Chapter 2 I Reject You

The Crown Prince walked down the steps of the platform one slow step at a time. The crowd parted for him without a word. Nobles drew back. Guards bowed their heads. The only sound in the courtyard was the soft ring of his boots on the stone. Sera could not move. Her hand had fallen from the Moon Stone, and the light inside it was fading, but the warmth in her chest was growing stronger with every step he took. It felt like a thread pulling gently from her heart to his. He stopped three paces away from her. Up close, he was even taller than she had imagined. His eyes were gray and cold, and they moved over her plain cream dress, her mended sleeves, and her red, raw hands. She saw his gaze pause on those hands for a moment. Then it lifted to her face. Sera tried to speak. Her voice came out as a whisper. "Your Highness, I..." "Do not speak." The words were quiet, but they cut like a knife. Sera closed her mouth. Kaelen turned to face the crowd. When he spoke, his voice rang out across the courtyard, clear and steady. "The Moon Goddess has named this girl as my mate. I have heard her words, and so have you." A murmur ran through the crowd. Sera's heart beat so hard that it hurt. "But I will not accept her." The courtyard went still. Sera felt as if the ground had dropped away beneath her feet. No, she thought. He must be confused. He must not understand. Kaelen turned back and looked directly at her. His face was like carved stone. "I am the future king of Moonfall. My queen must be strong. She must have a wolf, a bloodline, and the respect of this kingdom." He paused. "You have none of these things. You are a wolfless servant, and you are not worthy to stand beside the throne." Someone in the crowd gasped. Someone else laughed, quietly and cruelly. Sera's eyes burned. "Please," she whispered. "The Goddess chose me. Surely that means something." For a heartbeat, something flickered in his eyes. It looked like pain, or perhaps doubt. His hand twitched at his side, as though he wanted to reach for her. Then, on the platform behind him, King Alaric cleared his throat. The flicker vanished. "I, Kaelen Draven, Alpha heir of Moonfall," the prince said, in a voice as cold as winter, "reject you, Seraphine Emberlyn, as my mate." The words struck her like a blow. Sera gasped and pressed her hand to her chest. It felt as though something inside her had been torn in half. The warm thread that had just begun to glow was ripped apart, and the pain that followed was unlike anything she had ever felt. It was sharp and deep, and it spread through her ribs, her arms, and her legs until she could hardly breathe. Her knees gave way, and she fell to the stone. The courtyard blurred through her tears. She heard voices, but they sounded far away. "Poor thing. What did she expect?" "A kitchen maid, mated to the prince? The Goddess must have been jesting." "At least the prince has sense." Sera lowered her head so that no one could see her face. Her whole body was shaking. Do not cry, she told herself. Do not cry in front of them. But the tears fell anyway and darkened the stone beneath her hands. Through the haze, she saw a pair of blue silk shoes stop in front of her. Lady Lyra Voss stood there, looking down. Sera expected to see a triumphant smile. Instead, she saw a face that was pale and tense. Lyra's lips were pressed tightly together, and her eyes moved from Sera to the prince and back again, as if she did not know what to think. "Your Highness," Lyra said at last, in a careful voice. "Is this truly your decision?" "It is," Kaelen said, without looking at her. "Then..." Lyra drew a slow breath. "Then I will stand with you." She lifted her skirts and walked to his side. A few of the nobles clapped, politely at first and then more loudly. The sound spread through the crowd until the courtyard rang with it. Sera knelt on the ground, listening to the people applaud her heartbreak. Something touched her shoulder. She looked up, blinking, and found Elder Moriah standing beside her. The old seer's clouded eyes were wet, and her thin hand was trembling on Sera's arm. "Get up, child," Moriah whispered. "I can't," Sera said, and her voice broke. "It hurts. It hurts so much." "I know." The old woman leaned closer. "But you must stand. Do not let them see you crawl." Sera looked at her for a long moment. Then, slowly and painfully, she pushed herself up. Her legs shook, and her dress was stained with dust, but she stood. The crowd was still murmuring, but the sound seemed to come from very far away. Sera lifted her eyes and looked at the Crown Prince one last time. He was staring straight ahead. He did not look at her. But his fists were clenched at his sides, and his shoulders were rigid, as if he were holding himself up by force. A thin line of sweat shone on his forehead. If Sera had been less hurt, she might have wondered why. "Is that all, Your Highness?" she asked. Her voice was hoarse, but it did not shake. "Have you finished?" Kaelen's jaw tightened. He said nothing. "Then I accept your rejection," Sera said softly. She did not know where the words came from. They rose up from somewhere deep inside her, quiet and steady. The moment she spoke them, a strange shiver ran through her whole body. On the platform, King Alaric's eyes narrowed. For the first time that evening, the king looked uneasy. Kaelen flinched, as though he had been struck. A low, pained sound escaped him, and he pressed one hand to his chest. Sera did not notice. She had turned away, and she was walking through the crowd with her head held high and her tears running freely down her face. People stepped aside to let her pass. No one spoke to her. She was almost at the edge of the courtyard when she felt it. A small, bright heat was growing in the center of her chest, right where the bond had been torn away. At first it felt like a spark. Then it felt like a coal. Then, with every heartbeat, it grew hotter and brighter, spreading through her veins like liquid fire. Sera stopped walking. She looked down at her hands. A faint golden light was glowing beneath her skin.