Leave it to her brother to pick out the dress she hated the most for her to wear.
Powder blue. Frilly. Conservative.
Aydra flung it out of her window and went to her wardrobe.
Color. Color. Color.
No.
She was feeling confident that day. Her dark golden freckles were radiating on her skin. She could see them popping off her cheeks when she looked in the mirror. The pure steel color of her upwards turned wide eyes reminded her of the rocks the castle was made from.
Black.
The long black lace dress stared at her from the back of the wardrobe. The dress that pissed her brother off the most, and the one that she felt most confident in.
The black raven flew past her window.
She pulled the form-fitting black lace up over her muscular thighs and the curvature of her hips. It fit around her waist and she pushed her arms through before bringing it up and over her breasts. Sections of the black rose lace pattern draped over her breasts and up to her collarbone, but the sleeves were off the shoulder and hugged her limbs. The beige underlay of the dress appeared nude on her pale skin. The bottom flared out just below her knees, and the train behind it extended a few feet. She reached for her heels under the bed and kicked the fabric out to put her feet in them. The tulle skirt she belted around her waist only wrapped around the back of her waist like a cape. She gave it a fluff behind her.
Her golden tree limbed crown sat on her desk. She pushed her raw tourmaline ring on her ring finger and pushed her fingers through her stark ginger hair. The elbow-length curls cascaded down her back. She stared at the crown again before placing it on her head.
This should piss him off.
She left her room a moment later and was not surprised when she found Lex waiting outside her door. Lex’s brows raised upon seeing her.
“Wow,” she mused, looking Aydra over deliberately. “Someone is looking to royally piss off the king.”
Aydra smirked and fell in step with her down the hall. “He deserves it after yesterday.”
“I told you we could make it clean,” Lex said, arms pushed behind her back. “Very quiet. I doubt many would be upset.”
Aydra almost laughed. “You sound like the raven.”
“Knew there was something I liked about that creature,” Lex grinned.
“Take a gander at which one he had Willow leave on the bed.”
Lex chuckled under her breath. “The pink one?”
“Powder blue,” Aydra told her.
“Oof,” Lex mused with a squint of disgust. “I can’t wait to see the look on his face when you walk in.”
The white stone hallways mocked Aydra as they strode down them. She fumbled with the sleeves of her dress, trying to pull them down enough to wrap the string around her ring fingers. She twisted her ring upon seeing the great portrait of herself and her brother at the end of the hall. The painters had drawn it onto the white rock, just as they had the last three kings and queens.
Lex paused a moment in front of it. “They didn’t do you justice, my Queen,” she affirmed.
“They rarely do the Queens justice,” Aydra agreed. “Makes me wonder if we were meant to only ever be an accessory on his arm.”
“Perhaps Arbina should have thought about that before creating you,” Lex said with a raise of her brow.
Aydra almost laughed. “Come. We are later than usual, I think.”
“I’m positive we are.”
They finally reached the double doors of the Chamber a few flights of stairs later, and the pair paused in front of it. Aydra twisted the ring on her finger once more and allowed a shiver to run down her spine. The Belwarks on either side of the door stared at her. She cracked her neck and gave them a nod.
The doors opened, and the great room went silent. Corbin stepped inside before her and started to announce she and Lex, but Aydra pressed her hand on his chest and pushed him to the side.
