Irrefutable Proposal

  “You know, I’ve only ever been to the Royal Capital once.”

  “When we were kids, right?”

  “Yeah. Dad brought us. He was responsible for setting up the tent for the Graces that week-end.”

  “We fooled around a lot, I remember.”

  “Yeah, and he just let us do whatever we wanted.”

  “Good times. The people fawned over us so much 'cause we were twins.”

  “And my hair reached the floor back then ‘cause I was so small, too. They kept touching it.”

  “If you didn’t bun it these days, I’d say it’d come pretty close.”

  Spotting the blond braided bun on the back of Pia’s head, perfectly out of the way of the huge claymore she mostly kept slung over her back, Theo curiously listened to the twins’ story as he walked. They still had a few hours to go, and the sky was finally lighting up.

  “Why didn’t we ever go back?”

  “Dad left. The only reason we’re going now is because the royal asked.”

  “Kor asked,” interjected the royal sourly.

  “Listen, with all this stuff going on, you dunno when you’ll see ‘em next. Since we’re here already, I think we should.”

  Seth blew off the side conversation and continued chatting with his sister. “It’s been too long. How many…what number is this? Fifteen?”

  “Sixteen.”

  “How many years would that be since that happened…sixty?”

  “Probably somewhere around there. I’ve lost count.”

  “Neither of us was ever good at maths. It’s a miracle we learned magic. ‘Else we’d be useless.”

  “Speak for yourself.”

  “I guess Dad always liked you more because you were better at reading script. I bet he’d have asked me to go with him, too, if he liked me just as much.”

  “Maybe.”

  “What do you think woulda happened if you actually went with him?”

  “Nothing.”

  From the front of the group, Seth turned around and beamed at his sister. “If Mom had been alive to see us, I bet she’d have liked me more.”

  Pia’s default, deadpan answer didn’t change. “Maybe.”

  “Ahead,” called Faris from the front.

  Theo slowed his pace and watched everyone ahead of him fall into single file, taking the moment to observe the surrounding scenery. The bright green trees, already full of spring leaves and buds; the faraway grasslands past those; even further away, the tall, unsurpassable mountains that made up the majority of the Royal Boundary. If he tried really hard, he also could barely make out one of the rivers flowing downhill from the Lakes of the Graces.

  It was beautiful. It reminded him a lot of his childhood days near the mountains. His birthplace wasn’t too far from the Royal Boundary; to the west, right before hitting the Hythian Gulf, at the base of the mountains that oversaw the Caspan Ocean, past the Valley of the Fairies, was Tetche.

  What kind of kid had he been? He could only remember snippets before he had been given up. He slept a lot and was rarely allowed outside—but the days he could go, though, slung over his mother’s back…he remembered how bright the world had been.

  Did Mom or Dad like me more, I wonder.

  Mom…I think Mom did.

  A recurring dream replayed in his mind but broke before it turned sinister, right on time to spot someone wearing strikingly familiar and neutral colors pulling a small wagon filled with bags of produce. They offered a stoic wave and nod to the group as they passed.

  “I miss the Circle of Graces,” complained Selene with a sigh once they were out of earshot. “I wanna go back.”

  “Aw, I think the Capital will be fun,” responded Kor cheerily, to no one’s surprise. “You’ll get to see your mother.”

  A beleaguered, unenthusiastic groan deflected the cheery words as Selene walked ahead of Faris and Kor at the front.

  “These past few days were fun, weren’t they?” commented Callie from behind Faris, her head turned toward Darius beside her. “It was a pleasant change of pace.”

  “Pfft, you were like, studying almost the entire time,” Elias pointed out with a scoff.

  Faris glanced back, not a shred of his judgmental tone lost on Elias as he interjected, “What else are we supposed to do while under strict orders to stay put? Sleep all the time, like you?”

  “I mean, it wasn’t all the time. Probably.”

