That’s not so bad, is it? I would probably do that anyway… “Okay.”
There’s a strange prickling over my skin the second I agree. The magic settling in, I assume.
“I should probably sneak back out before I get stuck here for the night,” Bastian says softly.
“Definitely need to go before you’re caught,” I whisper back.
His body moves in closer to mine, instead of away to leave. “Yeah,” he breathes, and it ghosts over my lips before his meet mine.
It’s a quick kiss. Just enough to convey the desire he has to stay but also to say that he needs to go.
He’s pulling away much sooner than I would want and my upper body sways towards him momentarily before I right myself.
The sounds of unhurried footsteps and hushed voices carry in from the hall outside the portrait, reinforcing the need for him to leavenow.
“I’ll see you later,staellara,” he whispers before brushing a soft, quick kiss on my forehead and vanishing into the darkened corridor.
I’ve barely closedthe door behind me after sneaking back across the hall before there’sanotherknock.
I swear to the gods, if that’s Bastian…
I open the door to a short female who looks to be around my age in a simple butter yellow dress. Her bright, fuchsia hairis tied up into a messy bun on the top of her head. She startles at how quickly I open the door, her pale gray eyes widening comically. In a blink, she drops into a curtsy.
“Good evening, Your Highness,” she says timidly.
“Um, hi?” I greet her. “Please, you don’t need to call me that. Olivia is fine. Or Liv,” I start to ramble. “Really anything that’s notyour highness. Sounds so stuffy.” I wrinkle my nose in disgust. “Oh my gods, don’t curtsy. Please, get up, get up.” I flap my hands wildly at her. This whole you’re a princess thing is really starting to sink in, and I don’t like it. People treating me like I’m some greater power when I’m really just some random girl that happened to be born into therightfamily.
I swear I hear a soft chuckle come from her as she stands. It’s then that I catch sight of her rounded ears and my breath catches.
“You’re human?” I gasp out. She looks at me in horror and I immediately try to backtrack. My hand flies to my mouth. “I’m so sorry. That was probably incredibly rude to ask. Ignore me. I’m new here, as I’m sure you’re aware,” I let out a nervous laugh.
She shakes her head. “It’s fine, milady. I’m a demi-Fae.”
I tilt my head. “A what?”
She gives me a kind smile. “It means I’m half Fae. My father’s side to be exact.”
“Huh,” I muse. “It didn’t even occur to me that the two kinds would mingle.”
She cringes. “They don’t. Not truly. I’m the product of… unfortunate circumstances.”
“Oh,” I say stupidly. I can tell from her uncertain tone that this is not a conversation she’d like to have. “Where are my manners! Please come in.” I wave her into the room and shut the door behind her. “Was there something you needed… Apologies, I don’t know your name,” I say with a sheepish grin.
“Marina,” she says with another quick curtsy. “I’m here to help you prepare for supper. And also collect your measurements.”
I look around the room, barren of personal effects. “I’m afraid I don’t have much more than this,” I say gesturing to my dusty clothes.
A wide smile overtakes Marina’s face. “Oh don’t you worry about that.” I don’t know if I should be scared of how excited she is about that.
Turns out, I should’ve been a little scared. I was turned into a child’s doll with the way Marina twisted and turned me around using a numbered strip of tape to measure every inch of my body. This woman–female?–has now seen more of me than most people. It was unnerving to be so exposed. But once she had finished with her task, she snapped her fingers and a simple, satiny peach dresspoofed into existence. She made quick work of shoving me into it and lacing up the ties in the back before pushing me out the door and herding me down the hall to the informal dining room like a sheepdog. And yes, I’ve learned there is both a formal andinformal dining room. Since it’s just the ‘immediate family’ this evening, we’re eating in the informal one. As if a household really needs two dining rooms. I scoffed when Marina explained it to me.
The moment I step into the room, I feel as exposed as I had while Marina measured me in my undergarments. My parents immediately cease their discussion, and all their attention settles on where I stand frozen in the doorway. There are guards standing at each entry point into the room–three to be exact–and while they do their best to keep their focus straight ahead, I can see the way their eyes flick to me, back to their task, back to me. I’m the newest attraction in this carnival and it makes me uneasy. My fingers twitch for something to occupy them and expel the nervous energy.
I take a deep, bolstering breath before I leave Marina in the door and close the distance to the table. A table which is still large enough to seat up to eight people.
Informal dining room, my ass.
At my approach, my parents both stand. Oberon gestures to the seat beside his, at the head of the table. “Olivia, welcome. Please, take a seat.” Diana sits opposite me on Oberon’s other side.
