Rosalina
“Howlongisthisgoing to take? I’m freezing.” I cross my arms over my bare chest.
“Almost mixed,” Astrid assures, flicking her red eyes up from whatever strange potion she’s got brewing on the side table.
I shift from foot to foot, completely naked except for my underpants. Strewn fabric, pots of makeup, and glitter cover my room in Keep Oakheart. Tonight’s the big event. The five of us are going to fulfill Farron’s end of the bargain.
Tonight, we’re attending Caspian’s birthday party in the Below.
Marigold and Astrid are determined to make me fit in. Marigold has been taking some sheers to a skirt for a precariously long time. Astrid’s working on some weird potion she picked up from Flavia, Castletree’s seamstress, when she tagged along on one of Kel’s visits back to the castle. It looks like a big pot of ink, so I’m not sure what it has to do with my outfit.
They’ve already completed my makeup and hair, painting my eyes in dark shadows and my lips crimson. My hair is pinned into a loose bun, tied with silvery thread, a few curled pieces left out to frame my face.
Maybe I’d be nervous about tonight if my mind was less occupied with thoughts of Farron from earlier. Guilt wracks my thoughts; I should be making things easier for him, not harder. But a stronger emotion has taken hold.
Anger.
I want more than anything for Farron to break his curse and be free, but I can’t stand the idea of him finding his mate. The thought of him with some stranger makes me want to scream. It’s just notright.There’s something thrashing inside of me, desperate to grab him and tell him he’s mine and mine alone.
But that’s selfish.
I have to push these thoughts away and focus. We’ll need to be on guard tonight.
“How are you two spending your full moon?” I ask, trying to distract myself.
“Avoiding Farron’s little brothers,” Astrid groans, black paint splashed over her hands and hair. “Dom left a heart-shaped leaf outside my door the other day with a piece of parchment that said:I’m falling for you.”
A giggle escapes my lips. “That’s kind of cute.”
“They’re way too young for me. Besides, I heard them muttering the other day how much they love rabbit stew.” She grimaces.
“I, for one, will be partaking in all the delights of Autumn,” Marigold says in a sing-song voice. “Remember that farmer I danced with at the festival last moon? Turns out he knows how to plow more than a field.”
“Marigold!” Astrid chides.
“The poor lad has been after me all month,” Marigold continues. “He thinks I’m playing hard to get. Maybe I should thank my raccoon. She’s been making him all hot and bothered with this waiting business.”
Astrid leaps up. “It’s done! Flavia said this is the latest fashion in the Summer Realm when someone wants to look fancy without getting too warm. Apparently, the fae of Summer mix in gold and pastels, but I think black will be perfect for tonight.”
“What exactly is this?” I raise a skeptical brow.
“It’ll be easier to show you.” Astrid sits on a stool before me and puts her little pot on the side table. “Drop your hands.”
I do with a sigh, pretty used to being undressed around these two at this point. Astrid dips a paint brush into the inky goo, then slides it along my stomach in a twirling arc.
“Body paint?” I gasp. “I think I need more than that.”
“Just wait,” she says.
In the strangest sensation, the paint dries, then turns into a taut, almost silk-like material.
“I’m going to paint the bodice.” Astrid gleams. “I have the perfect design in mind.”
“Okay,” I tell her, more confident now that it feels like actual fabric. Astrid works quickly, swirling lines up and down my torso. The substance tightens to my body, giving support as she delicately covers all the important areas.
“Is it going to be strange?” I ask. “The four princes attending a celebration in the Below?
“Well, the realms aren’t technically at war,” Marigold says.
