Nastasia's apprehension swelled with every passing mile. Ulrik, the capital of Blod, was visible in the near distance. Towering walls of white stone surrounded the city and the main gates were already open as blurry figures made their way in and out of town.

    She thought she could hear the ongoing celebration of the arrival of the Eldons and Seenanites. In less than half an hour, that celebration would be for them as well. Nastasia drew a deep breath and exhaled from her mouth, hoping to ease the knotting in her stomach.

    She'd been on edge ever since the Andrians joined their procession, and her nervousness was made worse by the bloody landscape around her. She'd never seen anything like the lands of Blod, though she'd heard the tales.

    The history of the kingdom was a gruesome one. Blod had been a kingdom of war; its people always divided and fighting against one another. For hundreds of years, blood was spilt until the land became saturated with it. Color leached away, being replaced by shades of red and brown. Even now, the results of so much bloodshed remained.

    Beneath Moxie's hooves was nothing but rust-colored dirt and brown grass. Nastasia expected the grass to be brittle and dead, but to her surprise, it was lush and healthy, springing back up in the horse's wake.

    Peculiar trees grew in random copses within hollows and around creekbeds. Their twisted trunks were the color of ash, mottled with brown, and their leaves were a brilliant shade of crimson.

    She was relieved to see that the water flowing in the creeks was a pure, crystal blue, and animals still roamed about. Birds nested in the unusual trees and bugs crawled through the brown grass. The land wasn't truly as cursed as it appeared.

    Nastasia straightened as her parents' carriage rolled to a halt. Several figures on horseback were waiting outside the gates of the city. She recognized them as the seven Lords of Blod. The women accompanying them had to be their wives or daughters. As her father and mother emerged from their carriage and joined Emperor Kazimir, who had dismounted his horse to greet the Lords, Nastasia took in the impressive sight of the walls before her.

    They were even taller than she'd initially thought. They rose higher than the tallest tower of Nyctoli's palace. Cannons were mounted at regular intervals and guards stood at attention all along the top of the wall.

    Banners hung down the sides, each bearing the colors and crests of every visiting kingdom. Carved onto the open stone gates was the crest of Blod, a ship with five sails, one for each kingdom of Damir, sailing upon a sea of red-stained leaves.

    The Lords of Blod led the way into the city and the carriages rolled in behind them. Nastasia kept Moxie close to the other servants as they passed through the gates. Her eyes widened in awe. The stone had to be at least six feet thick. How do they even get these to open and close? She wondered. She had her answer moments later.

    Massive gears and several pulley systems were set into place on either side of the gates. Ropes from the pulleys were attached to a circular contraption. There was a central pivot with multiple spokes extending from it.

    Judging by the stables lining the inside of the wall, Nastasia guessed horses would be harnessed to the spokes. As they walked in a circle, the rope would be drawn in and the gears would turn, opening the door. Reversing the process would close them.

    Shouts soon caught Nastasia's attention. They were riding through a packed street where people were dancing and laughing. Music drummed and the scent of rich food filled the air. They did not stop to join the festivities, but continued onward towards Kobmand Hall, where the Lords lived and worked. The leaders of each kingdom would be staying at the Hall while their servants and Knights camped around it.

    The Hall was a rectangular structure made out of the same white stone as the walls around the city. More banners representing the kingdoms hung from the dozens of columns that supported the sloped roofs of sprawling verandas. Blod's own banner accompanied them. It was colored in red, orange, and brown, and bore the Blodian crest.

    Nastasia reined in Moxie when the other servants ceased riding. Blodian servants swept into the group, calling out instructions to one another in their own native tongue. In a matter of seconds, supplies were being unloaded while tents were erected.

    Nastasia found herself lost in the mayhem. Women whirled by, carrying blankets, cloaks, baskets of food, and pails of water. Men were leading horses away and gathering up extra weaponry and tools. Nastasia quickly unstrapped her belongings from Moxie's saddle when she noticed a young man approaching them.

    He flashed her a grin and took the mare's reins. "She'll be stabled with the other horses and well cared for, don't you worry," he reassured her, attempting an Nyctolian accent despite speaking in Damir's Common Tongue.

    "Thank you," Nastasia murmured. The man led Moxie away and a wave of loneliness washed over her. Shadows formed around her neck, hidden by the folds of her cowl. She found their presence comforting and didn't disperse them.

    "You there!" A woman hollered, waving at her. "Come along. There's work to do!"

    "Oh, of course. Sorry." Nastasia hurried over to her, keeping her head bowed.

    The woman looped her arm through Nastasia's and dragged her along towards an open doorway just inside the veranda. "There's so much to be done before the feast tonight. The Lords' staff has been cooking and cleaning for days but they still need help with a great many things. We must do all that we can to help them, understand?"

    "Yes, Ma'am."

    The woman released her when they stepped inside a bustling kitchen. Already, Nastasia's knees were shaking, but she drew a deep breath and readied herself. "Run along and help the other ladies ready the banquet tables for the first setting," the woman instructed. "They're over there." She pointed to a cluster of girls who were busily stacking plates and gathering up silverware. Nastasia bobbed a curtsy and joined the group.

