CHAPTER ELEVEN

Truth

     When they reached the front gates, the others were already waiting. Unfortunately, with a group of palace guards keeping them out.

Mars had a scowl on her face, talking to one of them animatedly with her hands. The others either looked annoyed or bored.

"Finally!" Mars exclaimed as Estelle and Ana's horses clopped nearer. "Tell these idiots that we're here to see the king and queen."

"Now you listen here—" the one she was arguing with began, red faced.

"I'm here on official business by the second-born prince of the King and Queen of Ravka, Prince Nikolai Lantsov," Estelle told the guard, sliding down from her horse. Ana followed suit. "We'd like a private audience with the monarchs, and we'd like it as soon as possible. It's regarding the Darkling and his rampant rage across their country."

Estelle had learned years ago that if one acted like they belonged, then everyone else believed it too, even if they didn't believe it themself. She was aware that her hair looked like it hadn't been brushed properly in weeks and that she hadn't had a nice bath in a while, but she stood straight up tall and looked the guard in the eye.

Even messengers can run into trouble along their journey.

The guard gritted his teeth, but he sighed. "Follow me. I'll see what I can do."

They were led past the stables where their horses were left to be groomed and fed, then through the halls of the Grand Palace and into a secluded room. It looked like it was some sort of strategy room, with a few windows letting in bright midday light. The doors closed behind the guards and Estelle heard the sound of two pairs of boots stopping to stand right outside.

Trapped in. Not that Estelle didn't expect it.

"What's our plan?" asked Lije.

"We're going to tell them the truth," Estelle said, sitting down in one of the plush chairs, signing and talking at the same time. "That I'm the Star Summoner, we're waiting for Nikolai and the Sun Summoner to arrive, the Darkling is coming and their only defense is us."

"Are you sure they won't get...overwhelmed?" Ana wondered.

Estelle chuckled. "Of course they will, but we want them overwhelmed. If that's how they feel, then they'll lean on us to help them. We want them to rely on us."

"Plus, they haven't seen Nikolai in years," pointed out Farrah.

"Are we sure that we want to be in this position?" Emil asked. "They're the king and queen, they can threaten us."

Mars scoffed. "With what? They don't know us. They don't have anything to threaten us with."

"They could always threaten to take our lives," Kenna offered. "That works for everyone."

"Not everyone fears death," Mars replied with a shrug. Everyone in the room knew she was talking about herself.

"Right," Kenna said, looking out the window. "If they let us stay, how long will we be here alone?"

"Should only be a few more days," said Estelle. "Unless, of course, Nikolai decided to take more time going into towns to spread the good news of him and the Sun Summoner being back."

Jiel chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "I'm sure he'd love to have more time with all the attention on him."

Estelle cracked a smile. That was true. He would elongate their trip just to greet his people.

Someone knocked on the door and all heads snapped to attention. Estelle stood as the doors opened and the guard from before walked in.

"They'll meet you in the throne room," he said monotonously. "Follow me."

Estelle exchanged a glance with Ana. They were halfway there.

The guard walked through the halls quickly, not looking back once to see if they were keeping up with him. Estelle's thoughts ran wild.

I'm a Star Summoner.

Your youngest son is coming home.

The Darkling wants to kill you all.

Oh, and I'm practically in love with your son, Nikolai.

Estelle cringed. She'd personally throw herself off the roof if those words ever came out of her mouth.

There were a thousand possibilities of what could happen, but she couldn't see any one of them. She didn't know if the king would order to kill them immediately, or throw them out, or welcome them in with open arms. Estelle could only see the past. This wasn't the time for an ability like that.

After a while, they'd gone down so many different twisting corridors that Estelle suspected he was leading them to nowhere, just to confuse them.

Her suspicions were proven false when they rounded the corner and a pair of large double doors opened into the huge throne room, grandiose beyond proper words. A pale blue carpet ran the length of the room, right up to a raised dais where two golden thrones stood. On those thrones, the only other people in the throne room, were the king and queen.

King Alexander III was a man with watery blue eyes and a weak chin, and he definitely looked weak. His hands were gripped on the armrests of his throne, like that was the only thing keeping him from falling over. His eyes drooped and he looked like all he wanted to do was take a nap.

Queen Tatiana looked worn out, her pale skin sagging and her eyelids drooping. She was decked out in glittering jewels that, when reflected against the light, nearly blinded Estelle. She stared Estelle and her crew down with extreme scrutiny, even more than her husband.

