The palace was unusually quiet for the sun-solstice. Effie could only hear the soft thumping of maids’ and servants’ footsteps as they scurried about, readying court for the moon-shift. Effie’s warm, golden tendrils of power pulsed into the cold stone beneath her leather boots, waiting for the flutter of her father’s or sister’s magic to interact. Only the magical ley lines responded, indicating no other Sun-blessed were nearby.
Effie and Jupiter had been scouting the path for a week, diligently studying the rotation of the palace guard patrols. It wasn’t that she was being held prisoner, per se—but there were concerns for her safety, or so the guards liked to tell her. She was allowed as many outings as she wanted, so long as she rounded up an escort of at least five guards and gave the council proper notice, allowing them time in their busy schedules to approve her outing.
They would never have approved of this outing, but the sun-solstice was once a year, and she’d be damned if she settled for the palace’s measly morning ceremony. The court lacked true reverence; if anything, her father’s council resented the sun for blessing a bastard-born with such substantial power.
When Jupiter had described the cityfolk’s celebrations—the lanterns floating off the eastern coast as the sun set behind them, casting the dim sky in a golden light—Effie knew she had to see it, if only once before whatever came after. It was the least she could do for the Sun. And honestly, she didn’t find the prospect of debauchery dissuasive at all.
So they planned, taking casual strolls around the grounds, or so it would seem, but secretly investigating the least guarded exits. On the evening of their escape, Effie made sure to plant plausible excuses for her absence from dinner.
She feigned yawns and dragged her feet in a manner entirely too juvenile for a princess of twenty years, but it did the job. Even if many of her maids didn’t believe her, they were happy to turn a blind eye—to let her relish in her last moments of perceived freedom as the clock ticked toward her uncertain destiny.
Effie snapped back to reality. Jupiter was pressed against the stone wall close behind her, his breaths quiet, waiting for an indication that the corridor beyond was clear. Effie cut her eyes to his, losing patience the longer he took to look at her. He nodded curtly, agreeing to move forward. It was completely silent beyond the corner.
She peered around slowly, too far into the scheme to masquerade innocence if caught, but instead of absence, she found a familiar and unimpressed pair of gray eyes.
“Effie.” Her voice rang out, somewhere between resignation and frustration. Her weight was jutted into one hip, and her arms crossed over her chest. Effie didn’t want to know how long Tess had been waiting there to catch them.