Hana had been far too kind in letting me borrowthisdress. It must cost a fortune.
"Are you sure it's okay that I wear this?" I asked yet again, as Rena was finishing up the last touches of my hair. She had curled the black strands with metal rods that had been heated in the hearth before piling the curls atop my head, a mass of beautiful spirals pinned perfectly. She had left several strands out, two to frame my face and others that fell across my shoulders or down my back, giving the styled look an almost effortless beauty.
She practically attacked me with cosmetics, lining my eyes with black to accentuate the grey, adding a pinkish rouge to my cheeks, and a subtle hint of mauve to stain my lips.
I had never felt more beautiful.
"Hana has a thousand dresses, it won't hurt her to part with one for a night." She waved off the question with a playful wink. “Besides, this one looks like it was practicallymadefor you. She knew exactly what she was doing picking out this dress. You'll have those soldiers stumbling over their feet to get in line to dance with you."
Heat crawled up my neck as my cheeks flushed. I had never been one to seek out the attention of others, always content with just Bran and Merle in my small circle of people. Aldrin McCay had been the only boy I’d ever had an interest in and even then, it hadn't been much more than a physical attraction. At least, that was what I liked to tell myself.
I watched as Rena placed another small, delicate flower into my hair, a perfect shade to match the dress I wore. She had several small lilac flowers strategically placed in the updo and I almost sighed.
I had spent my whole life trying to hide in the shadows, to avoid prying eyes from looking too closely at me, but I doubted it was possible for a woman that was styled by Rena to go unnoticed. She had accentuated every naturally attractive thing about me, when I had been doing the exact opposite for so many years. It felt odd, to feel beautiful. I never considered myself unattractive, I just never spent the time to truly let myself see and bring out what Rena had.
"All finished," she exclaimed, clapping her hands eagerly before rushing to the mirror and fixing a few out of place strands of her own hair. She was dressed in a gorgeous, red dress that was cut in a low v-shape down her back, exposing the muscles that flexed every time she moved. It too had a flowing skirt, with thin straps of braided gold to hold it up. Her mass of golden curls was tied up at the crown of her head in a high updo that cascaded down her back.
She looked breathtaking.
Watching her inthe mirror, I shifted lightly, curiosity burning my tongue, “Is your cousin doing any better?”
She stilled and my gaze narrowed, her hazel eyes flicking to mine in the mirror before she casually glanced away, resuming her fidgeting. Almost too relaxed.
She didn’t look at me again when she said, “He’ll be fine. He always comes to me when he’s suffered an injury, he doesn’t like all the questions that come with being attended by a Master Healer of the Palace. My uncle, King Artius, can be a bit strict when it comes to his sons and their whereabouts.”
Her tone was nonchalant, but I could see through the feigned calm. She knew something and she certainly didn’t want me to know of it. Interesting.
Nodding slowly, I pursed my lips before gesturing to our coats that hung beside the door. “Are you sure we don't need jackets?"
Her body relaxed fractionally at the change of subject.
She’s hiding something.
My shadows hissed, stirring at the unease that settled in my gut.
Blood of their blood.
Family of a tyrant King.
Liars of the oh so benevolent Sun.
My jaw clenched at the mocking as I pushed them from my mind, hands smoothing down the skirt of my dress.
"The walk will be cold but once we get there and the fire is set, it'll be hotter than Soli's wrath, especially with all the body heat and alcohol."
Rena had been right. Even with the chilly night air, the crowd that gathered in the large clearing outside the army barracks provided more than enough warmth. I looked around in fascination as we weaved through the bodies, taking in the little balls of fire light that floated through the night sky to light the area. I wasn't sure who was casting them, but they created a beautiful, warm glow over the crowd. Tables had been set around the edges of the field and I could see a few stands selling various foods and drinks spread out along the perimeter.
Bran had never told me about these parties and I couldn't help but wonder why. Perhaps he hadn't wanted me to feel left out, no one unless personally invited and approved, working, or apprenticing was allowed within the palace grounds. Despite the fact that I had joined Merle a few times over the years, I hadn't realized how much it was like its own city within the palace walls, closed off to the rest of Amori City.
The Solerian nobles even had their own homes on the grounds that they stayed in when they visited the court, much like the Apprentice Pavilion. Except, of course, they were grand manors rather than the smaller housing we were assigned to.
"You want a drink before the lighting ceremony?" Rena asked suddenly, looking to make sure I was closely following her in the crowd. Nodding, we shifted course and managed to find a place in the line that sold firemead.
It had been too long since my last drink, the warmth buzzing through my veins with each delectable sip I took as we worked our way back through the crowd, closer to where the ceremony would take place.
I froze when I saw them, my blood chilling.
Solerian Priestesses.
