Total pages in book: 218
Estimated words: 205594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1028(@200wpm)___ 822(@250wpm)___ 685(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 205594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1028(@200wpm)___ 822(@250wpm)___ 685(@300wpm)
As time inside the unchanging tower rolls on, Candra uncovers the man behind the stony facade. And when their tenure hits an unexpected snag, Candra and Nemeth are forced to make a difficult choice. They’ll need to face an outside world they no longer recognize, one that threatens their lives and their surprising love
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Chapter
One
The moment I hear the palace messenger is looking for me, I hide in my closet.
It’s completely childish. I know it is. It’s just that any time someone has a message of “grave urgency” to give to me, something terrible has happened. The first time, it was my father’s death to bandits. The second time, it was that my mother had died of the sweating sickness. The third time, my sister Erynne was told it was time for her to marry my nemesis, Prince Lionel, and I still haven’t forgiven her for agreeing.
So any message that’s for me and me alone? It cannot be good news.
My maid enters my quarters and looks around, frowning. “Lady Candromeda?” She takes a few steps forward, her dark blue skirts swishing as she strides.
I chew on my nail, hoping she doesn’t look in the heavy wooden wardrobe, and if she does, that she doesn’t look behind the huge, embroidered pink panniers that I wore thrice last season. They’re incredibly stupid skirts, but they’re easy to hide behind, at least.
Riza gazes around my quarters, her eyes narrowed. “She was just here. And she has to come back soon for her medicine.”
Wincing, I wrinkle my nose. Riza’s right. I hate that she’s right. I can never get very far because I’m tied to my nurse, who has to administer the potions I take daily, or else I’ll get sick and die. It’s the curse of the Vestalin line to have tainted blood. My mother’s sister had it. My sister Erynne has avoided it, and thus she’s the valuable one. Our youngest sister, Meryliese, was spared the family curse, but because she’s the youngest, she must be dedicated to the gods. She left when I was a toddler, and I barely have any memories of her. The Vestalin family is down to myself and Erynne.
And I’m tainted.
It’s…inconvenient.
The Vestalin line dates back to the first kings of Lios. There has always been a Vestalin dedicated to the gods. There has always been a Vestalin family to bring fortune to the people of Lios. We are the blood of heroes. The first Vestalin, Ravendor Vestalin, sacrificed herself to save our kingdom and ever since, we have been held and revered as the best of humankind.
Well, the non-tainted ones are.
I’m the tainted one, so I’m more or less forgotten. The taint in my blood, the Vestalin curse, means that I’m useless as a bride, because I’m barren. Those with the curse cannot have children, and those without the curse that bear Vestalin blood have a chance of giving it to their children. My mother bore six children to my father, but only three of us survived childhood, and I am the only one that was tainted.
Luck was not with me then, and it’s not with me today. As Riza looks around, my nurse enters my chambers, the hated silver tray in her arms, vial of medicine still steaming from its preparation. She sets it down in the usual spot next to my chair by the fireplace, and begins the preparation of the potion.
Dragon shite.
“Princess?” my maid calls out again, heading over to my adjoining bedchamber in case I’ve appeared there. She glances back at the messenger, who lingers in the doorway, straightening his livery. “Your medicine has arrived, right on time.”
Pursing my lips, I decide to give up on hiding. I kick open the door to the wardrobe and tumble as gracefully as I can from behind the mess of skirts and silks. I throw my hair back and straighten my clothing, lifting my chin as the messenger gapes. “Have you seen my red silk corset, Riza? I was looking for it,” I lie.
Riza just snorts and moves to my side. “Let me help you with your sleeve, my lady.” As I sit gracefully into my chair, she mutters just low enough for me to hear. “Hiding in the closet like a child and you a lady of four and twenty. For shame.
“No one asked you,” I mutter back as she pulls on the knots of my oversleeve, removing it from my gown. Nurse sits across from me, busy at work. My arm is bared, and I lay it out for my medication, not looking as Riza ties a tight band of golden cord around my upper arm.
I can’t look at the needles. They make me feel faint to see them shoved into my arm, so I always turn my head. I use this opportunity to glance over at the messenger, who’s gawking as my ladies prepare me for my daily medicine. “What?” I snap, knowing that I’m being unfair to him. “Haven’t you ever seen a potion administered before?”
He swallows hard, staring at my nurse.
I glance over just in time to see her lift up a large syringe and a needle as long as my finger. Oh gods, I had to go and look, didn’t I? I clench my jaw and keep my face focused on the messenger as my nurse taps my arm, looking for the vein. “You had a message for me, didn’t you?”