IARA

I felt my eyelids getting heavy but I desperately wanted answers from Elisif. She sat across from me in the carriage. I was careful that our knees didn’t brush together. We both wore dresses long enough to cover all of our legs, but the compulsion to keep physical touch to a minimum was second nature now. She had a book out on her lap, her fingers running along the paper edges. She was ready to pass the time in the rocky carriage. The kind girl offered me a smile before she cracked the book open though.

“I know you’re probably tired. If you want to sleep you are more than welcome to. But tomorrow night we’re having a welcome party. You’ll have to change your schedule to match the vampires,” she informed me.

“I have only read a few things about vampires in books Rey let me have. I don’t know much about politics or-”

Elisif cut me off. “We are prepared for that. You can ask as many questions as you need and you will begin classes when you’re settled in. We know Lady Rey has very unorthodox methods.”

I felt my hands reach up to nervously play with my hair once again. “Can you tell me more about my mother?” That was all I really cared about. Rey barely told me anything about her. My memories of my mother were fuzzy, hard to focus on. What I actually knew about her was superficial. I knew she was a powerful witch. Demarcus told me that much. But anything else was a mystery. I longed for more information, anything to tell me how she went missing or where she went.

“I don’t know much about her. Just rumors that float around the palace,” she admitted. She reached up to brush some of her strawberry hair behind her ear. “Not many people talk about what happened. It’s hard to know facts from gossip.”

“Even just rumors would be more than I’ve ever known about her,” I told her. I bit my lip and looked down at my lap as well. “I only want to know what happened to her. I don’t expect her to be alive, but I need closure.”

Elisif reached out and touched my hand. I jumped at the warm touch, but I didn’t pull away. Her thoughts weren’t tumultuous like I expected. An overwhelming sense of calm flowed up my arm like warm water. It trickled into my chest and let me release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “I could ask my mother when I have time. She’s worked in the palace since she was a young girl. If anyone knows something about your mother, it would be her.”

I flipped my hand over and gripped her fingers with mine. “That would mean the world to me, Elisif,” I said quickly.

She gave me another kind smile and took her hand back. The calmness lingered on my skin. It made me feel at ease. “Do you have any other questions?” she asked.

I thought back to what I said before Rey cut me off. I brought my hand to my chin in thought. When that old woman pulled me away from things it made me want to know more about them. “You mentioned blood bonding before we left. What is it?” The name alone made me shiver again. I knew marrying a vampire came with unpleasant things like being bitten, but blood bonding sounded more macabre than that. I was no stranger to drawing runes in my own blood, but I’ve never done a blood ritual with someone else’s.

“Ah, well,” Elisif looked sheepish, shy almost. Her cheeks turned pink and a small smile spread on her lips. “It happens when a vampire drinks blood from someone. It can be someone from any patronage as long as they aren’t also a vampire. In light of all the gods, you will be bound to them for as long as you both live. Oftentimes it is done right after you marry.”

“So you become a permanent food source?” I asked slowly. My finger went to twist around a few strands of my hair in a nervous gesture. I would be a personal meal for the rest of my life.

Elisif’s brows knit together. “Yes, but. . .” she paused to collect her thoughts. She was trying to choose her words carefully. “It is more an act of intimacy. You both must trust each other a lot to allow it. I know it sounds really weird, but when it happens you’ll understand.”

When it happens. I tugged my piece of my hair, trying not to think of a vampire sinking their teeth into me. It made my skin crawl. I knew Rey had pushed me here with the promise of becoming a better witch, but now I wanted to jump out of the moving carriage and never look back. “An act of intimacy,” I repeated. “Does that mean every vampire has to marry someone from another patronage to eat? Does that mean there are no pure vampires anymore?”

Elisif shook her head. “Vampires can live on animal blood just as well as other types. And you know the creation stories, right?”

“First came sun and moon, day and night, Uriel and Leda,” I recited as if I were reading out of my notes. It was the most common story taught to children. Rey used to sing me the song every night. It was a nursery rhyme every child knew.

Elisif gave an airy laugh. “Yes. And in turn, their patrons were first. Elf and vampire. They’re the two immortal patronages and the only patronages that cannot mix blood. When you have children, they will be full vampire, no human.”

