“It just showed up last night. Isn’t it the cutest? Its name is Echo. My new pet.”
Nancy stares at the shadow dog, at me and back to the shadow dog. “Maybe I was wrong about you. Maybe you do belong here.”
I frown. “You never said I don’t belong here.”
“I didn’t? Well, I thought it.” She eyes the shadow. “Your pet, huh? What made you decide to take a shadow as a pet?”
“Oh, well, yesterday there was an incident in Eryx’s dream room and this little guy or gal showed up. Eryx said I could keep it.”
“Keepa shadow? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
I pat Echo’s head. “Isn’t it sweet?”
Nancy eyes it like it might attack. “One thing I’ve never thought about shadows is that they’re sweet. You’ll see what I mean if you ever encounter one with teeth.”
“Teeth?”
“You got it. Now…” Nancy walks over to my closet and throws the door open. “His majesty sent me up to see if you needed any help getting dressed. I told him you were a grown woman, but he insisted. So, do you need any help squeezing into one of these fancy gowns?”
Something warm blooms in my chest just thinking about Eryx sending her to help me.
It’s such a small thing, but it matters.
Outside the door, I hear the clink of silverware and the clatter of dishes being placed. The whole manor is getting ready for the party. Meanwhile, my stomach is doing jumping jacks. This is my first party as Eryx’s wife, and I’m nervous as hell.
What if I get it wrong? What if I accidentally insult someone? What if I embarrass him?
Nancy’s face is red and she’s limping a little more than yesterday. I don’t have the heart to make her work, so I say, “Maybe just help with my hair? Can you put it up for me?”
“I think so if you give me enough superglue and bobby pins.”
I laugh, but she doesn’t.
Um…wasn’t that a joke? But when she eases onto my bed without even a hint of a smile, I begin to think that maybe it’s not.
“You know what? I’ve got this. But I would like for you to come to the party.” She blanches and I add, “Or at least have some cake.”
“Cake I can do. Fancy parties, no thank you.”
At least I tried. “I understand. But yes, I can for sure dress myself. So what should I wear?”
“You gonna wear those sparkly sneakers?”
We both stare down at my feet. “‘Um’ is probably not the right answer?”
“You’re the mistress of this place. Hell, you can wear whatever you want. But the question is—do you want to fit into this world, or do you want to stand out?”
I nibble the inside of my cheek. What a good question. After today, when the townspeople greeted me with open arms, I should probably blend in rather than stick out like a sore thumb.
“How about a little of both?”
She nods. “Then I’ve got just the dress.” Nancy rises, cursing. “These old bones along with my arthritis make the going tough.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
She waves me off. “I just like to complain. Okay, what did I see in here that would be perfect? Oh, this!”
She riffles through the rack of clothes and pulls out a silky black dress that looks more like a slip than a gown.
