AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What next?” I looked over at Druise. She seemed to have the schedule down.
She motioned for me to sit at the table near the bed. “I bring you dinner, Your Highness. And if you’re wondering, you are to see no one but me and those who attend you before the coronation. You will see His Lordship there.”
Assuming she was talking about Grieve, I followed her orders and sat down at the table, while she brought in my meal. Hot bread, venison, a round of cheese, and a goblet of deep red wine, which went straight to my head. As I stabbed at the meat with my fork, I glanced over at Druise, who stood at attention near the table.
“Are you hungry?”
She shook her head, dipping into a quick curtsey. “No, Your Ladyship. Thank you for asking, though.”
“Why can’t I see anybody before the coronation?” I wasn’t complaining, but it did seem odd.
“They…it’s…there are always fears of assassination.”
That got my attention.
I put down my fork. “Have there been threats? Tell me the truth now.”
She blushed. “I’m not privy to that information. But there are always dangers for royalty, Your Highness. And there are some who might think since you weren’t born in the Barrow, perhaps…”
“Perhaps I don’t deserve to wear the crown.” I finished the thought for her. She blushed again but nodded. “So Lainule wants to make certain Rhiannon and I actually make it to the throne.”
Druise nodded. “And they only trust those of us who’ve undergone loyalty tests.”
“Loyalty tests? What does that entail?” I was beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, this would be a rough gig for the next few years while I tried to immerse myself in the culture and learn everything there was to learn. I also was beginning to see how vast the culture gap was.
She bowed her head, just enough to tell me it hadn’t been pleasant. “They search your mind. They search your heart. I’m not certain what they’re looking for, but they found me true to the throne, and that’s when I became your lady’s maid.”
Having had Kaylin thrust himself into my mind once before, I knew how invasive that was. I gave Druise a faint smile. “I think I understand. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
She cocked her head and shrugged. “I was glad to. This position…as I’ve mentioned before, it means a great deal to me and my family. It…the testing hurt, and it felt like they were inside my mind, able to see everything in my thoughts, but then I don’t have much to hide, Your Highness. I’m not very complicated.” Lowering her gaze, she fiddled with her skirt.
“That’s not a bad thing, Druise. Not at all.” I went back to my dinner, mulling over the thought that not only were there those out there not entirely happy about me taking the throne, but it was perhaps to the extent that Lainule was worried about someone trying to off me. And Rhiannon, too.
After I’d eaten, Druise removed the dishes, and I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I decided to put on my makeup, but when she returned to see me sitting down at the vanity, she stopped me.
“Please, let me. I’ve been given instructions.”
I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of that, but I allowed her to work her magic on my face and hair. When I finally looked in the mirror, I scarcely recognized myself. She had made my face up in an intricate pattern of scrollwork, in shades of shimmering blue and silver, that wrapped around my eyes like a tribal tattoo, coiling down to my cheeks. My lips were the palest pink I’d ever seen, barely more than a hint of color in the gloss—almost white.
She had pulled my hair back from my face into a pattern of braids and curls that hung down my back. For the first time in my life, I felt absolutely stunning, exotic. Perhaps…even beautiful.
“Oh, Druise, this is so beautiful. Thank you.” I was afraid to touch my face, afraid I’d mar the makeup. “But what if I start crying?”
“You won’t hurt it. It’s waterproof.” When she smiled, her eyes crinkled, giving her a cheerful, fresh look that made me want to take her in hand and polish her up a little and marry her off to some good-natured man who would treat her right and give her a lovely home.
“Now we dress you, Your Highness. It’s past nine, and the ceremony goes on for a long time before the coronation.” She motioned for me to join her by the bed, where the dress was spread out. I dropped my towel that I was still wrapped in from after the massage and crossed the room.
As I stepped into my underwear, she fastened the hooks of my strapless bra. I saw that the dress was two pieces—the skirt and the corset bodice—which made it much easier to get into.>Chapter 9
When we made it back to the Barrow, the healers had swept Kaylin away and he was being worked on. Seeing that he was not one of the Fae, but instead one of the magic-born with a night-veil demon attached to his soul, they were having to feel their way around, but they’d bound up his wounds and prevented them from getting infected. Luna sat beside him, holding his hand, but he was still unconscious. I sat down beside her and took her other hand.
“How are you holding up?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Everything has been so topsy-turvy the past few weeks that I’m not sure whether I’m coming or going. I never expected…” She gazed down at Kaylin’s sleeping form. “I never expected to walk into this.”
“You and Kaylin…are you…” I wasn’t sure how to ask it—I knew he had it bad for her, and I knew she cared about him, but I wasn’t sure how far it had gone between the two of them.
She quietly replaced his hand, making sure the blankets were tucked around him. The healer—who was standing in the corner—nodded to her.
