King Cairo chuckled. "There always is some degree of resistance. It passes."
I thought of Evie. The strength within her that she struggled to stifle during the ball. Oh, there would be resistance, but maybe, I could diffuse some of it. "Will we get to speak with them before the ceremony?"
"There will be a short period between dinner and the ceremony, forty-five minutes, for each of you to mingle with the remaining women. I suggest you make good use of that time. When you’re decided, go to the selection booth and write down your order," my father explained. "Everything will happen as it should. Only one of us got our first choice during our Hunt, and in the end, it worked out exactly as it should have. So keep in mind that you may not end up with who you think you will, but as always, we expect everyone to remain civil and grateful." He stared around the room with a stern expression. One that he reserved for me and my brother when we were younger and misbehaving during lessons or dinner. I could read between the lines.
You get who you get and you won’t cause a scene.
"You'll each be collected when it's time for dinner. In the meantime, rest. Refresh yourselves. The Hunt may be over, but this is still just the beginning. The Recurrence is far from over." Ero made his way to the door, stopping when he reached Torin. He extended his hand to his son, and a look passed between them for a split second as Torin slipped his hand into his father's. Father and son shared a moment, one that I knew Torin had never been given until now—his father's approval.
It wasn't until my own father stepped in my line of sight that I realized I'd been caught staring. "Father," I greeted, bowing.
"None of that, Alasdair." He patted my chest with both hands and spoke low. "I know this is difficult, son. I struggled with it, too. It doesn't make you any less of a man. We're kings, and kings must make difficult choices for the good of our people and our families."
"I understand," I replied, even though I didn't. I could see how this Hunt was the answer to the curse, but that did not mean I had to agree with it. I'd been just as much a player in a game with secret rules and consequences, and I didn’t appreciate it.
"Good lad," he said. "I am proud of you, and I love you, son." He looked around me and smiled. "I'm going to speak with Alden before I leave. Never forget, Alasdair, one day, you will be a king. This is just the beginning of the hard decisions and situations you will be thrust into. You must keep your head."
I nodded. "I will."
With that, my father walked away while I was left standing alone, looking at friends I'd known since birth. Boys who had grown into men, men who would continue to gain power and respect as time moved forward. They hugged and celebrated together, and had I not had those awful memories returned to me, I may have joined in with them. I'd heard enough though, and I needed some time alone. With that plan, I made my way to the door, only to be halted at the last moment.
"Dair."
I looked back and found Torin standing behind me, looking serious. I lifted a brow in question.
"I have something I need to discuss with you. Perhaps we could talk in your room?"
"I can't right now, Torin. I'm—" I paused, searching for the right excuse but quickly found I really was not feeling well. "tired."
Torin narrowed his eyes as he studied my face. "You do look exhausted. Go and rest while you can. I'll find you later?"
"Later," I replied, already turning back to the exit. Cool air hit my face as I entered the hall, and I immediately felt some relief.
"Lord," the guards standing outside of the door greeted me. I simply acknowledged the greeting with a nod. It was all I could do for fear of opening my mouth and letting out a roar of frustration.
I marched through the halls, eager to clear my head, a feat which seemed impossible at that point. I'd been raised in court, surrounded by nobility. I knew of the games that were played within the sanctions of the royal circles, but up to this point, I never felt as though I was a game piece, one to be moved about without any of my own input.Betrayed. That's what I felt.
Our people's gifts, the ability to shift into our animals, were exactly that. Ours. A sacred bond between man and beast. Had I been informed of the requirements to acquire such a “gift”, I would have declined. However, I wasn't given that option. It was assumed by all that we would just accept that this was the way of things.
You nearly killed her.
My breath caught as Evie's panicked face flashed in my mind once again—an image that would haunt me for the rest of my life. It wasn't that I didn't feel guilt for the women and men I had killed, because I did. But none of them faced me, looked me in the eye in their final moments, not like she had. They hadn’t called out my name and begged for mercy. I needed to find her. We were all victims to this atrocity, and I feared what the kings might do with her if she rebelled. I knew, out of all of the women, it would be her. Her stubbornness and strong-willed personality weren’t something she hid during the ball. My stomach twisted uncomfortably at the ramifications she’d face if she caused a scene.
I changed directions and headed to the third floor, where I knew the women's rooms were. A guard stood at the base of the stairs, startling when he saw me approaching.
"My lord," he said, bowing. "Is there something I could help you with?"
"I need to see one of the women. Immediately."
"Oh, my lord, I am afraid that isn't possible. King Ero has explicitly forbidden unchaperoned meetings between the royals and the wom—"
My hand shot out and grabbed the guard around his neck. I could clearly hear the hammering of his heart as his eyes went wide. How dare he try to keep me from her? I wanted to snap his neck for the disrespect.
I looked down from his rapidly reddening face to the way my hand engulfed his throat and released him as though I'd been burned.I blinked several times, feeling dizzy.This isn't me. "Forgive me."
The guard cautiously rubbed his neck and avoided eye contact. "There is nothing to forgive, my lord."
I wiped the beads of sweat from my forehead. "I should not have placed my hands upon you in that manner. I am not... myself at the moment. I apologize, but I really must speak with her."
