Robin

Robin stood with her hands folded behind her back as she waited outside the royal entrance to the ballroom. She and the other courtiers were waiting for her father to arrive to make his grand entrance to the dance. And it would surely be grand.

She was getting antsy about it all. This was the first time he’d done anything public since the arena. Would there be another attack tonight, or would he do something extreme in a show of retaliation?

Kova placed their hand on Robin’s shoulder and gave a small squeeze. “It’s going to be fine,” they breathed. They looked down their nose and narrowed their eyes. “You gotta stop freaking out over everything.”

She shrugged, forcing Kova’s hand off. She brushed her sweating palms against the front of the tulle on her pink skirts and then pushed her curly hair over her shoulders. The king had made a point of making sure everyone was going to be here — she’d heard the whispers all night long from the different advisors and servants spreading the word.

Something was definitely going to happen tonight.

Behind her, the doors to their small waiting room swooshed open. Her father walked in, blood smeared across his lips. One of his dainty advisors quickly handed him a kerchief, and he wiped it away, dropping it back into the small woman’s hands. His shoulders were covered in intricate furs, and his golden crown was resting on his head.

“Aerin, are you sure about this?” The advisor on his left spoke, attempting to keep his voice in a hushed tone. Advisor Domio was older than her father, and he was one of the closest people to the king.

The king quickly turned, her cheeks going red. Robin chewed the inside of her lip and quickly turned her gaze away. Advisor Domio had just called her father by his common name in front of his court. At least she wouldn’t have to hear him yelling his head off in the meetings later.

Aerin nodded. “Yes, of course I’m sure,” he grumbled.

Sure about what? This couldn’t be good.

“We caught the perpetrators. It’s time we make a show of it,” he continued. He placed a large hand on Robin’s shoulder. “I will trust you to keep your cool tonight, daughter.”

Robin tightened her grip on her skirt as her entire body went cold. She didn’t know what it was, but this was going to be bad. Very bad. She put on the best smile she could muster and turned to her father, placing her hand over his with a fake confidence. “Of course, father.”

He squeezed her shoulder before he removed his hand. “Good girl.” He stepped in front of her and nodded to the guards manning the door. Time for a grand entrance.

The music that had been playing beyond the doors went quiet as King Aerin started his descent into the room with his advisors and guards in tow. Robin’s eyes quickly searched the room before she stepped inside, looking for anyone that she might warn. Would Mae be alright in the aftermath of whatever it was her father was planning?

“Kova, I don’t like this,” she whispered to her friend.

Kova nodded. “I don’t either.”

That was all they could say before they were being pushed into the room. The two of them met each other’s gazes, silent words passing between them. Robin could only hope her eyes would show the horrifying amount of worry she had. Kova led her inside, their elbow lifted and her hand gripping it firmly.

She quickly spotted Mae, committing her location to memory. Her slick black dress hugged her body, and her long, flowing strawberry blond hair tumbled down her back in small curls. She looked both everything and nothing like a spy. Could there be a chance she already knew what Aerin was going to do?

The king took a bloody wine off one of the trays and lifted into the air. “To Azure!” His voice reverberated through the ballroom, a deafening laugh escaping his scratchy throat. “Tonight we will feast and dance!”

As he took a long swig of his drink, the music started playing again. He stood by his makeshift throne, brown eyes slowly travelling the crowd. He was looking for who he would honor with the chance to dance with him.

“I need to warn her,” Robin blurted as she stared at Kova. Her advisor didn’t stop her this time as she shoved through the crowds in search of Mae. She stopped as she found Jessie. The woman wore a simple purple dress, red eyeliner coating the bottom of her eyes. “Jessie, be careful tonight. Do not attract the attention of the king. Do you understand?”

Jessie's eyes widened. “Robin? What’s going on?”

Robin shook her head. “I don’t know. Just make sure the rest of the unblessed know.” She had a sinking feeling about the way her father had said feast. She didn’t have enough time to talk to Jessie any longer, so she moved through more people in the spy's direction.

She stopped as she finally found her. Mae’s back was turned toward her, and she was talking and laughing with the man who’d outed her in the cave. Were they anything more than colleagues? Robin’s cheeks warmed, and she quickly shook her head to get herself out of her damning internal monologue.

Breathlessly, she reached her, skirting in front of her. The princess smiled again, but her eyes spoke of urgency as she looked at both of them. “Dance with me, Runea?”

Mae blinked twice and cocked her head to the side, glanced once at her friend, and then nodded to Robin. Mae took the lead, slowly putting her hand on Robin’s hips and guiding her into the dance.

“What’s wrong?” Mae immediately asked.

Robin shook her head. “I’m not sure yet. My father, he said, they caught whoever burned the arena. He wants to make a show tonight. I — I’m afraid for the unblessed. Something doesn’t feel right.”

Mae nodded. “Did you warn anyone else?”

“I found Jessie, and I told her to warn the others,” Robin said. She let out a breath, slowly spinning Mae so she had a better view of her father. She looked at Mae seriously. “I think you should leave. Get out of the ballroom before anyone notices.”

Was she really this worried about the spy? It was dumb and ridiculous. Mae was a pretty girl, but she was also a liar.

Mae took Robin’s hand and slowly placed it against her hip, right where a small dagger was stashed underneath her dress. Robin’s eyes widened as she felt it under her dress. “Robin, I’m not going anywhere.” Mae smirked, and she leaned closer, still gripping Robin’s hand and holding it against her hip. “And there’s no fun in running away.”

At the throne, King Aerin clapped his hands together, and the music stopped playing. As Mae let go of Robin, the princess stayed next to her. She stared up in horror as her father cleared his throat and took another drink of his wine.

“Before we dance, I have an announcement,” he said. “You all, my visitors from across Azure, will be the first to have the honor of hearing it, because you have come to my festival. As you saw, a group of unblessed assassins attempted to make an attack on us all. I will not tolerate this. We have caught the perpetrators, but we are still investigating the situation. As such, we will be installing a nightly curfew for all unblessed within the city.”

Robin’s eyes widened. This wasn’t good. Her father hated unblessed, that much was clear, but putting decrees in place for them only? That was absurd!

He smiled. “As a show of good faith to our unblessed visitors, I have also decided who I will first be dancing with. And I hope she will also use herself to show the good faith for the rest of the unblessed….”

Robin froze as he met her gaze. His irises were already tinged red with all the blood he’d consumed. He was drunk on power in more ways than one. “Daughter, Princess of Azure, Robin, will you please bring forward your dancing partner so I, too, may dance with her?”

“Shit,” she said under her breath, just low enough that Mae could hear it. The woman froze beside her.

Mae took a deep breath through her nose and rolled her shoulders back. “Let the games begin,” she hissed.

Robin stared at her in bewilderment. Was she seriously going to go through with this? Mae smirked at her and gave a small wink, as if she could read her mind. The entire ballroom was staring at the two of them.

Robin slowly lifted her hand, offering it to Mae. She’d thought they’d escaped the flames, but she was about to lead her into the worst inferno yet.