*Book One of the Amor Fati Series*
Prince Calanthe Ámarent, once the child of a beloved queen regnant and now a disgraced prince, goes on a journey to re-discover his identity after experiencing tragedy, loss, and abuse at the hands of his Aunt, Qu...
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The feast's music and the low chatter of the guests assailed Calanthe's ears, grating like sharp nails on stone. The lute and flute carried with them a light, whimsical tune. The people wore smiles and let laughter fall from their lips. Wine boosted the morale of everyone, except Calanthe. He hadn't touched a single morsel on his plate nor swallowed an ounce of liquid.
Calanthe licked his lips, wetting the dry skin on them. He couldn't bring himself to move an inch since he had taken his seat beside the Ghost King Hrafn. Hrafn introduced him to their three guards: Erlendr, Rein, and Ta'lat, who Calanthe was convinced were meant to be his jailers. They, too, would imprison him just as everyone else had. He knew he had no say and that his life was in Hyacinth's hands and the hands of others, specifically Sindri and Hrafn. Sindri was the one who drove fear into Calanthe's heart.
Earlier when Sindri had arrived, Calanthe wanted to hide. Sindri towered over everyone at a massive height, perhaps that of a giant. He took up space like none other, his presence demanding respect out of fear. Every bit of him was as hardened as stone and tough as iron, but it was his eyes that frightened Calanthe the most. They looked like the eyes of a hungry, savage wolf, hunting its prey. His target was Calanthe the moment his animalistic gaze had set its sights on Calanthe.
The wolf sought to rip him to shreds without laying a hand on him. He didn't know if he would survive the night when Sindri had closed in on the dais. Terror stole Calanthe's heart and mind. He was too afraid to look away yet too mortified to continue to hold Sindri's gaze. Calanthe tensed and remained stockstill, only his eyes followed Sindri.
Contrary to Calanthe's paranoia, Sindri ignored him the moment he sat down beside Hrafn. The wolf was docile... for now.
And so the night moved on with Calanthe's presence being the highlight of the evening. Hyacinth had made certain that all knew the purpose of the feast, not withholding any detail. She boasted loud and clear that tonight was one of celebration, claiming Calanthe to be the bringer of peace between Taryn and Eglantine. She sold the perfect tale, a tale of hope to the people of Eglantine. Calanthe's stomach churned at her bold lies. He was not a peace bringer but a distraction, a martyr for a cause that served the purposes of Hyacinth and Aegar and the East.
Any who believed her lies were blind to the fact that he would be dead within the blink of an eye if he stepped out of line once. He did not trust himself with the burden placed upon him. Perhaps that was why Hyacinth had chosen him. She knew he would crack under pressure sooner or later and spill the East's rebellious plan to Sindri. He worried that he would do it too soon and all of Eglantine would be lost to Sindri's raging temper.
After Hyacinth's false praises and deceit, the feast of ripe fruits, tender morsels of chicken, bitter wine, and soft bread had been served. A meal like this was common for a gathering in Eglantine, sometimes they would be lucky to have plains deer that migrated from Hsai or duck from the marshes of Dunemire. Yet Sindri found it displeasing. Sindri insulted Calanthe's homeland, proving himself to be the tactless and careless king that the people of Gharash said he was.
