Chapter 26 I carve every thought onto a page. Careless splotches of ink threaten to drown the words. I keep writing. I need to pry my mind free. Quiet moment-I need a quiet moment. Most of my days are forgotten. It's almost a relief. The Plague is eating away at my mind-don't take my mind, please-it's all I have left. Do not take my mind. I blink at the assortment of scribbled words before me. I don't remember writing them. This realization has me reaching for a murky vial at the edge of my desk. I swallow the potent contents, though I know it does nothing to help. I'm dying-Death herself has confirmed it. But pretending this medicine does anything at all helps me feel some semblance of control. Like I'm not drifting in the unknown, sinking into a demise I brought upon myself. But the lonely abyss that is the Mors will have to wait. Something far more treacherous awaits me today. I am getting married. I used to think such a declaration would accompany love. Now I know better. My stained fingers tug open a drawer to reveal the carved lid of a jewelry box. Dust has curled up between the swirling ridges of Ilya's crest, but the worn wood is still smooth beneath my fingers as I lift it onto the desk. My gaze flicks over this intimate memento. Mother and Father are proof of my naivety. I once thought their adoration for each other was unrivaled. But the evidence within Iris Azer's jewelry box says otherwise. Her disloyalty is damning. A bastard may sit beneath the crown. Pain sears through my chest. I cough, tasting blood. My head spins violently- Then, stillness. For one, blissful moment. "Kitt?" Death is suddenly standing before me. "Mara," I breathe. The pain is gone. In fact, I feel quite well. "Have you come to wish me luck before the wedding?" She tilts her head-a continual quirk. "I already did. The surge of power and pain you felt summoned me here." Her watchful gaze slides over me. "That was some time ago now." "Right," I say distantly. "I... I know." "No, you do not," Death returns, though her tone is intrigued where another's might sound demeaning. "You don't remember our conversation." I open my mouth to deny the terrifying truth she has stumbled upon when my eyes fall to the empty desk before me. "Where did the jewelry box go?" I ask slowly. "It was right here, I-" "You took it to your betrothed," Mara supplies. "I went with you." "Why...?" I pinch the bridge of my nose, feeling that splitting headache begin to return. "Why would I do that?" Death attempts that almost-shrug of hers. "Humans are sentimental. You wished for Paedyn to wear a piece of your mother's jewelry." The love notes were still in the drawer. What the hell is wrong with me? Maybe she will think they are from Father. "Shit," I mutter. I need her to think they are from Father. She cannot know. No one can know. I am not a bastard. I am a king. I can't be a bastard. I must be a king. Monster-what if all I am is a monster-? "Shit!" This curse is far louder than the last. I clutch my head, the twining crown piercing my palms, as if that alone could silence the noise within it. My breath is quick and shallow. Mara simply studies me, unflinchingly. "Memory loss. The Plague is overpowering you. The living can only handle so much." "I'm fine," I pant. "Why continue attempting this greatness?" she asks plainly. "You already know what fate awaits you, and yet, you are to be married." My mouth is dry. "You know why, Mara. This greatness isn't just for me. If I cannot reap the benefits of this new world I am creating, then Kai will. His legacy will be revered." I smile weakly at the thought. "I will make sure of that. Because, despite his gruesome role in life, he is not strong enough to do what needs to be done." Mara studies me, softer than her typical scrutiny. Her brown eyes flick over my face. They trace my brows, my lips, my flickering soul beneath. There is something strangely intimate about the brushing of Death's gaze. Chestnut hair slips over cloakless shoulders when she cocks her head at me. "You are the best this Azer line has to offer. I would know." Inky parchment swims before my eyes. "I think you will find plenty who disagree when they discover what I've done." I drum my fingers against the wooden desk. Mara takes a slow step forward. She extends a hand that brushes my own. Her touch is cold, startling. "Most do not appreciate the art of necessary brutality," she reassures. "But I am not most. I am all." Agony. It cleaves me in half. Then- I'm standing before my court. I blink at them from the dais draped in flowers. The queen's crown awaits Paedyn's head beside me. The doors swing open. My wedding is sprawled before me, and I don't remember arriving. Paedyn Gray strides toward me. She looks horrified. I'm not the brother she wants. Am I what my brother wants? Or will he choose her, always her, only her- I grit my teeth. Fight to stay present in this moment. My fingers toy with the buttons of my elegant tunic. Paedyn meets me at the altar. I offer her a hand. My gaze skims over her swiftly, searching for any flash of jewels. But my bride-to-be wears none of Mother's belongings, nor the look of one who discovered a ruinous detail. She did not find the notes. The Scholar rattles off a string of sentences I hardly hear. I'm far too focused on not retreating into my muddled mind. I say "I do" when I am told. I'm surprised when Paedyn manages to choke out the words after me. She really would do anything for a united Ilya. And I will keep that promise. Soon, we will all be united. As Elites. I am urged to kiss the bride. Some part of me figured Kai would burst into the throne room by now. But he doesn't, and that is hope. I kiss his beloved, swiftly. Kai doesn't know it yet, but this is for him. For us. Always. We turn toward the crowd, our fingers interlaced. I meet Death's gaze in the sea of bodies. It is fitting that she is here. A piece of me has just died. Love is a luxury. And the naive boy who thought differently is laid to rest in this flowery grave. In a romance-themed observation show, several participants undergo a series of interactions and conflicts filled with love, misunderstandings, and power struggles. In the end, one couple rises to over...