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“Lavender and magenta are the court’s official colors, other than the icy blue we often show to the public,” the woman explained. “This is a shade in between and would show respect to our future ruler, whichever of the two takes the crown in the end.”
“It’s too short.”
A cool sensation touched her knees. Emerald watched as the hem lengthened, fluttering around her skin and draping to the ground.
“Too long,” Emerald said, biting back a grin at Elina’s eyeroll.
“You’re lucky I like you,” the woman declared before shortening the dress until it was just below her knees. Emerald twirled again, the layers of sheer material moving with her.
“Even if I’m not a Fae?”
“You know what to say and when to show your emotions. You know when to push your agenda and when to back off, and you can hold your own against our more malicious peers. You can be vicious, too, when it calls for it. You’re already acting like a Fae.”
“Oh,” she said, unsure how to react. It never sank into her mind that the qualities that had made her seem inaccessible to her peers would be the ones helping her survive here. “How do I look?”
“Like a goddamn dream.”
The way Elina quietly backed off told her it wasn’t an ordinary person who had walked in, but it was the familiar voice that gripped Emerald hard. She turned to look at Rick, his shoulder leaning on the doorway and his arms crossed. There was less tension on his face, signaling he had gotten some sleep in the past few days. Even his body was relaxed, though her gaze couldn’t help tracing his broad shoulders and the way his white silk shirt molded over his form.
“Hey. I haven’t seen you in a while,” she said.
“I have been busy. Good work, Elina. This is your nicest dress yet.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Rick nodded at the older woman, who announced that she would dress Yu up in the other room. Then it was just them, the door closing and him sauntering toward Emerald. She turned around and began to remove her dress, feeling exposed by it. Of course, what should have been an easy process became complicated as she didn’t account for the rows of strings and crystal buttons that refused to work with her.
“It’s a nice dress, but Elina likes her strings and buttons too much,” she complained.
“Hold still.”
There was no need for the words as she was already stilling at the first contact of his fingers on her back. The dress shifted while he gently pulled the strings at the back, and her hands gripped the front tight to keep it from slipping. She couldn’t see him, but she imagined his frown in place and his forehead creased in concentration.
“It’s a nice dress,” she said when the silence became too much. “It feels like silk, but lighter. Sometimes it feels like I’m not wearing anything.”
There was a harder tug, then the last string was undone. His fingers moved over her buttons next. Every time he unclasped one, his thumb brushed her skin and her hiss threatened to come out.
“We have excellent designers,” he mused, unaware of her struggle. “It’s why we always look good.”
How could he speak so normally when she was about to spontaneously combust?
“Untouchable.” She tried to match his casual tone. “You guys look untouchable.”
“You should see yourself when you’re in your element, your magic blooming with no holds barred. You beat us all with how untouchable you look.”
Heat curled, then locked tight. Desire buzzed with desperate hunger, even when his tone didn’t change at all. Gulping her unwarranted reaction down, Emerald forced herself to change the subject.
“Thanks. How’s the investigation going?”
“It’s going. No further leads.” The hands skimmed lower, unclasping the buttons on her butt. “Merrell still wouldn’t budge.”
She sucked in a breath when his thumb feathered over her ass, then retreated. “How are things with you and your sister?”
He tensed, knuckles pressing against her hip when he did. She closed her eyes.
“It’s okay. Just okay.”
“I see.”
