“Hevva! Stop,” he all but shouted.
She froze. The command in his voice turned her back around, just as she did not want to do. “Yes, Your Majesty?” Lady Hevva asked demurely, as if she hadn’t been actively ignoring him.
He pushed through the barrier of grasses that grew between them and stared at her with the strangest look on his face. “I think it would be best if I escort you to your chamber.”
She popped a hip. “And why is that?”
His eyes sparkled, and she had the most horrible suspicion this was about to become an “I told you so” sort of moment.
“Well, my lady, it appears as though your gown has split clean down the back.”
Hevva’s mouth dropped open as heat flooded her already warm face. A pat of her hands against her rear confirmed the king was telling the truth, though why he might lie about something so outrageous to begin with, she wasn’t sure. How had she not felt this? She thanked the gods her silken shift hadn’t been damaged too, or she’d be giving himquitethe show.
“Oh my,” she breathed, feeling contrite.
He waggled his brow, and she couldn’t help but give the man a playful shove on the shoulder.
“Turn around.”
“Why? Want another look?”
“Yes.”
She sputtered.
“AndI’ll use my magic to make a temporary panel.”
She narrowed her eyes at him before acquiescing. A feeling like a fizzle of static prickled down her back, over her bottom, and down to her ankles as the king worked.
“All right,” he announced eventually. “It’s not perfect but will get you upstairs.”
She ran her hands over the swell of her own arse where a makeshift panel of linen melded in with the torn edges of the real dress. He sucked in a breath. A glance over her shoulder showed that King Hethtar had matched the shade to perfection, and that he was presently eyeing his handiwork.
“Do you mind?” She raised a brow.
His eyes, a deep forest green, swung up to meet her own. “Not at all. You’re very welcome.”
She groaned.
A little smile played across his face as he offered his arm, which she accepted with an eyeroll. “I’ll escort you to your rooms and then perhaps, if you’re interested, we could visit the children?”
She looked at him from the corner of her eye, certain he was teasing. Had he really figured out one of her weak spots that easily? But the way he eyed her, almost expectantly awaiting a response, had the word “yes” sliding out of her mouth before she could pull it back in.
The king’s responding nod held an air of formal restraint that only a royal could effectively execute.
He held Hevva’s door open for her as she darted inside to change, then indicated he’d nip off to find a pair of boots and freshen up but would return shortly.
The second the door clicked shut behind her, she heard apopand reached back to confirm that the magical illusion of her dress panel had gone away.
Curiosity got the better of her and Hevva found herself craning over her own shoulder to get a look at the back of her dress in the mirror.How bad could it really be?
Very bad.The answer was very, very bad.
The thin silken shift left very little to the imagination. She mimedwalking for a moment, and nearly passed out from mortification. Each globe of her bottom was perfectly visible, bouncing independent of the other when she moved.Oh, gods, kill me now.
In frustration she tore loose the rest of the gown, sending buttons flying across her chamber.
seven
