When we return to my quarters, Elise is more agitated than I’ve ever seen her. She draws me to the meeting room at the end of the living rooms on the second floor and seals the room tight against listening ears.

“Princess, forgive me, but I need to know what I don’t know.”

Every bone in my body wants to pace the floor, but I draw a chair across the floor to face the glass paneling looking out over the forest and the river beyond it.

I sit. “I knew Baelen Rath when we were teenagers.”

She nods. “I know the story. You used to climb the cliffs together behind Rath land. Your mother was a servant in their House. Apparently there was a dare about who could climb highest.”

That was the story I told everyone. A child’s account that they would accept. Close enough to the truth to be believed.

I push away the images in my memory as I say, “The Storm found me there. It knocked Baelen down and he hit his head on the rocks. It was my fault because I dared him to climb in the first place.”

The beautiful green forest slips from view as I drop my head into my hands, scrubbing at my eyes. “I don’t want him to be a champion.”

“Because you don’t like him?”

“Because I don’t want him to get hurt again because of me.”

There’s silence beside me. When I look up, a ghost of a smile plays around Elise’s mouth. “That sounds a bit like the opposite of not liking him.”

I swallow my embarrassment and try to cover what I just said. “Actually, it’s more like not wanting him to get killed. He’s the last Rath. I can’t have that on my head.”

“I see.” She peers at me and, for a moment, I’m afraid she’ll see through me to what lies beneath: a feeling that I’ve never forgotten, snatched moments that I’ve kept wrapped up inside my heart.

She says, “I’m afraid there’s nothing you can do to stop him.”

“I know. But… he doesn’t seem to know the rules. I don’t know what he’ll do next.”

Given the fact that he wasn’t aware of the rule about touching me, I wonder if he knows any of the rules. Even if he deliberately avoided me all these years, he had to have heard other elves gossiping about the marriage protocols at some stage. Even the order of events on my wedding night is public knowledge.

Elise leans forward. This is the moment when, in another life, she would have taken my hands in hers—an act of comfort I can’t experience.

“I’ve been doing some research on the potential champions. The identity of the final males is kept under strict secrecy so it’s guesswork. Some I believe are obvious: Simon from the House of Splendor and Eli from the House of Elder. The others are hard to guess, but it was easy with Commander Rath because he’s the only possible champion from his House.”

“What did you find out?”

“After the storm, it took him a year to recover. He didn’t just suffer a head wound. His spine was damaged too.”

I gasp. I knew about the wound to his head because it was visible, but nobody ever told me about his spine. I clench my hands in my lap as sadness washes over me.

She continues, “The spellcasters did what they could but they were worried he might not walk again. He proved them all wrong.”

I blink away the tears in my eyes but they keep coming.

Elise reaches for me but drops her hand. She keeps speaking as if she knows that what I really need right now is for her to distract me from my thoughts.

“He spent three years at military training. For the first year, the males in the other Houses saw him as a target: an injured Rath, vulnerable for the first time. It was their chance to assert dominance. But Baelen Rath had a surprising ally.”

She’s smiling at me and I don’t know why. “Who?”

“Your brother.”

“My brother made it into military training?” For as long as I could remember, my brother, Macsen, had wanted to join military training but males from minor Houses had to work twice as hard to make it in.

“Apparently they became quite a formidable team and over time, they gathered other males from minor Houses to join them. Baelen Rath is said to have created his own loyal army there, many of whom now serve under him in the elven army.”

“I know that my marriage protocols aren’t exactly taught at military training, but still… there would have been talk wouldn’t there?”

She shook her head. “Well, apparently not. It’s said that there was an incident when another male mentioned that he thought you would…” She coughs. “Make a good wife. Well, that’s a nice way to put it. Commander Rath apparently took him to task. After that, nobody dared mention you or anything to do with you, including the protocols.”

“But after that, after military training…?”

“After he completed his training, Commander Rath disappeared. For three whole years.”

“What? Where did he go?”

“Nobody can tell me. But what I know from the brief discussion I had with his advisor is that he’s doing his best to catch Commander Rath up on what he needs to know about the protocols.”

“Then he doesn’t know any of the rules.”

“That sums it up, yes.”

I sigh. “This is dangerous.”

“That is also true. I agree that you should refresh your defensive skills, but you need to be very careful. Which brings me to the next thing.”

She stares at me pointedly. “What happened in the Storm Vault this afternoon? I’ve never seen you repel the storm like that. In fact…” She takes a deep breath. “I’ve never heard of any Princess doing that.”

I shudder. She’s right. As far as I know, Princesses don’t fight back; they simply absorb and control. I don’t know how it happened so I focus on the thing I can control—telling Elise about the storm speaking to me. Mai doesn’t want anyone else to know about it, but I can’t shoulder this secret on my own.

I say, “The rain spoke to me.”

Elise’s eyebrows shoot up. We’ve both had a lot of surprises today and I’m hoping this isn’t the one that finally destroys her calm demeanor. “What?”

