“Okay.” Damien blew out a breath. “Well, I’m gonna go ahead and side with Gabrielle on this one.”
“It was just a dress!”
“You were stunning in that dress.”
She could see he wasn’t teasing her. “Thank you.”
“Now you just look like”—Damien gestured toward all of her—“you.”
“Thank you,” Evelyn said sarcastically.
Damien laughed. “Gabrielle’s assistants are in the hallway with your new dress. We need to leave for the funeral in an hour.”
“Do they actually have a dress? Gabrielle threatened to send me orange pajamas for the occasion.”
“Skimpy or baggy pajamas?”
“You aren’t funny.”
“As far as I know, the ladies have a real gown for you to wear. Can I let them in? I’ll even stand guard in the hallway.”
“Sure,” Evelyn agreed. “Gabrielle destroyed the only other black dress I have.”
The assistants each greeted her with a quick“Hello, Princess”before putting Evelyn into the dress. However, a slit had been added up to mid-thigh on one side and the neckline was nearly an inch lower.
“I can’t go to aking’s funeralin this!” she told the women.
“Gabrielle insisted this is what you are to wear,” one of them said.
Both assistants curtsied and promptly left the room before Evelyn could issue further complaints.
Damien walked in and whistled. “Even Nicolas will stare at you in that.”
“Not. Fucking. Helpful.”
“Give me a couple minutes. I’ll be right back.”
I can’t wear this. It already feels like no one here takes me seriously. I’m the other princess, the extra guest. Everyone will think I’m begging for attention. Maybe I can pretend I’m sick and skip the funeral. If I’m going to be a disappointment, it might as well be less public.
Damien returned about five minutes later with a lady’s maid. He also held a roll of some black fabric.
“This is Odette,” Damien explained. “She works for Queen Camille and has a knack for fashion stuff. Odette, this is Princess Evelyn.”
Odette curtsied low. Her blonde hair was in a thick braid that reached her waist.
“Can you help me?” Evelyn begged.
“I think so,” Odette said, her eyes wide. “Pardon me for asking, but did you upset Lady Gabrielle?”
Evelyn groaned. “It’s a long story.”
Odette kneeled at Evelyn’s side to examine the slit in the skirt. “Hmm… This isn’t a straight cut. See how it’s wider at the bottom? She removed some fabric. That means I can’t just sew it back together because the edges won’t line up.”
“I can’t show my whole leg today!”
“Captain Fontaine, can I have the chiffon?” Odette requested.
Damien brought the roll of fabric over. Odette used magic to cut a long section, then held it up against the dress. “I can use this to connect the sides of the slit. An extra panel of chiffon won’t look out of place with the rest of the dress.”
