Legend has it, if you stand in front of a mirror, shuffling an enchanted deck of cards, you can open a doorway between dimensions.
***
Prince Teodric of Springport remembers the promise he made his father: to *not* try to reenact the legend of dimen...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It didn't take long for another mage to find me outside the gates. And it was for another attempt to persuade me into entering the safety of the castle.
Lady Ossenna's presence didn't go unnoticed as she stormed into the brewery, where I'd taken up temporary residence while I waited for my sisters. I'd expected someone else to come to me, but not this fast. It felt like only a few hours had passed since my tense moment with Sir Sym outside.
"Majesty," she said, slipping into my booth without bowing, with none of the poise and discretion she was known for. She wore a shabby cloak and a hood over her shaved head, but her gleaming pantsuit was so intricate under the old threads, she still stood out.
Luckily for us both, most of the patrons here were too drunk to pay her much heed. She'd wandered in with such speed, they likely thought they'd hallucinated her image in their intoxication. A blur of sparkles and magic and lavender; she was undetectable, except to me.
"Lady Ossenna," I said, expressionless as I brought the rim of my drink to my lips. The liquid within was tasteless, but it at least masked the bitterness on my tongue. "Can I help you?"
"Yes." She tapped a finger to the sticky table. If the decrepit surroundings bothered her, she didn't show an ounce of discomfort. "I'm not here to beat around the bush. You need to come to the castle."
I glared at her, unmoving. "Did you not speak with Sir Sym? I'm not passing those gates until my sisters are there."
"Tilda is there," said Lady Ossenna, annoyance in her tone. Her galaxy eyes roved over my face, searching for an emotion to latch on to, to take advantage of. "And Astrida is on her way; her carriage is near."
I rolled my eyes, thinking of my sister's flair for flamboyant entrances. Her flying carriage was the only magical item she possessed and actually liked, and she traveled by no other means. It was a gift from Father, when he moved her to Diamond Valley. "Because the snow is endless and treacherous, and I wouldn't want my precious girl wading through the muck if she ever wants to come home."
I wasn't jealous. Father could spoil Astrida to his heart's content, lavish all the silky fabrics and furs on Tilda until his eyes bled, and admire Luned's handling of Spade Island politics with as much energy as he wanted. I was the queen. I was his favorite, his eldest, even if he didn't display his love to me like he did his other children. Of them all, I was the most mature, the most willing, the most deserving of this title. He never needed to show me that, to tell me that. I knew.
Unfortunately, Ossenna also knew me better than I wished. All the Aces witnessed our births and were eerily connected to us in a way that gave them exclusive access to our innermost emotions. So right now, she had no doubt I was considering leaving this musky, damp bar and retreating to the comforts of my castle. She had no doubt I was on the verge of coming quietly, well aware that my sisters had fulfilled their duty, and it'd be preposterous if I didn't keep my word.