  “There, there. He and I’d do laps around the place every day,” acknowledged Kor with a laugh. “Not everyone wants to be studying in the Research tent.”

  “To be fair, they had a lot of old books,” added Theo with a reminiscent smile, fondly recalling being scolded by Kor and Pia just the day before for staying inside to examine a particularly interesting spell manuscript when it was beautifully crisp and sunny outside.

  “Oh, you know what, I never stopped by,” noted Seth with a hint of regret. “Wonder if they need any new ones.”

  “Probably not. Not enough people around anymore who want to risk getting killed,” responded Pia quickly and despondently, sending the class into solemn silence.

  * * *

  White stone roads. Grass as green as the ones that Ty loved to conjure, still wet with morning dew even though afternoon had begun. Orderly, colorful houses that showed no sign of wear and looked just as bright as the pristine roads, lined up in rows all the way up to the palace, which sat on a high hill in the heart of the city. Its details were too difficult to discern from so far, but anyone could tell that it, too, was just as stunning and utterly blinding as every other part of the Royal Capital.

  Waiting for Selene and Kor to deal with the guards who had been awaiting their arrival, Theo was hyper aware of where he was currently, and how rare it was to even see the Royal Capital as a commoner—he hadn’t imagined he ever would in his lifetime.

  They had come a long way since this morning. The tents for the Circle of Graces could still be seen far in the distance, a neat circle past the forest down the hill. From where they stood, he could even see the rivers that intertwined and ran down the hill, their glittering blue waters undisturbed and immaculate. So much of the land was untouched, nature left to run its course. Not a single soul in sight, not a single drop of magic. And how breathtaking it was.

  The mountains surrounded them from the left and right…a hard-to-reach place like this, positioned between mountains and cliffs, its only access to the rest of the world a singular, steep and winding hill…it was hard to imagine the Capital choosing not to be reclusive.

  “Theo, come on!” called Callie, waiting past the gate with a bewildered Elias behind her and the rest of the group already heading deeper into the city.

  Turning back to the armored guards waiting at the base of the drawbridge that had been expressly lowered down for their arrival, Theo walked into the veritable fortress that was the Royal Capital and watched with bated breath as the drawbridge walled them within.

  “What’s gotten you so spooked?” quipped Faris when Theo finally joined the group. Inside was as stunning as the outside, and it was hard not to notice that no one—no one—was staring at them. Normally, they’d have attracted glares, side-eyes, or even offensive remarks from townspeople. Here, people kept to themselves and minded their own business despite their reputation for not allowing in outsiders often.

  “I don’t know,” Theo admitted easily and under his breath, continuing to watch the bustling city and its people. “They…don’t use magic here, right? I’m surprised they’re not wary of us.”

  “Since it’s hard to get in, they probably expect us to be harmless. But I wonder if the palace has any magic, considering the lineage,” replied Faris thoughtfully, also absorbed in taking in their surroundings.

  From what he could see, there were a fair bit of women and men alike; most had dark, royal-black hair as expected, but it wasn’t uncommon to see others with brown or even blond hair. Some were on leisurely strolls, some were walking around with their children, and some were shopping at the stalls near the outermost edge of the city. No magic in sight—not even a single spell-candle.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Other than that, everything seemed…shockingly peaceful. Normal.

  “Hey Selene,” asked Theo, turning his head to follow the umpteenth child running past them. “How’d you prove to them you were royal, anyway? Is there like a ring or some kinda seal?”

  “No.”

  “Then how did—”

  “I have a brand.”

  That shocked Theo enough to rush to the front of the group and gawk at Selene. “What?”

  “You heard what I said,” grumbled the princess, shifting her gaze to the side and pulling her hood down further. “Now get out of the way.”

  “But—but why?” he protested, brows furrowed and desperate to understand.

  “You’re not dense like Ty,” retorted Selene irascibly, still refusing to make eye contact with her new class lead. “I have blond hair and moved to the Circle of the Graces when I was eight. Make an educated guess.”

