For some girls, age eighteen is the magical age of freedom and independence. For Aerys, turning eighteen means an arranged marriage to a man she's never met before, leaving the only home she's ever known, and accidentally discovering things she never knew about the world, about her family, and about herself, things that have been lurking beneath the surface all along. However, each new discovery brings new questions with it, and the answers could lead in some very dangerous directions. She and her fiancé, Dmitri, must decide whether or not to find the answers to these questions and what to do with the knowledge they gain. To change the game instead of living by others' rules, they must look beyond what they see.

Look Beyond What You See

"Oh, Aerys," Juniper sighs dreamily as she drops my veil into place. It's the big day, the day my life changes forever, the day I exchange my family name for the name of a family I did not know existed a year ago.

The day that, if everything goes according to plan, changes everything for my grandmother, as well.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, and it has very little to do with the wedding. I couldn't care less how I look right now. I'm more worried about tonight, and dealing with Xenia de Poitiers, and how this will affect the war.

"You look absolutely beautiful," Juniper continues, trying to shake me out of my reverie. Kyla, Malina, and Torcuil's sisters stand nearby, voicing their agreement while making the last minute adjustments to their own dresses. Kyla comes up to me with tears in her eyes and crushes me in a hug.

"I'm so glad I get to be here to see this," she whispers in my ear.

Chapter 62 The Wedding