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My eyes followed the direction she was pointing and, holy shit, I was not prepared for what I saw.
It turned out that my hair had grown out since I’d last had my normal routine at Canid, which seemed like an entire lifetime ago. Now they were able to sweep it into an updo. Not as voluminous as the princess, and there were only a few statement curls, yet my pale, thin strands didn’t look stringy at all, which was what I had been expecting. Instead, gems and flowers had been used to add the structure and space my white, wispy hair could never hope to give.
Then there was my makeup. I had nothing against the art of cosmetics, but being a hermit living in the woods, or with a coven that barely tolerated me, didn’t exactly lend itself well to knowing how to put on liquid eyeliner or apply eyeshadow. However, I did know what was on my face complimented me without overwhelming my pointed features. Neutral browns and light purples complimented my bright eyes while a warm pink graced my lips. They’d added a shimmery blush atop my cheekbones that I’d have sworn was too much on its own, but brought a depth to my face I hadn’t expected.
And Darla… oh, Darla. They’d chosen red and gold mostly for her coloring, with a deeper brown—bronzer?—for her face. They hadn’t given her false lashes like they had with Seraphina and me. Instead, they’d applied a black mascara underneath her lashed and gold top, making her look like a statue come to life.
We were both wearing jewels we could never hope to afford on our own, and our dresses were somehow even more beautiful than they’d been at the fitting, sitting on our bodies like they were made for us. Well, I supposed they were in a way, as they’d been specifically tailored to our measurements. I was simply grateful not to find a hidden pin stuck somewhere in my garment.
“Aren’t we quite the trio?” Seraphina asked, clapping her hands in delight. “Oh, this is going to be so fun.”
“It is,” I said, but not because of the strange way we were dressed. Because the three of us would be together and we’d be able to stop Seraphina from getting picked on. I was suddenly determined to make sure that the youngest princess had a great time without any bullies or passive aggressive put-downs. If I’d risk potential harm to her by being in her proximity, I was going to make sure it was worth it.
“All right, then. Should we head out?”
Seraphina looped her arms through ours and gave our reflections a nod. “Yeah. This is going to be a gala to remember.”
“Ready?” Seraphina asked as we approached the oversized double doors that no doubt led to some insanely grand ballroom.
Despite my few scant tours of the palace, I’d never seen any rooms remotely like this. I’d assumed those wouldn’t really be relevant to my position as one of Kai’s military entourage. The only reason I was attending the gala was because of Seraphina’s invitation, not my mate’s. No doubt it sounded strange to an outsider, but Kai and I did have to put as much public distance between us as possible.
“It’s now or never,” Darla said before walking toward the doors that muffled, classical music drifted from.
“Whoa, wait, what are you doing?” Seraphina asked, sounding so alarmed that it stopped Darla mid-step.
“What? That’s the ballroom, isn’t it?”
“You need to be announced,” Halle said much more gently, guiding Darla back to Seraphina’s side. “It’s important protocol. Just make sure you stay a step ahead of the princess. and try to keep close together.”
“Right, I forgot how pretentious half the minds around us are.” Darla took a deep breath and straightened up. “All right, so who’s doing this?”
“I will tell the herald you’re ready to be announced,” Halle said before stepping forward and slipping through the doors.
It struck me as strange that there needed to be specific announcements for every guest, but I supposed it was logical for social hierarchies built entirely around noble stations. Everyone needed to know who to kiss up to in order to snatch another modicum of power for their families.
Yes, I much preferred military life.
Or hermit and gardening life.
Or really anything but official political office life.
It struck me as so odd and impossible that, if Kai and my mating worked out, I would be queen one day. I had a genuine concern for the people, and it helped that I didn’t have a drop of finery in me. I didn’t really think that I was cut out to be a royal. There was so much protocol and wasted time spent on nonsense that I couldn’t be bothered to care about.
I was getting too far ahead of myself. We had a war to win as well as an ancient, powerful sorcerer to defeat. No big deal.
Ugh.
My spiraling thoughts were cut off when the doors opened, and fanfare sounded from trumpets. It reminded me of legends of old I’d heard when I was younger, set in a time before technology and magic first mixed.
Then the doors opened fully, and Darla and I stepped forward, with Seraphina following along behind. Walking into the gala was like stepping into a different world, my eyes dilating for a moment from the sudden influx of bright light, only to be assaulted by a true cacophony of input the moment my vision cleared.
Streamers, chandeliers, flowers, statues. Brightly dressed entertainers performing acrobatics, juggling or other fine arts on beautifully tended to daises. There were tables lining one wall loaded with an impossible amount of food, whereas the other side of the room had a lounge area with some tables, but mostly oversized, plush chairs.
The floor sparkled. The walls sparkled. Even the ceiling sparkled with gold and blue crown molding and all sorts of other decorations I didn’t even have a name for. It was an assault on my eyes, as much as it was certainly impressive, but my attention wasn’t able to linger on it for long. I quickly noticed all the people filling the room.
The servants were, indeed, dressed more nicely than usual, which I’d figured out when I’d seen Halle put on an understated but well-made green and brown dress, replacing her usual blue button up shirt and smart khaki slacks. But unlike Halle, who was clearly going to stick by Seraphina’s side, most of the servants were standing on the left and right sides unless they were carrying drinks around. Also unlike Halle, their outfits were tailored to fit both the theme and coloring of the gala.
Dressed in creams, whites, golds, and royal blues, they all wore half masks. Some had rabbit ears atop their heads while others wore antlers, their masks bearing prints matching their adornments. It took me a few beats, but I understood they were meant to represent spring. A time of rebirth, new love and…erm…fertility.
