Sunkiss

Sunkiss Palace, Kingdom of Voek, 285 AU.

Sunkiss was the most beautiful building Maela had ever seen. Set in the middle of the capital, the royal palace was made of white marble, with large windows and numerous balconies. Huge gardens surrounded it, and dozens of birds and other small animals seemed to live there. She had spotted a few rabbits as her carriage approached, but she had no doubt that other animals were hiding in the thickets of greenery. Some of them were probably perched in the treetops, particularly the small felines. Cats had a very good reputation in Voek, and many people believed they brought luck. They chased away mice and rats, preventing the spread of disease and the loss of crops. Leaning against the window with Hanika, Maela closed her eyes for a moment as the wind caressed her face. She wanted to let her hair down and let it blow in, but that would be improper.

Instead, she stretched out her arm, enjoying the warm wind on her skin. The Voek sun was hot, but the wind made it milder. Nevertheless, it wasn’t uncommon for people to protect their heads with parasols, veils and other head coverings. From what little she had seen, veils were used by people who needed to use both hands regularly, such as those in physical occupations. Guards, bricklayers, gardeners and so on were unable to carry parasols after all. In comparison, Voekian nobles often carried parasols or umbrellas. They were a symbol of wealth, and Maela had taken great care in choosing the ones she had brought with her. They were all richly decorated, of course, but not overly so. She was a guest, and she didn't want to appear rude in front of His Majesty Viktor Lugsad. Especially as Voek was just reopening their political relations with Aruhel – or with the South, at least.

The carriage finally stopped, and one of the rattlemen opened the door. Maela let Prince Vale get out first with Ser Luka, then got out just before Hanika. She had to blink a few times to get used to the bright light, and opened her parasol to make it easier for herself. Next to her, Prince Vale muttered that he should have thought of taking an umbrella, and Maela held back a giggle when Ser Luka responded with an affectionate jibe. However, she couldn't concentrate on them for long, as their host was approaching. Queen Rosalind Sandborn wore a crown of yellow gold decorated with rubies, which went perfectly with her tanned skin and contrasted beautifully with her black hair. Maela took a few steps towards her and bowed low.

"Lady Maela of Yale House greets Her Highness Rosalind."

Hanika and Ser Luka bowed at the same level as her, but Prince Vale stopped a little higher. He was a prince and therefore didn't have to bow so low. From Maela's point of view, he should have. He wasn’t a legitimate prince, nor was he heir to the crown of Aruhel. It would have been more polite and respectful to bow lower before the queen.

"Get up, dear guests!" she said jovially, and they complied. "You've had a long journey, and the sun is not kind. Let me show you to your rooms, I think you could do with a little rest."

"We thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness," Prince Vale replied.

They followed the queen into the corridors of the palace, and Maela took the opportunity to admire the splendour of the castle. The white walls were finely decorated with gemstones on which the sunlight shimmered. There were also plants of all kinds, many of them in bloom, which Maela was unfamiliar with. There were also portraits of the previous Lords of Voek. There were very few queens, to Maela's surprise. Yggalë had had more queens than kings, and Aruhel had had about as many kings as queens. It was a matter of luck, of course, but surprising all the same.

"Lady Maela, I see you're quite taken with the paintings," Queen Rosalind said.

Maela's cheeks flushed and she clasped her hands over her face in embarrassment.

"I apologise, Your Highness! Sunkiss is simply one of the most beautiful places I've visited."

"There's no problem, my Lady. I'm delighted to see that you like our architecture," Queen Rosalind replied with a smile. "Most of our guests do not appreciate the beauty of this place."

"In that case they're wrong, this place is splendid! Pearlforest can't compare to Sunkiss."

"I'm sure Pearlforest deserves its name," the woman laughed. "I would love to visit your home one day."

"We would be honoured to receive you," replied Maela, bowing her head slightly and holding her hand over her heart.

The Queen nodded slightly in return, and they finally reached the wing reserved for guests. Prince Vale and Ser Luka were the first to reach their room, where servants were waiting to prepare a bath and tidy their belongings. The Queen waited until they had left the room before speaking again.

"When I heard that Prince Vale had a male lover, I thought it was a joke. But it turns out it's true!"

"Ser Luka is a competent knight," Maela replied cautiously.

She didn't know what the Queen was getting at; she had to be careful what she revealed. Beyond her loyalty to the Silvers, she liked Ser Luka. She didn't want to see him humiliated because of his status. The queen gave him an amused, almost mocking look, but turned away towards the corridor.

