“Is it going to be in the courtyard?” I asked, glancing at Gwin, who was rolling her shoulders. “Like the Rite?”
“No. This event will be in the audience room.”
Not a celebration. An event. That was what they called it now. The word was clipped too, void of joy. Gwinifer’s gaze was fixed on the opposite wall, as if her thoughts had wandered somewhere else.
“And what about the sentence today?” I ventured cautiously.
She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye.
For weeks, I’d been asking about this day, but none of them would tell me. The grim shadow that crossed her face was the closest thing to an answer I thought I would receive.
“I think someone from Court will come by, and Reagan will make an announcement during the event.”
“Someone from Court,” I echoed, my stomach twisting. “Does Reagan know what’s going to happen?”
“No one knows,” Gwinifer replied flatly. Then she turned to me. “It could turn out fine. Or it could be a nightmare.”
“Why?” I asked, and I hated how my voice trembled. “What could happen?”
“It’s hard to answer that. And if he’s not telling us, it’s because he can’t. We don’t ask. And you need to stop asking, too. Because not telling us is probably eating him alive.” She paused, fingers curling into loose fists on her knees. “We’ve all done things we regret, crossed lines we shouldn’t have. Zara knows I burnt those lines to the ground once.” Her voice was all teeth, all lethal fury. “The difference between him and me is that he had to atone for his mistakes before a judge.”
She exhaled sharply, shaking her head.
I slumped back against the wall, my legs stretching and starting to bounce against the floor. “I’m afraid for him,” I murmured.
“We all are.” Her gaze dropped to the floor. “There’s too much at stake. Mostly because the laws and the punishments...It all comes down to interpretation. And that’s damn fickle.”
Regret settled like lead in my stomach. I met her gaze. “I pushed him so hard for answers, but he needed someone understanding like you. He’s lucky to have you in his corner.”
Her lips curled. “He is.” No false modesty. “But you were worried, and I think he appreciates that more than he lets on.”
I hoped he knew. I hoped he could see how much I cared.
“As much as anyone can appreciate having a terrified bird at their side,” I quipped dryly.
She laughed, shaking her head. “A tough bird, though. One growing some claws.”
I scoffed, but when I glanced down at the calluses roughening my hands, I found myself grinning.
???
The rest of the day passed in a haze as I wandered through the castle, searching for anyone to talk to me. By the time the sunbegan its slow descent, bleeding gold and crimson across the horizon, I gave up and retreated to my chambers.
That gnawing feeling in my gut didn’t leave.
I found three dresses resting on the bed and exhaled in relief, glad to have something tangible to distract myself. A castle mage must have left them, no doubt on Cerridwen’s orders. Three dresses, as though I needed that many options for an event.
Back home, there had been two or three dresses in my wardrobe for every occasion. Plain, serviceable, and unmemorable. Two of them made for dancing. I’d never missed having more.
It struck me how often excitement had stirred within me over the past weeks. Months. More often than I dared to admit. The realisation was both sweet and bitter.
The first dress was black with delicate lace that shimmered faintly in the light. The second, a deep amber velvet, rich and regal. It was the third that stole my breath. I thought I’d seen it before, but it wasn’t possible.
The dress was a deep midnight blue, its glitter-kissed fabric shimmering like starlight. A daringly plunging neckline adorned the fitted bodice. From there, the skirt cascaded dramatically to the floor, composed of lightweight layers that would ripple like waves with each step. A high slit, cutting boldly to the upper thigh, promised glimpses of my leg when I moved.
But it was the sleeves that truly set the dress apart, ethereal and cape-like as they flowed from the shoulders.
I picked that one and fastened my silver bangle with the gemstone on my wrist.
