I opened the wardrobe and was surprised to see it empty, save for one sparkling article at the very back. Pulling it out of the wardrobe and finally seeing it in the light, I let out a loud gasp. The dress was silver and completely see-through. Whatever fabric it was made of twinkled like stars when the light hit it. It was no doubt a beautiful dress, but not something I would feel comfortable wearing. “Thea, this is… gorgeous. But I can’t wear it.”
Thea’s smile widened even further. “Trust me, it will look even better once you try it on.”
I blushed at the thought of baring myself to Thea in this dress. “I don’t know…” I stammered.
“Quit being a prude and go try it on,” Thea ordered, unwilling to accept defeat. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how it looks.”
I took the dress to the bathing room and changed into it just as Thea had instructed. I reluctantly looked at myself in the mirror and was shocked by what was looking back at me. The dress had thin straps that led to a plunging neckline, which stopped just above my belly button, leaving ample cleavage on display. The waist was cinched in somehow despite my not wearing a corset, and then it hung from my hips, flowing onto the floor and ending in a beautiful pool of silver fabric around my feet. Two long slits exposed my legs from the hips down. My sensitive areas were all hidden by a darker grey fabric that I hadn’t noticed at first glance. When I moved, the dress shimmered and sparkled like stars twinkling in the sky. This was nothing like what I had been expecting a ball gown to be. It was different and unique, just like me. I smiled at the reflection staring back at me.
“Sometime tonight would be nice, Aurelia!” Thea beckoned from the other room.
I opened the door to find Thea, Nocturna, and Astra sitting together on the bed. Thea clutched her hands together in front of herface and made a high-pitched squealing sound that annoyed both mountain cats.
“It looks even more fantastic on you than I thought it would! What do you think? Does it cover enough to satisfy your prudish sensibilities?”
I laughed at Thea and did a little twirl. “Yes, I love it, and it sufficiently covers… everything.”
Thea came over to inspect me. “Personally, I think you could show a bit more skin, but I understand why you don’t want to. You’re going to have a hard enough time as it is fending off the fae men when they see you in this.” A mischievous look overcame Thea’s face. “I especially can’t wait to see our darling prince’s face. He is going to lose his mind.”
My face reddened at the thought of Sterling losing his mind over anything having to do with me. Sadness swept over me as I thought about our time together and how much I wished I could go to the ball and find that version of him waiting for me. Without a word, I turned and went back into the bathing room to change out of the ethereal dress.
*
“He really did a number on you, didn’t he?” Thea asked gently as I joined her on the rug in front of the fireplace.
She had taken all the pillows from my bed and the sofas and made a comfy nest. Something Sterling had also done when I’d needed comfort after the loss of Willow. Without giving it any more thought, I leaned onto one of the cushions. I grabbed my cider and took a long drink before responding.
“Who he was back in my realm was so different from who he is here. I never would have guessed that the fae man I rescued in those woods would turn out to be such a deplorable being. I think that is what hurts the most.” I stared off into the fireplace, longingfor the fae man I had lost.
“What was it that Everett shared with you about the prince that made your relationship with the guardian so awkward now?” Thea inquired.
“He said that Sterling frequented the human quarter, and the women who served him there often went missing. When I asked him if he had proof, he said no and that it was something his ancient human surrogate had shared with him.” I pulled my knees up and rested my chin on them. “He then told me about the surrogate situation here in relation to the curse on the court, and I got upset. He was sharing gossip about Sterling that may or may not be true while blindly supporting a practice that exploits human women. I told him as much, and things have been strained between us ever since.” I stared at the floor, unable to make eye contact with Thea. “I know that Sterling has an awful reputation, and it’s most likely honestly earned. I think I was mostly upset that he wasn’t the same being here that he was with me in the human realm.” I picked at pieces of lint on the rug, feeling so silly.
“Tell me about what he was like in your realm. It sounds like you haven’t been allowed to share that with anyone, and I think that’s important for you to do.” Thea reached out, placing a reassuring hand on my knee.
“In my realm, he was known as Forrest. It was the name I had given him, as he couldn’t remember his own. He was so kind, thoughtful, and fiercely loyal. I can’t explain it exactly, but I just knew that I could trust him with my life.” A slow, sad smile spread across my lips as I fondly reminisced about the fae man I knew as Forrest, and the days we had spent together. “We could sit in comfortable silence with one another while we read books. We would laugh and cry at each other’s jokes. What was most important to me, though, was that I could be my most authentic self with him. See, where I lived, I couldn’t practise my healing or arcana out in the open. I had to hide who I was in the shadows, like a criminal. With Forrest, I didn’t have to do all that. I was unapologetically myself, and he loved mefor it.” Tears welled as the feelings in all my memories of him came flooding back to me. “He told me that I was not alone in this and that he would be there for me as long as I’d have him.” The tears started streaming down my face as I let go of whatever lingering restraint I held over my emotions. “I thought that was going to be forever.”
“I’m so sorry, Aurelia. It sounds like he was the man of your dreams.” Thea gently rubbed soothing circles on my back.
I chuckled mirthlessly through my tears at her remark. “No. The men of my dreams are apparently creepy dark fae.”
Thea looked at me inquisitively. “Explain,” she urged, gesturing for me to continue.
I wiped underneath my eyes, sniffling. “It’s so weird, and it doesn’t make any sense, honestly.”
Thea raised her eyebrows at me, gesturing again for me to go on.
“Argh, fine. I don’t really have dreams, so that’s why this one stood out to me. It happened the first night I stayed here. I was in a dark forest and felt like I was being watched. When I looked up, I saw three fae standing in a forest clearing. Two of them were fae women, and one was a really creepy, sickly, pale fae man. The fae women said some weird thing about voids and blood, and then the fae man got all freaked out. Oh, and there was blood rain or something. I can’t really remember the details. I just remember the fae man gave me the chills. That’s the men I dream of, apparently.” I laughed at myself. Why couldn’t I dream nice, warm, happy things? Why did it have to be dark and unnerving?
Thea’s eyes widened as she took in what I had shared.
“Thea, you look just as startled as I felt after I woke up. Everett barged in here because, apparently, I was screaming in my sleep. I sucker-punched him in the face. Great first impression I made.” I chuckled wryly as the image of Everett rubbing his jaw came back to me.
“Aurelia, do you remember what was said to you in your dream?” Thea finally asked.
“No. I just remember that it was something about voids, blood, and something about the light. I honestly don’t remember. Why?” I asked, confused.
Thea’s reaction was a bit surprising. It had been a weird dream, but it meant nothing.
