Page 48 of The Princess of Nothing
My muscle tensed, hearing him refer to Magaelor as our kingdom. I reminded myself it wasn’t real and would be over soon. “You have a beautiful land here.”
“You’ve only seen Bluewater. There is so much to see in Berovia. The climates and cultures change as you venture to different parts of the kingdom. The fae province is beautiful, with blossom trees and red leafy trails, luscious green hills, and fields, and they house some of the rarest flowers in the world. I will take you there on our wedding tour.” His cheeks balled. “Which is in two days. Are you ready?”
My breath hitched. “I couldn’t be more ready.”
I prayed silently as Kiros walked off to meet a group of his old friends growing up. They all wore suits made of fine fabrics and bright colors.Please guide Cedric here, keep him safe, let us get out of this alive so I can go home and rule our people.
I kissed Kiros on the cheek and told him I was going to walk back to my room. He let me, without guards. A smile covered my face as I hurried up a spiraling staircase toward the west wing of the castle. It was thrilling to be on my own and not in my room. Trailing my finger along the polished stone walls, I rounded the column that reached all the way up several floors. It was somehow colder there than it was outside.
A small red door sat in front of me. Instead of continuing upward, my hand instinctively reached for the black doorknob and turned it. The door clicked open. I ducked inside, my heart skipping a beat when I saw a small, clean-shaven man with big round eyes the color of honey, dark skin, and short, black frizzy hair. He wore long green robes, which matched the smoke inside the crystal ball he’d been holding.
“You’re a seer!” I exclaimed.
“Yes.” His voice was deep, and calming. “Who are you?”
I wanted to joke that he should already know, but he wasn’t Morgana. “Winter. Mortis,” I stated. “Princess.”
“Yes, you’re marrying Prince Kiros.”
“So you’ve been told.”
“The king tells me everything.” He turned his back toward me to look at the shelves. The room was bigger, but it reminded me of the tower room Morgana had lived in. Bookshelves leaned against each wall, leaving space only for the window and a small bench. On it was a draped fur, a discarded book open to the middle, and scattered runes. In the middle of the room, a large round stone table stood proudly. A bottle filled with red liquid, a set of tarot cards—with the wanderer and Ring of Immortalem cards visible—and a small bowl filled with herbs sat in the center on top of a black cloth.
“I have a friend who’s a seer.”
“How unfortunate for her.”
My eyebrows shot up my forehead. “It is a gift.”
“It’s easy to say when you don’t have it.”
I wanted to point out that supposedly I did, but I stayed quiet on the subject. “Well, then. Sorry to disturb you.”
“You’re not,” he answered simply and returned the crystal ball to its stand on a shelf. “Why did you seek me out?”
I hadn’t, but it was an opportunity. “I wanted to know if the friend I just told you about is still alive.”
“Do you have payment?”
I shook my head. “Does being the next princess of Berovia count?”
“No. I cannot count on it.”
Oh no. “Why?”
“Destiny refuses to show me your future. It’s maddening.” He ticked his finger against the spine of a book. “The king asks me daily, and he does not like when he doesn’t get what he wants.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That you’re to be married to his son.”
“Then you’d be correct,” I lied. I found comfort that my future was not being shown by fate. I wondered... Was there even one left for me?
“I hope I am.” He didn’t seem overly friendly.
“I should go then.”
He closed his eyes, placing his hands on the crystal ball on the shelf. I wasn’t sure if it was my cue to go or not.
