Page 41 of Beautiful Beast

My mouth opened, and I hesitated. What did I say? That something strange and intangible bound us together and I assumed they wanted to know more? That they looked at me the no other male had, and I hoped they would take me to bed, if only to save my life? If only so I could know what it was like to feel loved before I died?

“I couldn’t tell you,” I told her honestly. “But I am in no position to refuse.”

Another one stood and shook her hair over her shoulders. “Because they find her beautiful.”

Heat rose through me, and a warning pulsed in my gut. I had no claim to those dragons, despite my mind and body disagreeing. “I hardly think that’s true.”

“Oh?” The dragon crossed her arms and smirked. “The runners talk of how Endre stormed away from the prison cells last night and left Skalisméra, only to return and wear himself down in a training room. Then overheard speaking about you. Something about falling into lust.”

There were four dragons in the room with me. Five, if you counted Soza, wherever she’d disappeared to. I didn’t know if how I came to be here was widely known, but I didn’t want to risk speaking it. If they needed to speak to the Elders about me, I was sure it was better kept quiet.

At home, if the King were considering something as dire as this, despite our closeness, I would not have shared it with Helena, and I considered her nearly my sister.

I shrugged. “I know not what was spoken, only that I was ordered to appear. Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Here it is!” Soza sang, carrying a pile of gold fabric back into the room. “It shall look excellent on you. Let’s try it on and see how much work we have to do.”

Looking around for privacy, I found none. The dragon who’d declared the Heirs wanted me just smiled. “No need to be modest. We’ve all seen everything more than we want to, given what we are.”

My face flushed again. I guess that answered my question about whether their shifted forms kept on their clothes. I couldn’t imagine that. Everything was so locked down and careful in my life, and not simply because I was royalty. The human body was often a source of tension and fear in my world.

How strange to find myself standing outside of it.

“Forgive me,” I said. “I’m… not quite ready for that.”

Soza just pointed to the room she’d exited. “You can change in there, though I doubt it will make much difference.”

I wasn’t sure what she meant, but I took the pile of shimmering fabric from her and retreated into the room. It was some kind of store room, the walls lined with bundles of cloth in more colors and textures than I knew existed. Dresses on forms, again in styles and colors I’d never seen. Similar to ones from the human realm but more daring, and more revealing.

The dress Soza gave me was no exception.

Golden fabric gathered at the waist and fell down in a wave of pleats. The soft material felt good, and the style of the seams that ran along my hips gave the dress movement I already knew would look beautiful.

But that’s where the familiarity ended. The bodice over my stomach was thin and sheer, the straps thin and beaded, leaving my arms and shoulders entirely bare. Not necessarily scandalous, if you didn’t include the way it barely covered my breasts. The neckline dipped in a low scoop, baring more of me than it hid.

A mirror stood against one wall. I stared at myself.

The dress was unquestionably beautiful. Without a doubt. Yet I couldn’t quite look at myself without blushing, or thinking about what I’d just denied in the other room. The Heirs finding me beautiful.

Here, alone, I could hope it was true. But even through that hope, this dress was a lot. Back home it might be something you wore after marriage, for the mysterious activities I was supposed to know nothing about.

My skin was on display through the bodice, my chest and shoulders and neck. None of the other dresses in the room with me revealed so much, but they also looked like works in progress. Perhaps they would appear more like this once they were finished?

It was a little loose in the hips and straps, but it fit well.

At least now I understood why Soza had said it wouldn’t make a difference. They were all going to see a lot of me in this dress.

I walked slowly back into the room, and they all gasped. “That looks lovely on you,” Soza said with a bright smile.

“Thank you. It is beautiful, though… more revealing than I have experience with.”

A dragon who hadn’t spoken before did. Her hair was dark with a sheen of violet. Her eyes too, were closer to purple than blue. “Such is the latest fashion in Doro Eche. If you’re unsure of the Heirs’ thoughts about you, this will show you. Here. Take these as well.” She approached with jewels. Gold bracelets that slid all the way up my arms. Earrings that dangled from my ears and brushed my shoulders. A necklace.

“Oh. I’ll keep this.” I touched my grandmother’s necklace.

“It’s a little dark for the dress.”

Shaking my head, I smiled. “It stays with me.”

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