A Shattered Dawn

Chapter 8

At last, I expect that we will rise to exit the stadium and I will finally be allowed to breathe again. Instead, the victorious royal's voice booms across the stadium, and I tense again in my seat.

"We are gathered here, on this solemn anniversary, not to mourn, but to celebrate!"

His voice rings through the open air, a clear echo of his words reaching us easily through the speakers installed in the corners of our box. I let none of my confusion escape through my facial expression yet wonder: a 'solemn anniversary'? What can he possibly mean? He continues briskly with his speech, praising his people for all the hardships they have endured, and how they all look forward to what the following year will bring.

It does not seem like a sacred ceremony, but rather a rowdy celebration. He ends his speech with a final hurrah to the Celestials:

"May we never again know defeat, may we always rise and conquer, and take pride in our strength."

And with that, the audience erupts from its seats, Adrian included, to applaud the man. However wrong it feels, I follow suit, swallowing the sour taste in my mouth. It seems especially wrong for this man, stained with the blood of their enemy, to stand in front of all these people and preach about pride. I smile.

I now notice for the first time a servant standing outside the entrance to our enclosure. No, not just any servant, the servant from last night. I avert my eyes before he notices and I silently pray to any being that will listen that he doesn't speak a word. The Duke offers me his hand once again, leading me to the door. I watch the floor, feeling the servant's eyes burning into my back as we cross the platform to re-enter the main building. We lead the procession, the idle chatter of the passerby charged with passion from yet another victory. Adrian converses with some of the nearby royals, speaking about unimportant topics such as the weather and the rainy season approaching. 

To my surprise, he speaks my name, waking me from my trance. I look up, smiling at a woman I have never seen before, her white, wispy hair as striking as her teal eyes. She is the spitting image of Adrian, and I exchange greetings with her—his mother. Does he introduce all of his women to her? We walk with her until we reach the arching hallways of the main building, weaving through the crowd.

I feel his arm thread behind my back, his hand resting at the base of my spine. I'm sure, to others, such as his mother, this gesture could be seen as nothing more than care for me—to guide me through the traffic within the halls, but I begin to feel as though I have fully accepted that I am one of his possessions.

"I wish I could take you to the beaches today so we could have some alone time"

He gives me a half–smile and kisses my cheek and I see his mother's eyes widen, not with surprise, but amusement.

"You would think, for a prince, that he would have some decency, especially in public,"

She laughs at her own joke.

Now it is my turn to feel surprised. A prince? I guess the titles are a bit unclear. He continues with what he was saying.

"Anyway, since I have to deal with some paperwork and organize a few meetings today, I'll have you escorted. I wouldn't want my lady to suffer from boredom, would I?"

He pulls me closer to his side, an act that feels too similar to possessiveness to be anything else. Or maybe I am crazy and he is just affectionate.

Either way, we do not climb the twisting stairs that lead to his quarters, but rather continue through a foreign wing of the building until we reach what must be his office, judging by the placard bearing his full name. His mother left?? in the main atrium of the castle, with its constant flow of overdressed Celestials.