Page 89 of Fearless

He shakes his head, gaze unfaltering. “I think you know exactly who you want to be. Who you are.” His words are like a soft battle cry. “You’re the leader you always wanted for Ilya. You’re our Silver Savior.”

I reach for his hand before realizing that I shouldn’t. Instead, I settle on a relieved smile and a lingering look in which I’m lost within the storm that is his eyes. It’s only when a shadow falls over his face that I rip my gaze from it.

“Now, there’s a ship name!” Captain Torri shoves past a guard to invade the little space we have. “TheSilver Savior. If we make it back to Ilya, I’ll need to find me a new ship, and I may just name her that.”

I glance at Kai. Then back to the captain. “I’m flattered.”

“Speaking of ships,” Kai adds quickly, “how is ours looking? I can’t help but notice that you seem… skeptical about returning to Ilya.”

Torri blows out a breath that I lean away from. “Well, I’ll be honest with you, Highness. She’s not looking too pretty right now. But I’ve got the crew on it, so hopefully she will be patched up before we set sail.”

I’m preparing to ask a few questions I likely won’t want to know theanswer to when a stern voice echoes behind me. “The queen is ready for you.”

I spin on my heel, finding the captain of the guard beckoning me forward. The men crowded around us tear away at the silent command, freeing me from the cage of spears. My tired feet carry me toward the mountain of steps, Kai at my side while Torri lingers behind.

I spin the ring on my thumb, seeking comfort from the cool steel. The shimmering doors above swing open as we near, and I watch Izram’s captain stroll into the hall beyond. The comforting sunlight is stolen from my skin when I follow him into the castle.

My gaze widens before gliding across the gilded room.

This is certainly not Ilya.

This is the opposite of bold greens and dark details. This is teeming with puddles of light and pops of blue. The long hall stretches into a pair of curved staircases on either end, each of which are wrapped in soft carpet. Everything here is gleaming and simple and crawling with delicacy.

There is no show of strength, no obvious need for attention. And its simplicity is breathtaking.

“She will see you in the throne room,” the captain informs without turning to look at me. Continuing his steady pace, he leads us to another pair of shiny white doors. “The court also awaits you after hearing of Ilya’s unexpected arrival. And that’s the only useful information I have for you.” He nods to the pair of guards framing the doors. “The queen will see you now.”

My heart pounds as the throne room slowly comes into view. A long blue carpet awaits me, leading all the way to the dais. Windows line the room in a wavelike pattern, bordered by spiraling molding. My eyes flick over the several circular tables littering the gleaming floor that allow the court members to comfortably enjoy the show.

But it is the woman seated elegantly on a throne of bones that thoroughly steals my attention.

The queen lounges in a skeleton of sorts, though I haven’t the slightest clue what animal it once belonged to. Thick vertebrae create the center of the seat while long rib bones jut out from it and curl around her. Beneath her tanned shoulders, the bones curve upward to hang slightly over her head of black hair.

I force my feet forward despite the urge to stand and gawk. Even from this distance, the queen’s piercing green eyes seem to cut right through me. I’ve never seen such a bright color dwell within someone’s gaze. It’s not the light green of Kitt’s eyes, crisp and warm. No, this is a vivid, gleaming sort of shade, as if she sees the world through a sheet of emerald.

When we halt before the dais, Zailah’s gleaming stare turns to Kai when he speaks. “Your Majesty”—he bows gracefully, reminding me to attempt a curtsy—“I apologize for the unexpected visit. I’m Kai Azer, Enforcer to Ilya’s king, and I have escorted Paedyn Gray here to welcome trade back into our kingdom.”

The queen’s eyes flick back to mine, as striking as they are searching. “I’ve heard whispers of you, child. You seem much too young to have caused such trouble in Ilya.” She smiles, and I catch the glint of sharp canines. “I admire that.”

“Well, my days of causing trouble are behind me. Hopefully,” I add with a small smile of my own. Kai steps aside, ushering Torri with him. “I’m here now to help create a new and better Ilya.”

“You see,” Zailah says slowly, “the last time I heard your name, it was followed by a list of treasonous crimes against Ilya. There was even a price on your head if you ever managed to make it across the Shallows.” She raises a sharp nail at Kai. “Now you’re in my kingdom with theEnforcer. And wearing a very shiny engagement ring.” Another smile curls her perfect lips. “Do tell. You’ve intrigued me, and that is no simple task.”

I lick my dry lips. “In short, Ilya is in need of resources. Over the decades, we have exhausted our food supply and overpopulated the land behind our closed borders. With Kitt Azer on the throne, he has become aware that the kingdom must return to its more welcoming roots. Ordinaries and Elites will coexist once again”—I gesture to the queen—“along with trade between the surrounding cities.

“To encourage this… unpopular change, I—an Ordinary and survivor of the Purging Trials—am to marry the king. This will bridge the gap between Ordinaries and Elites.” I take a breath, ready to spew more information—

“And what of your treason?” Zailah asks, seeming amused. “Has the king so quickly forgotten how you killed his father? At least, that is what I heard.”

“That was a misunderstanding. One the kingdom has become aware of,” I state as convincingly as possible. “And I am here to not only prove myself to you, but also to Ilya.”

She quirks a dark brow. “Go on.”

“I competed in the Purging Trials as an Ordinary.” My throat has become absurdly dry. “And now, to earn the respect and trust of those Elites who despise the idea of an Ordinary on the throne, I have stepped into a series of my own Trials.”

The queen blinks before a laugh transforms her harsh features. The sound is biting against her beautiful face. “So you crossed the Shallows. Barely.”

I smile politely. “Yes. Benevolence is the second of the threeB’s by which Ilya’s rulers live.”

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