Free Promising Hope by Emily Ann Ward

Sierra heard Jeshro’s voice. “Ladies and gentlemen,
the woman responsible for the broken curse, Sierra Avialie!
Escorted by her husband, Evan.”
    Applause and cheers filled the air. Evan held his arm
out for Sierra, meeting her gaze for a moment. She hooked her arm
around his elbow, and they walked into the dining hall silently.
The sound of acclamation rose as they entered, and Sierra smiled at
the onlookers. She wasn’t happy for the attention, but to think of
all that the curse had done and how she and Grace had undone it,
preventing more pain and death… that made her happy. It made her
think that all the suffering was worth it.
    The dining hall held four long, low tables. The first
three were positioned away from the door, the sides lined with
dozens of pillows, and the fourth was perpendicular to the other
tables, raised up on a platform higher than the others.
    Numerous plates of food lay on the tables, filling
the air with the scent of spiced meats, warm bread, and rich soups.
Avialies from all over stood at their seats, dressed in their most
formal wear. For some, this meant gowns as extravagant as Sierra’s;
for others, an ironed dress or shirt was the extent of their
formality. Sierra recognized some of the guests, but there were
just as many she didn’t know.
    Evan led her to the fourth table, where two decorated
pillows sat for them. The elders sat here, as well as Lee and
Matilda. They faced the three tables, where everyone could see
them. Evan helped her down to the ground as she maneuvered her
dress. Her skirts poofed up around her legs, which she sat on,
trying to look graceful. Sierra’s smile had faded by the time she’d
adjusted. She didn’t want to be the center of attention through an
entire meal of speeches and whatever else they had planned. Jade
had mentioned entertainers and dancing. Sierra hoped they’d only
been rumors.
    The applause finally died down, and everyone sat on
the ground, shifting their pillows and mats around the tables.
Sierra looked over the room. If the Protectors knew about this
banquet, it would be a slaughter. She’d spoken with Jeshro before,
and he’d assured her there was a great extent of protective magic
over the manor, including guards patrolling the outside. He told
her to enjoy herself, as though this banquet were for her benefit
and not for the Avialies’ joy.
    Jeshro remained standing, and he picked up his
goblet. “Please join me in a toast.”
    “Need some wine?” Matilda asked. She was in the seat
next to Sierra, and she wore a soft gold dress with a brown bodice.
Her hands had similar designs as Sierra’s, but hers extended to
only her ring fingers while each of Sierra’s fingers were
decorated.
    “Yes, I think I’m going to need a lot of it,” Sierra
said quietly.
    Smirking, Matilda poured some wine into her own
goblet, then Sierra’s.
    Jeshro cleared his throat, raising his cup. “Three
years ago, Lisbeth had a vision. She saw the curse being broken by
two young women who were marked to protect the Avialies, like
Kallis and Tamare. We began searching for these women, but two
years ago, Lisbeth and I made a grave mistake.” His gaze fell on
Evan and Sierra. “We tried to rush the prophecy along. The
Protectors took nine lives when they found out. We couldn’t be more
apologetic for the pain we caused. We also couldn’t be more
grateful for the way Sierra has helped us. Despite what we did, she
returned to us and offered her assistance.”
    Sierra blinked a few times. Is that what she had
done?
    “Through hardships and trials, she and Lady Grace
broke the curse that has kept our family down for so long. We’ll
always be grateful. To Sierra.”
    “To Sierra,” the crowd echoed.
    That was all he had to say about Grace? Sierra wasn’t
sure if she should drink, and she clutched to her goblet. Jeshro
spread his arms wide, but she cleared her throat. “Jeshro, I’d like
to say something.”
    He stared at her for a moment before nodding