Page 7 of Crown of Draga

Chapter Three

Adelina

Adelina’s rooms

Draga Royal Palace

Planet Draga Terra

“Stand here,”Nadyah instructed as she pushed Adelina onto the small platform in front of the angled mirrors. The closet was nearly the size of Adelina’s bedroom. Dresses lined the walls in various colors and styles. There were a few choice paintings, a vanity, and various cushioned seats to put on shoes. Everything was made to simplify what was required of her as a princess. Adelina would never admit it aloud, but she loved the feminine part of her life.

Moving this way and that as she followed Nadyah’s silent instructions, her reflection moved with her and Adelina studied it with a keen eye. It was nearly time for her coming-of-age party and she wanted to emerge as the lady she had become, not the shy trembling waif she had always been.

Nerves roiled in her stomach, strong enough to make her nauseous. Adelina knew no matter how confident she was on the outside; there would always be a part of her that doubted. This party would test her ability to manage the separate sides of herself and it would be a move in the right direction to combine them as one.

Adelina had been prepared to walk down those stairs alone, but at the last second, she’d listened to her instincts and asked Prince Nash to escort her. Now she regretted the decision. He had been right of course, the bastard. There was a risk to him escorting her that had nothing to do with Raena’s wrath. But if she wanted to get away with such a stunt, tonight was the only time she could. Each coming-of-age party waived certain rules and protocols to allow one twenty-four hour period for each Draga royal-born to know what it felt like to be a king or queen.

“Have you talked to him other than today?” Nadyah asked, far too nonchalant to be believable.

Adelina shook her head. “No, I have not as Raena has kept me busy any free moment I’ve had when I wasn’t planning the party. There was a brief moment I saw him when they presented the male who had shot him.” She tapped her nails along the arm of her chair. “Nash pardoned him. The shooter will not be executed, but he will serve five cycles on one of the mining colonies.”

Nadyah nodded, no doubt she’d heard through her Spider contacts already. “That was kind of Nash.”

It had been kind, especially when the method of execution had been…violent, for nearly destroying an alliance. In fact, the whole matter had melted her, breaking down her resolve to avoid him. Now she couldn’t stop thinking about him, thinking about how to see him and somehow circumvent Raena’s demand.

Her own desire was going to ruin her. Adelina feared the reaction her father would have once he saw the crown prince of the Khara galaxy leading her down the massive, sweeping staircase for her declaration to the Draga galaxy that she was now officially eligible to wed. The prince would be seen as a threat, or a claim.

“Should I send a cast and tell him I’ve changed my mind?” Adelina could barely speak the words aloud and they came out as a hushed whisper.

Nadyah glanced up and met her gaze in the mirror. Then she shrugged and continued lacing the corset. She yanked and Adelina braced against the force of it. Her courtesan was much stronger than she appeared. “If you wish, but I advise having him as an escort rather than no escort at all.”

“Why not?” Adelina snapped, irritated at the rules of her world. “I am fully capable of walking down those damned stairs myself even in six inch heels.” She’d picked the higher ones to lessen the height difference between herself and Prince Nash, but she kept that small bit of information to herself.

“At midnight, during the goddess’s sacred hour, you will turn twenty cycles old and will reach the age of majority. Those who do not believe they will be able to claim Raena’s hand in marriage, or even Giselle’s will be vying for your attentions. You will need the protection of an escort. He can keep them back if needed and manage their requests so you may enjoy yourself. Our cultures differ, but Nash knows our ways and the need to protect is ingrained in his people as it is in ours.”

The corset was tied off and Nadyah helped Adelina down to her vanity where she sat the princess in the cushioned chair. Adelina watched her work with the portable nila, arranging her dark curls in a way that pleased the eye.

“Even Prince Nash is better than no one at all. His silent claim might even inspire others to step up to the challenge. If you want them to.” The sly look Nadyah gave her made Adelina blush.

Her courtesan had stood guard while she spoke to Nash in the hospital only a few days ago. Adelina could hardly believe how little time had passed when each day felt like an eternity. Council meetings and plans for the Draga Royal Army occupied every waking part of her day when she wasn’t making the final preparations for her party or entertaining noble ladies as her mother required.

No, Nadyah knew exactly how Adelina felt about Prince Nash and the strength it took for her to avoid him when it seemed as though he waited around every corner. Raena watched Adelina too closely to take any risks. There simply had to be a way to see him after the party without anyone the wiser.

But it wasn’t even safe to sneak out of the palace at midnight anymore, not until her sister was satisfied with her behavior and Adelina became invisible once more. Nash escorting Adelina to her coming-of-age party would certainly do the opposite of that, and the thought made her sigh.

Nash infuriated her. He constantly rubbed her the wrong way and she suspected it was on purpose. Other times he rubbed her the right way and that was almost worse. Adelina felt an inexplicable pull towards him and the strength of that pull made her hesitate. He was the reason she was in her current position of disfavor. She had made a promise and then paid dearly to keep it.

The two of them were magnets and no matter how hard Adelina tried to stay away she found herself right back where she started. Now she wasn’t even sure she wanted to try and fight against it. Adelina would rather see if there was something other than simple physical attraction between them, but anything more than a simple kiss would have to wait.

Nadyah arranged her hair, allowing Adelina’s curls to cascade down her back. Then she adjusted the nila to set them and hold the curls in place. Adelina watched her and realized she enjoyed having her courtesan as her lady-in-waiting. The extra assistance for events such as this eased her anxiety. Adelina always worried she didn’t look as perfect as she should. Living in her sisters’ shadows could be difficult.

Her courtesan set the makeup device over her face and Adelina trusted her completely. Nadyah knew exactly what Adelina wanted to look like for this night; what she needed to look like. There was a brief pressure against her skin. When the device was removed Adelina could hardly believe she was the woman looking back at her. Never would she have selected the dark kohl rimming her eyes or the deep red lip color that would match the color of her dress perfectly. But she had to admit it turned her into an entirely different person, or rather the darker side of what she was, underneath everything she’d thought she’d known.

“It’s perfect,” she whispered.

The smile her courtesan had confirmed how well she had come to know Adelina. It seemed there was nothing she could hide from this woman. Nadyah reached for the piece of jewelry commissioned for this day specifically. The circlet was exquisite in its simplicity. The bright yellow gold was pressed into leaves and looked like a vine that crowned Adelina’s black head in a glorious contrast. The diamonds glittering on the vine caught the light and created a halo around her.

Adelina began to feel less nervous about the coming events as Nadyah worked to create the vision they’d both discussed. “Let’s get you into that magnificent dress of yours,” her courtesan murmured, unable to take her eyes off the princess.

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