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“I-”
“Never mind,” Aledwen interrupted, though she tried to keep her voice as soft as possible. She didn’t want him thinking she was rude. Offending another people on her first day at court probably wasn’t the best plan. “Why don’t we discuss this tomorrow? In the sun room and just after the mid-day meal?”
The man from House Paige nodded, though he seemed a little unsure of the situation still. Good. Putting him on the back foot could be the start of her actually managing to shake things up around here.
“Aledwen,” her mother scolded, her eyes boring into her daughter.
“Yes, Your Majesty?” she replied sweetly, knowing that if she used the proper title, it’d rob her mother of any chance to make a scene. Aledwen knew there was a chance her mother might not even try do that, but it was better safe than sorry.
Her mother said nothing. Probably because there wasn’t anything for her to say, at least not without looking completely unreasonable.
“Don’t you need to get ready for the ball this evening?” she asked equally as sweetly. Good. She was rattled then. That would suit Aledwen just fine.
“Yes, mother.” She stood up before dipping a brief curtsy. She wouldn’t need to start getting ready for another few hours, she wasn’t one of those women that needed hours to make sure every tiny hair was in place. But she did know when she was being dismissed.
“Sir,” she added, curtsying to the elf too. If he’d been taken aback before, he was even more so now, and she smiled to herself. Satisfied in the reaction she’d caused, she swept out of the room, ignoring the murmurs of the court. What did it matter to her what they thought? None of them knew her, and even if they did, they had no choice in her position. One day she’d be their queen, whether they liked it or not.
Three
Okay, she’d admit it. She was bored. With the ball too close for her to sneak out of the palace, but far enough away for her to need to do something in between. Except she’d definitely chosen the wrong activity. She should have gone to the archery range and practiced shooting. It’d have occupied her body as well as her brain. Instead, she’d decided to read one of the novels that’d been smuggled in from the human realm. Which had been a really bad decision.
Every time the hero got into a risky situation, she kept picturing Drey in his place. Or occasionally even the ambassador from House Paige. She wasn’t sure where that one had come from. He’d been pleasant to look at, without a doubt, but he wasn’t her type. If she even knew what that was. Reading this book was twisting her up in knots, and she had no idea about how to untangle herself. Or if she even really wanted to. The images were kind of enticing.
“Aledwen?” A voice interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up to see her lady’s maid, and close friend, Johanna. She’d been in Aledwen’s service since they were both fourteen, and they’d instantly become close. As was to be expected given they’d both led very sheltered upbringings and somewhat boring lives.
“Mmm?” she responded, finally coming out of her daydreams. She shouldn’t be thinking about men like that. Her mother would have a fit. Propriety wasn’t the only thing she cared about. She was also a staunch believer in the fae women ruling alone. No man by their side to support or do anything for them.
In some respects, Aledwen liked that way of thinking. A woman didn’t need a man. But that didn’t mean she didn’t want one. Or two as the case may be. She’d probably read too many of the human novels, but she wanted to be swept off her feet and made to fall in love, just like those heroines were all the time.
A fantasy, true. But what else did she really have to sustain her?
“It’s time to get ready,” Johanna said, pity filling her eyes. Aledwen grimaced. It’d be fine if the dress she had to wear was pretty. Or fit her well. As it was, she could barely call what she was supposed to put on a dress. Rather, a cake topper or a just a cupcake. That was more like it.
At least it wasn’t pink.
Oh wait, it was. Her mother had insisted as it represented the pink cherry blossoms that sprung up everywhere at the beginning of spring. Just about any other colour would have been preferable.
“Very well then.” She sighed, setting her book down on the table and stripping herself of the simple dress she’d been wearing today. Yet another out of date tradition the fae seemed to love. No comfortable clothing for them, just old fashioned velvet, satin and cotton. Always stiff from the weird way they had to wash them so they didn’t get ruined.
She dropped her dress into the laundry basket, and entered her bathroom. At least this was modern. Sleek marble, hot water, and a tub big enough for ten. Maybe not ten. But probably six. Though she wasn’t too sure when she was ever actually going to try that out. It didn’t strike her as very princess like behaviour.
Or maybe that was the perfect reason to try it. She smiled to herself as she sunk into the hot water already filling the tub, amused at the idea of how scandalised her mother would be if she ever did that. It would be worth it even for that. She’d soon realise that her little girl wasn’t quite the proper lady she wanted her to be.
“Aledwen...” Johanna warned, and she jolted upright in the bath, not realising quite how deep into her fantasy ideas she actually was.
“Sorry, getting out now,” she lied, ducking her head under the water, and washing out the imaginary grime. As a fae, there was no need for her to actually wash her hair. It would do it naturally after a bit. But she enjoyed the fragrance that trailed her around after she’d used the apple shampoo she bought from the human shop in the nearby settlement. Oddly, her mother had never asked where she’d gotten it, but that would have meant her paying attention enough to realise something.
She rinsed off, and pushed herself up out of the bath, pulling the plug so it would drain as she did so. She toweled herself off, and hastily dressed in the underwear and slip she’d picked out for the evening. They too were from the human shop. Fae clothing was bad right down to the bottom layer, and she’d long since started buying the softer feeling human stuff. Lucky for her, Johanna completely agreed, and would never betray her trust by revealing she had it.
Pulling the door open, she stepped back into her main room, to find Johanna stood there with a bunch of petticoats in her hands. Reluctantly, Aledwen stepped into them, and waited patiently for Johanna to tie them around her waist. Yet another problem with these outfits. Getting in and out of them alone was virtually impossible.
She grimaced as she realised what was next, but refused to suck in a breath. If there was one thing she definitely had no plans of giving in to, it was having her corset so tight she could barely breathe. Most women did it to attract the visiting male paranormals. Or the half-fae. She likely wouldn’t need that even if she was allowed anyway. She was the princess, what man wouldn’t want to try and win her. It’d get him imaginary power in most men’s eyes.
That done, all she had to do was step into her skirts, which was actually the easiest bit.
Slowly, Johanna ran her hands through Aledwen’s hair, drying it with her magic. She really should have been able to do that alone, but without any magic, there wasn’t much she could do.
“There.” The other woman stood back, admiring her handiwork. “You look beautiful.”
