Chapter 7: Boarding The Boat

Less than an hour later, Bae and more than fifteen guards, her seven advisors, the late Kumari's seven mates and the twenty-one delegates, gathered on the castle's dock, preparing for the journey across the lake to the temple at Mofa. It was almost dusk and they were massively behind schedule. Their lateness was evident in the way the representatives from Dixia Muxue were anxiously checking the position of the sun, watching it as it descended towards the horizon, across the lake.

The lake acted as a moat for the castle that was housed within its waters on a small island towards its south-eastern edge. Whenever Bae had left the grounds of the castle, it was either to spend an afternoon in a small rowing boat on the lake or to walk across the bridge on the south-east side, entering into the Forest of Elivade. The forest had been her mother's favourite place and so they had spent many an hour just within its bounds, but always within sight of the castle. Until now, Bae had never been out of sight of her home and the idea of taking a boat out beyond the centre of the lake was both exhilarating and terrifying.

"Are you ready, Kumari?" Kael came up beside her, taking her arm so that he could guide her towards the royal boat.

She nodded her head, unable to trust her voice not to betray her. She refused to show her weakness. That was more than she could afford. It didn't help that the Prince of Canku was watching her. Where the other delegates were observing her with mild interest, his eyes were focused on her as if determined to discover her every secret.

‘Feel free to share them with me if you find them out,' she snarked internally, noticing his lips twitch up as if he'd heard her thoughts.

They stared at each other for a second, neither one willing to be the first to look away. She had no choice but to divert her eyes when she reached the boat.

"Do you want to go to your quarters, Kumari?"

"Not really," she replied.

"It might be safer," her brother said, his head bowed.

"Safer sure, but significantly less interesting."

She wanted to stay on the deck and watch her castle disappear for the first time. Her palms were sweating as she bit down on her bottom lip. The Chief Protector conceded and stepped back to give her a little space, or if not that then at least the illusion of it.

The Kumari waited for the others to board the ship as patiently as she could. Her mother had always spoken about the Commencement with enthusiasm but Bae struggled to see it in the same light. All she felt was dread at the prospect of being Queen. She'd watched her mother perform the role without fault for years; she just couldn't believe that she'd be even half as good a Kumari as her mother had been.

The sense of her mother's magic had followed her from the grave side and was now hovering somewhere near the tips of Bae's fingers. She almost felt a need to reach out and stroke it as if it were a corporal being. The late Kumari had always described it as such but had refused to give details, telling the young Princess that all would be made clear in time.

She barely noticed when the boat began to move away from the dock, she was so transfixed upon the speck of magic that seemed to be spinning in swirls, growing as it did, into what she did not know. Wondering if any of the others could see what she could see, she looked around only to find that most of the delegates had gone below deck.

She was as close to being alone as she had ever been. Behind her stood only five guards, her Chief Protector and off to one side, still watching her was the Prince of Canku.

Her turning around was apparently all the encouragement he needed. He made quick work of the width of the ship so that he was now standing directly in front of her.

There was something about him that she found intimidating. His magic was palpable; she could almost taste it as it came off him in waves. He was powerful, there was no denying that. But that wasn't what intimidated her. It was the way his being so close to her made her feel that was unsettling.