The Princess, page 22
“Hold still, Aurelia,” Chloe said as she walked over to inspect the handmaidens’ work. She pursed her lips as she studied the braids, tapping her fingers on the sides of her wine-filled gold goblet.
Aurelia forced herself to let out a long, low breath. For hours, she had been locked away in an antechamber, every inch of her critiqued and prepared to make certain that when she walked into the throne room to meet her husband, she would appear a goddess among mortals. Chloe had watched the handmaidens’ every move and had not held back when she had felt that they, or Aurelia, were not doing exactly what she wished. A handmaiden pulled one of Aurelia’s braids tighter and she couldn’t hold back a wince. The tugging increased the throbbing in her head and she fisted the skirt of her gown with one hand.
“Enough of that,” Chloe said, swatting at Aurelia’s hand. “You’re not a child, Aurelia. Hold still!”
Chloe took another gulp of her wine, muttering under her breath. As her mother strode back over to a table by one of the windows, where more wine awaited her, Aurelia sent up a silent prayer of thanks to the gods. She was growing weary of Chloe’s temper, and the more wine her mother drank, the more temperamental she would get.
Moments later, a knock at the door made Aurelia start, one of the handmaidens grumbling under her breath when Aurelia’s movement undid some of her work. Chloe scowled, refilling her goblet before snapping at a servant to get the door. Aurelia shifted in her seat, straining to catch a glimpse of who was out in the hallway.
“For Opes’ sake, Aurelia! Hold still!” Chloe said with a huff. “How do you expect the handmaidens to see to you if you will not even cooperate?”
Aurelia gritted her teeth, looking forward once more, but when she heard Rhiannon’s voice drift into the room, she immediately felt some of the tension in her shoulders ease. Heedless of Chloe’s chastising, Aurelia twisted in her seat.
“What in the seas do you think you’re doing here?” Chloe glowered at Rhiannon, her face flushing.
“Wishing my niece a good fortune on her wedding day,” Rhiannon replied, lifting her chin. “Or are such traditions no longer allowed in the House of Vepi?”
“She is not your niece. Not directly by blood,” Chloe retorted, her eyes narrowing.
“Perhaps you would like to take that technicality up with His Majesty?” Rhiannon replied, slightly arching a brow. “I do not believe that distinction carries much weight with him. Unless you know something I don’t?”
Chloe’s face flushed even redder and she gripped her goblet so tightly, her knuckles grew white. “You will see Aurelia at the ceremony, the same as the rest of the nobility. I see no reason for you to be here now.”
Another knock came at the door and Chloe let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing her temple. “By the gods, what now? Well, don’t just stand there,” she snapped at the servants. “Answer it! And someone bring me more wine!”
One of the servants scurried over to the door, another bringing the pitcher of wine to Chloe. Moments later, Dimitri strode into the room, smiling as he walked over to Aurelia. He was dressed in his military uniform, wearing his red cape, and his black leather boots were polished and gleaming. A little more of the tension in Aurelia’s shoulders eased and she managed to muster up a smile in return.
“You look beautiful, Lia,” he said, bending down and kissing her cheek.
“Thank you,” Aurelia replied.
“Dimitrios,” Chloe said, stiffly gesturing to the door, “see your aunt back to the throne room with the rest of the guests. This is not the place for her.”
Dimitri swallowed, his gaze flitting between Chloe and Rhiannon. He knew as well as Aurelia that their aunt was not most noblewomen. Rhiannon would not be put off so easily. Not even by the Empress of Kelnore.
“I will leave once I have spoken to Aurelia.” Rhiannon brushed past Chloe, crossing the room to Aurelia. The handmaidens scattered at her approach, wise enough to have discerned that the Duchess of Solis was not to be crossed.
Chloe let out a gasp, bringing a hand to her chest, the wine in her goblet sloshing over the rim as she glowered at Rhiannon. “Your time in the north has ruined you! Along with that barbaric man you wed!”
Ignoring her, Rhiannon bent down and pulled Aurelia into a hug. Aurelia’s throat tightened and she squeezed her eyes shut.