  “What, they brand you for leaving?”

  Selene finally met his eyes with a hostile glare. “No, they brand you for being half-commoner.”

  Theo felt his entire body slump and his curiosity shatter. “Oh, Selene,” he sighed, stopping and watching the royal continue without pause. “Oh, Selene…” he repeated quietly, walking to Callie when he saw that she had stopped for him.

  “She admitted it, huh?” The support’s gaze was soft and kind, her light brown eyes as clear as the blue sky above them. “It must have taken her a lot of courage, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah,” he stated stalely, shaking his head as if it would rid him of the overwhelming guilt, wishing more than ever right now that Ty was here. “I…shouldn’t have pressed her.”

  “It’s okay. She’s growing up, just like the rest of us.”

  Yes, growing up. We’re still kids, after all. Kids trying to survive in a war that isn’t ours.

  Comforted by Callie’s presence, Theo resumed walking and absorbing the world around him instead of asking questions—the marble steps leading up to the palace, the fountain and park at the base of its entrance teeming with people, citizens sitting on the grass with blankets and baskets full of food, the long, circular strip of stores and stalls on the road facing the park, the sweet, seemingly never-ending gentle tune of a lyre surrounding the center, and the sacred peacefulness of it all. There was only chattering among individuals, voices that were never raised, laughs from adults and children alike, the sound of shoes leisurely making their way around the city—the sound of life, so much clearer than it had ever been for him.

  “Well. This is where we break,” Seth announced as they approached the bottom of the palace’s white steps. He put his hands on his hips and nodded to a bench on the edge of the palace grounds facing toward the park. “What say we meet there at sundown? And then we can head back to the Circle of Graces for the night?”

  “Oh, do we need to do a binding?” Theo perked up, itching to use his magic after so many days of indolence in the oddly peaceful Royal Boundary.

  Unfortunately for him, Pia shook her head. “Probably shouldn’t, since there’s no magic around here. And we’re locked in here until sundown, anyway. Just stay in groups, and figure it out yourselves if you need help. Y’all are old enough.”

  Understanding orders when they heard them, the class nodded as the two older students walked away.

  “So. Anyone not wanna come up to the palace with Sel and me?” The glint in Kor’s eyes was unfettered as she extended the offer to the class.

  “I—um,” Callie surprisingly chimed in first, gazing up at the towering palace in front of them, “is…is it okay if I say no?”

  There was unmistakable disappointment in Kor’s face as she narrowed her eyes at the support. “Are you sure? You probably won’t get this chance again.”

  “Yeah…” she trailed off, still looking up, her eyes wide and searching. “I…don’t mind missing out. Um…” She turned to Elias beside her and tugged on the edge of his shirt, her expression and voice softening to a degree that had never been heard by anyone else before. It was sickeningly saccharine. “Elias, i-if you don’t mind…maybe we could get some food and have a picnic?”

  The entire group, shocked at their cores, stiffly stared down Elias, who immediately pivoted away from the group while making a poor attempt at covering his beet-red face with a hand. “Uuuuuuh…”

  Theo was the first to recover. “See you two back here at sundown, then.”

  “Y-yup,” Elias sputtered through both his hands while quickly removing himself and the radiant, puppy-eyed Callie from the group.

  “Okay, time to go then!” Korinna clapped her hands together and made a mad dash up the palace steps, going two at a time while the actual royal sighed loudly at the base of the stairs.

  “I can’t with her sometimes.”

  Watching the royal unwittingly follow in her chemist’s footsteps, the class lead eyed the two remaining students. “Shall we?”

  Darius nodded before proceeding first, lumbering up the stairs with a lackadaisical caster and tired tactician in tow.