When I have children. That thought also left a very bad taste in my mouth. So many things seemed to have been decided for me already. As soon as I found out I was a princess, all my choices were taken away. I frowned at her. “Well humans aren’t immortal. How many wives will he have to take by the end of his lifespan?” I countered. My most burning question was why should I sacrifice my life for a man I had never even met if he would only be spending a fraction of his time with me.

Elisif blew air from her nose in a show of amusement. “When you blood bond, you share a lifespan. You’ll live as long as the Prince does, and vice versa. A perfect solution to the mortality of the other patronages.”

The perfect solution that could have been avoided all together if vampires didn’t need blood to live, I thought bitterly. “What happens if a vampire doesn’t drink blood at all?”

My lady-in-waiting looked very pensive at my question. It was almost like she never thought of it before. “I suppose they would age like mortal patronages. I know the Prince drank animal blood for the first time when he turned 23. Maybe if he hadn’t he would have kept aging? I wonder what would happen if they stopped drinking blood,” she mused. A dainty finger reached up and tapped at her chin.

“How old is the Prince?” I dreaded this question most of all. He could be 24 to a century plus for all I knew. The thought of marrying someone decades older than me was unnerving.

“Oh, gods, how old is he?” Elisif’s brows wrinkled together. She gave an embarrassed laugh. “I am so bad at remembering these things. He is younger than me though.”

“Younger than you?” I gasped. “How old are you? You don’t look a day over twenty.”

Elisif laughed as her cheeks turned red. “I’m flattered that you think I’m so young but I’m in my thirties.”

I felt my mouth drop open and my eyes widened. There was no way this girl was middle aged. She looked so youthful. Her skin was flawless and her features were pixie-like. There wasn’t a wrinkle in sight to hint at her age. “Wow,” I breathed.

She laughed again, light and soft as ever. “But yes, the Prince is younger than me. I remember when he was born. My mother was the queen’s midwife. She took care of him and I’d help her.”

I didn’t care to hear any more about the Prince. I hoped I wouldn’t see him often. I imagined a political marriage as distant and loveless. I wanted to keep it that way. My only goal moving here was to better myself as a witch and to learn more about my missing mother. Everything else that came from moving to the palace would be busy work.

I frowned and turned back to the window. “How long will it take us to arrive?” Our carriage was rattling down a winding cobbled road. It was dark out, the moon high in the sky. My limbs suddenly felt heavy from being awake for so long. My body cried out for sleep, but I bit my tongue to keep my eyes from drooping shut.

“Well, we won’t be stopping at all,” Elisif said. “We should be there by tomorrow evening. You’ll have enough time to bathe and rest before the party though, no matter what time we get there.”

I only nodded in response. I watched as the trees outside passed us by. This stretch of road heading east was ripe for hunting. I even spotted some deer just beyond the line of trees. I wondered how many people traveled along this road to go where we were heading. I had never been down this road, but I knew where it led. Rey never took me into the close by vampire kingdom. I never wondered why before either. That woman did everything for a reason.

“Well, if you can sleep, do so. I will be reading, but if you need anything all you have to do is let me know,” Elisif said. She held up her small leather-bound book and gave me another kind smile. When I didn’t reply, she let it fall back to her lap and cracked it open.

The subtle sound of pages flipping made my eyes heavier than they were before. I let my lids close and I managed to get a bit of rest. It was spotty at best.. I woke up often, the smallest dip of the carriage jarring me. I eventually gave up and reached my hand out to the curtain. Light flooded in from the window as soon as the thick fabric was misplaced. I quickly shut the curtain again. The sun was far too bright for my sleepy eyes. I glanced at Elisif. She leaned to the side, her mouth wide open as she slept. Somehow she looked even younger than she had when she was awake.

When I was sure Elisif wouldn’t be disturbed, I opened the curtain once again. I wanted to know how much longer the trip would take as I watched out the window. The greenery outside was brighter. We must have been close. I recalled the geography books I used to study. Bloodtide spanned along the coast of the Serpent's Ocean. They only had one season this far south. Summer. The plants were abundant and the fruit here was ten times as sweet. The ocean made the air salty, the briney mist covering the land. I took a deep breath in, the fresh air filling my lungs. It didn’t smell like anything. How disappointing. I wondered how far we were still from the ocean. Rey had told me how soft the sand was and how impressive the waves were. They were nothing like the small lakes I had seen before. I wanted so badly to go to the beach when we finally arrived. I wanted to experience everything the waters had to offer. I smiled with excitement at the thought.

