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“She’d faint, wouldn’t she?” I murmur, a small, wistful smile tugging at my lips. “Seeing me so… scandalously dressed.”
Deidre chuckles softly, her grin widening. “Perhaps for a moment there’d be an immediate shock—a panic, given how far things here stray from the expected order,” she says gently. “But then she’d be awestruck. Your mother would marvel at the sight of you, just as I am now.” Her gaze drops briefly to the dress.
It takes great resolve to keep the tears back. Tonight, of all nights, I want to hold on to the illusion that everything is fine. My hand moves to hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You have my gratitude, Deidre. For everything you were to my family.”
Her eyes glisten, but she keeps her composure, reaching out to brush a tear from my cheek before it can fall. I turn to face her fully, grabbing her hand again. “You were a mother to me, even when I fought you at every turn. I will never forget that.”
She gives a soft laugh, squeezing my hands. “I’m most proud of that stubborn determination of yours,” she teases, her voice thick with emotion. After a moment, she clears her throat and steps back, her tone shifting to its usual no-nonsense practicality. “Now, are you ready to step out there and knock the breath from the lungs of every poor soul waiting to meet you?”
I laugh. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
When I step out of my room, Aunt Amelia is waiting in the hallway. Her face lights up, her eyes widening as she takes me in. “Oh, spin for me, my darling girl!”
I laugh and oblige, twirling dramatically before dipping into a playful bow. Her laughter is contagious, filling the space as she claps her hands in delight.
“This dress is magnificent,” I say, though nerves edge into my voice. “My only concern is—”
“Tut, tut,” she interrupts, waving her hand as if batting away my worry. “I’ve already dealt with your brothers. I practically threatened them, so don’t even try to use them as an excuse to get out of wearing something so marvelous.”
I blink at her, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “You threatened them?”
“Aye,” she replies, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “And if they so much as breathe too loudly around you tonight, they’ll find themselves escorted to the stables and tied up. They’ll behave. I promise.” She finishes with a wink, and I can’t stop the laughter that spills out of me, the sound bubbling up unexpectedly.
I can picture Callan’s ever-present scowl, his brooding silence meeting its match in Amelia’s razor-sharp tongue. And then there’s Casey—his effortless charm usually lets him slide through life untouched, but somehow, Amelia remains uniquely immune to it. The image tugs a smile from me, warmth blooming in my chest, admiration swelling like a tide I don’t fight.
“You are mighty, Auntie,” I say, shaking my head. “I’d have paid to see their faces when you said that.”
She smirks, clearly enjoying my amusement. “The big one—Callan—looked like he’d swallowed a stone. Hasn’t made eye contact with me all day.”
I shake my head, marveling at her unmatched boldness.. “I wish to be as brazen as you when I’m older.”
She pats my hand as we stop just outside the grand doors leading to the party. “Stepping into that room wearing that dress is your first step to finding that part of you. You are a fearless warrior, my girl, and I have every confidence that tonight, you’ll shine brighter than any star in the sky.”
I nod, straightening my shoulders as I meet her gaze.
Her smile is steady, her eyes shining with a fierce pride that settles something deep within me. “You carry great strength within you, my darling girl. Tonight, the world will see it too.”
Nothing in my wildest dreams could have prepared me for this.
I haven’t visited this room in my aunt’s villa before, but I’ve seen ballrooms—none like this. The very air seems alive, humming with divinity, the grandeur both overwhelming and enchanting.
The ceilings stretch impossibly high, frescoes unfolding above me like a celestial tapestry. I recognise the story from the carvings alone—Ériu’s story, the same tale my mother told me night after night as a child. Seeing it here, immortalised in paint and stone, leaves me breathless.
“I can’t believe it,” I murmur, my voice barely audible. “To see this here… it’s incredible.”
Amelia steps closer, her smile soft, yet tinged with pride. “I may not live in my home country, but I bring it with me wherever I go,” she says, the weight of nostalgia woven into her words.
Towering marble columns line the walls and are adorned with gold leaves that catch the light. The chandeliers are massive, each flame encased in a glowing orb of ethereal light that seems to pulse as I stare.
The floor is a mosaic of polished stone, its green and white hues familiar. Amelia catches my expression and laughs.
“Connemara marble,” she says, tapping it lightly with her foot. “One of the strongest marbles you can find, and you can only find it in—”
“Ireland,” I finish, grinning as our eyes meet.
She nods, pleased, and places a hand on my shoulder.
The air is thick with a fragrance too beautiful to belong to this world. It clings to the room, softening every breath. Music drifts through the space, a supernatural symphony that hums with divine energy, threading itself into the laughter and movement around me.