“It spoke to me, Elise. But what’s worse is what it told me. It said that my husband is going to be cursed. He’s going to kill me.”

Her eyes are huge saucers and all the color has left her face. “But… that’s… no… If you die, the storm will be released!”

“I got so angry at what it told me that I fought back—and the fact that I could fight the storm shook me up too—but I need you to look into this for me. Is a curse even possible? Aren’t there protective spells cast over the protocols? If a curse is possible, could it be the gargoyles? Could it be someone in the elven Houses? Who would gain from my death?”

“Not an elf! Surely not. No, this can’t be true.”

I stare at her. “Okay, if there’s anything I need from you right now is that you have to believe me.”

She lifts her hands. “I do. I believe you. But the only ones who could gain from unleashing the storm would be the gargoyles.”

I say, “Then maybe that’s why they’re nesting close to the border. They’re preparing for an attack without raising too much suspicion.”

“That’s the most likely scenario. We have to tell Commander Rath. Oh wait…”

I shake my head. “We can’t. You’ve taught me enough about spellcasting that I know the curse could be lying dormant in all the champions and will only ignite once my husband’s chosen.”

She nods. “As a champion, he could already carry the curse and if there’s a failsafe built in, it could kill him if he finds out about it.”

“I need your help.”

“I’ll do as much research as I can, as much digging as I can. We will stop this. We have to.”

She leaves me then, racing away to her spell books. I sink into the chair. The distant forest blurs in my field of view. I didn’t tell her my own plan of attack—to fight for myself.

Nobody can know until the Heartstone Ceremony.

That way nobody can stop me.

My training begins at the break of dawn. I don’t have to go to the Storm Vault until early that afternoon so I have all morning to train. I hadn’t expected to be woken before the sparrows though.

“Good morning, Princess. Rise and shine.” Jordan pushes the lever that covers the skylight above my bed, her tall form a silhouette against the dim light beyond.

I crack open one eye. “The sun isn’t up.”

“No, but the city’s awake. The first of the major Houses arrived last night and we’re expecting three more today.”

During the week leading up to the Heartstone Ceremony, the major Houses have the right to arrive first, while the minor Houses have to wait—to the last day or even the last moment if the majors take their time. It’s all a game of strategy—get here first or wait to make an impression.

I scrub at the grin threatening my face. Baelen Rath beat all of them. I’m not sure why that makes me happy but it does. Although… there’s one rule that he did follow and that is that the House of Rath has the right of first nomination as the highest House. But approaching me in the Storm Vault was definitely a first.

“Which house arrived last night?” I ask.

“The House of Splendor.”

I sit up. “Splendor!” A larger grin breaks across my face. “Is Sebastian with them?”

Jordan’s serious facade disappears for a moment as a smile replaces it. The glow in her eyes lights up her face. She tugs at the end of her long ponytail, her dark brown hair a smooth cascade over her shoulder. “He’s with them.”

I bounce out of bed. “That’s the first good news we’ve had all week. It’s been too long since you saw him.” I frown at what she’s wearing. “You can’t see him dressed like that.”

She stands tall in her gray body suit. It’s lightweight and flexible—standard issue. But boring as anybody’s business. Not that Jordan doesn’t look good in even the most unflattering clothing. Constant training has honed her body to a lithe grace. She glides everywhere she goes without even realizing it.

She says, “Sebastian Splendor knows that I’m the Storm Commander. He respects my position.”

“True. But you’re a female first and he needs to see you as one.”

Her shoulders sink a little. “Until the Heartstone Ceremony, I’m not allowed to speak to any male elf. Just like you can’t.”

I grin. “That doesn’t mean he can’t see you… My training starts now, right?”

“Yes, and don’t think I haven’t guessed you’re stalling.”

I throw my hands up as I stride to the bathroom. “Does Sebastian still like to start his day with a run?”

She tilts her head. “As far as I know, yes.”

“Then I think we should too.”

“Princess?”

“Trust me. Call the Storm Command. I’ll be out in two minutes.”

I splash water over my face as soon as she leaves and pull my hair into a ponytail similar to the ones my Storm Command wear. Then I choose a simple suit of light material that matches Jordan’s: gray in color, strong but supple. I grab an apple from the fruit bowl beside the door and devour it in a few, big bites.

Jordan gave up everything when her House, Splendor, nominated her to be a member of my Storm Command, including her budding relationship with Sebastian. I’ve set myself on a course to avoid marriage, but I’ll do what I can for her to have a normal relationship. Well, as normal as it can be.

I emerge and call the elves to me, marveling at how fresh they look despite awakening before dawn. My own eyes are still half closed. We navigate the corridors until we reach the clearing leading out to the river.

There’s a scenic path along the river that Sebastian ran along the last time the House of Splendor visited the city. For the most part, the major Houses occupy their own lands throughout Erawind and only visit the city on formal occasions. Members of the minor Houses don’t own their own land, but work on the land of major Houses. I hate the social division although I’m painfully aware that I never would have been friends with Baelen if my mother didn’t work in the House of Rath.