"It's quite possible. I just hope for his sake that Prince Vale will be able to protect him from the vultures. Protecting those you love is always difficult. The world can be a cruel place."

"Some people are cruel, but I think the world is a beautiful place," Maela replied as they reached her bedroom door.

The Queen gave her a strange look, but she didn't reply.

Maela looked at herself in the mirror. Tonight was the first banquet of the week celebrating Voek's 500th birthday, and she had to be impeccable. Hanika had redone her braids, adding several jewels to them. All were made of silver and white gold, with a few emeralds. Her dress was one of her favourites; it was made of light silk, so as not to suffer from the ambient heat. The dress had a diamond collar and curved delicately around her waist. From the waist down, there were three flaring skirts. The first stopped above Maela's knees and was emerald green with silver trims. The second was silver and stopped in the middle of Maela's shins. The last was forest green and stopped just below Maela's ankles. When she turned, the skirts seemed to float around her, matching her silver shawl perfectly. She also had a belt that marked the separation between the forest green bustier and the first skirt. The wildcat, the symbol of Yale House, was embroidered in silver thread on her bodice. Next came her jewellery. Maela had opted for a white gold chain with an emerald medallion to match her earrings. She had just one bracelet, decorated with a white hyacinth, Marchioness Elenda's favourite flower.

A smile spread across his face. It was perfect. She wore the green of her house and the silver of her political faction – personally, she would have preferred yellow gold to all that silver, but that wasn't possible. Hanika's dress was in the same shades, but more discreet. She had only two skirts instead of three, and the first opened onto the second. She also wore less jewellery. Maela was disappointed that her cousin couldn't enjoy the banquet as she did and dress up as beautifully as she could, but she knew it was all about politics. Hanika wasn’t the next duchess, she could not afford to outshine Maela.

They wouldn't have an escort as such, but Prince Vale and Ser Luka would go with them. They could find dance partners once in the reception hall. There was a sudden knock at the door, pulling Maela from her thoughts.

"Who is it?"

"Vale!"

"Your Highness! Come in!" she exclaimed.

The prince was the epitome of his title. His hair was slicked back and he wore rich blue and black clothes. The shield of House Virinen and the swan of House Kale had been embroidered across his heart, facing each other on his chest. Maela didn't know who had made the choice: the Prince or the Marchioness. His most striking pieces of jewellery were his signet rings. The one on her left hand, made of white gold, was set with a sapphire. The second, on the other hand, bore the symbol of royalty: the Virinen shield, to which a crown had been added. This symbol was reserved for the king or his representative, and Maela was surprised that His Majesty Rolan had authorised Prince Vale to wear it. Perhaps he wanted to make a good impression on King Viktor? If so, why send the Prince with the worst reputation? Or was it a warning? A message warning anyone who attacked his son that there would be repercussions. That seemed more plausible. After all, relations with Voek were far from perfect.

"Are you ready? It's time to go."

"Yes!" exclaimed Maela enthusiastically.

She couldn't wait to see the Voekian festivities. It would undoubtedly be incredible. Prince Vale seemed, as always, amused by her enthusiasm, but Maela paid him no mind. She suspected what he thought of her: a pampered child who knew nothing of the world. He wasn't necessarily wrong, of course, but she wasn't an idiot. Her mother described her as an optimist, but Maela preferred to think that she simply had faith in people. She preferred to think the best of them, to believe in their kindness and goodness, rather than assume they were bad. After all, if everyone assumed that the world was horrible and people were awful, life would be a miserable experience. And Maela didn't want that kind of life.

The first part of the reception took place in the Sunkiss gardens. As it was still daylight, it was possible to have an initial snack and meet the various guests. Of course, the royal family had to be greeted first. The Lugsads were seated at a table that appeared to be made of mahogany, and Maela quickly detailed them. King Viktor was about seven years older than her father, and he had become king at a young age. His own father had been murdered, and he had had to crush an attempted rebellion. Maela had no further details of this event, as Voek had tried to cover it up as much as possible. His wife, Her Majesty Rosalind, was the daughter of a count. Normally, this title of nobility was too low in the hierarchy to qualify for a royal marriage, but Count Sandborn was extremely wealthy due to the mines in his territory. He had also financed many measures for the king, ensuring his daughter's place at His Highness Viktor's side.

