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She was wearing a dress completely different from the traditional gowns Seraphina and I had on, which I guessed was a reflection of where her family came from. It was a draped, pearlescent thing which clung to her breasts, the soft swell of her stomach, and the wide flare of her hips. Her shoulders, soft and round, were covered with delicate chains that emphasized her romantic decolletage.
Suddenly, I felt intensely inadequate.
Even the way she moved was different than me, with a slow, measured assuredness. There was real weight to every step she took, like she was claiming her space and dared anyone else to try and take it from her.
Fuck.
A gentle hand on my arm pulled me out of my spiral, and I realized Seraphina was looking at me with another soft expression.
“Miss Rathson may be easy on the eyes,” she said softly, “but I’ve never seen my brother look at anyone the way he looks at you.”
I swallowed hard. Was it that obvious? It was embarrassing.
“But he hasn’t met her yet, right?”
Seraphina let out a little sigh, and yes, I knew I was being petulant, but how could I not be? I was faced with a woman Kai’s family wanted him to marry, and from where I was standing, she was a total upgrade from me.
Because in the end, I was an orphan with nothing to her name but military wages and a curse that’d repeatedly tried to kill him. I was more trouble than I was worth, even if the sex Kai and I had was incredible.
Really, really incredible.
“He’s seen photos, dear. Lady Rathson’s beauty is well-known, but you’ll meet her in kind.”
I let out a snort at that. Was it polite? No. But the idea was absolutely ridiculous.
“Ayla, I’m serious. A perfect rose from my garden may be indescribably lovely, but does that somehow detract from the gorgeous view I have of the mountains to the west?”
I narrowed my eyes at her, grateful for a distraction from Felicity as she continued down the stairs, too many parts of her jiggling far too invitingly. Honestly, she reminded me so much of Yvonne’s wife, only more ethereal.
“I don’t follow.”
“Beauty is varied and comes in many different forms. She is gorgeous, but so are you, and what’s more important is that my brother is so clearly in love with you.”
Another swallow as I got my emotions under control. In my heart of hearts, I knew that Kai wouldn’t be so easily swayed by the woman he’d been avoiding for years, but it seemed like many of my old insecurities were coming to the fore. It was something I’d need to work on, that was for certain. There were enough forces trying to sabotage my happiness that I didn’t need to add to them.
“You’re right, Seraphina, and thank you.”
“Of course. I understand what it’s like to be on the outside looking in. The thoughts it breeds aren’t always the nicest.”
That was putting it mildly. I returned her small smile and draped my arm across her shoulders for a moment. I was still awkward with physical contact, but it felt right for the moment.
I watched, keeping Seraphina’s words in mind as people flocked to Felicity once she was at the landing. Again, I was reminded of scenes out of a movie, when the main female love interest shows up dressed to the nines and commands the attention of everyone around her.
It wasn’t so bad, though, seeing her smile and schmooze. She had a lovely grin and sparkling eyes. Maybe, in another world, we could be friends.
But then Kai’s mother, none other than the queen herself, was tugging him along by his arm to introduce her son to his intended. My stomach dropped again, and my nails dug into my palms as I curled my fist.
As usual, I was still using tons of scent-blocking hygiene supplies, but considering that Mad Dog was able to scent my excitement earlier, I didn’t trust myself not to start reeking if I didn’t keep a tight rein on all the negativity brewing within me, though it wasn’t easy.
Not at all.
I could tell even from across the room that Kai wasn’t enjoying himself, and that just made me feel worse. I hated that the two of us were both miserable, and his family had pushed us into a totally unnecessary situation. Why couldn’t they just listen to Kai?
I couldn’t say. I knew I was in desperate need of a distraction. Glancing anywhere but the two of them, my eyes landed on a certain faerie I knew was harboring feelings for a certain princess.
Perfect.
Chapter 5