Now, I pause with the river on my left until I sense movement a short distance behind us. Perfect timing.

“Run.” My command is quiet in the stillness and my ladies move, fluid and graceful around me. “Three file, please. Jordan to my outer right.”

My guards split into three lines, with me in the middle of the central one. It’s easy for them to reform the protective circle if they need to. Each pace-keeper at the front will move to the back of the line after five minutes, sharing the responsibility for keeping us in unison.

I don’t look at her, but I sense Jordan’s eyes on me for a moment as she obeys me and moves to the line on my right, closest to the grass at the edge of the path. If the male elves want to pass us, they will have to move right by her.

For a minute, I sink into the rhythm of movement, the river sparkling to our left, the grassy slopes glittering with dew.

A moment later, the heavier footsteps of male elves reach us. While we run with quiet stealth, they sing as they run, making their presence known. I close my eyes for a moment because there’s nothing quite so gorgeous as the unguarded harmony of male elves singing. While the House of Reverie is known for its ability to cultivate plants, the House of Splendor is known for its voices.

“Spin gold, shelter silver,” they sing. It’s a warrior’s song that can adapt to any context. Right now, spinning gold is about welcoming the rising sun, and sheltering silver is a tribute to the waning moon. In battle, the meaning is far more gruesome: spill blood and bury the enemy.

They veer out from behind us onto the grass. Our identities are concealed in the dim light but our silhouettes make it clear we’re female.

As they draw level with us, their harmony becomes respectful of our gender. “Welcome the light, and honor the life-giver.”

The House of Splendor is also known for being more progressive than the other Houses, encouraging its females to take up positions traditionally reserved for males. It’s particularly prosperous as a result. I can’t help but smile as the males speed up to draw level with us and then slow to match our pace. The expanse beside the river is wide enough to accommodate multiple jogging groups.

One of the males breaks off from his group, jogging closer to Jordan. It’s hard to see, but elves in the House of Splendor have very pale eyes, reflective like a cat’s, and I’m sure I recognize the unusual silver-green of Sebastian Splendor’s.

I know it’s him when Jordan tilts her head and gives him a formal nod. He does the same and settles into stride with her. The male elves sing about gold and silver again, but Sebastian’s voice is louder than the others when he sings the next verse. “She is worth more than both.”

They may not be able to speak to each other, but he found a way to tell her he still loves her. For the first time in days, my heart swells. There’s not a lot I can do to control my own destiny, but I’m determined that my friend will find happiness.

We run together for the next thirty minutes until the sun breaks across the horizon. In this formation—and because my Storm Command rotates on and off duty—it’s easy for the males to assume that I’m not with them. Now that the sun is rising, that illusion will be hard to maintain.

I don’t need to signal Jordan for her to know this. As soon as the sky brightens, she calls for the Storm Command to break away from the males, turning as a group and cutting across the slope to take the shortcut back to my quarters.

As I turn away from the sun, a shadow passes across it. I squint back to identify it. I shake my head. Just a bird.

Once we’re back on the main path, the elves form a protective circle around me again.

“I’m not as fit as I thought I was,” I say, raising some eyebrows. “I think we should start the day with a run tomorrow too.”

Jordan smiles. “Thank you, Princess.”

I shake my head at her. “I wish you’d call me by my name.”

She grins. “One day, Princess.”

When we reach the War Room to begin my training, Elise is waiting for us. She’s the only thing I recognize in the room. The members of my Storm Command who stayed behind from the morning run have been busy transforming the space into a training center. My jaw drops at what they’ve achieved. Shelves full of wooden weapons rest against the walls. There are mats everywhere, climbing equipment, and archery targets.

Elise steps forward.

“Anything?” I ask her, hoping she’ll understand that I’m asking whether she’s found out anything about the curse.

“Not yet. But I found an answer to the problem of touching you while you train. I’ve cast a shielding spell over each member of your Storm Command. It cloaks their skin and places an invisible barrier between you. They will be able to touch you without making any real contact.”

“I didn’t know you could do that.”

“It’s not easy to conjure and it wears off. You have three hours at most, but I suggest you keep it to two hours just to be safe.”

I turn to Jordan. “Is that long enough?”

“It’s probably for the best. You can’t be too tired to face the Storm this afternoon.”

I’m not sure. I’ve got a lot of training to catch up on. The last time I fired an arrow was, well, far too long ago.

When I argue, Elise steps in. “You can’t take any chances today.”

Her words are pointed. I haven’t forgotten the storm’s power yesterday. It feels like a lifetime ago that the storm spoke to me. So much has happened since. But I can’t forget that the storm is getting stronger.

Jordan’s posture changes. She transforms into relentless trainer mode right before my eyes. “Are you ready, Princess?”

I say, “More than ready.”