I’d luckily fallen asleep that night with the bracelet still on, having passed out fully dressed on my father’s lap at the party. They must have just stuck me in bed once I drifted off, not bothering to have the maids wake me up to change.
Thank Erodite they did, as it was now the only thing left from my life as the noble daughter of Pearl Court.
I only cursed the presence of the diamonds on it. A reminder of the man responsible for their deaths. Diamond and Pearl forever, horribly, intertwined.
I could never bring myself to sell it, even at my lowest. Maybe if I had, Ula would be safe now. But I couldn’t let go of this last piece of my parents. Despite the diamonds on it, it still made me feel like I had a piece of them with me every time I looked at it.
Plus, not selling the bracelet had inadvertently led me to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to kill the High King, which was a gift I’d never expected.
I sighed, forcing myself from the bed and shaking off the nightmares. I had to be strong today. I would face the king and remain resolute. I wouldn’t cry. I wouldn’t scream. I would be theperfectlady. One who would gain his attention.
I couldn’t let myself do anything different.
I closed my eyes for a moment, sending a prayer to Erodite, goddess of Pearl, to make my work easier. She oversaw love and affection, and if she could inspire such in the king, it would certainly make my life easier. I knew it was futile even as I prayed, however.
She inspired matches between Elves, sure, but only fated ones. They were few and far between, and she only inspired them; she did not force them together. She couldn’t make the king love me any more than she could make me love him. Something so impossible would mean erasing free will, and the gods refused to do that to their disciples.
But I could ask for her help, and I begged for it today. I needed any help I could get to ensure I got the vengeance my family deserved.
I’d avoided goingto Diamond Court since the night I fled my home. I hadn’t been there since I was very young, and could barely remember it in truth. Thus, today would be my first real sight of the court ruled by the monster I’d always feared.
The carriage rolled along the road, winding through the city of Theiapolis. It was a hive of activity, with a sprawling market that I itched to explore. We passed restaurants and shops, houses and townhouses, a park and a large arena. There was so much to see, and despite myself, I found I was actually excited to do so. It was a beautiful city, with bright colors, gorgeous plants and flowers dotting the area, and gems sparkling from everywhere I looked.
A large silver and blue gate was wide open before the palace itself. And the palace…my mouth actually dropped open. I remembered my palace perfectly to this day. The pink pearl and white marble had been uniquely stunning, but the diamond and kyanite that Diamond’s palace was made from was certainly impressive.
It sparked under the sun, the gems reflecting the light. The bones of the palace were silver and then studded with diamonds, while the blue kyanite covered twisting domes that crested the top of each tower. Ornate scrollworkand arches ornamented every window and door, adding elegant touches to an already gorgeous building.
The front entrance was covered with a dome as well and had a scalloped-patterned roof that was covered in rows of gems representing all of the other courts. It was a nice touch, especially at the entrance, welcoming everyone equally.
Scenic gardens surrounded the palace, and I eyed them as we made our wat through the gates. There were clusters of naturally growing gems shooting out of the vibrantly green grass, with manicured trees and flowers sprouting around them and making the place look like something out of a dream.
I knew it was anything but, however.
The carriage came to a stop in the drive, and a footman appeared, opening the door and helping everyone out. I was the last to exit, and I took his hand as it was offered, a deep breath leaving me as I reckoned with what was to come. I couldn’t let a beautiful outside blind me to the rotten inside.
I stepped down and smoothed my dress carefully. It was a teal velvet, chosen to appeal to the high king specifically. It was studded with pink pearls to match my hair, diamonds to honor the king and capital, as well as rubies to represent the court I was competing for. It was gorgeous, I had to admit, and fit me perfectly.
It was designed to have what looked almost like a cape over it, but was instead built into the dress. It had straps a few inches wide that sat on my shoulders and were part of the main piece of the dress. It scooped down before splitting to plunge deep, leaving plenty of cleavage on offer to entice the king, and similar dramatic splits went up each side of the skirt, letting my legs peek out all the way to my upper thighs.
The fabric of the cape left a gap between the straps of the dress and where it connected further down my arm, leaving the curves of each shoulder fully exposed. It then flowed down around me and created a train. While the dress was embroidered and studded with gems nearly over the entire front, the cape was mostly bejeweled around the bottom, with some added where it was split to allow my arms free range of movement.
A ruby and diamond necklace was added, taking up my entire collarbone and dipping low to my breasts. Matching earrings dangled from my pointy ears, at least where they peeked through the curtain of my hair. The bright pink mass was left down, but had been styled with half of it swept up into a braided crown halfway back on my head. Diamonds were inserted into the braid, making even the top of my head shine. Two shorter pieces of hair wereleft down in front to frame my face, which I was informed quite strictly was important for some reason.
I felt like a fraud.
Or at least, like a version of myself from another life. One where the high king of Diamond had never sent his assassins after my family, and I’d grown up as I was supposed to. A noble lady, the daughter of the Pearl Lord, living in the lap of luxury, even though I couldn’t be my father’s heir as a woman. Which was certainly some bullshit, and I remembered thinking so even as a child, as my parents tried for a boy.
They never got the chance, however, leaving only…me.
In another world, I would be the rightful heir to Pearl. What Ula didn’t understand was that because I was a woman, Pearl Court likely would have gone to our cousins regardless. There was a chance I could have gotten it, if the king had agreed to my petition, but I knew how small a chance that was even without his extermination of my blood. So despite how distant, House Helmi now had full right to it, because they had the closest male of blood relation to my father.
Walking through the doors of the palace in Theiapolis on the arm of Lord Casaan now, a part of me wondered what would become of me if anyone found out the truth. Would I be forced to marry some lord’s heir, like Casaan, to brush it all under the rug? Or would I be taken out before the public could find out I was even alive?
I shuddered, though whether that was because of my thoughts or my escort, even I wasn’t sure.
We were greeted by a man with opalescent white hair and eyes, his smile large and welcoming, but it looked forced as he greeted Lord Carnelian. His long black jacket was trimmed with opals and diamonds, a nod to his original court and where he now served.
“And this is Lady Jacinth,” Carnelian said, motioning to me with his hand. Casaan stepped forward, bringing me with him, and my eyes met the opal ones of the Elf before me. I could see his surprise, his wide eyes taking in my coloring, before his own shot to Carnelian, but he’d locked his face down after his initial surprise, leaving me to only guess at what he might be thinking.
