She laughed and thanked him. “Have you finished looking?” She called to the dark prince. Matthias turned to face her and sauntered back. Adalia swallowed as he neared.
“I didn’t think I was allowed to,” he answered with a smirk.
Adalia’s face warmed as she pushed the door to the shop open. There were the taunting remarks she’d been missing.
After James, they visited the local grocers and the animal feed store so Matthias could purchase some food for Bones.
Adalia’s home came into view, and she was eager to put her bags down, even though Matthias held some for her. She’d bought more than she thought she needed.
Turning the key in the lock, she pushed the door open and stepped inside, Matthias behind her. She placed her bag down on the table and turned back towards the door as Matthias was closing it. There, on the floor, was a small white envelope. As she picked it up, she was surprised to see the seal of the king on the back. Adalia hurriedly opened it to reveal an ornately designed invitation.
The king cordially invites Adalia and Matthias to dine with him today at 12:00pm in the palace gardens.
A royal invite to dine with the king was cause for celebration. His generosity towards his subjects was well known, and Adalia smiled at the white and gold paper in her hand. And one never went to dine with the king in rags, so the occasion called for finery.
“Would you like to join me for lunch at the palace? It says here the king has invited us.” Adalia offered the invite to Matthias.
He took it gently from her hands and read it to himself.
“Why do I feel like this is a trap?” he questioned.
“Because you think the entire world is out to get you?” Adalia replied as she shrugged her shoulders.
“Can you blame me?”
Adalia took the invitation from his hand and placed it on the table. “Look, if the king had ill intentions towards you, I promise you that you’d know by now. It’s just lunch, Matthias.”
The prince eyed her warily. “I’ll join you, but if I smell trouble, things will not end nicely.”
“There will be no need for that, I assure you,” Adalia answered as she packed her groceries away in the kitchen. “I’ll need to change, as we will need to be there in an hour’s time, so please, make yourself at home. Tea and coffee are here and there is food in the cold room if you’re hungry.”
Matthias nodded his thanks, and Adalia headed to her bedroom. Before she closed the door behind her, she turned to face the prince. “You didn’t seem okay at the forge? Was something bothering you?”
Matthias looked over at her and leant against the kitchen table. “It was really nothing. I just don’t like the sound of clanging metal. Reminds me of a place I’d rather not think about.”
“Oh I see, I’m sorry. We don’t have to go there again.”
“Please don’t apologise. It’s really nothing,” he replied.
Feeling warm under his gaze, Adalia nodded and slipped into her room.
It had been a while since she’d dressed up for a special occasion, but she knew exactly what she was going to wear. There had been a dress in the window of the tailors a few months ago and when Adalia laid eyes on it, she knew it belonged to her.
Reaching for it, she took it from the closet and lay it on the bed. She ran her fingers over the pearly sheen of the white satin fabric and sighed—it was magical.
Remembering the time, she hurried to the bath. When she returned, the dress waited patiently on the bed. She placed it over her head and let the fabric slip over her figure.
Adalia reached around and pulled the zipper up as far as she could, but couldn’t quite make it to the top.
Sighing, she realised she would have to ask Matthias to do the last little piece, but that could wait.
Sitting at her dressing table, she applied some cosmetics to her face and did her hair. She decided on a slicked back high ponytail with a gold ribbon around the tie.
After she finished, she stood in front of the full-length mirror, adjusting the gown. The bodice hugged her figure, cinching at the waist. Draped fabric swept across the top of both of her arms and joined the bodice together, front and back, with a slimline skirt that fell to the floor. A split up the left side of the skirt helped her to walk comfortably and showed off her honey-coloured skin.
Feeling satisfied with her appearance, Adalia retrieved some strappy gold heels from her closet, put them on, and exited her room.
Matthias was on the lounge by the window strumming on his veslo when Adalia entered. The tune he was playing instantly stopped when he saw her, and Adalia felt the heat rise in her cheeks with the way his gaze roved over her figure.
