The light faded away slowly, it's hum still echoing in the air as Enid remained crouched in the cupboard, even as the door slammed open.
She slowly raised her eyes, dazed, as she looked at Lady Seris staring down at her hatefully.
Enid watched as the woman was pushed back, and Kaelith entered her vision.
He gasped as he looked at her, tangled in the sheets that she had no idea she was still holding onto, and reached out to pull her up and away from the floor.
She stumbled in his arms, as he half dragged her to the bed.
Enid sat on the edge of the bed, her skin still tingling where the mark had burned. Every breath felt heavy, like she was breathing through the eyes of everyone in the room.
Her mind was somehow registering Thorien keeping the guards at bay, Kaelith handing her a glass of water that her hands seemed to accept. His usual cold demeanor, the confident aloofness she was used to seeing was gone- replaced by what she recognised as fear in his blue eyes.
"Well," Thorien smirked as he stood in front of the guards, "That was dramatic."
That seemed to do the trick.
She came into her senses, as she looked at the inhabitants of the room with something other than detachment.
Kaelith shot him a look, "Not now."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Thorien said lightly, "for trying to ease the tension after our mysterious guest just lit up like a divine torch."
Enid swallowed the water, her fingers trembling. "What… what was that?"
Kaelith stood by the bed, hands clasped behind his back, looking out at the palace gardens. He was back to his usual self, pale and distant. "The Moon's Mark. It hasn't appeared in centuries. Legend said it was given to the mate of the Alpha King himself."
Enid stared at him. "Mate?" That word had been spoken throughout the past hour...she subtly shook her head to ward the thoughts that accompanied it away, "That's impossible. I'm not-"
"You are now," Thorien interrupted, tone dry. Well, nothing seemed to affect him at least. "Congratulations."
She looked between the two of them, her numbness was now being taken over by panic, and she was pleased to note, not a small amount of righteousness, "So you're saying...I belong to one of you?"
Silence fell.
Thorien's smirk vanished, even as she watched a smirk rise on the lips of Lady Seris. She would not be looking too deeply into that.
A knock broke the silence - firm, metallic. More guards. They'd proably heard the commotion inside.
Kaelith's expression hardened. "They've come."
As soon as he said that, they filed through the doorway, joining their two comrades in pushing oast Prince Thorien.
Lady Seris stood at their head once more, her earlier amusement replaced by something worse- a cold, victorious calm. "The High Council summons all three of you to the Hall. Immediately."
Thorien groaned. "Ah, the morning just gets better and better."
Kaelith ignored him, even as Enid watched his hands clench at the continued intrusion "Tell them we'll be there."
Seris smirked. "No need. I was told to escort you."
Her gaze slid toward Enid. "Especially her."
Enid felt Thorien shift closer instinctively- his body a silent barrier between her and Seris.
"Escort?" he said, voice laced with warning. "Sounds more like arrest."
"Then protect her in front of the Council," Seris purred, stepping back. "Let's see how long that conviction lasts when the old ones demand her head."
----------
The Council Hall was carved with cold black marble, with silvery veins running through it. The very air that they breathed seemed ripe with the scent of old age, judgement, and greed. Enid almost choked in it.
Twelve elders sat in a half-circle, their faces hidden under hoods. A few had their bony hands laced in front of them, enough for Enid to realise that the 'old ones' that Lady Seris had referred to were really, really old.
She looked away from the shadowed faces, to the guards who were still holding her hands, and towards Thorien and Kaelith on her left, behind held back by the dozens more that stood there.
She swallowed in fear. She felt powerless, once again. It was a feeling that she hated getting used to.
The Head Elder's voice boomed.
"You stand before the Council accused of surviving the Hunt through unnatural means. Reveal the mark."
Thorien scoffed under his breath. "Subtle as ever."
Kaelith gave him a sharp look, then turned to Enid. "It's all right. Show them."
She hesitated, then brushed her hair aside. Gasps rippled through the hall as the mark shimmered faintly, silver against her skin. The burn was still there, subtle, but ever present. She grit her teeth as she let her hair fall back into place. This was enough showcasing for now.
"So it is true," the other Elder murmured, his voice echoing through the marble hall. "The Moon's Mate has returned."
Another one hissed softly. "The prophecy said she would rise only when the blood of royals stains the ground." He was more impatient than the other ones...more inexperienced.
"Balance demands sacrifice," the Head Elder continued over his younger colleague. "And if the royal bloodline brought corruption, then the royal bloodline must atone."
Enid's eyes widened. "What… what are you saying?" What corruption? What sacrifice?
She looked towards Thorien first, and then Kaelith for answers. But they evaded her eyes, looking instead towards the High Table. Her uneasiness spread though her, bringing with it a sense of hopelessness.
Kaelith's voice cut through the air, cold and sharp. "You speak of old stories as if they give you the right to decide who lives or dies."
The elder's hood tilted slightly. "Not us, Prince Kaelith. Fate."
Thorien let out a low, humorless laugh. "Fate can choke on its own prophecy." he stepped forward, shaking off the hand holding onto him, only for another to take its place, "Face it. You are scared, old man." His snarl revealed his fangs, eyes glowing gold faintly.
Lady Seris stepped forward, her tone smooth as silk. "Then let the mortal prove she's chosen. A trial. If she can command the mark, she lives. If she can't…" she smiled faintly, "then we were never meant to bow to her."
She smiled like a cat that had got the canary. The feeling that Enid had been experiencing all along, which she had been unable to name until now, the feeling of being trapped, returned.
Kaelith turned sharply. "You can't be serious."
Seris smiled. "I'm merely offering mercy. A trial, not an execution." Enid was not at all assured.
Thorien's voice dropped, dark and dangerous. "You just want to watch her burn." His eyes burned through the air, focusing on the woman in front of him. She was not scared though.
Lady Seris scoffed, brushing a hand against her blond hair, as she replied, "Better than watching her seduce both princes while the kingdom collapses,"
Enid flinched. Kaelith's hand twitched, as if trying to be closer to hers. She saw it, but was too ashamed to raise her head.
Years of societal teachings and behaviours flowed through her head in that moment. Yes, it was true that she had kissed them both, and she could feel the judgement of all the people in the room as she stood in the centre of the room.
Surrounded, and tried before the trial.
The Head Elder raised his hand. "Enough. The trial of the Moon's Mark will be held at dusk. If she fails, the mark- and her- shall be purged."
Her head snapped in shock, looking at the man behind the shadow.
In the next second, her hands were gripped, and the guards moved as one.
She only heard Thorien roar in anger, and Kaelith arguing with the Elders as she was dragged away.