“Sure.” It was getting harder to pretend enthusiasm about this. Was this the life stretching in front of me, bathing, wearing pretty but constraining gowns, with the only thing to look forward to was someone arranging my hair?
I hoped not.
“Do you have dragons at Evergorne Court?” I asked as I rose from the chair.
“We did in the past.” He paused, blinking fast. “They were a vital part of . . .”
“Of what?”
He shook his head. “There are only a few, aged dragons left in the aerie now, I’m afraid. Most died.”
My heart seized. “How?”
“Halendor Court cast a nasty spell on our eggs and none of them hatched. Then our adult dragons started to die.”
“That’s horrible.”
He followed me into the bathing area and shut off the water, the tub brimming with bubbles and a floral scent drifting through the air. “It is indeed. Without them, we’re . . .” He glanced around. “Is there anything else you need for your bath, my lady?”
“Without dragons, you’re . . . what? You didn’t finish the thought.”
“What thought?” His face remained clear.
Odd, but he wouldn’t be the first to start something only to forget what he’d been about to say.
“I won’t need anything else, thank you. I can take care of things from here.”
He bowed. “Please call out if you need help dressing.”
The time I called out for help putting on a dress might as well be the day I died. I nodded and gave him a pleasant smile as he backed from the room, shutting the door behind him.
Farris finished his meal and scampered over as I stripped and stepped into the water, sinking down and leaning back against the smooth side. While he hopped up onto a stool and watched me with grave concern, I washed my hair and body. I lounged after, letting the warmth soak into my bones and wash away my lingering sadness.
This was my future, and I might as well adjust to that fact. Once I arrived at Evergorne, I’d find something worthy to do because I refused to sit around all day in pretty dresses, doing nothing.
After I dried off and while the tub drained, I held up the gown Merrick had created for me to wear. Elegant. One might even call it regal, but it had been made in a design softer than what I’d worn the day before, with subtle embroidery along the edges of the dark green fabric.
When I started to tug the gown over my head, the skirt wouldn’t fully part.
Ahhh . . .
My first true grin of the day split my face. The skirt had a subtle split and had been sewn up to the waist, creating “pants”.
“This is amazing,” I called out through the door.
“Ah, yes, you’ve discovered the king’s surprise. Delightful, isn’t it? When I mentioned your favorite outfit, though I will say that ladies rarely wear leather tunics and pants at court, he laughed.”
“Mocking me?”
“Oh, no, not at all. The admiration in his eyes . . . He said he’d craft something special for you and that I was to suggest you wear it today.”
I stepped into it and tugged the lovely bodice up, settling the sleeves across my shoulders before spinning around to make the full skirt bloom around me. It may look like a regular old—though gorgeous—gown, but this was something a warrior could wear.
King Merrick was . . . a surprise, and I didn’t know what to think about that.
Pleased with how light the gown felt compared to others I’d worn, plus the ease with which I could move around, I strode into the bedroom and dutifully took my place at the vanity. AsLord Briscalar’s fingers worked through the tangles in my hair with an adeptness I had to admire, I set my sights on a new line of questioning.
“Tell me more about Merrick.” I kept my voice casual. “Was he always like he is now?”