"Where is my son?" the King spoke, his voice wavering yet still with the demanding tone of a person with power.

"He is on his way here as we speak," replied Estelle. "With the Sun Summoner."

The King clenched his jaw. "And how long have you known about this?"

Estelle cleared her throat, folding her hands behind her. "Your Highness, Prince Nikolai is coming home, I don't believe how long I've known about it is quite important right now."

He narrowed his eyes, angered. "I will tell you what matters and what does not, messenger. You—"

"That's...not exactly correct," Estelle interrupted him softly, cringing.

"What do you mean?" The Queen demanded.

"I'm a Grisha, like the Sun Summoner." Estelle averted her eyes.

"You are a Sun Summoner?" scoffed the King.

"No," she replied. "I'm a Star Summoner."

The throne room was silent. Estelle hated dropping that bombshell, then leaving everyone in shock. Oh how she wished everyone would just know something instead of her having to tell them.

"Pardon?" asked the Queen. She laughed. "I apologize, I just...I thought I heard you say you were a Star Summoner. But that...that's impossible. They're not real. They were in one book from ages ago, they're a myth."

"Everyone thought that about the Sun Summoner not too long ago," Mars added.

Estelle sighed, giving her a warning look. "But I'm standing here, aren't I? Very much real."

The Queen squinted her eyes. "If you're truly the Star Summoner, give us a show. Summon the starlight."

It was as easy as ever to summon the silvery light, filling Estelle with energy. Her fingertips thrummed with power as light flowed through the room. The King and Queen's eyes were wide with wonder and disbelief.

But even now, Estelle couldn't ignore the whispers that continued in the back of her mind.

Together.

You and me.

We will be great.

Together.

Together, Estelle.

—

"Still nothing?"

Estelle groaned and opened her eyes, rolling off of the enormous bed in the guest suite she'd been given to stay in. Since she was with the prince, the suite was in the Grand Palace, the large window on the right side of the bed overlooking the gardens.

Lije and Jiel were both lounging on the sofa, their boots discarded and their shirts unbuttoned slightly. It was as if it was their room instead of Estelle's.

Farrah sat cross-legged on the floor, a book in her hands. Emil stared out the window with Kenna. Mars and Ana were the only ones whose full attention was on Estelle.

It was Mars who spoke, her arms crossed. Estelle nodded, grabbing a piece of buttered bread from the platter that had been sitting on the desk when she'd arrived. It was on a silver plate that seemed too fancy for Estelle, but she certainly didn't give it back. The food was good.

"I can't see him, like usual," Estelle replied, sighing with a mouth full of bread. "For all I know, he could be hiding in the closet and we wouldn't know."

Lije and Jiel turned their heads to stare suspiciously at the large closet in the corner. They looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

Mars rolled her eyes. "Immature," she muttered in Zemeni.

"Can we focus, please?" asked Ana impatiently. "Did you look for Nikolai?"

Estelle blinked. "No. I...I didn't think about it."

"It might be a good idea to do so," she signed in response.

Estelle didn't want to. For all she knew, she could find him in bed with Alina. She certainly wouldn't put it past him, even if it wasn't very likely Alina would allow such a thing to happen. He'd probably claim it was all part of the grand seduction.

Nonetheless, Estelle climbed back onto the bed and crossed her legs. It took a few more moments than normal to focus, but once she did, Nikolai came almost immediately.

He was sitting on the ground by the foot of his bed, his knees drawn up to his chest. The moonlight made him look less like a prince and more like a lonely boy. Nikolai's leg bounced up and down, his fingers drumming a rhythm against something in his hands.

The something in his hands flash in the silver light. An emerald ring. The emerald ring. The Lantsov family ring. Nikolai turned it over again and again, deep in thought.

For a second, all Estelle felt was longing. For what...she didn't know. But it was there, and it was overwhelming.

Nikolai's back straightened, as if somehow had called his name. He looked around the room, brows furrowed in confusion. Like he knew she was there. Watching.

Then it was gone.

Replaced by one word, whispered from Nikolai's mouth, almost like the cause of the longing.

"Estelle."

She popped open her eyes, back in her room in the Grand Palace, surrounded by her friends. All eyes were on her, some concerned and some curious.

It had to be a misunderstanding. He couldn't have known she was watching him.

She couldn't have been making him feel lonely.

It was all just a huge misunderstanding.

Right?

a/n— Oop, I'm just gonna...leave it at that. Don't worry, the drama's coming! ;)