It wasn't just marrying Kane. It was what would happenafterthe ceremony.
Whether fae, human, saber, or dwarf, all the races had one thing in common: a marriage must be consummated.
Could I tolerate lying with the fae who’d killed Crispin?
Years ago, I walked away from the idea of being queen and fulfilling any prophecy, but if the All Father insisted on binding me to the Deathless One, I would make it serve a purpose.
Once I was queen, I would have freedom and I could leave and search for Crispin’s body. At least give him a proper burial and say goodbye. There would be other freedoms with being queen. Maybe I could return home and see my family, let my grandfather know I was alive and safe… or at least safe from being eaten by the fae.
That thought gave me enough strength to get through this.
“Have you eaten anything?” Liora asked as she placed the gown on the bed beside me.
I shook my head. The thought of eating anything made the nausea intensify.
“Before you dress, I will take you to the baths.”
Unable to speak and voice my fear, I followed Liora out of the spire and down the windy steps. We moved toward the inner area of the castle. A place I still had barely seen. After Ihad acted aggressively during dinner, I was no longer invited to eat with the court. Though I was sure that would change after today.
We walked through the stony halls, bare of any type of decoration, and entered another windy staircase heading down. This one far from the prisons.
A floral scent reached my nose: roses and lilac.
Curious, I walked a little faster, following the familiar scent. Another maiden in white robes stood in front of a door as we approached. She bowed slightly and then opened it, revealing a large candlelit room covered in flowers. In the center, two more handmaidens waited, dressed in simple blue sleeveless frocks, each one holding a bowl filled with oils and soaps.
A proper bath.
The guards had brought up buckets of water where I could sponge bathe, and even in the valley, I did any washing in the river. In the temple, there was a bath area, but nothing like this.
Steam rose off the large pool, the humid air already warming my bones. Large white vases surrounded the room, each one overflowing with willow’s breath and yellow roses. The dome-shaped ceiling had a magnificent painting of a sunset sky that reached across the entire room, sliding down the walls until the image morphed into a sunlight meadow.
Liora took my robe and I walked to the bath, stepping into the hot water. Every inch of my muscles relaxed a little, the tenseness in my shoulders fading. I dipped all the way down, letting the water hit my chin. Soaking, I sighed, enjoying the warmth of the water and how it kneaded every knot out of my tense shoulders.
The two handmaidens stepped into the water. One grabbed my arm and began cleaning my nails with a brush. The other took one of the oils and poured it on my head, then massaged my scalp.
Closing my eyes, I allowed the handmaidens to attend to me, enjoying this quiet, relaxing moment.
Hours had passed, and my entire body was in a state of relaxation. My skin had been scrubbed, oiled, and by the time I had stepped out of that water, I had never felt so clean.
Calmness radiated through me, my skin a floral melody.
They took me to a door off to the side and into a large dressing chamber with vanities and mirrors set all along the walls with an open wardrobe packed with various gowns and robes and dresses that I didn't have time to gawk at.
Liora held out the wedding dress. I hated it was beautiful. I hated the glittering silver of the fabric, how it cinched at the waist and flowed out like water.
Silver buttons on the top of the shoulders held the dress up, the sleeves flowed out, cut in multiple places, reaching the floor. She held the dress up and nodded, a sign that it was time for me to get ready. The three fae held the dress out and I stepped into it. The silky fabric slid against my smooth skin.
One handmaiden hummed as she tied the back, lacing it tight. I peeked at myself in one of the nearby mirrors, my cheeks ruby red. I didn't know how much time I had left. But I knew soon I would walk out of this room, and everything would change.
Purposely, I looked away from the mirror. I didn't want to see how gorgeous and perfect the dress fit. I didn't want to add anything to this day because no matter how beautiful I appeared, there was a deadness inside. A hollowness that made me want to curl up in bed and tuck the blanket over my head and pretend none of this was happening.
Once they tied the dress, Liora placed her hands on my arms, holding me out, examining me. She smiled, and it was hard not to smile back at her.
“You are the most beautiful queen,” she said.
The other two maidens smiled beside her, nodding in agreement.
“Come.” Liora guided me to one of the cushion seats in front of the vanity.
