“That’s what I thought.” Ariesian clapped Solarius on the back, turning him away from Tovian and Nyxian in a casual manner that suggested they had more important matters to discuss.
Solarius dipped his head slightly and lowered his voice. “Are they aware to take care regarding their conversations around Mother?”
Ariesian nodded once. “They are indeed. I informed them both of our suspicions. Nyxian was more than concerned when he learned Mother botched Novalise’s star reading and lied about her power. They both agreed to keep quiet and play the part of proper lords of Aeramere in her presence.”
The matriarch of House Celestine, Lady Trysta Starstorm, had roused Solarius’s guard last Midsummer when she’d failed to conduct a proper star reading for their sister, Novalise. It merely confirmed that Trysta had been manipulating star readings over the years. On the surface, such an act would appear harmless, but when coupled with the fact that Trysta blatantly tried to hide Novalise’s true magic and was actively working to pair their other sister Sarelle with the duplicitous Prince Aspen, it cast their mother in a less than complimentary glow. There was hardly anyone Solarius trusted less at the moment than his own mother.
There were other reasons from the past as to why he was skeptical of his mother, but those came with painful memories.
“Good.” Solarius cast a backward glance over his shoulder to find Tovian and Nyxian already preparing for another round of starshoot. “Is there anything else I should know?”
“Not yet.” There was an edge to Ariesian’s tone, a sharp kind of coldness like the bitter wind sweeping through the valley of Celestine. “It’s been unusually quiet.”
Never a good sign.
They’d grown accustomed to the rumors, to the rising swells of unrest throughout Aeramere calling for Queen Elowyn’s removal, much of which was believed to be circulated by her own son, Prince Aspen. Solarius supposed the celebration of Winter Solstice could be cause for the sudden stretch of peace across the realm, but he wouldn’t allow such a feigned sense of respite to cloud his judgement or slip through his defenses. If war was coming to Aeramere, they would need to be prepared, and given the current state of affairs in their realm, they stood no chance of victory. Every house had blindly stood by Queen Elowyn, believing her promises of safety and everlasting peace, thinking they were protected by a shield of immeasurable power, only to uncover that the Veil enveloping Aeramere was nothing more than a common glamour.
They were, in a word, fucked.
Perhaps this unexpected length of quiet was a blessing.
“If you require my assistance, you know how to reach me.” Solarius offered Ariesian a mock salute.
“That I do, though you should be enjoying these next few weeks with your new bride.” Ariesian’s dark brow arched in silent question. He would never speak the words, would never verbally humiliate Solarius, but the unspoken inquiry left him shifting his weight from side to side and his gaze slid to the uneven ground beneath his feet. At some point, he and Narissa would have to consummate their marriage, otherwise the contract between their houses would not stand.
“I see.” Ariesian tucked his hands behind his back, his chest expanding. “Perhaps you and Narissa need some time alone. Together. Away from everyone else.”
A honeymoon, a fortnight of forced marital bliss, where they would have to spend every waking moment with one another. Where they would have to do absurd things other couples conquered long ago, like getting to know each other, figuring out one another’s likes and dislikes, learning their habits and hobbies. But talking to Lady Narissa Seaborne was like trying to trek across the jagged mountaintops of the Moonfall Peaks—dangerous and oftentimes a promise of death.
Solarius rocked back onto his heels and tiny rocks slid beneath his feet. “Seems like a rather daunting challenge when expectations are so high.”
Ariesian’s brows quirked again.
“The Yuletide Ball. This.” Solarius gestured to their brothers and the vast sky. “Why call me away from House Azurvend only to bid me to spend time with Narissa?”
The corner of Ariesian’s mouth lifted in what could almost be considered a smirk. “To see if you would actually show up.”
“Of course I would.” Solarius shoved his hands into his pockets, stiffening against another frosty gust of wind. “You’re family.”
Ariesian’s fraud of a smirk faded as soon as Solarius spoke, and the faint shadows of disappointment haunted his eyes. “Narissa is your family now, and she should be your priority. Your duty is to her, not to me.”
Solarius stared at his brother. “But?—”
Ariesian lifted one hand.
“You will always be a lord of House Celestine.” He angled his head so his sleek silver hair fell across his face. “You still are, but now you also have Lady Narissa Seaborne Celestine by your side. She is as much a part of this family as you are, but she deserves more from you, Solarius. More than you’ve given her.”
Solarius’s temper spiked and he clenched his fists. His jaw popped.
“You don’t even know the half of it,” he muttered.
“Pardon?” Ariesian asked, leaning closer.
“Nothing.” Solarius shook his head. It was incredibly difficult to be kind and caring to someone who couldn’t stand to even share the same air as him. “She hates me, you know? And I don’t even know what I’ve done wrong.”
Ariesian shrugged with the nonchalance of a lord who cared for nothing and no one, a far cry from his usual demeanor. “So, make her fall in love with you again.”
Solarius almost choked. “It’s not so easy.”
