Normally, Carys would turn him down flat. But as much as she told herself she didn’t care what people thought of her, she didn’t want everyone to see her standing atop her platform at the start of these trials utterly alone.
She placed her hand on his arm and was surprised at the strength and muscle she felt there. Lord Errik was not bulky like Lord Garret or most of the guard, but there was strength in him others probably missed. She had. She wouldn’t again. She noticed him studying her and said, “I trust you realize you’ve picked the less popular side, Lord Errik.”
He put his hand atop hers and smiled. “Which makes it the far more interesting one.”
There was strength in his fingers, too. And calluses that spoke of hours spent training with steel. Yes. Carys had missed much about Lord Errik in her first assessment. She tried to remedy that as they climbed the steps to the long rectangular platform, and she was surprised when they reached the top to see she and Errik wouldn’t be completely alone. Eight of the young women of the court sat on wooden benches facing the tournament grounds—all girls Carys recognized as conquests of her twin brother’s charms. The girls stood and curtsied when they saw her and Errik appear. They all eyed Carys’s escort with interest as he walked her to the blue-cushioned throne-like chair in the center of the viewing stand. Not that Carys could blame them. Lord Errik’s strong chin and angular features would catch any girl’s attention.
When they reached her seat, Errik raised her hand and brushed his lips over her knuckles. Trumpets sounded and her heart skipped as she stood in front of her chair and straightened her shoulders; the people crowded around the tournament field grew quiet and turned toward the platforms.
Elder Cestrum stepped forward on the center viewing area and held up his good hand and his metal claw. Heralds stationed near the fence of the tournament area prepared to memorize his words and plunge into the crowd to make sure all who were too far away to hear learned what was said.
“Congratulations to all the tournament winners thus far. The winds blew strong for you today. I had planned to be standing in front of you now under very different circumstances. Today was to be the first of our celebrations to honor the reign of Queen Betrice. But the Queen has been struck hard by the death of King Ulron and Prince Micah and is unable to take her rightful place in the Hall of Virtues.”
The crowd shifted and murmured. On the center platform, just behind Elder Cestrum, Garret turned his head and looked again at Carys. She pulled her eyes away from him and focused on his uncle as he waved off the crowd’s concern. “While we are saddened that Queen Betrice cannot take the throne, we are fortunate to have two of King Ulron’s children who are ready to wear the crown. Since only one can sit on the throne, starting here at this tournament we will hold a series of Trials based on the seven virtues to determine whether Prince Andreus or Princess Carys will stand as our ruler.”
The crowd around them erupted in cheers. A few of them took the form of her brother’s name.
When the applause quieted, Elder Cestrum continued. “He who is on the throne is required to sit in judgment of us all. It would be easy for anyone in that position of power to become prideful. But pride leads to destruction. The best kings and queens are the ones who understand humility. Today on the tournament field we will put Prince Andreus and Princes Carys’s humility to the test in three separate events. In the first two events, they will compete against each other. Nobility usually competes against their peers. But today, in the third event, to demonstrate their humility, our prince and princess will also be competing with some of you who have already demonstrated skill on this field.”
Surprised gasps and murmurs raced through the crowd.
Carys glanced at her brother far on the other platform. The nobility around him looked shocked at the idea of anyone from noble blood being treated as though they were the same as a commoner.
But that wasn’t all. “And since Prince Andreus or Princess Carys will soon be required to pass judgment on everyone in the kingdom, we in the Council of Elders feel it is only right that the winner of each of these first three contests be determined by all of you. Prince Andreus sits under the yellow banner. Princess Carys is blue. Once a competition is over we ask that you show the colors of the competitor you feel triumphed over the challenges they faced and best embodied the virtues our kingdom holds dear.”
Elder Cestrum glanced her way and smiled. Had she wanted to win it wouldn’t have mattered; the crowd voting ensured that she would lose these events. Andreus was the one who saved them from darkness and the Xhelozi that could have attacked. He was the one who helped the boy who had been dying in the street. Her brother was clearly the choice of the Council to win this competition. Perhaps they were hoping they could divide her and Andreus with this obvious show of favor for her twin? If so, they were about to be disappointed.
Carys smiled back at Elder Cestrum and resisted the urge to wave.
The Elder turned back to the crowd and announced, “The first trial will be held at the archery field. Prince Andreus and Princess Carys will get one attempt at each of the three targets to show whether they have developed the skills that every child in the kingdom is asked to learn. When Prince Andreus and Princess Carys arrive at the archery field, we can begin.”
“It seems I came to your kingdom at an interesting time, Your Highness,” Lord Errik said quietly beside her. “Elder Cestrum doesn’t appear to like you.”
The understatement made her laugh. “I did warn you that you were choosing the wrong side,” she said, walking toward the steps to the tournament grounds below.
“Wrong is subjective, Your Highness,” he called to her.
She didn’t look back at him, but she did smile as she walked slowly down the stairs to where two pages in black holding several bows and a quiver of arrows waited to escort her past the lists and the dueling pits to the archery station at the far end of the field. The only way she could lose today was if she won or if Andreus faltered.
Carys didn’t acknowledge the crowd as she reached the roped-off area. Large wooden targets with white circles painted in the center had been set up at three different distances. The first was only twenty paces away. The next was perhaps thirty and the last was at least twice as far. Many in the guard accurately hit targets in tournaments at least three or four times that distance. Carys wasn’t as skilled as they were, but her work with Andreus meant she could hit these with ease—if she planned on hitting them at all.
“Well, this should be entertaining,” Andreus said as he appeared with two pages trailing behind him. “Would you like to go first or shall I?”