As I say the words aloud, a realisation takes hold. In the back of my mind, there was always an expiry date to this relationship. The last thing the Prince of Morathka could do was marry a stripped former lady of his court. But that’s not who I am anymore. I am worthy of him now. We can truly be together. In this moment, with this gift, we have something I didn’t know I desperately needed: a future together. I was hardly likely to be Korvane’s ideal daughter-in-law before, but now I’m the gifted, and if Kyor tells him the truth about my mother, then what possible objections could he have?
As Kyor gently combs his fingers through my hair, I look with surprise at the bright white strands. ‘I thought it would go back to brown,’ I admit. ‘You know, now that my magic has returned.’
‘I like it this way,’ he says, leaning forward and kissing me gently on the forehead. ‘I like everything about you, Thorn. You know I love?—’
A loud knock on the door cuts off the words I long to hear. At least the feel of his kiss lingers against my temple.
‘We’ll hold that thought.’ He grins ruefully.
‘It’ll keep,’ I agree softly with a smile of my own. My heart is so full, it feels like it might burst with happiness. All my troubles and all my trials are behind me now. My shoulders ease for what feels like the first time in moons.
‘Lady Rose.’ The deep female voice resonates from behind the door. ‘It’s time to get you ready for the ball.’
‘Something tells me I’m going to have a hard time keeping you to myself tonight.’ Kyor mock huffs, gently kissing the top of my ear.
‘Don’t worry. We’ve got all the time in the world,’ I tell him.
He shifts back, his face alight with joy as he runs a finger along my jawline. ‘We do,’ he agrees. ‘We really do.’
There’s another impatient knock, immediately followed by the same deep, gruff voice. ‘Lady Rose, we really do need to get you ready.’
‘Yes, yes, that’s fine,’ I call back. ‘Come in.’ I kiss Kyor’s lips lightly. ‘I’ll see you at the ball.’
‘I’ll be saving every dance for you, Lady Rose the Gifted,’ Kyor promises, pride in every word.
He kisses me once more before moving to the doorway and opening it. A stream of maids,dressed identically in pale yellow frocks and white hats, scurry in. Kyor frowns slightly, his gaze hovering over them.
A laugh escapes my lips. After everything I’ve just survived, he’s worried about leaving me alone with half a dozen maids?
‘I’ll be fine,’ I tell him. ‘You go and get ready. I’ll see you at the ball.’
He nods quickly, winks at me with a cheeky smile, and disappears outside.
Unlike me, who has absolutely no idea what I’m doing, the maids quickly get to work. One heads straight into the bathroom, another for the wardrobe, while one starts stripping my bloodstained clothes from me.
‘Congratulations, my lady,’ she says as she works, her eyes trained downwards so that all I can see is the blanket of fabric covering her hair. ‘They’re pleased on the streets. One of us. That is the chant, is it not?’
My heart surges as I think of all the people my victory has brought hope to. The gifting may have been about getting Kay’s and my powers and station back, but maybe I’ve achieved far more than that.
‘We will let you bathe,’ she says. ‘The dresses are on your bed for you to choose from. When you have selected your gown, I will come and help you dress and do your hair.’
‘Thank you,’ I tell her with a grateful smile.
The bath is everything I need it to be – warm, cleansing, and scented enough to remove the smell of blood from my skin. I wish I had asked Kyor to stay with me a little longer so he could join me, but there will be time for that later. Now that I’m not a slum rat anymore.
My eyes drift closed to thoughts of Kay. Will she know yet that I’ve won? Perhaps, if her stripped magic has returned to her as instantly as mine did. Yet her magic had not even settled before it was removed from her, so will she recognise the feeling of it?
Will the ball be the first time she learns of the identity of the gifted? I have no doubt she’s been worried sick all this time, but a smile of anticipation curls my lips as I imagine her ecstatic joy when I finally see her. Surely the tension brought on by Holden’s death will fall away? I imagine seeing Benny and Jonas, too. While there will be envy there – how can there not? – I know they will be happy for me.
The conflict between elation and worry continues to undulate within me as I drift into sleep in the embrace of the warm, comforting water. When a knock on the door startles me awake, I discover the bath is now stone cold, and I realise just how long I’ve slept. It’s hardly ideal.
‘My lady, I’m sorry, we can’t wait any longer. Guests will be arriving for the ball soon. You need to get dressed.’
I step out of the bath, towel around me, and head back into the main chamber, where three dresses have been placed on the bed. They’re far from the unique chicness of Llinos’s designs, but beautiful nonetheless, and I waste little time in picking the deep emerald ballgown with a plunging neckline.
‘That colour suits you perfectly,’ the young woman says. She’s the only maid present now, but there’s something vaguely familiar about her, though it could just be that she was one of the fussing maids from earlier.
‘Thank you. My mother always looked beautiful in green.’
