“I’m glad you both came,” Dominique said. “Because I was just wondering what I was going to do with my hair.”
Aisling rubbed her hands together. “Let me see how the dress turned out and we’ll decide.”
Smiling, Dominique sipped her tea as she led them to the closet. Maybe today wouldn’t be as painful as she feared.
Two hours later,Dominique was ready. Well, maybe not ready, but her hair and makeup were done, and the dress clung to her body. Her heart and mind, however, were a damned mess.
“I brought the tiara I wore to my first event as the princess,” Aisling said, breaking through Dominique’s growing haze of panic. “It will go perfectly with the hairstyle Bettina gave you!”
Bettina had curled Dominique’s hair and gathered half of it up at the crown of her head, pinning it so a waterfall of curls seemed to cascade from the top of her head and down her back. It left her face and chest on display, which Dominique found nearly distressing.
This weekend had affected her cloak of indifference. She was finding it more and more difficult to pull on as each hour passed. She wasn’t sure how she would get through the ceremony without it.
Aisling brought the delicate tiara out of her bag. It was made to resemble a crown of violets. Each stem was made of either gold or silver. The flowers themselves were made of the same precious metals, but tiny amethysts or opals were set in the center of each one. The white and lavender opals resembled the iridescent overdress she wore, shimmering with a rainbow of colors.
“Aisling, I shouldn’t—” Dominique began.
“You absolutely should, and you will,” the princess argued. She came closer and set the tiara on Dominique’s head, shifting it back so the ends slipped into the curls pinned at the crown of her skull. Then, she stepped back and studied the placement. “I think that’s perfect. What do you think, Bettina?”
Though the maid was soft spoken, Dominique quickly discovered she had an extremely discerning eye and wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion, though usually at a volume that was more like a whisper.
“It’s perfect,” Bettina breathed.
“I agree,” Aisling said. She waved her hands at Dominique. “Turn around and take a look.”
Sucking in a deep breath, Dominique turned toward the mirrors behind her. Aisling hadn’t allowed her to look before now, and when her eyes landed on the glass, her throat grew tight.
She looked exactly like a fae bride should look on her wedding day. The dress skimmed over her body, highlighting every dip and curve. Her hair gleamed in the sunlight, the tiara sparkling madly among the curls. And her makeup was dewy and light, bringing attention to her best features and minimizing her weakest.
It hit her then, what she was about to do. She was about to marry a man she loved, a man that didn’t love her in return. They would be tied together for at least the next seven or eight years at least.
If she did this, she would only fall deeper in love with him. Which meant when he cast her aside, that the pain would only be worse as time went on. She could see it now—the end of their time together—when he came to tell her that he was done, and it was time for them to go their separate ways.
The phantom stab of pain in her chest nearly stole the breath from her lungs and she knew.She knewthat she would die when that day came. Not all at once. No, she would just wither away into nothing before his eyes.
And she couldn’t do that. As much as she cared about him. As much as she wished he loved her in return. She couldn’t live with him day after day and survive when he ended it.
“Well?” Aisling asked, distracting her from her heavy thoughts. “What do you think?”
With a shaking hand, Dominique touched her cheek. “I look like a fae bride,” she murmured, repeating her first thought. “You two did a beautiful job.”
Perceptive as ever, Aisling asked Bettina to give them a few moments, and the maid left the room, then princess turned to Dominique. “My brother is a difficult man to know,” she began. “But I can see that he cares about you.” She paused, obviously choosing her words carefully. “And I can see that you care about him. But if you don’t want to do this, I will help you escape this castle right now. Your family is no longer a factor in whether or not you marry my brother. You’ll be safe if you don’t go through with this.I’ll be safeif you don’t go through with this. I know what my parents have planned, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be able to see it through.”
Dominique straightened her shoulders, turning toward Aisling. Though her instinct was to reach for her ice queen persona, she left her to the side for now. Instead, she met the eyes of a strong young woman and said, “I won’t run away like a coward. This is something I need to discuss with your brother, face-to-face. Can you make that happen?”
Aisling studied her face and nodded.
“Good. Then, let’s go find him.”
The princess raised a hand. “First, I need to give you something to wear for the ceremony if you choose to go through with it.”
Dominique wanted to tell her not to bother, but the younger woman was already turning toward the couch, where she’d left a cloth sack earlier. With gentle hands, she opened the bag and removed a sheathed short sword. The scabbard and hilt were decorated with jewels and precious metals, but the hammeredgold had a patina that spoke of age, even though it still shimmered in the sunlight.
“This is the ceremonial sword of my family. I removed it from the royal vaults this morning because I knew Ronan wouldn’t think of it. I want you to wear it for the ceremony.”
Emotion swelled in Dominique’s chest, preventing her from speaking as the princess came closer and threaded the bejeweled sword belt low around her waist. Though fae women were no longer warriors, the sword was a throwback to the ancient times when they fought by their mate’s side. Ancient fae women had been as fierce as their male counterparts on the battlefield.
“There,” Aisling said, stepping back and looking Dominique over. “It looks like it was made for you.”