Then I remembered what Telvin had told me. He was right when he said I was childish. I was coming to the palace to strengthen my witchcraft, not spend days on the beach. No matter how much I wanted to swim, I had to resist. My excitement was short lived as my mind brought me back to reality. I bit my lip and let the curtain fall closed again. When I sat back, Elisif was leaning forward. She rubbed one eye as she looked at me.

“Do you need anything, Princess?” she asked in a groggy voice.

“Please just call me Iara,” I reminded her.

“Sorry,” she said quickly.

“How far are we?” I asked after a long pause.

Elisif peeked out the window and smiled. “Not far now. We’ll be there before sunset.”

As our carriage rattled on, I could barely keep myself contained. My heart fluttered with nervousness. Only a few more hours in this carriage. My bottom had started to numb and I couldn’t keep my hands from fidgeting. The sun inched across the sky and the trees that surrounded us started to thin. Eventually the road evened out under the carriage and a long stone wall came into view. It was tall and cut into the land like a knife. Moss and vines climbed up in some spots of the wall, the tendrils of green looking like fingers reaching up from the earth. Every so often the wall was broken up by a tower. I could just barely make out people walking across the top of the wall and at the peak of the towers. The sight was humbling. The stark walls made me feel small.

“Is that-”

“Cerith,” Elisif finished. She pulled the curtain back entirely as the city came into view.

I had seen plenty of drawings of Cerith, but I had never been in a city before today. As we neared the stone walls, I could see the details start to focus. The buildings seated just inside looked haphazardly smashed together. There was barely any space between the structures. I wondered how the carriage would make it through. We rode right up to a large gate. It was made out of stripped logs, large metal facets holding it together. The doors opened for us without any hesitation. The crest on the side of the carriage must have been enough. We rattled forward, the men at the gate pulling the giant doors closed behind us. I marveled at the large pulley systems that made it possible to move something that large. The reels of rope were just as tall as me. Elisif giggled at my reaction to it all. I frowned at her and she covered her mouth. She was terrible at hiding her smile though. She pointed back out the window. I couldn’t help but smile back at her, then look where she gestured.

The streets we traveled over were thin and cracked. People walked in every direction, rushing to wherever they needed to go. I had never seen so many moving parts in one area. It was chaotic. I had a hard time focusing on just one thing. Some people hung out their windows, pulling sheets on lines, some rushed past the carriage, cursing about being late. When someone noticed the crest on the carriage, they would gasp and whisper to anyone around them. I felt my cheeks redden every time someone pointed at me. I averted my eyes quickly. Attention I got was usually negative. Rey and I were noticeable witches. I tried to push those thoughts away as I craned my neck up. The sky was barely visible from all the buildings in the way. It was like a stone forest. Instead of trees, walls offered shade.

We rode up an incline for a while. The hill was uneven and steep in some places, then it was almost smooth in others. I knew we made it to the top as soon as the horizon came into view. The ocean spanned the entire length of the sky. The dark blue of the waters stood out sharply against the now orange sky. The palace sat right next to the impressive body of water. It was possibly the biggest structure I had ever seen that wasn’t constructed by a god. The building seemed to sprawl for hundreds of feet, the tall spikes of the towers cutting into the golden sky. It was sharp and awe inspiring, more humbling than the long walls that hugged the city. It was made of light colored stone. I could see the countless windows and balconies that peppered each wall of the palace. It was nothing like I imagined. Drawings didn’t do it any justice.

“Quite different from your home?” Elisif smiled.

“Definitely. I’ve never seen the ocean before,” I sighed. I could see the white tips of waves forming and dissipating. It looked magical and terrifying. I couldn’t take my eyes away.

Elisif leaned forward and peaked out the window with me. “It could be something you and the Prince go see together. Malachi loves sneaking out. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind taking you.”

That was the first time I heard his name. I felt a pang of dread. I only learned his name and I would be expected to marry him soon. “Sneaking out?” I asked.

