Page 23 of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash

The queen exhaled softly. ‘My dear child… You will be married soon.’

‘I am aware,’ Mal replied, shifting uncomfortably.

‘The Fire Prince is known to be…’ Queen Senka hesitated, her usually precise words faltering. ‘When a man and woman are bound in marriage, it is expected that they will consummate the union on their wedding night. Sometimes, this can be a beautiful thing. But other times…’ Her expression darkened, voice dipping to a near whisper. ‘Other times, it is not so kind to the bride. And knowing what we do about this prince… I fear yours will be the latter.’

Mal’s jaw tightened. ‘I am notafraid of him, Mother.’

The queen leaned back, her gaze drifting over the chamber as though it pained her to look at her daughter. ‘No, you never have been afraid of anything, Mal. And that is what makes you so very special.’ She sighed, smoothing the fabric of her gown with absent fingers. ‘But you must listen to me, child. The pain of steel cutting flesh in the training yard is not the same pain a girl feels when she is claimed.’

Mal lifted her chin. ‘So the process is painful, then?’

She had overheard the whispers of maids speaking in hushed voices of their wedding nights, some murmuring of blood staining their sheets. Pain, then. There was always pain.

The queen pressed her lips together. ‘At first, yes. But then… it is not.’

‘I can withstand pain,’ Mal said with certainty. ‘The High Priestess explained the mechanics of it. I understand what is expected.’

The truth was, despite the nature of their people, Mal had never lain with anyone. Not because of any rule or expectation—queens and kings were not expected to remain untouched before marriage—but because she had simply never cared to. Perhaps she had always known, somewhere in the marrow of her bones, that her body belonged to something greater than fleeting pleasure.

The queen’s sigh was soft but weighted. ‘Mal, this prince is a wicked boy. We have all heard what he does when he hunts witches.’ A shadow passed over her face. ‘It will hurt. All of it. And you will not enjoy it. You will pray to the gods for it to end.’ Her voice broke slightly, an unfamiliar sound that made Mal’s stomach twist. ‘But it will end.’

For the first time, Mal was shaken. Shehad not considered how deeply this would wound her family. She had not given much thought to the weight of her decision beyond the kingdoms and the prophecy. But now, staring into her mother’s eyes, she wondered if she had made a terrible mistake.

Had she been so consumed with saving the world that she had forgotten what it might cost those she loved?

‘He will not hurt me,’ Mal said, voice quiet but unyielding. ‘I will cut his throat open if he tries.’

One might have expected the queen to chastise her daughter for such words, to remind her of duty, of peace, of the delicate nature of politics. But instead, Queen Senka turned her gaze upon Mal and smiled. It was not the soft smile of a mother nor the sorrowful smile of a queen sending her daughter to a foreign land.

No, it was something darker. Sharper.

A wicked, lethal thing.

A smile that, in every way, matched Mal’s to perfection.

We will marry in the Kingdom of Fauna. The witches and the Fae have always been connected and we have protected each other. It will be kept secret. I cannot help but be upset that we cannot invite anyone to our wedding. But after everything that is happening—it is not possible. I have friends in the Fae kingdom. They will keep us hidden for some time once we have married. No matter what they say about us, I would do it all over again just to see him smile the way he does when he sees me walk into a room. It is all worth it for his love.

Tabitha Wysteria

Kai had spent the morning hunting for Mal. Every hallway he strode through led only to shrugged shoulders and uncertain glances until finally, he overheard a cluster of maids whispering about the princess. Their hushed voices carried him towards the castle’s kitchens, where the scent of flour and spices thickened the air, mingling with the unmistakable char of something burnt.

He found her perched on a stone counter, sleeves rolled up, flour dusting her dark clothes.

‘Please tell me you are not responsible for the blueberry pie,’ Kai groaned, stepping inside. The head chef erupted into laughter.

‘Of course not, brother,’ Mal declared, hopping down. ‘I assisted.Imade the apple pie.’

Kai inhaled deeply, then grimaced. ‘I knew something was burning.’

‘You did not!’ Mal scowled, elbowing him in the ribs. ‘We let it all rot anyway, I do not understand why you fuss.’

The entire castle was a flurry of motion, servants darting back and forth, voices thick with nerves as they raced to have everything prepared for the evening’s festivities. The king had announced days prior that a grand feast would be held on the castle grounds—a farewell celebration before his daughter left for her new home.

Mal, as ever, was a storm of restless energy, incapable of idleness. Kai knew she would throw herself into anything that let her keep her hands busy, though cooking had never been one of her gifts. It was tradition in the Kingdom of Darkness for the royal family to partake in preparations for celebrations—Haven and their mother busied themselves arranging the halls and directing the servants, the king wandered through the villages playing cards with his people while his hounds sprawled lazily at his feet, and Kage, ever the shadow, ensured their father did not forget to invite the very guests he intended to honour.

And Kai? Kai only ever tried to keep his youngest sister out of trouble.

‘Would you like to try one of my cupcakes? I made them a few weeks ago, so they should be nicely rotten.’

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