Chapter 3
"Lady Ari, please be respectful," an attendant said firmly. "She had passed the Trial of Fire."
She sneered at me. I returned her dismissive look. Ari flushed.
"Even if that's true, my brother deserves better," she snarled. "You have no right to wear the queen's colors, human!"
I narrowed my eyes. "Is that because you want to wear them?"
She snarled and drew a sword.
The attendants went still, but I darted forward, striking her in the wrist. She let the sword go, and I snatched it out of the air. Ari stumbled and tried to swipe at me, but I dodged and shoved her back into the wall, then pressed the blade to Ari's throat. Ari gasped and flashed her sharp teeth.
"Your Majesty--"
"Let me make something clear," I said. "You may have run around being a terror before I arrived, but I'm not one to be bullied."
She snarled. Her eyes flashed with light. "You human wretch. You'll regret this."
"Not as much as you will." I pressed the blade closer to her neck. "The next time you pull a sword on me, I'm going to take your fucking arm off."
She snarled. "My brother will never accept you."
I scoffed and stepped back, dropping the sword at her feet.
"I'm not asking him to. I didn't ask to be here. Send me back."
The attendants looked nervous. "That's not possible."
Ari snarled, snatching the sword up from the ground. "You..."
"Lady Ari, you've attacked Her Majesty," the attendant said. "Under the law..."
powers that be are. Whoever is going to get her in the most trouble." Her eyes bulged. She went
"Aren't there officials? Elders?"
this," the attendant said slowly, glancing at me.
"No, thanks."
"That's not an option."
have any
Their eyes glinted. "No."
I scoffed.
me. "Just
and stomped out. Two
have to report to the Elders about
as a gong started to ring
"What is that?"
the time," Maya said. "It's just past dinner time, heading into the sleeping hours... As the new queen,
a man... twice my size? Who I have
"It is
"I could kill him."
still. "Please don't... joke
asked. "He's essentially forced me through a wall of magical fire and slapped
lineage
jerked my thumb back. "She seemed more than happy to
her gaze. Her lips twitched into a smile. "Lady Ari was found...
enemy I didn't ask for.
tradition. You will understand the
"Highly doubtful."
and shuddered. I watched Maya walk into the
need me." She bowed out. "Until morning,
"Wait a second!"
it and tugged on the door, finding it locked. What the hell? Was this some odd idea for a marriage night? I shuddered, feeling more sick by the second. I looked down at the bowl of hot water and et on the bedside
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