Chapter 218: Need of a Warning

Elara:

I laughed and decided it was time to redirect the conversation before either of them started interrogating me about the accident, my recovery, or the progress of the investigations.

"Enough about me. You two have been away for three weeks. Tell me everything. Violet, how was your time at your grandma’s? And Myra, did you finally get to have some fun time without worrying about studies?"

They exchanged a look that told me they had absolutely no intention of following my conversational instructions. Violet leaned forward, her purple hair falling over one shoulder as she fixed me with a bright, unmistakably curious stare. "Oh, don’t even try that. We can talk about our holidays later. Right now, I want to know everything that happened at the Royal Palace."

Myra immediately nodded in agreement. "Everything. Especially the welcoming party."

I groaned and sank deeper into the couch. "I knew this was coming."

"Of course it was coming," Violet replied, looking deeply offended by the suggestion that she might overlook such an opportunity. "You disappeared into the Royal Palace for three weeks, attended a party hosted by none other than the Selene Valemont, and spent time around people who usually make the rest of Starfall nervous just by entering a room. You cannot expect us to ignore that."

Myra leaned closer, her eyes sparkling. "And you looked absolutely beautiful in the pictures we saw. Violet nearly lost her mind over your dress."

"Nearly?" Violet interrupted. "I did lose my mind. That dress was spectacular, and I still haven’t recovered from the fact that you wore something so gorgeous without sending me a proper description first."

I rolled my eyes, but the corners of my mouth lifted despite myself. I had missed this. The teasing, the laughter, the complete absence of political calculations. With these two, I could be a twenty-year-old girl telling stories about an awkward party rather than the future Crown Princess recounting a strategic diplomatic event.

I gave them the broad outline of the welcoming party, leaving out a few details that I had no intention of discussing with anyone, least of all my two best friends. I told them about the prominent families, the formal introductions, the speeches, and the exhausting experience of being watched by dozens of people who seemed determined to decide what sort of princess I would become. I also explained how Jasper had accompanied me and how Esme had eventually helped me leave the party when my feet were ready to mutiny against the heels I had chosen.

Violet listened with the intensity of a detective collecting evidence, occasionally interrupting to ask about a particular part or guest, while Myra seemed especially interested in whether I had enjoyed myself at all. "It sounds exhausting," she admitted once I finished. "But also kind of exciting. You got to meet people who could influence the future of Starfall, as well as yours."

"That’s one way to describe being trapped in a room full of powerful people who judge you before you have finished saying hello." I reached for a cushion and hugged it against my stomach. "Honestly, I’d rather take a practical examination. At least if I fail that, I know exactly how many marks I have lost."

Violet laughed, then suddenly leaned back with a thoughtful expression. "You know, though, there is one thing I can’t stop thinking about."

I immediately became suspicious. "That sentence has never preceded anything good."

She ignored me, her eyes gleaming with the kind of interest that usually meant I was about to become the subject of an extremely uncomfortable conversation. "It must be thrilling to be the center of attention of all five of Starfall’s uncrowned kings."

I stared at her.

Myra’s mouth fell open for a second before she pressed her lips together, clearly fighting a laugh. Violet, meanwhile, looked delighted with herself.

"Think about it, Elara. Reign Valemont, Esmeray Ashbourne, Kairo Greymark, Alaric Ravenshade, and Lorien Moonveil. Five of the most powerful men in Starfall, all paying attention to the same woman. And that woman happens to be you." She paused dramatically, as though waiting for applause. "Granted, it isn’t exactly the good kind of attention. But still! In all their lives, I doubt they have ever collectively given anyone this much attention."

I rolled my eyes so hard I was surprised they didn’t disappear into the back of my skull. "Oh, please. You can have it."

Violet’s eyebrows rose. "All of it?"

"Every last bit." I waved a hand dismissively. "The arguments, the teasing, the challenges, the unnecessary drama, the political complications. Take the entire package. I will even help you write a thank-you note afterward."

She tilted her head, studying me with renewed interest. "You are serious?"

"Dead serious." I hesitated for barely a heartbeat before adding, "Especially Reign."

The words came out far too quickly, and the moment they did, something gave a small, unpleasant ping inside my chest. It was ridiculous. Entirely ridiculous. Why should I care about handing Reign over to someone else, even as a joke? He wasn’t mine to hand over in the first place. He was an arrogant, insufferable menace who had recently attacked me during a morning run, pinned me to a tree, and kissed me so thoroughly that I had spent the remainder of the morning wondering whether I had suffered a temporary lapse in sanity.

That kiss had been a mistake. A moment of weakness. A ridiculous, inexplicable incident that I would eventually forget. It certainly did not mean I had any claim over him, nor did it mean I wanted one.

I shook my head, determined to banish the thought before either girl noticed my expression. One kiss. That was all it had taken to turn my brain into a traitorous mess. If this was what happened when Reign Valemont kissed someone, perhaps the academy should issue a warning before allowing him near unsuspecting students.

Violet watched me for another second, and I was certain she had noticed something, but mercifully, she chose not to investigate. Instead, she let out a dramatic sigh and shook her head. "As tempting as that offer sounds, I’m going to have to decline."

Myra blinked at her. "You wouldn’t want to be the center of attention of five powerful men?"

"Not those five." Violet made a face. "Don’t get me wrong. They are all ridiculously handsome, and I can appreciate a beautiful face as much as the next woman. But Reign is too arrogant, Kairo is too complicated, Alaric looks like he would start a fight just to avoid admitting he has feelings, Esme is so smooth that I’d spend half my life wondering whether he was flirting with me or plotting something, and Lorien..." She paused, considering. "Lorien is Lorien. I don’t even know where to begin with that man."

Myra burst out laughing, and I couldn’t help joining her.

Violet lifted her chin with great dignity. "I have standards, thank you very much. I prefer my men cute, low-key, and capable of having a normal conversation without turning it into a battle of wills."

"So you want someone who doesn’t make your life difficult?" I asked.

"Exactly." She pointed at me. "Which is why I’m passing all five of those disasters directly back to you."

Myra laughed harder, shaking her head as she leaned against Violet’s shoulder. I joined them, smiling so widely that my cheeks began to hurt.

For a little while, there were no crowns, no prophecies, no mysterious dreams, no dangerous secrets, and certainly no blonde idiots lurking in snowy forests. There were only three girls on a couch, laughing together as though the world outside our dormitory could wait until morning.

And for once, I allowed myself to believe that perhaps the new term might begin with something wonderfully ordinary.