“What if I have bigger plans?”
Oestera did not immediately respond, the tension in her silence underscored by a run of low notes from the orchestra pit as the lullaby drew nearer to its end.
“Your duty is more important than your will, Astra. The sooner you learn that, the better. You’re not a child anymore, you’ve left that cycle behind. Tonight, you enter into your Mother years, and it is your sacred responsibility to care for your people, all of them. Not just Celene.”
There it was, in the way her brows tucked together. Final decision. No room for appeal.
A scarlet rage burned against Astra’s chest. She inhaled, cooling the hurt, no one here needed to watch her fall apart. It would only make all of this more impossible.
She turned to the courtiers, choosing to distract herself with her audience. The music swelled for one final refrain as her eyes landed on a woman across the room, wrapped in sky-blue silks and feathers. She shuffled toward the edge of the dance floor. Her clay-colored hair was tucked into three neat buns down the back of her head, the sides shaved down to reveal two rows of ruddy tattoos flowing down her neck. The runes were Earthen. She recognized them as the same insignia from her father’s old uniforms.
She was stunning, simply put. Everything about her implied power and confidence, one leg darting out of the seam of her dress, daring any of the men behind her to cross it.
Astra watched the stars above bounce off her tan skin, wondering briefly what they might feel like beneath her fingertips.
Mother Nature, Lunelle’s voice surprised her as it slipped into her mind, chasing away the rather pleasant vision she’d concocted to distract herself. She’s as mean as she is pretty. You two would either be the best of friends or mortal enemies. A romance is out of the question.
Sounds exactly like my type, Astra snorted. Way more fun than the Martian infant.
A familiar smile snagged Astra’s attention as she twisted in her mother’s arms. The tunic matched her gown perfectly. A clever maneuver. His smile was entrancing on its own, but his eyes held her captive beyond any of his other notable features. The Mercurian nodded his head, a soft curve of his lips sending a curious rush over Astra’s spine.
Oestera twisted them again, noticing Astra’s lack of focus. A vermillion irritation boiled over her guard before she followed Astra’s gaze, the angry orange fading into a docile amber as she seized the opportunity.
She dropped her daughter’s hand as the crowd applauded and pulled it forward through the dense crown, ushering Astra directly to the Mercurian.
“King Mirquios,” Oestera hummed, utter delight pouring off her shoulders. He was easily the most beautiful man Astra had ever seen. The king folded his head before her, tucking his strong jaw to his chest before smiling broadly and lifting the queen’s hands to his lips.
Are you… drooling? Over a man? Lunelle mocked her sister. Astra attempted to close her jaw, realizing too late that it was hanging open.
She rolled her eyes as her sister’s giggles bounced off the inside of her skull, recovering her face quickly as Mirquios dropped her mother’s hand and reached for hers. It was damn near painful to hold such an intense gaze—but then again, when was the last time Astra had truly looked someone in the eyes?
“Astra Leona,” he said as he bowed, his voice as low and enticing as it was the night before. “Happy birthday, Princess.”
Astra managed a nod, but no sound came to her lips as her mother stared at her. Ever the social mastermind, she chirped, “I believe the next dance is starting!” And nudged her daughter forward.
The king’s hand slipped into Astra’s as she stepped back toward the floor. This time, thank the gods, other couples happily joined, taking some eyes of the room off her as chatter and laughter rose over the orchestra.
Though, who would want to look at anything other than him? She found herself thinking.
As the music strummed up, she stepped back in time with the strings and he easily followed, a hand landing on the small of her back as he held the other up, waiting for Astra to guide him across the floor.
“You’ve studied our customs,” Astra said with a smile, surprised. She’d had plenty of dignitaries over the years struggle to keep up without turning the dance into a power struggle.
The king laughed, a rumbling trio of notes. “Please. Do you know how nice it is to be led for a change?” His lilting accent ran over Astra’s shoulders like liquid starlight.
“So you like being told what to do, then?” Astra arched a brow, reveling in the burgundy flush that climbed his neck as they spun under the moonlight. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”
“I thought Fire Queen was just a nickname, but here I am, burning in your presence.”
Astra’s lips tilted into a dark smile as she spun him away from her and pulled him back in. “Thank you for the birthday gifts.”
The king’s eyes passed from the delicate cluster of jewels around her neck to her hips as he leaned in closer. “It was a tad selfish on my part, if I’m honest. To see such a beauty in Mercurian colors… that’s a true gift.”
Astra twirled under his arm and wrapped herself up in him before stepping away and linking her hand with his, facing the opposite direction of his bright gaze.
“Now, now. I’m sure you say that to all the Lunarian princesses.”
“You caught me,” he laughed, stepping around her in a ring. “I’ve said that to every Lunarian princess I’ve met tonight.”