•༻᯽༺•

    Nikolai toyed with the fastenings on his tunic, heart pounding against his ribs. In just a few minutes, he'd be attending the banquet that marked the beginning of the tournament. The first competition would take place tomorrow, and he was almost afraid to find out what it was. He looked up as Yuri, Mischa, and Danitza strode into his tent.

    "Your glamour will remain intact until a few hours after midnight," Danitza said. "I'll need to reapply it before you go anywhere tomorrow morning. Don't leave your tent until then. I'll come to you."

    "All right," Nikolai answered, but the Mage had already left. "Is she going to the banquet?"

    "I don't think so," Yuri said.

    Mischa pursed his lips. "Can we blame her? It's almost more dangerous for her to be here than the rest of us."

    "If she gets caught, we all get caught," Nikolai agreed. "It's best to just let her do her own thing I suppose. Are the two of you ready?" They nodded. "Then let's go."

    He stepped out of the tent and followed a group of Knights already heading towards Kobmand Hall. Yuri and Mischa walked a few paces behind him, as all Knight attendants were expected to. Guards bowed their heads to him when he passed through the door and entered the Hall.

    Nikolai took in the lay of the building, from the engraved gold trimming and sea glass chandeliers that lined the ceiling, to the polished marble floors and the wall sconces that dripped with red flowers of some kind. It was unlike anything he'd seen before. Beautiful, but he still found himself missing the stained glass windows and historical wall carvings of Nyctoli.

    "How is that sea glass blue when everything else in this kingdom is red or brown?" Yuri muttered under his breath. "I've heard even the sand on their beaches is red, so wouldn't any glass bottles made from it be red also?"

    "Maybe this glass came from lost imports," Nikolai answered. "Or they could've ordered it from Eldon or Seena. Seena specializes in glass of every kind."

    "Do they go out of their way to make sea glass?" Mischa asked.

    "I would assume so. They make all of the stained glass for our windows. Who's to say they wouldn't make sea glass for chandeliers? It wouldn't be impossible."

    Yuri grinned and shook his head. "How do you know all of that?"

    "I learned a lot by listening in on Council meetings with Nasi, and I used to listen in on her and Alexei's political and economical classes. They thought the lessons were boring, but I found them interesting enough."

    "Of course you did," Yuri huffed. "Maybe you should've considered becoming a merchant instead of a stablehand or a false Knight."

    "Keep it down," Mischa grunted. "We don't need anyone overhearing that."

    "Overhearing what?" All three of them paused as Volya appeared. "Sorry," he said with an unapologetic grin. "I just happened to overhear."

    "Overhearing that I think most of these Blodian girls are very pretty," Nikolai pretended to clarify.

    Volya rolled his eyes. "I don't disagree, but shouldn't you be keeping your eyes reserved for the Princess you're competing for?"

    "It is possible to admire a woman without desiring her, you know."

    "Of course, but your past reputation still precedes you. If you're not careful, you'll have every woman here begging you to drop out of the competition for her."

    "Hence why I said we don't need anyone to overhear our conversation," Mischa spat.

    Volya's gaze slid to him. "Was I addressing you, Giant?"

    Mischa shrugged. "You are now."

    Nikolai cleared his throat and moved in between Mischa and Volya. "Excuse us, Captain. Our seats are over here." The three of them broke away and sat down at a long table, already mostly filled on both sides.

    Before any of them had a chance to speak, Lord Anton, the eldest Lord of Blod, rose and silence fell across the room. "People of Eldon, Seena, Andrian, and Nyctoli, Blod welcomes you," he began.

    "We are honored to host the first competition in the tournament for the hand of the Moon Blessed Princess, Nastasia Ekaterina Morozov. May the Goddess bless and protect each participant in the challenges. Before we dine, I will explain what the first competition shall entail. However, King Gavriil of Nyctoli, father of the Princess, has a few things he wishes to share now."

    The Lord took his seat and Gavriil rose. Nikolai found himself listening intently as the King began to speak. "We rulers of Damir have developed an agenda for the entirety of this tournament. We begin in Blod. Next will come Eldon, then Seena, then Andrian, and lastly, Nyctoli."

    "Each individual competition will last for a week, during which many of you will be eliminated from the tournament. Eliminations will be anyone who fails to complete one of the challenges, the Knight who comes in last, those who attempt to cheat or bribe their way to victory, and so on." A somber tone accompanied the King's next words. "And be warned. These challenges could prove deadly."

    Gavriiil sat once more, and Lord Anton took his place. "Tomorrow, every Knight will be taken to the Rodt Woods, where you will remain for the entire week. Your challenge is to survive the Woods." A small smile crossed his lips. "For those unfamiliar with the legends of our kingdom, the Rodt Woods are cursed. At some point during our bloody past, a great and terrible battle happened at the site of the Woods."

    "It was a massacre on both ends, and the bodies were left there to rot. Over time, trees grew from the forgotten corpses, and their malcontented souls infested the forest. To this day, few who enter the Woods ever return. By surviving this challenge, you will prove yourselves to be resourceful and fearless."

    "And who knows?" A thoughtful look crossed the Lord's features. "Perhaps one of you will discover a way to finally bring peace to our haunted forest." Nikolai exchanged nervous glances with Mischa and Yuri as servants began to layer platters of steaming food upon the table.