There was a dressing room area, where couches circled around mirrors. There, I could try things on. There was a ramp I could use to venture up onto the raised dais, so I could look at outfits in front of the mirrors. The entirety of the Ladies’ Courthad been built to be accessible to me in mind, and I could get anywhere and do anything without having to ask for much help. I was absolutely touched by how generous the Elves could be.
I wanted to start playing dress-up immediately, before Elrye hurried us along. “The back of the closet is my personal favorite.”
Ancestors, there was more? How could there bemore?
Elrye took us to a door and indicated that I should open it. I did so and almost passed out. Gorgeous necklaces, earrings and bracelets lay on velvet pillows underneath white spotlights. Priceless gems and jewels were everywhere, ready for me to wear. There was a literalpool of fucking diamondsin the middle of the room. I absolutely couldn’t believe it. “Are those real, or illusions?”
“Real as can be,” Elrye stated. “Everything in this room is certified and genuine.”
I was completely blown away by the abundance the Elves had. “You can’t give me all these diamonds,” I insisted. “They belong in the royal treasury, to all the members of the monarchy.”
“Oh, this is nothing,” Elrye said with a casual wave of her hand. “Trust me when I say the Emperor has more than enough to spare.”
“How’d you get it all out of Forevermore before the Warden took it over?” Kallie asked.
“We didn’t store most of our treasures in Forevermore. The monarchy was careful to hide our true wealth in secret magical stores all over the world, just in case our city was discovered,” Elrye replied. “Of course, we did lose quite a few treasures from the siege of Forevermore, but let me assure you that what we have here in Ilamanthe is more than enough for everyone.”
She could say that again. Finally, I was living my bestAva-Marie lifeas I was meant to experience it. I was born forabsolute luxury. I wasn’t sure what to bathe in first, the pool or the diamonds.
Looking around at everything the Elves had, I was confused. “The Elves have so much wealth, and so many resources. Why didn’t they use them to win the last Great Supernatural War?” I questioned.
“Money is a wonderful resource to have in a time of suffering, but diamonds don’t win wars, princess. People do,” Elrye responded. “We had three very powerful magical societies fighting us from all sides. The fae were as wealthy as we were back in that time, and the angels and vampires had their own stores of riches. Our allies, the Elementai and the witches, weren’t as well-equipped, and we had to share what we had with them to bolster their forces as well as our own. We can throw all the wealth we desire at obtaining weaponry, but we were vastly outnumbered, and back then, most of the supernatural world had the goal of exterminating us, simplybecausewe were so powerful.”
“But you had everything at your disposal, magic and otherwise,” I stated. I wasn’t trying to argue, but understand. If I was to be the princess of these people, I needed to comprehend how the Elves had failed, so we wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
“A beetle is far stronger and more powerful than an ant, but if a thousand ants swarm one beetle with the singular goal of destroying it, the beetle will die,” Elrye responded. “Our enemies were wise, because they came together to capture our most powerful warriors, and either imprisoned or killed them all before the war truly began. It left most of us defenseless. Our money was all but useless by the time we had to go underground and hide within Forevermore. Hopefully we can utilize it better this time.”
“Are you sure there’s enough to go around?” Kallie asked. “The Elves are so generous. I can’t help but wonder if it’s going to run out.”
“The Elves have a different way of thinking. We believe abundance is infinite, that there’s always more than enough for everyone, and always more to be had,” Elrye replied. “Yes, we did earn most of our wealth through crime, but we also elevated our society through trade and magical goods long before the first Great Supernatural War. Our people have been around since the dawn of time, and we’ve used that advantage to compile everything we’ve ever wanted. We offered to give away some of that wealth to the other races in times of need, but even as we did so, that caused many to resent us.”
“No wonder people wanted to wipe the Elves out,” I said quietly. The jealousy alone from the other magical races, witnessing the Elves living in such prosperity, would inspire hatred.
“Indeed. Many of the other races, most prominently the angels, didn’t believe everyone could have what they needed. They thought that the Elves hoarded everything for ourselves, so they attempted to take what we had,” Elrye said heavily. “But such conversations shouldn’t be had on a day like today. You have some time before the next item on your schedule, princess. Feel free to use this area how you wish.”
Abso-freaking-lutely.I spent the rest of the morning and a good portion of the afternoon basking in paradise. I put on one of the adorable bikinis I had in the closet and went to go swimming. It was much easier to get in the pool, due to the lift they had for wheelchair users. The Institute never had one, which meant someone always had to carry me in. The Elves had thought of everything to accommodate me.
I used my Toaqua powers to swim around by myself for a while, while Opal splashed with Marina in a shallow area ofthe pool. Her child had the cutest turquoise mermaid tail, and she could already swim well. Oberi busied herself with getting a massage, nickering as the therapist kneaded her back while two Koigni girls braided her Fire mane and tail.
Abigail and I had made small talk while we swam in the pool, mostly about the city. She’d brought me a couple of drinks and had offered to reapply my makeup once I got out of the water.
Having a lady-in-waiting felt like having a paid best friend, and I wasn’t sure if I liked it much. It felt fake.
While Abigail was chatting with Opal, I took my chance to get away from her so I could approach Kallie, who hadn’t said a thing since Elrye had left us to our own devices. Kallie lounged on a reclining chair by the pool and soaked up the sun.
I paddled up to her and rested my arms on the edge of the pool. “Hey. Why don’t you come in? It’s a beautiful day.”
“I will in a minute,” Kallie said. “I’m just… distracted.”
“How come?” I rested my chin on my hands. “I know this is a lot to take in, but we should enjoy it while we can.”
Kallie gave a sigh. “Honestly… I’m still thinking about the Dollmaker.”
The hated name soured a beautiful day like today. The Dollmaker was a mass murderer who’d killed multiple young women in Malovia. Charlie and Kallie had done some investigating before we’d left the Institute, and they’d discovered the Dollmaker was actually Kallie’s ex, Valen. He’d compelled her after she’d broken up with him to assassinate her brother, and although the attempt to take Kazim’s life had failed, it had gotten her sent to the Institute. The police were looking for him, but at the moment, Valen hadn’t been caught.
“You upset he’s still on the run?” I asked.
“Yes, but there’s more to it. I’m wondering how he was able to compel me to kill my brother, and not have me remember it. That’s some strong magic,” Kallie said.