“You can always change your mind,” Rhiannon murmured as she eased away from Aurelia, holding her gaze.
Except Aurelia couldn’t. Not without risking her family’s lives.
“This is what I want,” Aurelia said, swallowing hard.
Rhiannon pressed her lips together.
“You’ve had your little visit, the both of you.” Chloe handed her goblet of wine to a servant, clapping her hands as she strode back over. “It is time for you to take your leave, Rhiannon. Dimitrios, you will see your aunt to the throne room, like I instructed, and then you will wait for your sister in the hallway.”
Rhiannon gave Aurelia another hug before departing, though not before giving Chloe one last glower. Dimitri rested a hand on Aurelia’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. After he left, the handmaidens resumed their work on Aurelia’s hair, and she forced herself to hold perfectly still as her many braids were wrapped around a spearhead, thankfully a dull one, at the base of her head, a reminder of the battles Opes waged to steal the goddess Amare from the sea to claim her as his bride.
Once Aurelia’s hair was complete, the customary cream-colored sheer veil was draped over her face. After Chloe circled the chair Aurelia was sitting in a few times, her brows drawn in and her lips pursed, she deemed Aurelia ready for the ceremony. As Aurelia got to her feet, she picked up her cane.
“Give me that wretched thing!” Chloe stormed back over, snatching Aurelia’s cane from her hands. “You will not be flaunting your little theatrics for Duke Lycaon and the rest of the nobility. Duke Lycaon wishes for a daughter of the Imperial House for his son, not an invalid.”
“If you wish me to get through this day without fainting, you will give me my cane,” Aurelia said, her jaw clenched so tightly, it ached.
“You will get through this day, and you will not make a mockery of the Imperial House. And you will watch your tone. By the gods, how many times have I told you to control your voice?” She let out a noise of disgust as she motioned a servant over, thrusting the cane at her. “Take this away.”
Heat flushed Aurelia’s body, making her skin burn and sting. She would get her damned cane back. She would not leave the palace without it, just like she wouldn’t leave without Sapphirus. Chloe pulled Aurelia to the door, the smell of wine and spirits wafting off of her so strongly that it made Aurelia want to gag and did no favors to her already unsettled stomach. The gods only knew how much she had already had to drink, and the day was only just beginning.
When they reached the door, Chloe jerked Aurelia to a stop, letting out a long, low breath as she smoothed her features. “It is time for you to do your duty. As every woman of the Imperial House and Kelnore must. This is what the gods created you for, to serve and obey your husband and give him many sons. There will be parts of your marriage that will be… unpleasant, but you must remember your duty to the gods and to the empire above all else. You will find ways to manage, as every woman must.”
A bitter taste filled Aurelia’s mouth. Her hand might have been forced into a marriage with Silvanus, but she would not allow her misery to rule her as Chloe’s had, no matter how difficult and treacherous Silvanus and Lycaon might be. When they stepped out into the hallway, Dimitri, who had been leaning against the wall, straightened.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Yes,” Aurelia said.
“Your father is awaiting you outside the throne room,” Chloe said, waving them off. “Do not dawdle.”
Dimitri offered Aurelia his arm and she took it, walking just behind him as he led the way down the hallway. As they drew farther away from the antechamber, Dimitri glanced over his shoulder before looking back at Aurelia.
“Silvanus is temperamental,” he said, keeping his voice low. “But he is also lazy. Unlike Lycaon, he is not ruled by his scheming. He isn’t going to go out of his way to cause trouble.”
She nodded, a brief wave of gratitude filling her. With Dimitri in the field, there’d been little chance to ask her twin what he knew of the House of Lapis, and she had not wished to pen such questions in a letter. Since he’d returned home for the wedding, there’d been little chance to speak with him amidst all of the preparations, and she had also not wished to be overheard and have gossip spread by any listening nobles, servants, or scribes that she was already regarding her future husband’s family with distrust. But thank the gods that it seemed Dimitri did not wish for her to go into the treacherous lair of the House of Lapis unprepared.
“Cassian is another matter entirely,” Dimitri continued. “He’s ambitious, and overly so, and he resents being in Silvanus’ shadow. And I do not doubt that like his father, there is little he will not do to gain power and influence.”
