"He is a spirit, but he has taken physical form. Soon, he will begin to crave physical things. Keep him fed and exercised. Oh, and he likes it if you tickle his spikes."
I try some tickling, and Yami purrs in his sleep. "Thank you, Varis. Will you be there, at the presenting?" I ask.
He nods.
I fidget with my hands. "I won't have to undress, will I?"
He frowns. "Why ever would you have to undress for a presenting?"
I let out a sigh of relief. "Don't ask."
***
Madrid informs me the presenting will occur in the Crystal Palace, so we must fly back. Asher escorts me to Gryphon International, and says others will follow soon. It seems the golden gryphon remembers me, and I certainly remember him—particularly the sharpness of his claws. I climb on him gingerly, but soon find that I haven't lost my delight in flying. Yami wraps his tail around my arm and opens his wings, taking pleasure in the wind pushing against him as we soar. He never lets go of me though; it seems my dragon has yet to learn how to fly.
Once back at the Palace, Asher escorts me to my room where a staff of three await. Once again I'm scrubbed, pampered and dressed, this time in a silver gown with a long train covered in rhinestones. My hair is pinned and braided and curled until Asher deems it perfect, then he sets a small velvet box on my dresser. I open it and catch my breath.
He smiles. "This crown has been in your family for more years than you can imagine, princess." It's a delicate platinum circle of vines, with small leaves embedded with emeralds and accented with tiny sapphire flowers. He sets it on my head and weaves it into my hair so it doesn't fall off.
Yami coils around my neck, batting at one of my curls with his claw, his talons retracted. When my hair moves out of place, Asher glares at my neck. "It's the dragon, isn't it? Tell him not to muss up the perfection I have spent hours creating."
I laugh and pluck Yami off my neck, holding him in my hands. "You hear that, Yami? Behave or the big bad vampire might eat you."
Yami mews and crouches into a ball of tiny terror, as if to combat any evil thrown at him. I laugh again and look over at Asher. "He's ready to destroy you with his might."
Asher rolls his eyes. "Destroy away, as long as he's ready to show himself tonight. The Fae must see him if they are to believe the Midnight Star has returned."
"What will happen if he doesn't?" I ask as he offers his arm.
"Best hope we don't have to find out."
***
The ballroom has been transformed into something out of a fairytale. No longer is it the crumbling remains of a palace long forgotten. Tonight it shines with floating lights and iridescent fabric, tables heavy with the finest of foods. White birds flutter above, perching on the black stones jutting from crystal walls. Smells of honey and spices and roasted meat for the Fire Tribe fill the air. Yami perks up at the smell of meat. The hall bustles with a diversity of Fae, some light skinned, some dark, some short and some tall. They part for us as Asher escorts me to the front.
"All four Tribes have sent representatives for the presenting," Asher says. "Fire, Air, Earth and Water. They are all here to see the Midnight Star."
"So no pressure then," I whisper back.
He smirks.
One of the Fae, a short man with a green beard, notices Asher and frowns. He is not the only one; all around, the vampire is met with glares. King Lucian's presence at the front does not go unnoticed either, with whispers of the monster king spreading through the room. Even I feel revulsion at seeing him here, clad in black armor, red cape flowing down his back, sitting in a golden chair next to the Crystal Throne, a place of honor, in the palace of the people he nearly made extinct.
Asher leads me to a platform before the Throne. He raises my hand to his lips and gives it a kiss. "Good luck."
As he walks off to stand by his father, Madrid strides up to me. She wears an intricate gown of silver, and blue gems hang from her neck. She raises her arms at the hundreds of Fae gathered below. "I present to you, Princess Arianna, of the High Fae, returned to us at last. She has been chosen, and through her blood, has awakened the Wild Ones, the Old Ones, the Five Spirits. Rise, Fae of the Four Tribes, rise and greet your future Queen."
I face the people, and watch as they all stand. The unison of their movement thunders through the hall. "She is half human!" Someone shouts from the crowd. "She is not fit to lead us."
Another Fae agrees. "Her blood is not pure."
The crowd roars. "She communes with vampires!" "Where is Yami?" "She is false!" "This is no—"
The giant stone doors to the ballroom crash open. They have been opened by one man. Varis. He stands at the entrance, his white furs swaying in an unnatural wind. His tattoos glimmer in the blue light. Zyra sits on his left arm, glaring at the Fae who have all gone silent. They face the Druid, eyes wide with awe. Many of them have not seen a Wild One in centuries. Some have never seen one at all.
The Air Druid walks forward, a gust of wind pushing against everything in his presence: plates, jewelry, cloaks, even men and women who draw too close stumble back. His voice echoes amongst the crystal. "I have been awoken by the blood of the Midnight Star, the blood that flows through her. She is High Fae. She is our true ruler."
The crowd turns back to me, eyes curious, even… hopeful, and I know what they're waiting for.
Yami.
I nudge the dragon on my shoulder. "Come on, Yami," I whisper. "These people love you. Care for you. Show yourself for one moment. That is all they need. That is all I need." My eyes sting with tears as I imagine what Lucian will do if I fail tonight. My body recalls the ache in my ribs from his blade. "Please, Yami. Please, for me."