  Gazing at the several landings between each flight, Theo spotted rows upon rows of flowers, circling all around the palace. Most of the different species and variations seemed to be decorative, but as they ascended further, and he began to spot fancily dressed women wearing identical, long white and peony-pink chiffon dresses and ornate golden headdresses, he noticed that some shrubs and plants were medicinal. A few were well-known herbs for botany and potion-making, and once or twice, he even stopped to admire some herbs he swore were long extinct.

  Despite all that, the beauty and sheer academic value of it all did not come even within a hair’s breadth of it being worth it to Theo to ascend the veritable mountain that was the hill upon which the palace sat.

  “For…for the Royal Palace, don’t you feel…like this many steps…is too much?” Doubling over, hands on his knees, Theo panted at the very top landing where there were two more fancily clad women in white and pink wearing golden circlets over their pitch-black hair.

  “Let me help,” entreated the Ancient, holding a hand out that Theo took before they arrived at the palace’s magnificent and gilded white, ornate arched doors.

  “Princess Selene, you have returned,” spoke the woman to the left with a bow.

  “Chemist Korinna,” followed the woman to the right with another bow.

  Watching the small ritual unfold, Theo felt a sense of shame for thinking that the royals he had seen so far looked like cutouts of each other, wearing the same doll-like clothing and embellished circlets with golden chains that dangled transparent, sparkling jewels.

  I wonder if Selene wore one of those growing up. And then: I wonder if Korinna has an outfit, too.

  The women both straightened up simultaneously and walked over to the gates. “Princess Lyanne and Chemist Inea have been waiting.”

  With barely enough time to process the names, the gate opened, revealing two figures inside.

  “Please proceed,” beckoned the gate attendants to the three remaining students standing in front of them, unaware that their two other companions were already through.

  “It’s really feeling like Callie and Elias were smart to stay back,” muttered Faris under his breath while complying like his other classmates.

  “We are here for them,” replied Darius coolly.

  Not having ever been in a palace before, Theo couldn’t even speak. His eyes were taking everything in all at once, not sure what to look at first, or what to even think first—this rug looks exactly like the kind we have back in our common room. Those banisters look like they’re gold. So much gold everywhere. Oh look, there are stairs that go down, with some black-and-white tile at the bottom. There’s so many floors up above, too. Those winding staircases look awfully similar to the one in Em’s home. This place looks pretty small from the front here, there’s no way this is it. This area must be to receive guests only? Dear Graces, there’s a lot of people walking around. And they’re all women—wait—is no one talking?

  Theo swiveled around just in time to see the doors slam loudly behind him.

  “Do you want to start?” spoke the short, bright-eyed royal with the long black hair to the tall, brown-haired lady beside her.

  “Are you sure?” the lady clothed in black replied, staring back at the youthful royal with such a big smile that it was impossible not to notice the laugh lines on her face.

  The royal, who was almost the spitting image of Sel, nodded enthusiastically like a child, her golden headdress and its jewels making clinking noises that sounded as dizzyingly high-pitched as her voice.

  First stealing a glance at Kor and Sel, who stood not five steps away, the darker lady commented to her companion, “Look how much she’s grown.”

  “Oh, she’s the same, don’t flatter her.” Politely holding up her hand to her mouth as she let out a giggle, the royal lowered her hand and gazed intently at Kor, adding softly, “Yours is a fine young lady as always—Lady Tilly’s going to be in tears the moment she sees her.”

  The chemist’s mischievous smile was replaced with a bittersweet one as she finally turned to her daughter. “You really are, aren’t you?”

  Theo could swear that Kor rolled her eyes before finally putting an end to the one-sided conversation. “It’s only been a few months. And she’s always been a crybaby.”

  “That’s a long time for a mother,” smiled Princess Lyanne, who took a few steps forward until she came face to face with her own daughter. “Hi, Selene.”

  “Hello, mother,” replied the young princess in her usual cutthroat tone, allowing absolutely no weakness through.

  Instead of words of admonishment, her mother reached out and hugged her daughter tightly. “I missed you,” she cooed, closing her eyes with a serene smile on her face. “So, so, much.”