“Cassian is in the Army, correct?” she asked. She had limited knowledge of Silvanus’ younger brother, and Silvanus had not seemed at all inclined to discuss him.
“Yes. He’s the same age as Regulus, so he hasn’t been serving long, but Lycaon has already arranged for him to receive the rank of captain,” Dimitri answered. “I assume it is safe to say that you more than likely know more of Duchess Leandra than I do?”
She nodded. “Prior to last year, she had certainly been no stranger at court.”
Chloe had always loathed Leandra, claiming her to be as untrustworthy as her husband and sons, and while there had been many rumors that Chloe’s hatred of Leandra had more to do with Leandra once competing with Chloe for the place of empress, Aurelia had been in Leandra’s presence enough herself to know that she would tread carefully in the woman’s presence. Like her husband, Leandra was ambitious, and she was known to change her stances and opinions on matters as quickly as the wind. Over the years, Aurelia had seen Leandra try to curry Alekos’ favor and draw his eye, but since Lycaon’s loyalties had shifted, Leandra had hardly been seen in Talekos. She claimed the city had become soiled and too crowded, and Aurelia suspected that the other woman would continue to spend most of her time on the family estate in Lapis with her husband for at least a little while longer, unlike Silvanus and Aurelia, who would be taking up residence at Lapis House, the grand city home located a half mile from the palace itself. Aurelia wasn’t altogether certain if Alekos had not had a hand in that arrangement, but it would keep Aurelia closer to him, which should allow for information to pass to the palace more easily.
Finally, Dimitri and Aurelia reached the doors to the throne room. They were partially opened, Alekos awaiting them outside. The jewels on his crown glimmered and gleamed and his clothing was covered in precious gems as well. If Aurelia was to be a goddess among mortals at her wedding, Alekos was a god always.
“Father,” Dimitri said, dropping into a low bow while Aurelia barely managed a shaky curtsey.
Alekos held out his arm and Aurelia released her hold on Dimitri to take it. Her twin gave her one last encouraging smile before the herald outside the doors announced him and he stepped into the throne room. Through the crack in the door, Aurelia could tell that the room itself was as packed as she had ever seen it. There was hardly any room for anyone to stand. Hundreds of flowers, along with red and silver cloth, had been artfully placed over every inch of space, and the heady floral scent that drifted out into the hallway made her eyes water and her nausea increase.
“You are doing the right thing,” Alekos quietly said as they began to walk. “We all must be willing to do our part for the greater good.”
The greater good, she repeated to herself as she took in a deep breath and pulled her shoulders back. The survival of the empire meant that the House of Vepi could not fall—not to threats from the outside or threats from within. She kept her gaze fixed straight ahead as Alekos led her past the crowd of nobility. The tugging of her braids around the spearhead was increasing her headache and the veil made it challenging to see in such a large crowd. She tripped once, Alekos thankfully steadying her, and when they reached two priests standing at the front of the throne room, she couldn’t hold back a quiet sigh of relief. Silvanus stood beside the priests, as did Lycaon. An altar had been brought in, with gilded stone images of Opes and Amare wrapped in an embrace, and two scarlet pillows had been placed on the floor below it.
When Alekos and Aurelia reached the priests, the two men bowed to Alekos, as did Silvanus and Lycaon. The priests motioned Aurelia and Silvanus forward and Aurelia released her hold on Alekos’ arm. As she and Silvanus came to stand in front of the altar, the priests instructed them to clasp one another’s hands. As it had every time prior, Silvanus’ touch filled Aurelia with unease, but she forced herself to plaster a smile onto her face. One of the priests stepped forward, holding a long strip of scarlet cloth in one hand and a piece of parchment in the other.
“The joining of the House of Lapis with the Imperial House of Vepi,” the priest said, projecting his voice into the crowd. “As put forth and agreed upon by His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Alekos of Vepi, and His Grace, Duke Lycaon of Lapis.”
As the priest began to read the lengthy dowry and marriage contract, Aurelia could feel her palms beginning to grow clammy. She fought to focus on her breathing and not the ever-quickening beat of her pulse. By the gods, she wished she had her cane to help steady herself. The last thing she needed was to faint in the middle of the ceremony.
