Page 4 of The Sunbound Princess
“Sure, but historians always try to make things sound more interesting. What’s the fun in reading about some prince who walked a few miles, picked up a rock, andpoofearned his crown?”
“Have you read the histories?” I asked, suspicion stirring.
Helios pointed ahead of us. “Oh, look, there’s the Grove.” He took off, his body blurring as he raced down the corridor.
Courtiers shot me curious looks as I followed, taking a sharp right and heading down a narrow passageway with flowers and curling vines painted on the walls. The murals were faded and peeling. Birdsong greeted me as I ducked through a small arch and stepped into an overgrown garden dappled with sunlight.
But there were just as many shadows.
My heart squeezed. The Grove had belonged to my mother, who had reportedly spent the early years of her marriage tending the flowers. The servants said she’d painted the murals when she was pregnant with me. The paintings stopped abruptly, the vines cut off halfway down the wall. She’d intended to finish the mural after my birth. But, of course, she never got the chance.
The Grove was one of my favorite places—or had been. As a child, I’d played among the rows of flowers, inventing games and imagining a handsome knight asking for my favor. I’d practiced my magic, conjuring Helios from the sunlight that danced over the walls. But in the last few years, my duties at court had demanded more of my attention. My relationship with Corvus had deepened, and I spent more time with him. Now, the Grove was largely forgotten. Few courtiers ventured into the secluded space. The flowers were untended. A bench in the corner needed a coat of paint.
“This place could use some work,” Helios said, weaving between tangled rose bushes. Sunflowers swayed in a soft breeze, their blossoms the size of my head. Weeds sprouted from the beds. Other flowers drooped, their heads bent and their leaves wilted.
Guilt gripped me. Like most of Lum Laras, the Grove needed more sun. Closing my eyes, I summoned my magic. Heat built under my skin. The sun rose under my lids, light filling my mind. I pushed it down, letting it settle in the center of my chest. Then I opened my eyes.
My sigils glowed, the flames and suns on my arms glittering like liquid gold. Thrusting my hands out, I sent heat rushing toward the wilted flowers in a sparkling wave. It struck the blooms, which shivered as the magic engulfed them. As one, the flowers straightened, petals brightening. The blooms stretched, and a sigh gusted around the Grove. Weeds shriveled. The shadows receded. Shimmering magic settled over the garden, gilding the flowers in pale gold.
Helios darted from the rose bushes, his wisp of fiery hair dancing in the breeze. “You’ve still got it!” he announced, beaming at me. “Just like old times, eh?”
Smiling, I shook my head. “If this were like old times, we’d play until I exhausted my magic. Then you’d disappear.”
He shrugged. “I haven’t done the vanishing act in over ten years. I guess that means you either got stronger or I grew more stubborn?—”
“I’m guessing it’s the latter.”
“—either way, you’re stuck with me, Princess. You have no one to blame but yourself.”
Affection bubbled in my chest. “Oh, Helios, who wouldn’t want to be stuck with you?”
“I’ve asked myself the same question.”
The clearing of a throat made us both turn. A knight stood at the Grove’s entrance with a hesitant look on his face.
“Uh… Everyone is waiting, Your Highness.” The knight hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “They’re all wondering where you went.”
As if his words had roused it, the anchor in my chest tugged hard. I swallowed a gasp as I started forward. “Just a quick detour, Sir Markos.” I gathered my skirts as Helios zipped to my side. “Lead the way,” I told the knight.
We returned to the corridor and the crowd, eventually making our way to the palace’s main entrance. Tall, gleaming doors etched with a pair of blazing suns stood open, allowing sunlight to splash over the marble floor.
Outside, Lum Laras spread before me, its golden streets and gleaming spires reflecting the morning sunlight. Merchants and other townspeople lined the streets. The golden banners of House Kasreneth fluttered against buildings. Flowers in a riot of colors burst from window boxes. The city stretched to the horizon, its walls a blurry barrier in the distance.
But even just one short week after my father’s death, the city’s sparkle had dimmed. The shadows between the buildings stretched a little longer. The golden streets were duller than usual. Without the sunstone, the eternal summer that nourished the kingdom had already begun to fade. In another week or two,the flowers wouldn’t bloom as brightly. Eventually, the harvest would suffer. Time was not on my side.
I looked at Helios. He gave a subtle nod, encouragement gleaming in his eyes. Squaring my shoulders, I stepped into the sunlight.
A cheer went up as people spotted me. Banners waved among the sea of excited faces.
“It’s the princess!” someone cried. “She’s off to save the sunstone!”
The crowd roared. Banners jumped up and down as their owners vied for a better look at me. Children darted between adults’ legs with bunches of flowers clutched in their hands.
My heart thundered in my chest. All of Lum Laras had showed up to see me off. Everyone was counting on me. Oh gods, what if I couldn’t find the stone?
Helios spoke out of the corner of his mouth. “Wave.”
I lifted a hand, and the cheering continued. Several children tossed their flowers into the street.
