I was a little wary around her. Unlike Ethan, I didn’t believe Vara was the traitor. That didn’t mean there wasn’t a concerning amount of evidence that ruled against her. I tried to monitor myself around her and paid attention to her behavior, though I felt guilty about it. This was my brother’s mate, after all. I wanted to trust her, though I wasn’t sure if I could.
She sat on the stool beside me. We were getting a short break for lunch before my dress arrived. Servants placed chicken salad on allergy-friendly croissants before us. I eagerly dug in— I was hungry again— while Odette and Delmare tried to remove a champagne stain from Kiara’s dress in a panic.
“How are you feeling after our… little trip?” I asked Vara. I dropped my voice and leaned in, so the servants wouldn’t hear us.
She shifted in discomfort. “To be honest, I’m a little uneasy. The babies have hardly stopped moving since we returned.”
“Do you think something’s wrong?” I asked. Vara shouldn’t have promised the Spring Princess years off her life.
“I’m not sure, but I’m trying to keep quiet. I haven’t told Arthur about the deal I made,” Vara said. “It would only upset him.”
“You’ll have to be honest with him eventually, Vara.”
“I know,” Vara said. “After the babies are born, I’ll tell him.”
I didn’t like hiding things from my brother, but I also knew better than to interfere with what went on between mates, so I resolved to keep Vara’s secret. For now, at least. This made me wonder further if Ethan was right and Vara wasn’t who I thought she was.
Odette loudly cleared her throat, and the room’s attention turned to her. The double doors to the royal quarters opened, and Odette did a little twirl.
“Ta-da!” Odette sang, flourishing her hands. “I am proud to present the queen's wedding gown!”
The mannequin was wheeled into the room by servants. As I caught first sight of my wedding dress, I gasped aloud. I’d never seen a more eye-catching dress. It was off-the-shoulder and had long sleeves that billowed outward, made of sheer white fabric. The skirt blossomed into an A-line. On top of the ivory satin were lace snowflakes, accented with crystals. Pearls and diamonds had been stitched onto the corset’s front.
I observed the gown with an open mouth. Wilmaette looked very concerned. “Do you like it, my queen?”
“Iloveit!” I insisted. I rushed forward and dared to skim my fingers along the magical gown. “This is perfect, Odette. How did you know?”
“Because I know you!” Odette gushed. “I thought the snowflakes were very Emma.”
“You made it just like I imagined,” I said. I couldn’t believe she’d pinned me so well.
“Oh, Emma, it’s so lovely!” There was a shrill scream as my mother waltzed into the room. She was already wearing her sapphire blue dress, her hair pinned up in a very casual way. She swept around my wedding gown, looking impressed before giving me a one-armed hug. “You’re going to be a stunning bride.”
“Thanks, Mom.” A couple of the stylists were giving my mother harsh glares, but I shot them dagger eyes, and they showed themselves out.
“It’s time for the bride to slip into her dress,” Wilmaette urged. “We’re already running late.”
The dress was wheeled into the bedroom. I changed, and my mother tied up the back of the corset. As I spun around to face myself in the mirror, a visage of shock took over my features. I couldn’t believe that I appeared so… beautiful. The dress was everything I imagined, and more.
I looked like the queen I wanted to become. I wasn’t sure if Iwasher yet, but I aspired to be. I hoped Malovia would see that today.
Mom wiped a tear away as she looked me up and down. “My baby’s all grown up.”
“I’ve still got a lot of growing to do.” I kissed her cheek, and my mother fastened the veil into my bun. The veil itself matched my dress, and was decorated with the same snowflakes that were on my skirt, but I thought it was kind of ridiculous.
Because, you know, it was twenty feet long. I didn’t know who needed a twenty-foot long veil, besides pretentious people. And queens, apparently. The heavy thing weighed down my head as my mother folded up the tail end and held it off the ground.
“Five minutes from departure, my queen,” Wilmaette said, poking her head in.
My stomach jumbled. So much time had passed already, and now, we were about to leave for the cathedral. Soon, the ceremony would start.
I couldn’t imagine dragging this event out longer than pomp and circumstance would allow. Traditionally, faerie weddings took place over seven days, but I wasn’t about to indulge the court in such a wasteful party— especially since the Black Claw was due to harvest my blood three days from now. We were having the wedding, then getting out of the country before the cult had a chance to kidnap me.
The eclipse was drawing near, but instead of feeling afraid, I felt ready. I was making the biggest decision of my life. Not even the Black Claw could get in my way.
Even so, we were trying to follow as many fae traditions as we could. I wasn’t taking Ethan’s last name— fae queens didn’t share the surnames of their husbands, so I would remain Sosna even after we were wed.
We departed from the royal quarters and made our way to the palace’s entry hall. Ethan was already at the cathedral, waiting for me. My heart pounded just thinking about him. I wanted this to be over already, so I could be with him.
