geez, he is relentless.

“I’m perfectly capable of walking to the carriage myself,” I replied.

He raised his eyebrows but nodded in understanding. “Well then. Will I see you again?”

The question surprised me. What was it with this guy?

My nostrils flared and I bit back a retort, instead leaning toward him. “You read people, right? So you tell me.”

He laughed. “Goodbye for now, Lady Arwyn Kingston.”

I arrived back at the palace as the sun started to go down, meaning I was just in time for the dinner I was trying desperately to avoid.

The palace extended left and right, and off to one side was the stables where we kept our horses. For me, it was home but it was also a place filled with regret.

“Lady Arwyn?” Boyd asked when the carriage had been stopped in the drive of the palace for a few minutes. “Is everything alright?”

My hand hovered over the door handle. “Yes. My apologies.” With one last deep breath, it was time to face the music.

I opened the carriage door and walked into the palace. The foyer was lined with white marble columns leading over to the grand staircase. Standing here alone, I realized just how large the inside was, and I felt so small in comparison. So alone. My footsteps echoed on the marble floors and conversation wafted through the empty halls.

“...our daughter. You know how—Ah, Arwyn. Glad you could join us.” My father’s booming voice shifted as he noticed me lurking in the shadows. He held out a hand toward me and his soft brown eyes gave me a knowing look. His dark hair was speckled with grey to match his beard.

I slowly made my way over to him, my mother, and Lord Alexander.

What was he doing here?

“Good evening, Lady Arwyn,” he greeted me.

“Lord Alexander, how nice to see you,” I replied, trying to hide the shock in my voice.

“Arwyn, darling, come join me in the dining room. Let’s leave these two to discuss things,” my mother said. The emotion on her face told me this wasn’t a suggestion.

“Is Lord Alexander joining us for dinner?”

She shook her head. “No, he’s just here for business. Your father will be joining us shortly.”

I followed her into the adjoining room where a flurry of waiters prepared our plates. Despite this dinner party only consisting of the three of us, my mother had certainly gone all out with the fancy silverware and the golden tablecloth she only brought out on special occasions.

“Mother, what is this dinner about? Really?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Let’s just try to act civil with each other tonight,” she replied, completely ignoring my question, which of course made me even more suspicious.

“Mother, please. Is this about my ceremony?”

She sent me a look and I slumped in my chair, twirling a fork between my fingers.

“So if Lord Alexander is here, does that mean he and Father are on speaking terms again?” I blurted out. “I’m surprised you would even let him into the palace.”

“Darling, I would appreciate it if you kept your voice down and the bitterness to a minimum.” Her voice hinted at disapproval and exhaustion.

“I’m not bitter,” I lied. “It was a question of curiosity since you and Father have made a huge deal these last few years about your disapproval and disagreements with Alvenora.”

My mother pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers, drawing in a sharp breath. “Arwyn, please.”

“Shall we eat?”

I grinned at the sound of my father’s voice as he entered the dining room and my mother muttered something under her breath to the effect of “perfect timing.”

“Hello, Father. Care to explain why you and Mother have brought me here? She said you have things to discuss to me.” Raising my eyebrows in his direction, I tried to catch the meaning behind the glance he shared with my mother.

My father laughed. “You have always been so direct, my dear.” He sat down, laying the folded cloth napkin in his lap as our servers presented our starting appetizer. Tonight, it was tomato soup in bread bowls.

“So, Father, what did you want to talk about?” I asked, staring daggers at my mother who refused to meet my gaze.

My father clinked his spoon lightly against the side of his plate. “Your twenty-first birthday is fast approaching, and we wanted to give you a gift. It is something that has been in our family for generations, and we want to pass it on to you for when you start a family with your Chosen after the ceremony.”

I swallowed, the immaturity that threatened to leap from my throat melting away, replaced by guilt. “A gift?” This is what I was so worried about?

“Arwyn, you have grown into a beautiful young woman. And we want to honor that and our legacy by giving you this gift,” my father continued. He signaled to someone across the room who promptly brought over a box wrapped in foil paper, handing it to me.

I looked up at my parents, hesitant.

“Open it, darling.”

Shrugging, I tore at the paper and opened the box, revealing an intricately-designed thin, silver tiara with a ruby gem at the center. “A tiara?” I hated how ungrateful I sounded. All they were trying to do was have a moment with their daughter, and I was ruining it.

“It was mine when I turned twenty-one, gifted to me by your grandmother,” my mother told me. “Your sister received a different gift. Ruby earrings. They were part of a set, and we wanted you both to have something special to keep family close to your heart.”

“Thank you,” I said, giving them a half-hearted smile. “It’s beautiful.” I set the box aside, clasping and unclasping my hands in front of me. No matter how much I may have hated the idea of going through with the ceremony, I would need to wear the tiara to honor my family.

My father cleared his throat and glanced at my mother. “Now, we understand how difficult this time is for you, especially given the circumstances with Lord Raydir.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he held up a hand.

“Your mother explained what happened earlier. Given the tensions with Lord Alexander, we believe it is best that someone accompany you at all times from now until your ceremony. That way we can ensure you no longer have any contact with Lord Raydir.”

The waiters returned to serve our main course, roast beef, but I was too focused on what I’d just been told to enjoy any of it. I figured there was only one way to handle this.

“No contact?” My gaze dropped to my water glass, watching the condensation on the outside drip precariously onto the cream tablecloth.

“Darling, we know you love him. All we want is to protect you, truly. After everything that happened with Arabella—”

“You can’t possibly still be blaming Lord Alexander for the carriage accident!” I slammed down my fork. “You only hated that she was in love with someone of lower status. Just as you hate that I am in love with the son of your enemy.”

“Arwyn, please know that Lord Alexander and I are not enemies. There is much we disagree on, and it was his carelessness as a leader that led to the poor mechanics on the carriage that your sister was in.”

“Then blame the engineers! And leave Ray out of it. He’s done nothing wrong except be from Alvenora.” My words were fire, spewing out of control. “I love him, and I will always choose him over family.”

Silence fell over the room as I realized I had gone too far.

“I—I’m sorry.”

My mother was practically in tears at this time, but somehow my father remained calm during my outburst.

I took a deep breath before speaking again. “You must understand that Raydir means the world to me. And your disapproval over a man who you’ve loved as a son since I was a child makes it all quite confusing.”

“Darling, we know this is difficult to absorb, but it really is for the best. This is not a decision we make lightly.” There was a look of desperation in his eyes, pleading with me to drop the conversation.

“Fine.” I picked up my knife and fork, casually slicing the meat into pieces. “Is there anything else?”

“I have arranged for you to have tea here at the palace in preparation for you starting a new life with your Chosen,” my mother offered, her voice steady once again. “There are quite a few others who are about to go through the ceremony, and you might as well set an example for them, yes?”

At least I will get some interactions with my friends before I leave.

“Sounds fine. Can you have Ginny make those peanut butter biscuits for tea?”

She nodded. “Of course.”

“I know this is not how you wanted to spend these last few nights before your ceremony, my dear. And I know it must be hard for you to accept our plea,” my father said. “We are so proud of the young woman you have become, wise in making her own decisions.”

“You are right,” I said. “It is my life and I am, as you say, a young woman, I am free to make my own choices. Just like Bella.”

My parents shared a look. They were not expecting this to come back and bite them.

I raised my glass of red wine in a toast. “To making my own choices.”