“He picked out everything for you, well, he and Liv did anyway. She didn’t trust him with the task.” She giggled lightly. “They want you to feel at home here.” Delia met my reflection, her expression both comforting and sympathetic.
I breathed in deeply. Okay, I could handle this. The jewelry I was wearing was a gift from the king—the man I couldn’t have. Easy—I nearly rolled my eyes at myself. But I couldn’t help the thump of my heart against my ribs at the knowledge that Calix had picked out these beautiful things forme.
Delia draped a matching lariat necklace around my neck, a crescent moon falling between my breasts, with stars dotted from the moon to the intersection of the y-shaped necklace. The earrings she secured were upside down crescent moons, with stars dancing below it that dangled down to my chin. The last piece of the set was a bracelet that had two separate rows of diamonds that were crafted in a swirling pattern, with shooting stars made of diamonds between the two rows, their trails done in beautiful lines of silverium.
My heart was surely going to beat right out of my chest—or burn up in the fires he stoked within me. Calix wanted me to wear these—he picked them out, just for me. I didn’t have time to pick that apart right now, no matter how raging fire and sparkling light tore through my heart and soul at the knowledge. I shoved it all down, not letting myself hope for the impossible.
Delia led me over to the giant closet, where a bag was hanging in the middle. She reached inside, and I got my first glimpse of the dress Calix had selected for me. It was—Oh.Nox. This was…
Delia just smiled knowingly as I gaped.
The dress was like a supernova, an entire galaxy transformed into a dress. Made of swirling colors from teal to green, sapphire to purple, pink to red, with splashes of orange and yellow. It appeared as if stars existed within it, sparkling brighter in some spots than others. The voluminous skirts were folded over slightly in some spots and fell to the floor dramatically, with an illusion of colors moving this way and that, like the cosmos were moving over the dress.
The dress was strapless, and a sparkling starburst sat just under my breasts, surrounded by a glittering purple that made it pop. From there, the fabric cinched together at the waist and then curved out and down, where all the many colors swirled.
It was breathtaking—absolutely the most magical dress I could imagine. This was a dress for a celestial queen, one who ruled over the night sky and its stars, not a human. I could feel tears building, but Delia quickly admonished me not to ruin my makeup, and I burst out laughing instead. She helped me into the dress, and to distract myself I decided to tease her.
“Will you be attending with anyone tonight? Eryx, perhaps?” My innocent tone clearly didn’t fool her and she faux glared at me for a moment.
“Why would Eryx escort me?” She asked, acting indignant. “I’m perfectly fine by myself. I’m sure he’s already attending with someone else anyway.” I rolled my eyes. These immortals, they were truly hopeless.
“I have a feeling he’s not. Maybe you could ask him to dance.” I hinted, but she looked horrified at the thought.
“If anything, he should ask me!” She declared heatedly before leaning down to fix my skirts, mumbling to herself. “Ask him to dance. Pfft. I don’t ask men to dance, they ask me.” I tried to smother my smile as I listened to her go on.
“I’m just saying.” I tried again. “Maybe drop a hint to Eryx you’d like to dance.” She stood up straight, looking at me critically.
“We’ll see. Now, what do you think?” Rolling my eyes at her evasion, I looked at the completed picture in the mirror.
As beautiful as the Fae, Cyrus had once called me, but now,nowI actually felt it. Looking at the woman in the mirror, I saw no trace of the bitter girl who buried her feelings and heart behind an ice wall, refusing to care to avoid being hurt. The simple girl in a simple frock whose best day was escaping to stare at the stars and invent stories that took her far away from her reality—a reality where her life would be spent as a slave. Freedom was a concept I’d reached for, but never dreamed of actually achieving.
Before me now was a gorgeous, confident woman. One who laughed with friends and cared about many. Who was free of slavery and had total control over her life—free to make her own choices. A woman fighting to free those still trapped in the chains the Fae kept us all in. No simple girl in a simple frock, but…a courtier in a beautiful gown. A woman who no longer wanted to hide her beauty, but one whowantedto look good—both for her own pleasure and to catch the attention of a Fae king, even when she knew she shouldn’t. A woman who no longer hated every Fae, assuming they were all the same, but who wanted to grab a Fae king and hide the two of them away in his shadows all night.
I swallowed hard, processing all the changes within me since I left Sunrise, taking in the woman who stood before me and the image she presented now.
“I can’t imagine it’s possible to look better than this.” I meant it. My skin was flush with health and my curves were full and pronounced from eating good food regularly and training daily. My sky-blue eyes were wide and clear, with a sparkle to themI couldn’t recall ever seeing before. My heart shaped face was genuinely smiling, plush lips split wide as white teeth shined back at me. The apples of my cheeks aglow with a glittering blush. I was no longer withering under the confines of slavery, freedom letting me shine like the brightest star.
“You look absolutely breathtaking, Asteria.” Delia smiled warmly, a hand clasped above her heart, watching me wistfully.
I spun in the mirror, admiring the effect as the colors seemed to spin within it, giving the appearance that they were moving.
“Thank you, Delia.” I choked up for a moment, throwing my arms around her in a quick hug that she returned, before stepping back and clearing my throat. “You go finish up getting ready. We’re all meeting in the waiting room beside the throne room, right?”
“Yes, we’ll be announced at the start of the ball.” Delia confirmed with a nod. “Calix, Liv, and Ndrita will be the last to enter.” With another quick hug, Delia was off.
I passed noblesof all kinds as I made my way down to the meeting spot. Most nodded in acknowledgement to me, a sign of respect among them, so different from the nobles of Dusk. Humans there were part of the furniture or part of the wall, not to be acknowledged as one of them.
Of course, some people leered or eyed me with lust, but I let that roll right off me, deciding to take it as a compliment. It had always rankled when people paid more attention to my appearance than who I was as a person, but now, I couldn’t help the burst of confidence it gave me. I knew I looked amazing tonight, and I wasn’t mad about that fact being acknowledged.
Maybe because I hoped one person in particular would notice.
I swung my hips with more intent than I normally did as I sauntered into the little room off the throne room. Instead ofusing the grand hall where we normally had feasts, balls were held in the throne room itself. It was apparently converted when balls were thrown, adding tables and chairs, along with a dance floor. The room was massive, centered in a wing directly off the central structure of the palace so the ceiling could remain open. I was actually excited for the ball now, knowing we’d be dancing directly under the stars.
When I entered the room, I immediately noticed Baach and Ilta speaking quietly and giggling together in the corner, their long red and blonde locks swaying together and blending as they bent towards one another. Her turquoise dress was heavily beaded with shimmering purple, creating an incredible contrast. Baach most certainly noticed, his eyes straying down every few seconds. Her eyes, on the other hand, kept tracing over his form, clad in a forest green suit with long coattails. I smiled at them both, happy to see progress being made with them.
On the other hand, Eryx cut a vision of a boyish devil. His dark navy suit was quite sharp and contrasted against the boyish flop of hair falling into his face. He was watching Delia like a stalking predator. She, of course, was studiously ignoring him. She did look beautiful, so I could well understand his inability to take his eyes off her. Her light pink dress was embellished with crystals, the color complimenting her light brown hair and eyes.
“Well, well, look at you!” Harpina whistled as she came up and grabbed my hand, twirling me around as I giggled wildly.
