Page 55 of Glass and Bone
“Yes.” I whisper. The moonlight is barely illuminating his face, but I can see the hint of silver in his eyes. “Theo, we knew this would happen. This is what I came here for.” He shakes his head, reaching out to brush his thumb along my cheek where I am sure there is a bruise.
“I’m leaving, Nora.” His voice is soft, clipped.
“Theo–”
“No, not because you’re married. I am being sent to the borders, to help lead our men.” I look at him confused.
“You’re headed out to war?” I whisper.
“Yes, I–” We both freeze as I hear Tobias shift in bed.
“You need to go.” I push against his chest, and he looks at me, hurt. His face fills with sorrow as he lets me guide him to the edge of the balcony. He looks back at me and I know he doesn’t want to leave. I don’t want him to leave, but Ineedhim to. “Please.” I beg as quietly as I can.
“I wish things were different, Nora.” He turns away and gracefully climbs atop the posts and leaps to the other side. He makes it look so easy. Without looking back at me, he walks into his room and shuts the door.
“Me too, Theo.”Me too.I want that more than anything.
“Ela?” A tired voice echoes behind me as I turn to face Tobias’s naked body. His skin is shining in the moonlight as he leans against the door frame. I hate that this man is so gorgeous. His muscles lining his broad shoulders and his trimmed abs, his strong jaw, and mesmerizing blue eyes. Eyes that are watching me watch him. He smirks before walking over to me.
“I was just getting some air.” I stutter as his hands wrap around me. He nuzzles my neck with his cold nose, and I jump.
“Come back to bed, it’s late.” He mutters before pulling me back into the bedroom. I briefly look over at Theo’s balcony and see the flash of hair in the window before Tobias pulls me through the doors.
When I awake again, I am met with bright sunshine filtering through the open windows. The sounds of bird chirping and muffled voices come in with a slight breeze. I turn to the right and see the other side of the bed has been vacated. I sigh in relief that I am alone and stretch, my aching limbs protesting in response.
Climbing out of bed, I quickly slip on a robe before settling on the couch next to a tray of coffee and pastries. A single piece of folded parchment lies next to the tray along with a rose and I pick it up. It’s crisp and smooth, but I can feel the indents caused by the pressure of a pen.
Today is the beginning. X
A single sentence and no sign off, but it doesn’t need one. I pick up the single red rose that was lying next to it, its thorns piercing my skin. I let out a small wince as the blood wells up on my thumb and drips down my hand. The blood red color matches the rose perfectly. Crimson. The color I seem to never be able to get away from. I set it down and wipe my blood off on a black piece of linen under the tray.
Tobias and I are being crowned today. Before this day is over, I will be a queen. I sigh and ignore the pinprick of pain on my fingers as I reach out for one of the golden croissants. It's warm and buttery and makes my stomach growl as I fight to remember the last time I ate a full meal. I finish the pastry and reach for another coated in chocolate before I hear a soft knock on the door.
“Come in.” I call out as I quickly take a sip of the warm, sweet coffee. It’s so thick and decadent, it tastes just like ice cream. Syrupy and sweet, just how Tobias knows I like it. Lydia and my two other ladies, whom I still do not know their names, walk in with arms full of clothing. “Good morning.” I say with a mouth full of food.
“Your Grace.” Lydia says before the three of them bow. “We are here to get you ready for the crowning ceremony.” I nod and they make their way in the room, closing the door behind them. I regretfully set my delicious coffee down and allow them to begin working.
I am gowned, my hair is done, and make up has been applied after a little over an hour of work. I let my fingers trail over the thin lace covering my chest and neck. While they had to apply quite a bit of cream to my face to cover the bruises, my gown features a black lace turtleneck, covering my fading wounds. The rest of my gown is a blend of crimson and white. I let my fingers slide through the perfect black waves framing my face as a thick cloak is tied around me. White fur gently caresses my back as I move, providing a soft brush against my bare skin. I stare at the woman in the reflection, astonished that it's me. I turn to dismiss my ladies and thank them for their assistance, but they have already gone.
My eyes look exhausted, dark and sunken in compared to my pale skin. Purple bruising under my eyes that Lydia covered in ivory creams just makes me look sick, dying. While I have a little bit of color on my face from the small amount of sun I’ve gotten, I am still pale. I can just faintly make out a small amount of swelling on my cheek from where Tobias struck me. My fingers lightly brush against my skin, grateful it doesn’t hurt as much. My hair is long, falling in inky waves to the small of my back.
I lean forward and spot a single white strand of hair intertwined with the black. I grip it between my fingers and pull it out, just like I did last time. I stare at it for just a moment before throwing it on the floor. Stress can cause premature aging, that is the only logical explanation, but I know deep down that isn’t true.
I shake my head to disrupt the thoughts and return my eyes to the mirror. A mix of braids and twists circle my head, but my head still seems bare. My crown was taken as it will be placed again during the ceremony, but I had grown quite used to its presence, even if it was only one day. I turn away from the mirror and make my way to the balcony.
The air is chilly, but the sun still provides warmth as does my fur cloak. The summer sun is leaving as autumn approaches. The sky isn’t getting as bright, and the clouds are starting to make their place at home above Noterra. It reminds me a lot of home, but the air is thinner here, crisp.
There are people bustling about on the grounds, no doubt preparing for whatever festivities are to follow the crowning today. I remember there being festivals following my namedays, but I’m sure a coronation requires much grander activities. My eyes wander over to Theo’s balcony as I remember last night.
His touch lingers as I feel his warm embrace. I feel safe with him, but my heart has to belong to his brother. I barely know either man, with only a few days of interaction between us.
Tobias can be a cruel man, as he displayed yesterday. The anger he felt was justified as his father just died and he caught his brother kissing the woman he was about to marry, but his need to lash out at me physically isn’t something I can allow in the future. And then we had such a special moment before heleft. He has made up for his aggression tenfold, but I still feel so hesitant in leaving my heart in his hands. I know he would protect me, regardless of the threat, but he also has a kingdom to manage now. If it came down to it, he would choose Noterra, but Theo, Theo would always choose me.
But Theo is leaving. He’s leaving to help prepare the military for a war. I remember Evreux speaking about Labisa, but if Theo is riding to command the borders, does this mean more has happened? I want to ask Tobias about it, but I don’t want to ruin this day for him.
I know I should feel elated being crowned a queen, but all I feel is fear. Fear towards my future. Fear towards the idea of carrying a child. Fear that I won’t be able to live up to the expectations of my husband or the kingdom. I am not fully aware of what a queen’s duties include, but I do know I will have to do more than follow Tobias around.
I can hear the door opening to the room, so I turn around and face the kingsguard. Laris and Tano enter the room with soft smiles. They have their hands on their swords as they stand in the doorway. While I should feel at ease with two guards by my side, I feel nauseated. Suffocated.
