Chapter 68: The Saintess's Spotlight

Chapter 68: The Saintess’s Spotlight

“Am I going insane?” Neria bit her lower lip as the ballroom of the Royal Palace was making her skin crawl.

Hundreds of nobles were in tight circles.

"Presenting the Holy Light of the Kingdom, Chosen of the Stars, Lady Lyra!" the royal herald bellowed.

The crowd started their polite applause as the golden doors opened.

Lyra stepped into the ballroom, looking lovely in a gown of pure, blinding white silk that seemed to catch every piece of light in the room.

She kept her head high, her hands clasped gently in front of her, her face wore the perfect, serene smile of a freshly announced Saintess.

The saintess walked down, expecting to see the entire court falling to their knees in awe. More importantly, Lyra expected to see two specific men staring at her with the absolute devotion she deserved.

Instead, there was a very different view.

Alistair was near the front of the pavilion and had his eyes not on the white dress. He was leaning against a pillar, his brow was furrowed with immense anxiety and most importantly, Alistair’s gaze seemed to be completely locked entirely on the opposite side of the room.

Lyra’s smile faded for a second. She turned her head toward the royal dais, looking for the Crown Prince.

Sebastian was sitting on his velvet throne, his chin rested on his hand. He was not looking at the holy steps either.

His intense, blue eyes were burning a hole through the exact same corner of the room that Alistair was watching.

Lyra followed their eyes, her stomach collapsed to the ground.

There, standing near the grand balcony, was Neria...

She was wearing a midnight velvet dress, her hair looked slightly messy but looking entirely effortless, her swollen lips painted a deep red. She looked like a dark queen, and currently, she was surrounded by a small crowd of high-ranking lords.

"Your Highness," Lyra said, stepping onto the royal dais and bowing gracefully before Sebastian. "The heavens have blessed this evening. I am honored to step into my role as the Saintess under your watchful eye."

Sebastian didn’t answer immediately. He didn't even shift his head. His fingers were tightening around his silver scepter so hard that his knuckles were turning white.

Far across the room, a young, handsome lord with bright blond hair was leaning very close to Neria.

He was laughing, his hand was brushing against Neria's velvet sleeve as he offered her a glass of rare elven wine.

Neria smiled back, a slow, playful expression was on her face that made the young lord lean in even closer.

"Your Highness?" Lyra tried again, her voice started to rise an octave, her serene expression slipped. "Sebastian?"

"What is it, Lyra?" Sebastian asked, being incredibly cold and having his eyes locked on the blond lord across the room. "The ceremony is complete. Go greet the high priests. They are waiting for you near the altar."

"The priests can wait for a moment," Lyra said, stepping directly into his line of sight to block his view of her sister. "I wanted to discuss the sacred blessing for the upcoming harvest festival. The temple requires your seal on the documents."

"Give the documents to my advisor tomorrow," Sebastian muttered, leaning to the left so he could see past her white shoulder.

The blond lord had just touched Neria’s hand. Sebastian’s jaw twitched violently. "I am busy tonight, Lyra. Dismiss yourself."

"But the blessing must be prepared before the new moon," Lyra insisted, moving to the left as well, determined to keep his attention on herself.

"The high priest said that if the crown does not show proper devotion, the people might lose faith in the new Saintess. Surely you do not want the kingdom to think we are divided?"

"The kingdom will think whatever we tell them to think," Sebastian hissed, dropping his tone into that terrifying, quiet register. "Move out of my way, Lyra."

"I am only trying to fulfill my holy duty," Lyra’s eyes welled up with a hint of dramatic tears as she stayed  in his path. "You have been so distant since I returned from the sanctuary. Is there something wrong with the way I am representing the light? I noticed Alistair is also acting strangely tonight. He won't even look at me."

"Alistair is a guard, his job is to look for threats," Sebastian snapped, his patience was completely evaporating.

Across the ballroom, Neria had just taken a sip of the wine, her green eyes shined with amusement as the blond lord whispered something into her ear.

Neria laughed softly, her hand resting against the lord's chest plate for a brief second.

Sebastian stood up from his throne so fast his dark cloak whipped through the air. "I am leaving the dais, Lyra. Go to the altar."

"Wait, Sebastian, the King requested that we dance the opening waltz together!" Lyra cried out, grabbing his sleeve before he could step down. "Everyone is watching us. It is tradition for the Saintess and the Crown Prince to lead the court. If you walk away now, it will look like a scandal."

Sebastian looked down at her hand on his sleeve, "Let go of my coat, Lyra, before I have the guards remove you from this hall."

"You wouldn't dare remove the Saintess," Lyra whispered, seeming tougher as she maintained her grip. "The people love me. The church protects me. You need my blessing to secure your throne, Sebastian. You cannot simply ignore me for my wicked sister."

"Your sister is currently the only interesting person in this entire room," Sebastian murmured. "And unlike you, she knows exactly when to stop talking."

He yanked his sleeve out of her grasp with a sudden, forceful move, leaving Lyra standing alone on the steps of the throne.

She turned around, her face turned pale with humiliation, and looked back toward the balcony.

Neria was still there, completely oblivious to the chaos on the dais, her midnight velvet dress made her stand out like a dark star in a room full of white silk.

Alistair was already moving toward her through the crowd, his hand was placed on his sword, looking like a jealous protector.

"This isn't how it was supposed to happen," Lyra whispered to herself, her fingers curled into tight fists against her white dress. "She was supposed to be the evil one. She was supposed to be hidden away."

But as Sebastian marched down the steps, his eyes fixed solely on the woman in midnight velvet, Lyra realised that the future of the kingdom had been completely torn to pieces.