Mina shivered when she saw the bridge, because she knew that hungry trolls lay in wait underneath it, a siren statue stood guard deep in the murky water, and giants guarded the front gates. They were all there to protect the Royals from intruders, from attackers, from assassins—from her.
The first carriage in the caravan began to cross the bridge to the middle of the lake. Unlike the last time she’d been there, when the giants tossed a carriage and driver into the lake, these guards let the carriage pass without a second glance. The carriage disappeared into a protective veil. The second carriage passed the giants and then the third.
Curiosity drove her to continue peering out between the curtains, and she saw a young girl with long midnight-black hair looking out of the white and black carriage.
Her hair was much longer, but there was no mistaking the petite features and easily irritable face of Ever. Mina sucked in her breath and was about to yell and wave in her direction. Then she remembered this was before Ever knew her. Everything was becoming more surreal with each passing minute. This was what Ever had been hinting about but refusing to tell her.
Ever’s coach passed through the veil.
Mina sat back and found herself holding her breath and squeezing her eyes shut as her own mouse-drawn carriage followed the others. For the second time in her life, she felt the buzzing and pop as she passed through.
The glamour dropped, and she was once again seized in the moment. How beautiful the Fates’ castle was with its shimmering walls, arched gold and silver gate, tall towers, and artisan-carved sun and moon symbol throughout.
The carriages pulled up into a long receiving line hosted by two beautifully adorned individuals—the sun and moon themselves. The Fates were waiting on the steps. Queen Maeve, her raven black hair sparkling like starlight, wore a dress of deepest blue which made her pale skin look even paler. A crown of silver rested upon her brow. Her delicate hand was entwined with her husband’s. King Lucian was dressed in the same blue, with gold suns embroidered along his sleeves, his crown golden. Where his wife was pale, he was tan, and his honey-wheat beard and hair seemed to soak up the rays of the sun. He honestly emitted a warm glow.
Even from a distance you could feel their love for each other radiate from them. Next to them, standing tall and looking extremely dashing, was Teague. His own royal garments complemented his parents’, the slightly lighter tint highlighting his nervous blue eyes. His gaze flickered over the awaiting coaches and then back to his parents. His expression was entirely opposite theirs. He looked forlorn.
King Lucian smiled and waved a footman forward to open the first coach’s door. A young woman stepped out and walked forward to be presented before the Fates.
“Miss Annalora Goldfind,” the footman hollered out, his voice echoing across the lake.
The young woman smiled sweetly and curtsied before the Fates. Then an escort led her into the palace. As the carriage drove off, the next one took its place in line. The footman opened another door and a woman with pink skin and deeper pink hair stepped out in a startlingly pink dress. Mina thought she heard the name lady Fuchsia. Like the young woman before her, she was presented and led indoors.
She needed to get out of the princess receiving line before she the Fates realized she was not from their plane and imprisoned her for life. Arriving at the palace on her terms, not the giants’, was the wise approach. Mina reached for the handle of the door on the side of the coach facing away from the Fates. She opened the door to jump out, but her way was blocked by a troll.
“Going s-s-somewhere?” He sneered cruelly.
“Yes, anywhere that’s not here,” she answered. Her frankness only elicited a raucous laugh from the troll, startling the mice. That caused them to dance into the carriage in front of them, jostling it around.
Ever’s head popped out and she tried to soothe her horses. She shot an annoyed glance—utterly and oddly familiar—at Mina and the troll whose laugh had started it all.
“You’re funny,” the troll acquiesced.
“And you’re funny smelling,” Mina said. He laughed again, but he refused to budge from her door.
“Nice try. Sit.” He pushed her in her chest with one of his ginormous fingers. The force of the impact sent her crashing backwards into the opposite door and causing it to open. As the carriage rocked, she held tight to the doorframe. The door swung open, smacked the side of the coach, and then swung back inward to nail her on the behind.
“Yeouch!” Mina yelped. She grabbed the door, slammed it shut behind her, and ducked to the ground, as if she could hide from her own stupidity. Every eye there—including the Fates’—must be on her at the moment. She peeked through the parted curtain and saw that—though the royal couple didn’t seem to be looking her way—a frowning Teague seemed to have noticed the commotion with her coach.
More girls entered the castle, and it was almost time for Mina’s coach to pull up. What would happen? Would they open the doors and immediately arrest her for trespassing? Would she be fed to the trolls under the bridge?
She quickly ran her hands through her hair to pull out the stray leaves and tried her best to brush off her skirt. The coach dipped as a footman stepped up and asked for her name.
What in the world was she supposed to say? She couldn’t very well tell them she was from another dimension. Or give them her real name. She bit her lip and tried to think of something, anything. Then it came to her.
The Story was pushing her this way. She might as well play her part in it. “Cin—uh…I mean Elle Cinder.”
“From—?”
What would Mei Wong tell her to do? She’d probably say stick as close to the truth as she could. Immediately, an image of a where she used to live popped into her head. The small apartment above the Wong’s Golden Palace Restaurant.
“Elle Cinder from the lands of the Golden Palace.”
He leaned closer and whispered back at her harshly, “There is no such place.”
“Where I come from there is.” She tried to make her voice drip with arrogance.
Frustrated, the coachman poked his head through the curtain and gave her a glare. His long pointed ears were turning red at the tips. “Do you expect me to lie to the Fates?”
“No, but who’s to say that I’m lying?”
He shook his head and gave her a long look. “Your neck, not mine.” He leapt nimbly down and stood in front of the coach as another footman opened the door. He cleared his throat and seemed to rethink the announcement, but finally raised his voice loudly. “Miss Elle Cinder from the Lands of the Golden Palace.”
Mina took the offered hand of a third footman and let him help her down the steps. Her nerves got the better of her and she almost tripped, but she recovered before anyone noticed. Her body moved on its own, and she found herself standing in front of Queen Maeve and King Lucian. She could feel the moment Teague recognized her, because his gaze bored a hole through her.
He continued staring, and she was afraid to look, afraid to make eye contact. She curtsied before the Fates and was about to rise when King Lucian stopped her.
“Elle Cinder,” his strong self-assured voice repeated. There was no question in his voice. He seemed to be repeating it so he could remember.
“Yes, your—” What was she supposed to call him? Majesty? Highness. Her mouth went dry and she finally spit out, “Royalness.”