“No.” I squared my shoulders. “He has his own preparations for tonight. I need to handle this.”
“Pride and stubbornness. Such delicious qualities in a queen.” Cordelia glanced at the window. “Speaking of preparations, shouldn’t you be dressing for the ball? It’s nearly time.”
My stomach dropped. “But the lanterns?—”
“Will wait.” She swept her arm toward the door. “First, you become the queen. Then you’ll find your magic flows more easily.”
I hesitated, looking at my half-finished work scattered across the bench. Abandoning them felt like admitting defeat.
“Trust an old vampire who’s seen more court politics than you’ve had birthdays,” Cordelia said gently. “Tonight isn’t about lanterns. It’s about you standing beside your king.”
With a sigh, I nodded. “You’re right.”
“I always am.” Her impish smile returned. “Now, let’s make you so breathtaking that every vampire in that ballroom forgets to brood.”
My chambers had been transformed while I was gone. Fragrant flowers filled crystal vases, their sweet scent mingling with the vanilla and cinnamon of magic-infused candles. A steaming bath waited, flower petals floating on the surface.
“Kieran’s doing?” I asked as I shed my work gown.
Cordelia nodded, helping me into the bath. “He may have mentioned you’d been working too hard.”
The hot water embraced me like a lover, easing tension from muscles I hadn’t realized were knotted. I sank deeper, letting my hair fan out around me.
“He worries about you.” Cordelia poured scented oil into the water. “It’s refreshing, really. Most kings worry only about their kingdoms.”
“He cares for his people.”
“Yes, but he loves you.”
My heart stuttered at the word neither of us had spoken aloud yet. “He hasn’t said that.”
“Men rarely do until they’re certain their feelings are returned.” She gave me a pointed look. “Are they?”
I stared at the water, watching the play of light on its surface. “It’s complicated.”
“Only because you make it so. Love is the simplest magic of all.”
Was it that simple? The tight feeling in my chest whenever Kieran smiled at me. The way my skin came alive under his touch. The sense of rightness when we were together.
“I’ve loved him since the festival,” I said quietly. “Even when I hated him for leaving, it didn’t fade.”
Cordelia’s smile was so gentle it made my heart ache. “The best loves often begin with second chances.”
I stepped from the bath, dried, and tugged on a dressing gown. As Cordelia dried my hair with gentle hands, I found myself relaxing from her motherly attention.
“I appreciate you helping me,” I said. “Most of the court seems determined to see me fail.”
“Most of the court are fools.” She began brushing my hair in long, soothing strokes. “As for helping, it’s been a delight. I’ve watched Kieran carry the weight of the kingdom alone for six years. The boy never smiles.Or he didn’t until you arrived. This means a lot to me.”
With a flick of her finger, she used magic to work silver combs into my dark hair, arranging it in an elaborate style that left my neck bare, a deliberate choice in vampire society, because it indicated trust.
“Besides,” she said. “I do so enjoy watching pompous nobles squirm when their plans go awry.”
A soft knock at the door interrupted us. A servant entered, carrying a large box tied with silver ribbon.
“From His Majesty,” she said with a curtsy, placing it carefully on the bed before departing.
Cordelia’s eyes gleamed. “Shall we see what your king has sent?”