She laughed. “Both the princes are slippery. You never know where they are.”

I pressed my lips together. Already interesting characters. It’s a good thing. If he’s hard to get a hold of, hopefully we wouldn’t spend too much time together. I turned back to the window, pushing Prince Malachi from my mind. I wanted to take in as much of the sights as I could. I knew after this I would be holed up in the nearest library for as much time as I could manage.

Our carriage rattled up to the large palace walls. These walls were less impressive than the outside walls. I assumed these ones were more for privacy than safety. The iron gate was swung open by a single man and he waved us forward. The guards on duty checked our bags for anything out of line. When they saw it was Elisif and me they bowed low and greeted us kindly. We lurched forward once more and our driver stopped us right at the doors. They were awe inspiring just like everything else I had seen so far. Great, tall, wooden doors with ornate carved metal studs marked the surface. It started to crack open. Elisif got out of the carriage first and turned to the crowd that gathered at the door. “Princess Iara of Sherwoods,” her voice announced. It seemed to bounce right off the harsh stone walls.

She offered me her hand as I climbed out. I clasped her fingers with mine but regretted it. My own tiredness was multiplied by hers. My eyes were heavier than before. I dreaded having to meet everyone.

The entrance hall was spacious and shiny. A glittering chandelier hung over us, casting golden light down on the marble floor. There were long banners with the royal crest adorning every wall. Between them were large paintings or lustrous suits of armor. The hall that ran in front of me seemed to go on forever. On either side of the endless hall’s entrance, there were two grand staircases that led to equally long and dizzying halls. I wondered how lost I would get in this place.

To my pleasant surprise, there weren’t many gathered to greet us. There were two people right in front of us, a man and a woman. A few people lined up on either side of them, but none of them stepped forward. They remained part of the background. The man in front of me wore a thick crown on his head, his dark locks slicked under it. His eyes were like honey when the sun hit them. I was surprised to see he was human though. The woman that was next to him, on the other hand, was very obviously a vampire. She had stepped forward just after him. Her pupils were thin from when light hit them. The color of her eyes were a beautiful green. Impossibly green in fact. They reminded me of fresh spring leaves. She had a crown on her head as well, similar to the one Rey had given me. It was pinned into her black hair that was wrapped into a neat, gem dusted bun. Her puffy gown reached all the way to the floor and made her look like a doll. One you couldn’t touch because it was far too delicate to be played with.

“Welcome Princess Iara. I am Queen Gwendolyn Bloodtide. This is my husband, King Malachi of Harthmine. We give you our sincerest greetings.” Her accent was just as light and pleasant to listen to as Elisif’s. Both of them bowed low. Everyone in the room followed suit. I felt my face redden and I bowed as well. I had never been in such a formal setting before. The gestures were strange to me.

“Thank you,” I said to the ground.

“I’m sure you’re tired.” Queen Gwendolyn touched my shoulder in a sign of comfort. It didn’t do much to comfort me though. She was filled with excitement at finally meeting me. She already thought of me as her daughter. It made me uneasy. This woman already wanted me to be a part of her family when I didn’t even know her. She set her eyes on my lady-in-waiting. “Elisif, please take the Princess to the room we had prepared for her.”

“Yes, my Queen,” she replied lightly, bowing once more. She looked back at me and gestured for me to follow. I gladly did. They all bowed again as I walked by.

Elisif led me down the long corridor up one of the marbled stairways. We turned left and down another hallway and another turn. My mind couldn’t even take in all the tapestries that hung on every wall, paintings that covered every inch of free space. I didn’t even know structures could be this large and spacious feeling. I felt we walked for ages and we still weren’t there. How big was this place?

Finally Elisif stopped at a white painted door. The knob was made of glass, the metal golden. There were several other doors along this stretch of hall that were identical to this one. I worried I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. “This is the guest room we have ready for you.” She opened it and stretched her arm out for me to go in. I stepped into the room and almost fell over.