King Viktor and Her Majesty Rosalind had three children. Princess Elia was the eldest. She was born six years before Maela, in the year 266 after Aruhel’s unification. Prince Amos was born two years later, the same year as Hanika. Finally, the last prince, Erell, was born in the same year as Maela. Very little information was known about him. He was said to be cursed because he could not be exposed to the sun, and he had never been considered a potential heir to the throne. From what Maela could see, his vulnerability to the sun seemed true. Prince Erell had a servant at his side, who protected him from the setting sun with a large parasol. 'Wouldn't it have been easier to put up a tent?' she thought.

She then noticed that his clothes were not as rich as those of his family. He wore a lot of jewellery, but his clothes themselves were almost... basic. Strangely, the fabric for his sleeves seemed to have been sewn to look like scales. Did the Prince have a passion for snakes? Maela couldn't help but be curious. She observed him a little more; he had the tanned skin of his family, and wild hair as black as night that fell to the nape of his neck. But the most remarkable thing about him was his eyes. The Prince had piercing golden eyes, the same colour as yellow sapphires. Was this due to his so-called curse? It hardly seemed credible. Having golden eyes wasn't a curse.

"You've been looking at the second prince for several seconds now," Hanika said

suddenly.

Maela gasped and turned her head sharply towards her glass of wine, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Do you think he noticed? I was lost in thought."

"Do you mean to say that you were lost in his beauty? He's much younger than me, but I have to admit he's a handsome boy," her cousin teased.

"You! What! I wasn't admiring him, what's got into you? Has Hamya taken over your body?"

"Of course not!" Hanika laughed. "I'm quite capable of teasing you too. You've always seemed so disinterested in male charms, I can't help laughing when you finally seem to find a man charming."

"I’ve always said that Prince Helio is a handsome man, so it's not the first time I've found a boy handsome," she declared flatly.

"Yes, but you've never looked at him as if you liked him. Your opinion of his beauty is purely objective and detached. Prince Erell? You seemed to admire him."

"I was wondering about her clothes," Maela grumbled.

Hanika replied with an unimpressed look, and Maela bit the inside of her cheek.

"All right, I admit it, Prince Erell is handsome and I was admiring his eyes. I find them fascinating, they're golden!"

"Hamya will be terribly jealous at having missed this event," Hanika joked. "You'll have to talk to him and ask him to dance when music is played inside. It seems compromised to do so outside."

"Me? Ask him to dance? Don't even think about it! I'd die of embarrassment! Everyone would stare at us!"

"Maela, you are the next Duchess of the South. Voek's trade will depend on your goodwill. The nobles know this, which is why so many of them are waiting for the right opportunity to approach you. Even if they have something to say about it, they won't," replied Hanika.

Maela studied her cousin's words. It was true that the Voekian nobility had no interest in falling into her bad graces. It wasn’t for nothing that Voek had supported Yggalë during his war against Aruhel; the members of the government knew that they needed Yggalë. However, that didn't mean it would ease her anxiety! She glanced at the Prince. As if he could feel her gaze on him, he turned his head in her direction and tilted her to one side. Maela blushed violently and looked away, embarrassed. She must have looked like a complete idiot! Or, worse still, mad! The Marchioness would be ashamed of her. There was no point in training in politics for a full year and a half if she was to lose her nerve the first time she found a charming boy.

"He's clearly noticed you, anyway."

"That's enough, I'm embarrassed enough as it is!"

"Everything will be fine. His Highness Vale will surely be able to draw attention to himself. Give him the opportunity to attract the attention of the nobles, and everything will be fine," said Hanika, smiling slightly.

"You seem to have little faith in the Prince."

"I'm simply aware of his situation. The looks you get are full of curiosity and interest. People want to talk to you and get to know you in order to please you and win your favour. Unfortunately, the Prince is closer to a fairground animal."

Maela glanced at the Prince and the people around him. He had his arm around Ser Luka's hips, and most of the nobles talking to him were his age. Based on their clothes, Maela was able to deduce that they were not from the most influential or wealthy families in the country. They were nobles of average or minor influence. Earls and a few counts, perhaps. But no marquis, and not a single duke. The royal family barely looked at him. As for her, she could see young ladies of her own age whispering to each other as they watched her, and she spotted a woman she could identify from her coat of arms as Duchess Anoa Nill, La

dy of Windspear, watching her from afar. A single thought crossed Maela's mind.

'How unfair.'