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Knock.
Knock.
“Come in.”
“Ma’am?” Gelula asked, stepping in first. “May we continue?”
“Yes, please.” I nodded.
“I’m almost finished,” Harper said as she came up to me, grabbing a few clips off the table. “Do you like it, ma’am?”
“I always do,” I said. I wanted to be more excited, but it felt like all the energy was sucked out of me already knowing Augusta was here somewhere in this palace.
They were quiet because I was quiet, and it only took another five minutes before Harper finished. She’d pinned my hair down low in a curly bun but had created a twist that circled the top like a crown, leaving a few strands out in front. It looked very simple and elegant but nearly took us two and a half hours.
“Your sash, ma’am,” Gelula said. When I stood back up, she helped me adjust it in place before also adding two bows for the queen’s seal and honor. “Perfect.” She nodded when she was done.
“Thank you both. Let everyone know they did well. Let’s get through tonight,” I said, walking to the front door, which Harper opened. My formal dressing room was the size of a bedroom and had two exits, one that led back to our bedroom and another that led straight to the hall, just like Gale’s on the other side. When I stepped out, he was already standing, waiting, and looking over a few cue cards in front of him. Hearing me, he glanced at me, looking me and up and down, and smiled.
“You look exactly the same,” he snickered.
“It was the finishing touches,” I said as I walked to him. “How is the speech?”
“My opening speech…beautiful. The second speech over dinner…absolutely boring, which is exactly what everyone wants,” he replied, linking arms with me.
“I think you should stop calling them boring and start calling them stable or customary. You might hurt the speechwriters’ feelings,” I said.
“Balduin, are you hurt?” he asked, looking down at him.
“I didn’t write it, sir, but I think I may speak for all of them when I say…no. They aim for boring.”
“See.” Gale nodded to me, carefully leading me down the stairs at the end of the hall.
“Fine, you win,” I said, holding the hem of my dress. When we got to the middle landing, Arjun and Dema were dressed in gold, greens, and blues. Dema’s crown looked to almost be a painting on her head; it was so colorful.
“You look so beautiful.” Dema grinned.
“Me? This is stunning,” I said, looking down at her dress, which I had learned was called a kira.
“When you visit us next year, I will have one made specifically for you and your mother.”
“Did you end up speaking to her?” I asked because she actually asked for her number.
“Yes, she was so funny.”
“Oh no.” My mom’s funny was a bit mean.
“Don’t worry.” She touched my arm.
“Ladies.” Gale leaned over, looking at me. “You can ignore us during the dinner. But can we get there first?”
King Arjun snickered. “You are a brave yet foolish man interrupting them.”
“We have a saying ‘Fortune favors the bold,’” he said back to him.
“Please excuse my husband. He often thinks he’s funny,” I said to her.
“Mine too. I don’t have the heart to tell him the truth,” she said back.
