Page 2 of The Assassin's Dancer
Liliana scrunches up her nose, but before she can argue, our conversation is swept away in a deep sea of prince-talk. Our once peaceful clearing is now loud enough to wake the palace.
“I wonder what he looks like?” Gilia calls out.
“He’ll be handsome, of course. All princes are,” Juniper giggles.
I can’t help but scoff. My sisters have been lucky enough to avoid princes these past few years. Usually, Father only introduces them to me – and sometimes Blossom – but for some reason, tomorrow’s prince has been given permission to meet all of us.
I can’t say I share their excitement. Of the many princes Father has tried to set me up with –and there have been many– I can’t remember one who had manners, let alone a handsome face. Tomorrow will just be another awkward garden date for one unlucky sister, followed by an even more awkward rejection.
Although I dread the day when Father won’t accept our rejections. I’m fully aware of the number of princesses in this realm who have little choice in who they’re married off to, and someday that same fate will fall upon us.
At least for now, we have a choice.
For now.
“He’s probably very rich… I bet he’s bought us all presents to try to impress us,” Dahlia adds. “Think of all the tutus he’ll buy for us!”
I scoff again. I’m about to quieten the group when a sharp ringing cuts through the chatter. Nobody seems to react, and at first I think I’m going insane – until Liliana tugs my hand.
“Did you hear that?” she asks, but I can barely make out her voice as another sharp ring cuts through the air. This time, the others notice too, as their conversation fades to concerned whispers.
“What was that?” Heather hisses.
“Look!” Blossom shouts, pointing up at the sky. “The moon… it’s huge!”
Following her finger, my mouth falls open. The moon is shining brighter than I’ve ever seen before – so bright that it lights up the entire garden.
Like a huge pearl, it looms above us. It seems to be getting bigger too, and faster, the halo of light surrounding it growing brighter and brighter until it’s almost blinding.
I wince. But it’s only when the ringing turns into a powerful screech that the realisation hits me.
“That’s not the moon!” I scream, before an intense whoosh of wind throws me to the floor, and all the air rushes from my throat.
Ami…
Harsh white light floods my vision. I can’t see anything, but I can hear something. A voice?
It’s like it’s singing in the back of my mind.
Princess Amaryllis…
The voice sings again as I panic, fumbling around on the ground. Around me, my sisters are screaming.
For Princess Amaryllis, the gift of true sight.
“Who are you?” I want to say, but when I open my mouth, I can’t seem to breathe. Fear grips my chest. For a moment, I think I’m dying – until I see a strange flash of red, and my breath returns along with my vision.
Immediately, I force myself up. Everyone else is still on the floor, groaning, but alive.Thank the Stars.
Panting, I search for any sign of what just happened.
Was it some kind of assassination attempt?
An archer with a huge, glowing white arrow that knocked us all off our feet, but didn’t want to kill us?
Unlikely.
“Ami?” I hear a faint cry from my right. Dropping to my knees, my heart sinks as I see Liliana clutching her knees to her chest.
