Destined for a King by Ashlyn Macnamara

Author:Ashlyn Macnamara
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2016-09-06T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Blackbriar’s altar to the Three stood in an alcove at one side of the great hall, a tiny little niche lined with stone, where perfumed embers were ever kept alit, a perpetual flame for the Three Gods who existed before the beginning and would persist after the end. Hardly room for a crowd to witness their vows, but there was space enough for two.

Calista never imagined herself standing here to make her wedding vows. With her betrothal to the king, she’d expected an elaborate ceremony at Highspring Moor, at the palace itself, attended by courtiers in silk and velvet and samite. Her mother had already commissioned a gown in cloth-of-gold tailored to skim the slender lines of her body and fit like a glove. Edged in costly Freehold lace, its neckline plunged to show off her bosom, and the sleeves fitted skin-tight to the elbow before belling out until they draped to the floor, lined in white silk and edged in more lace.

A gown fit for a queen. Tamsin had sewn her into it this morning. Torch was likely going to tear the delicate fabric when it came time to disrobe.

As she descended the steps into the great hall, taking great care not to trip on her train or her sleeves, her mother came to meet her, shaking her head. “You cannot think to wear this to wed that…that…”

“Upstart?” It was her mother’s favorite expression for Torch. “Would you have me in cottar-spun or linsey?”

“You were meant for Magnus. You were meant for the king.”

Calista opened her mouth and closed it again. Yes, and why not declare it openly? In a few moments, the entire hall would hear. “Perhaps I still am.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You’ll see.” She hoped so. As long as a bolt of lightning didn’t strike her where she stood when she declared Torch’s true name.

Mother pinched the trailing fabric of Calista’s sleeve and tugged. “I should like an explanation.”

“Let her be, Amara.” Her father appeared on the steps and put a hand on his wife’s shoulder. Her mother turned, and a telling look passed between them, a wordless conversation, such as Calista had seen them conduct many times in the past, but never had their expressions been so serious. “The choice has been made. Events must now play out as they were meant to.”

Calista dearly wanted to ask her father what he meant by that last comment. He wasn’t one to invoke destiny. No, that was her mother’s favored point. Coming from her father, it rang an off note, like a warning bell.

For the thousandth time since she’d agreed to go through with this, she spared a thought for Jerrah. There was another horrible wrong in this entire situation. Calista suppressed a shudder at the thought of Magnus callously turning Torch’s sister over to his guards. But even if Calista refused to go through with this wedding, the damage was done. Magnus would dispose of Jerrah either way.

Too late now. The hall was filling

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.