Chapter 44

Acker and Jovie reach the capitol, its stone grandeur and gold-capped palace overwhelming Jovie. At the gate, soldiers formally greet Acker, and he insists Jovie ride with him despite a carriage sent by the king. A horn announces them, and dense crowds cheer the prince but fall silent, then wary, at Jovie.

In the town center, whispers turn to accusations that Jovie is cursed and brings bad omens. As tension rises, streetlamps extinguish in a spreading wave of darkness. A thrown tomato strikes Jovie; Beau restrains the offender. Fear triggers Jovie’s light, which flares across her skin, scattering the mob so the party can reach the palace gates.

Inside the courtyard, Acker demands his father but is told the king waits within. In the throne room, nobles and soldiers assemble. The king greets Acker with warmth, and at his command the court kneels; Jovie, uncertain, eventually does as well. Seated beside his father, Acker shows a new edge of authority that unsettles Jovie.

The king addresses Jovie kindly, apologizing for the people’s behavior and praising her as a Heir, while onlookers smirk at her visible glow. When Acker requests council, the king defers the matter until dinner, prioritizing rest and formality over urgency.

Stassia, a young maid, escorts Jovie through opulent halls to a vast chamber with a terrace and bath. Left alone, Jovie finds the splendor grotesque and feels isolated, looking out over the now-dark city while the crowd’s hatred echoes in her mind.