Through the Lies

Chapter 6

The Royal Court is devoid of color. Just white walls and black columns, marble and granite and crystal. It devours a rainbow crowd.

Nobles flood through its doors, their gowns and suits and uniforms dyed in every glittering shade. The last of them hurry, scrambling to get inside before the royal bride and her own parade begin their march across Caesar's Square.

Hundreds more Silvers crowd across the tiled expanse, too common to merit an invitation to the wedding itself. They wait in droves, on either side of a cleared pathway lined by a collection of Nortan guards. Cameras watch too, elevated on platforms. And the kingdom watches with them.

I wonder about the rest of my family, probably cramped in our sorry excuse for a living room around the small television, wondering what happened to ever make me come to this.

Waiting in the Whitefire entrance, I stand alone, normally Silver brides have their father walk with them, but mine is not here. He wouldn't be able to walk even if he was.

Somewhere, a horn blows. And the crowd responds, looking toward the palace in unison as I clear the negativity from my mind. I'm supposed to be happy.

I let myself step down the stairs, closing my eyes and imagining happy things. Evangeline and Gisa hold my train as we walk through the Silver spectacle.
I'm strangely calm as I walk through the Square, and eventually, the stone beneath me changes. Smooth, square tiles become steps.

Before I enter the wide doors of the Royal Court, I glance up at the sculptures of fire and stars and swords and ancient kings, and at the crystal reaches of the glittering dome. Like everything else in the Silver world, the building was beautiful. The sky disappears, replaced by a vaulted ceiling and smooth limestone arches banded with silver spirals of forged flame.

Red-and-black banners of Norta decorate either side of the antechamber and I hear the murmurs of a thousand onlookers, increasing with every step I take. Ahead, the passage widens into the central chamber of the Royal Court, a magnificent circular hall beneath the crystal dome. The sun climbs across clear panes, illuminating the spectacle below. Every seat is full, ringed out from the middle of the chamber in a halo of flashing color. The crowd waits, breathless; I can relate.

I search the end of the hall for Maven, though I cannot see him yet.

Anyone would hesitate, and I do. My feet halt at the deafening sound of a thousand bodies standing up, the noise echoes around the chamber.

I start walking again, my eyes only focused on one thing, one person. Maven waits at the end of the great hall, cutting an impressive figure of red and white instead of black. The smile on his face is real, and I also feel the corners of my mouth lift as I slowly make my way toward him.

I hear quiet murmurs as I pass each row, but I ignore them. The only thing I let myself focus on are those blue eyes.
I keep my steady pace although my feet itch to speed up and close the distance between us. After what feels like ages, Maven and I finally face each other.

The ceremony takes the better part of an hour, with the two of us trading words back and forth, oaths and pledges urged on by a Nortan judge. I hardly pay attention to the words at all though, all I can think about is Maven, starting now, he is mine, and I am his. We are one.

"From this day until my last day, I pledge myself to you, Mareena of House Titanos," The words are easy for him to say, because he means them.

And I mean them as well.

"From this day until my last day, I pledge myself to you, Maven of House Calore, King of Norta."

We're both smiling as we hold out our hands, fire licks the tops of his fingers and a small vein of purple lightning dances around mine. We join hands, one ability destroying the other without even the hiss of steam or smoke. Our union is made, sealed by a kiss.