This one room was bigger than the entire cottage I had grown up in. There was a large bed in the center of the wall farthest from me, elevated by one polished stone step. There were tens of pillows thrown over the thing, the velvety looking canopy drawn back to show it off. The ornate carved wood frame was beautiful. To my right was a long desk for writing, the wood a light warm color. Behind that were plush chairs, upholstered with fine fabrics. Between them was a tea table. There was a wardrobe to the left, matching the wood of the desk. It was already filled with dresses. There were almost too many to fit inside, all colors of the rainbow. I looked back at Elisif in disbelief.

“Are those dresses for me?”

She smiled and went over to the wardrobe. Her hands ran along the shoulders of the dresses until she found one she liked. She pulled out a soft blue gown and held it up to me. It had delicate golden designs sewn into the skirt. “They will need to be tailored to you, but I can pin one for you to wear later tonight.”

“I-I couldn’t possibly wear that,” I stammered.

“You most certainly cannot wear what you have on now though,” she said pointedly. Her eyes flicked down to inspect what I had on. I looked down at myself, my cheeks warming up. The dress I wore now was plain and brown. Some of the seams had been coming apart, loose threads hanging down. It was stained with months of use. There was no under dress or corset to it. Rey and I didn’t have much money and the little money we did have had to go to putting Marz to rest. His death had weighed down more than our hearts. I frowned at myself.

“You may be right.”

“Let me take your measurements and then I will fix this dress while you bathe.”

I couldn’t protest against a bath. The sound of hot water right now was irresistible. I needed to clear my head and probably get the knots out of my hair.

Elisif took a string and measured me. When I was done she led me to the bathroom. If I needed any help I could just call down the corridor. It was only two doors down from my room. She left me alone in the bathroom, which made me a bit uneasy. I felt so exposed in the open room. There was a large pool of water in the middle of the room. Shelves lined each wall filled with towels and robes. Steam floated just above the water showing just how hot it was. I turned back to the door and made sure it was locked before I could relax enough.

I undressed after double checking that the door was locked firmly. I stepped into the hot water and let myself sink in. I tried to clear my mind and not think of anything. It was really hard with all that had happened. I would have to sit through a party I never wanted to have. This was how my twentieth birthday went. I knew it was childish to still be so excited about birthdays but for all of this to happen today of all days made it sting worse. I wished Rey would have told me sooner than this. Then I would have had time to come to terms with it.

And maybe I would have had more time to talk with Telvin. I felt an overwhelming guilt building up in me again. My note to him had been far too short. I didn’t want him to think I had left because of him. I held my hand to my chest. Vi was the only person I had ever thought about romantically before. It was just hard to be romantic with me. Every time I was touched, my mind fogged. It was hard to be close to me with my cursed blessing. I wished I had any other ability at all. It would have made relationships with me easier. It would allow me to touch others without all the added stress and dread.

I pulled my mind away from Vi and my blessing. I didn’t want to think of it anymore. It hurt too much. I didn’t want to think of anything. I instead turned my attention to my long hair. I started to pull the tangled strands apart and rinse the dirt out. Once I was satisfied I was clean enough, I leaned back. I wanted just a few moments longer in this hot water.

When my hands started to wrinkle up, I decided to get out. I wanted to take a nap before the party. Or at least try to nap. I reached for one of the towels that were neatly folded among the shelves. I shook it out and held it up. It was a large piece of fabric, easily wrapping around my shoulders and covering me down to my knees. I kept my hand clasped tightly around it as I stepped out of the bathroom. My skin steamed as the cool air hit it. Goosebumps formed along my legs and I shivered slightly.

When I looked down the hall towards my room, I almost cried out in shock. There was a tall man walking towards me. His eyes were cast down so I wasn’t even sure if he saw me. As the man came closer, he looked like he needed a bath more than I did. He was covered in grime. His shirt was dirty and ripped, his hair was tangled in a mess around his face. As I took my first step to start walking back to my room, the movement must have caught his attention. His eyes met mine. I was taken aback by their color. It was a brilliant green like the leaves in a healthy forest. Whatever he felt was not shown in his face at all. It was a complete mask. The only thing that showed was how uninterested he looked that I was there. He quickly broke his gaze and pushed past me. The smell of mud wafted from him. I turned to take another look. I wasn’t going crazy. There was a small twig stuck in his long hair. He shut the bathroom door quietly behind him. Glad he was getting cleaned off. He needed it.