Just breathe deeply, she told herself, only halfway paying attention to the priest’s words as she recalled the various bits of advice Brynn had given her for when she had one of her unwelcome episodes. Sitting down would be the quickest and most effective solution, but she could hardly do so in the middle of her marriage ceremony. She would be expected to stand at Silvanus’ side until the reading of the marriage contract and dowry was complete, a lengthy process when one was a princess of Kelnore.
As the priest droned on, Aurelia felt herself sway ever so slightly. Silvanus cast her a sidelong glance, pursing his lips as she fought to steady her breathing and ignore her pounding heart. By the time the reading was complete, the throbbing in her head had grown so intense that she could feel pulsing in her temple, which left her gritting her teeth.
“The bride will present herself,” the priest said as he rerolled the parchment.
As Aurelia lifted her veil, her hands shook ever so slightly and black spots danced at the edge of her vision. Not much longer, she reminded herself. She didn’t have to hold out indefinitely. After she and Silvanus sealed the marriage contract with a kiss, they would be instructed to kneel in front of the altar and partake in a food offering to the gods. She swayed again as Silvanus lowered his head, and she wasn’t altogether certain if the tension building in her middle was because of the continual discomfort she felt at his touch or her illness. A cold sweat broke out across the back of her neck, the noise in the room becoming suddenly muffled before everything went black.
She was never quite certain how long she was unconscious when she awoke from her fainting spells, but as her eyes fluttered back open, she found herself in Silvanus’ arms. Though she was grateful she hadn’t ended up on the cold marble floor, especially with the spearhead fixed to her head, no matter how dull the damned thing was, she still was eager to disentangle herself from him, especially because of the scowl marring his features. She could hear gasps and murmurs breaking out across the room, and even the priests were staring at Aurelia and Silvanus wide-eyed. Lycaon’s face was red, his hands curled into fists, and when Alekos stepped forward, Aurelia caught her father flash a brief smirk at the seething duke before smoothing his features.
“Her Highness has already been overwhelmed by her new husband!” Alekos said with a lighthearted laugh before clapping his hands. “Let us have our offering to the gods, and then move on to the feast. Perhaps the sustenance will do Her Highness some good.”
A chorus of laughs broke out across the crowd, the tension in the room dissipating. Silvanus grumbled under his breath as the priest motioned them to the altar, but Aurelia felt some relief as they knelt. The rapid beat of her pulse lessened, as did the churning in her middle. The priests brought forth a square pastry. One of them placed it in front of Silvanus and Aurelia, while the other procured a knife.
“May Opes and Amare bless your union with many sons,” the priest said, slicing the pastry in two, revealing the red cherry filling inside, the filling itself harkening back to a time when it had been blood, not fruit, that had stained the altar of the gods. “And may you remember that you are to move forward in their image, fulfilling the duties that the gods have given every man and woman in Kelnore.”
As Silvanus and Aurelia began to eat, she sent up a silent thanks to the gods that she was not expected to take more than a few small nibbles. Her nausea, never would have allowed her to stomach more. The priest motioned them to their feet and Aurelia used the edge of the altar to help her straighten. One of the priests frowned but said nothing, thank the gods.
“My friends, let us feast!” Alekos said, raising his voice. “And let us celebrate the strengthening of the ties of the House of Vepi and the House of Lapis.”
A resounding cheer broke out across the crowd and Silvanus stiffly offered Aurelia his arm. She took it and the priests ushered the two of them, along with Lycaon, around the altar to a smaller door on the other side of the room. Alekos was not far behind, flanked by his personal guard. The rest of those in attendance would make their way to the main banquet hall following the usual route through the palace, but the priests would escort Aurelia and the bridal party through a private passage that would allow them to reach the banquet hall before any of the rest of the nobles. As they stepped into the narrow hallway, barely big enough for two people to stand side by side, Aurelia could hear Alekos and Lycaon speaking in hushed, sharp tones behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, realizing her mistake a few seconds too late when a wave of lightheadedness hit her, causing her to trip.
