Ch. 4 Loyal Little Princess

I forced a quick grin at my mother before taking the letter from her hand, my eyes skimming its contents. "So, these men will be here later tonight or tomorrow morning, and then what? If this guy decides I'm—" I flicked back to the relevant section, narrowing my eyes at the phrasing. "Found to be favorable." I glared at her. "Then what? He leaves to report back to the king that I'm good enough for the royal line? While I sit here, waiting with packed bags for the verdict; for them to come load me up to go live in a kingdom full of humans?"

My mother took the letter back and tucked it into her pocket. "You'd be leaving with the King's men when they leave tomorrow," she said softly, her gaze drifting away from mine.

A knot formed in my stomach. "I didn't see that in the letter," I replied, my voice quieter than I'd expected. I was struggling to comprehend the idea of leaving my home—the only place I had known—so soon.

"It was in the other letter. Your father and I thought that one was a little too sensitive for you right now. We didn't want to bother you with trivial matters after everything you've been through lately."

"I'm the one getting carted off; I think I deserve to know everything the King had to say," I shot back, frustration bubbling in my voice.

My mother sighed, shaking her head as if grappling with some internal decision. "The only thing I need to know is... Are you... Have you um..."

I blinked in surprise, my eyes widening. I had never seen her so flustered before. This woman—who was always so steadfast and sure of herself—was suddenly stumbling over her words. "What, Mom?" I asked, not sure if my tone, or the casual use of 'mom' had startled her, but the Queen Mage finally met my gaze, taking a deep breath.

"Are you still a virgin? You and Gil never..." Her voice trailed off, and my mouth fell open slightly.

"What does that matter?" I demanded, my voice rising in disbelief.

"The royal family of Scepterfall has very strict beliefs about the purity of their bloodline. They insist that women must be virgins at the time of marriage and can only share their bed with their King. It's a religious belief, I assume," she explained, her tone serious.

I lifted a brow, folding my arms. "And what about the men of the family? I noticed the belief conveniently avoided mentioning them. Are they required to live by the same rules?" I shot back, irritation lacing my voice.

Sylvren sighed, shaking her head in resignation. "No, it's the typical double standard of male-dominated religions you'll find common among the humans. When men do it, they're simply expelling their seed. But according to their teachings, women take in impurities from their partners, so they're considered unclean if they do it. It's nonsense. But the bedside habits of your future husband aren't what's important. They never will be. All you need to focus on is being what your people need you to be. And right now, I need to know—are you a virgin?"

I was so stunned that I couldn’t speak for a moment. Finally, I stuttered out, "Y-yes. Gil and I have never... We’ve never gone that far..." My voice was barely a whisper, mortified to be having this conversation with my mother. Now it was my turn to avoid her gaze.

"Are you sure? I need you to be absolutely honest with me, Lyra," she insisted. I set my shoulders, forcing myself to look directly at the Queen. My temper began to rear its ugly head, as it always did in uncomfortable situations. In fact, my anger often defended me whenever I felt anything other than contentment.

"Yes. I told him that I didn't want to risk pregnancy. So no, Mother. Gil's dick has never been inside my—"

"Lyra!" She scolded me, her expression scandalized.

"You wanted me to be absolutely honest, so I was," I shrugged, picking at a piece of fuzz on my sleeve.

Silence fell between us, my mother trying to regain that cool, haughty demeanor she wore as the Queen Mage—which just happened to be her default mode now after years of wielding it.

"So, in short, I marry into the King's family, stay a virgin until then, and be a loyal little princess until I can bear them an heir. We use our people's loyalty to get them to fight a war they have no stake in, give up our freedoms, and lose our culture as they force their beliefs on us," I summarized, my voice softening in response to the somber mood my brash recap had created.

I turned to look at my mother and paused as a tear slipped down her cheek. Sylvren wiped it away faster than her lightning magic could strike, keeping her gaze fixed on the edge of the floating island us mages called home. I looked out over the swirling mist, deep in thought. The outline of the mainland barely peeked through the humidity and fog; denser today than normal. Leaning over the banister, I gazed down at the moss-covered rock face that supported our little haven, a breeze winding through my red hair. I took a deep breath, using the quiet that had settled between us to work through my thoughts.