Page 33 of Chosen By the Fae King

Before I could pull out my own hair, or someone else's, Hilda gave us a break from the prancing.

“Ladies, let us pause for a moment. I would like to know what you think of your fabulous outfits. We'll answer one at a time. It will help me assess your speech.”

Around the room contestants gave Hilda the best of their civility. Even Zoriyah sounded refined and amiable. She was all the more impressive with her sparkling black-tulle gown that made her hair stand out beautifully.

Which, unacceptably, I found incredibly off-putting and another reason to detest the female. Distracted, I barely caught Sofiya complementing the colors picked out for each candidate.

I had to agree with her. Whomever was behind the choices really had done an excellent job. If it were Hilda, she gave no indication.

Once everyone had spoken, the green-haired taskmaster looked at me expectantly.

“I agree with Sofiya,” I rushed, ready to get this part of the training over with.

Hilda's mouth pursed. “An original thought, if you please.”

I bit my lip, drawing more of the female's disapproval. Fine. I'd give her an original thought.

“I believe a queen should be more like her subjects, more approachable, not stiff and reserved and giving off an air of superiority.”

“That's because you belong on a farm,” one of Zoriyah's friends stated loudly, giggling at her own joke.

“That is not very ladylike,” Hilda reprimanded.

I shrugged off what was supposed to be an insult. It was anything but. I did belong on a farm. I took great pleasure in knowing that without beings like me, uppity prima donnas would starve. Not that I produced much, but it was enough to sell and earn a living.

Hilda caught my eye. “Please finish your thought, Lady Aeryn. Perhaps frame it in a way your fellow contestants can understand or relate to.”

The entire room was staring at me, waiting. The only thing most of these tramps understood was they wanted to marry the king. Which gave me an idea.

“I would think that the queen’s comfort would be very important to the king. If it were me in that position, I would want my husband to be mindful of such things, as I would be for him. I'm sorry, but nothing about this outfit, these lessons, these … expectations is a way I would choose to live. Give me comfort over a title any day and I will be thankful.”

I could have sworn the smallest hint of a smile touched Hilda's mouth then disappeared. “Never apologize to those you have not wronged, Lady Aeryn. Let that be a lesson to you all.”

My small jolt of triumph was wiped out when she made us stand and go through her choreographed movements again.

I was just about ready to quit when I felt the skin at my nape tingle. Concentrating, I didn't turn to look. It wasn’t worth the risk. On my next pass around, my heel caught on my dress and I stumbled.

No one said anything.

Earlier, Hilda had warned the other contestants about decorum the second and third times I'd tripped, so at least I didn't have to put up with their jeers while she was present.

I wanted to get one full turn of the room without a major blunder, so I continued on, refusing to look for the male boring holes into me. There were plenty of other females here for him to ogle.

As I drew closer to the front, where Lorne and Liam had been standing, I allowed myself a peek. It was a mistake. A big one.

My ankle twisted, but luckily it wasn't enough to cause any pain. I had to crouch down for a moment until I regained my balance before taking another step and repeating the process again.

“She's a fucking menace,” cut through the room and sliced straight through my pride.

This time, several of the contestants broke Hilda's rule and tittered gleefully. The pitiless words had come from their king's lips, after all.

That. Was. It.

Straightening my back, I wobble-marched to the nearest table, and tore off each high heel.

Grabbing the toe of one shoe, I slammed it down on the corner of the thick table. The cracking of the heel was the most satisfying sound I'd ever heard. I hit it again and the heel came loose. I tossed it onto the table and did the same with the second shoe.

Pleased with the improvements, I put the shoes back on. They felt more like sandals. More importantly, I could walk in them. Not perfectly, but without putting myself at risk of falling on my face.

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