A distraction she welcomed, frankly. “Good of you to welcome us home with such enthusiasm,” Oestera huffed between instructions to her maidens.
“I was in the middle of something.” Astra shrugged, her heart simply not up for another battle today. “My apologies. How were your travels?”
Oestera ignored her question, bustling past her as the room filled in. The palace was a flurry of activity in the wake of their return. Tula spoke quietly with Archera as councilwomen took their seats.
“Where is Lunelle?” Astra asked Archera first. Her eyes widened, but she shrugged. She felt the wave of nerves in the room as dozens of eyes set upon her. “Is she harmed?” She tried to search for her sister within the walls of the palace, coming up empty. “Did she not return?”
No one answered.
She stomped her foot. “Mother, where is Lunelle?” Oestera’s head whipped toward Astra, disrupting her conversation with another councilwoman.
“She’s tired from the journey. Don’t be hysterical.” She turned back to her conversation, but Astra didn’t feel any better.
“Astra,” a low, velvet tone rang out against the hall. Mirquios crossed the onyx floor, his hands extended to greet her.
“You’re home!” She forced a smile, but her heart felt like a stone tossed into a lake. How was she supposed to even look at him after what happened?
“Are you well?”
“Of course,” he said, placing a quick kiss on her cheek, but as he pulled away, she couldn’t feel a thing from him. He read the confusion on her face immediately. “It’s been a long, hard trip. I didn’t want to burden you all at once.”
“Of course.”
“I need to debrief with my advisors. Can we catch up this evening?”
“I’ll see you then.”
He squeezed her hand and marched away, taking his stone wall with him. She waited for a spark, a longing to follow him, anything. But it did not come.
“Ladies,” Oestera announced, every head in the room turning toward her. Astra found her seat, wondering where her father was as the queen addressed them. “As you all know, Pluto has declared their intentions to join the Lunar Court and Inner Courts as tensions build with Solaris. Solan’s armies are gathering in the rings of Saturn and Neptune’s seas. We cannot hesitate to send a message of unity.”
As Oestera spoke, a body settled into the seat next to Astra, Lunelle’s silvery hair pulled into a gentle braid, her eyes tired from the long journey.
There you are!
She didn’t so much as glance at her sister. Sorry. I needed to freshen up.
Are you okay? I couldn’t even sense you.
“In an effort to show our firm support for Pluto’s wise decision to join in our fight against the oppression and tyranny of Solaris...”
She shrugged. I’m fine. Just tired. It’s a long trip.
Everyone is being weird. What are you hiding?
“It is my honor to announce to you that Arcas, the Prince of Pluto, has joined us along with his court for Lunelle’s trial. He’ll be the sole Lunar champion, signifying?—”
“What?” Astra barked, unable to stop herself.
“What part aren’t you clear on, Astra?” Oestera sighed, her eyes blazing.
Astra shrieked, “The part where you—the Queen of ‘tradition matters, Astra’—are shucking centuries of ritual by only nominating one champion? The part where you’ve invited a court full of people who were our sworn enemies until a month ago, and then promised your successor to them? Have you lost your mind?”
“Astra,” Lunelle warned, but she couldn’t stop.
“Why even put her through a trial if you’re going to dictate the outcome? Just plan a wedding instead!”
“Astra Leona, that is enough!” Oestera’s words cut through Astra’s hysteria, the silence in the hall deafening.