  “S-stop it,” stuttered Selene after a few seconds, blushing and pointing out the three misplaced boys behind them. “Where are your manners? We’re not the only ones here. Stop being rude.”

  The ever-smiling royal, being pushed back, returned to her original position beside Kor’s mother and offered a deep bow. “Welcome to the Royal Palace. Thank you all for taking care of Selene and Korinna here.”

  “I mean,” reasoned Faris immediately, earning a wide-eyed death stare from Theo beside him that he pretended not to see, “we haven’t really been doing much.”

  “Ah,” remarked Chemist Inea with a hint of recognition in her eyes, staring intently at Faris. “Tyche, was it? A peculiar name.”

  “Well—” began the caster.

  “I remember her,” interrupted the chemist, looking to her friend again instead of the children. “She was so small and polite, wasn’t she?”

  But before the royal—or anyone, for that matter—could respond, Theo burst, “What? She came here?”

  Selene’s mother responded with a steady nod. “She wished for an audience with Queen Lanimede, and it was granted.”

  “When was this?” Theo continued to prod, feeling his heart race.

  The royal turned to the chemist for confirmation. “A week ago…was it? Maybe a bit more?”

  A week ago, Theo thought to himself flatly. A week ago. They had barely missed her.

  “Sounds about right,” guessed the chemist, tapping her fingers on her cheek before tilting her head at the class. “Incidentally, are you all staying long? Do you need a place to stay? I’m sure Tilly and I could figure something out.”

  Selene answered first. “No, we can’t.”

  “But we can stay for a sec to get some stuff sorted out,” Kor followed up quickly as she eyed her thin-lipped partner.

  “What?” asked Selene loudly, putting her hands on her hips and narrowing her eyes. “You—you’re up to something, aren’t you?”

  The gleam in Kor’s eyes did not fade. “Am I now?” she challenged.

  “Yes, you are!”

  “Hmm. I wonder.”

  “What!?”

  “Ah, kids,” sighed Selene’s mother fondly over the noisy bickering, a hand cupping her cheek.

  “I still remember when they were just wee kids who never quarreled,” smirked Korinna’s mother as a door at the bottom of the stairs opened, and another royal emerged. “I remember that time with the ice-cream like it was yesterday. A tiny seven-year-old Sel accompanied by an eight-year-old Kor who swore to protect her. Ahh.” Her sigh was full of nostalgia and reminiscence. “You’d never have imagined them to be the same people today.”

  Princess Lyanne gave her companion a playful nudge. “Aw, don’t sell them short. I’d bet they’re just as sweet, just not in front of us anymore.”

  Steadily watching the royal walk up the stairs, her dark eyes honed directly on him, Theo did his best to stifle the foreboding and cut in quickly, “Well, if Kor and Sel have some business to take care of, we can take our leave.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Kor’s mother with a concerned look. “I’m afraid a tour of the palace isn’t possible, as visitors aren’t allowed to cross the threshold, but it’s lovely outside, mayb—”

  “No, mum,” protested Kor, shooting her a knowing look. “I told yo—”

  “Excuse me,” interrupted the new royal with a slight bow to the two adults before stepping to the side and fully addressing Theo. “Might you be Theodore val’ne Emrys?”

  “Oh, Graces,” he instinctively replied, cementing the bad feeling in his gut. “Yes.”

  “Queen Lanimede requests your presence. If you could please follow me.”

  “Uhhh,” he replied dumbly as he felt himself step forward, mouth open as he steadied a shaky hand on the railing leading downstairs. He looked to Faris and Darius. “Will you two—”

  “Go,” sighed Faris and Selene at the same time, the former rolling his eyes while Darius nodded with a small, yet reassuring, smile.

  “O…okay.”

  Feeling like he had little choice, Theo followed the royal, descending deeper into the heart of the palace.