Starrlings 1: House of Fire

chapter 13

A R I

"Now Tom, you'll tell me, won't you. Have you seen Raphael at all?"

Tom leaned forward in his chair so fast that the front two legs slammed to the ground, making Ari jump.

"Raphael," Tom said. "You haven't seen him?"

"Have you?" Katja asked, with a smile. "Where is he? I haven't seen him at all!"

But at Tom's concerned expression, Katja's smile disappeared from her face.

"I think it's best he talks to you before I say anything and get it all muddled," Tom said, swallowing a mouthful of sandwich too fast, so that he was forced to suck down a huge gulp of juice.

"Get what muddled?" Katja asked.

Tom shook his head. "I can't be the one to tell you this, Kat. Stars, he should have told you a week ago. It's cruel that he hasn't told you."

"Told me what?" Katja asked. "You can't just say that, and then expect me not to pester you. Just what should he have told me, Tomas Wilder?" As her voice rose in pitch, a flurry of snowflakes swirled around the table.

Sanna absent-mindedly cast one hand up and used her own magic to direct the flurry of snowflakes away from her hair, without taking her eyes off her book.

Ari was worried that Katja might set off a snowstorm inside this hall while Tom refused to answer her question, but something made all four of them at the table stop and turn when a gust of wind from outside swept through the hall, dispelling Katja's snowflakes.

In the doorway stood Raphael, Prince of Lombardia.

And his gaze was set firmly on Katja.

Katja rushed to Raphael. She threw her arms around the prince and embraced him in front of the whole school. But then Raphael took her hand and said something quietly, and the two of them walked back out of the hall. They were a pretty couple; Katja in a brilliantly blue dress, with her pure blonde hair, and Raphael, tall and dark-haired and dressed better than anyone else here.

Sanna put down her book the moment they were gone, and stared at Tom.

Tom glanced between Sanna and Ari. "I suppose I should warn you, because you two'll be the ones who have to deal with her."

"Deal with what?" Ari asked.

Tom closed his eyes. "Raphael's supposed to end his courtship with Kat. He was supposed to do it last week, before we came back to school. It was supposed to be a mutual and amicable break up over the summer. At least for the papers. But now the whole school has seen her kissing him."

Sanna raised an eyebrow.

"But why?" Ari asked. "She's the princess of Norrlund. He's the prince of Lombardia. Everyone's always said it's a perfect match."

"I know," Tom said. "And it helps that they actually seem to love each other. But there's another match."

"Who could be a more perfect match than the princess of Norrlund?" Sanna asked. "Two of the most powerful nations of the world, finally joined in marriage."

"There's... another princess," Tom said. "I don't even remember her name. The princess of Singtsu... Kakaio."

Ari spluttered. "The daughter of Taisun Tsukasai?"

"That'd be the one," Tom said. "The King's arranged it. The only reason I know is because the King's given me a line to say, if they interview me at my next match. I'm supposed to congratulate the happy couple on their engagement, and then ponder if now that Katja is single, whether she'd spare a glance at the prince's best man, waiting in the wings." Tom rolled his eyes.

"Their engagement?" Sanna said. "Our Raphael is going to marry little Lumiko Tsukasai of Kakaio?"

"That's the deal," Tom said. "And I know Katja's going to be upset. So I think we'd better be there for her... you know, in case she accidentally submerges the college into an early winter."

Ari was silent. She didn't care about the gossip in the papers, or whether Katja was upset.

She just cared about that name. Taisun Tsukasai.

He was dead. He'd been the emperor of Kakaio, which had declared war on Lombardia. He'd led the attacks against Lombardia that had killed Ari's parents and older siblings. His actions were the reason that Ari and Bell only had each other.

She'd been so young when he died, but she still remembered the celebrations in the streets. It felt as if all of New Hamilton had emerged from the underground bunkers, bursting into the light of two suns, renewed at the news of their enemy's death. In the end, he had not died on a battle field, or at the charge of a battle. Knowing he was trapped and defeated, he had supposedly killed his young wife before killing himself, and died alone. The death of a coward.

But his own mother had kidnapped his two young children, and at the news of her son's death, the woman had declared herself empress of the new empire of Kakaio, ending the war her son had started, and shutting the borders so that no one could enter or leave her empire.

The twins, only babies, had been innocent through it all. But they carried the blood of the war criminal, and Ari was horrified to think that the Tsukasai family was once again marching into the world, not with their heads lowered in shame, but with their heads held high. If the princess married Raphael, the Tsukasais would get what they had wanted all along, even after losing the war. They would take control of Lombardia, once and for all.

The idea disturbed Ari.

"How old is she, anyway?" Sanna asked, looking like she was only half-interested. "Twelve?"

"I remember a picture of the twins in the paper when the war ended," Tom said. "They were just babies."

"They won't be babies forever," Ari murmured.

"No, you're right there," Tom said. "It'll be interesting to see what she's like. Whether the princess is the same as her father, or whether she truly wants peace. I certainly wouldn't trust her."

Sanna clicked her tongue. "I don't believe she'd be anything more than a silly little princess."

"We'll see," Tom said. "I just feel sorry for Kat."

Ari looked again at Sanna, but the girl had returned her focus to her book and didn't seem to care about the others at the table. Ari took a moment to study her; from her light brown hair, which was arranged in a neat braid, to her dark brown eyes, pouted lips, and the thumbprint of indentation at the bottom of her neck, between her collarbones.

Sanna's gaze flicked up to Ari, and Ari looked down at her sandwich. She focused on eating, and didn't dare look up at Sanna again.

• Author's Note •

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