Percy emerged from the pantry and slumped against the wall. “I thought my father had already sniffed me out.”
“Not quite yet.” Phaedrus’ eyes lingered on me. “I’ve given them permission to use my men. Within days, they’ll have scoured the city and will return here.”
“Well,” Percy rubbed his neck, “I say we get these keys andleave.”
Phaedrus nodded. “You’ll need to wear new faces at the meeting, to diminish any possible suspicion. I’ll tend to my sister, dire as her condition is, but you look like a woman of class. Think you can manage a new look?”
“I can.” I nodded, looking over as Seraphim and Eleos entered the room, returning from wherever they’d hidden. “Think you can transform Eleos, Perse?”
“Easily.” Percy stood straight. “I’d rather dress him up, but I can also turn him into the most mundane steward you’ve ever laid eyes on.”
“How long do we have?” I asked.
“A day and a night,” Phaedrus smirked. “I did say you were late. The border lords will arrivetomorrow.”
27
Chapter 27
Dressing like a noble and dressing to be beautiful were vastly different things. New trends rose and fell each year, and anyone who failed to keep up was shunned. Considering recent events, I hadn’t been paying lordly fashion much mind.
Lord Phaedrus described his sister Themis as a chameleon. Everything she displayed on the outside matched those around her, concealing the truth within. A truth even Themis had long forgotten. He’d given me a quick summary of everything she’d worn in recent weeks, and I’d managed to piece together what Cynthus nobility favored these days.
Eyes twitching, mouth set in a grimace, I tied the last braid and carefully wound it around the bun resting atop my head. Exhaling, I dropped my hands and admired the hairdo.
Oh, it was awful.
Turning away, I grabbed the dress lying across the bed sheets and pulled it on: a simple red toga with a gold leaf belt and matching armbands. Grabbing the receptacle of powder I’d been lent, I returned to the mirror to complete the look.
A soft knock echoed on my door, and I called for them to enter. Expecting the maid, I nearly dropped the container in surprise when I saw Eleos standing behind me in the mirror. Whirling around, Ilooked him over.
Percy had already finished his task. With his hair oiled back, spectacles set on his nose, and encased in a frumpy brown robe, Eleos looked the very definition of ‘mundane.’
“Oh,” I said. “You look. . .”
“I can’t see with these on.” He pulled off the spectacles and folded them. “Thankfully, I don’t need to read anything.” Tapping my door closed, he leaned against the wall beside the vanity. “Are you ready?”
“I think so,” I said, leaning forward to apply the golden makeup to my eyes. “Hopefully, the lords will be more willing to listen than the clergy.”
“I have hope. We’re only offering to send a messenger. They can foist blame onto her.”
“True.” I winced. This color didn’t flatter me. “It’s hard to believe we’re mere days from sailing for Duath Nun.”
“I can’t wait,” Eleos said dreamily. “To see a country that’s been isolated forcenturies? There might be flora and fauna there we could only dream of.”
The excitement in his eyes was so cute—just one of the reasons I’d fallen for him. Snapping the container of makeup closed, I turned to him. “Eleos. When the meeting’s over, can we talk?”
He sighed. “I’ve been thinking, and. . . you deserve the truth. All of it.”
“I promise you, I won’t hate you once I know. If anything, I’ll feel the opposite.”
“I. . . I know I’m not that man anymore. But that doesn’t mean I deserve your forgiveness.” He tilted his head. “That color doesn’t suit you.”
“I know.” I frowned at my reflection. “It’s terrible, isn’t it?”
He laughed quietly. “I’ll see you downstairs, Lady Aethra.”
Flipping his fake spectacles back on, he walked out the door. Relieved we were on track towards reconciliation, I spun before the mirror to ensure everything was in place, and followed him outside.
