Page 38 of Heir of the Autumn Queen

“Here,” she says, holding a goblet out to me. Not caring what it is, I drink deeply. The warm spiciness of a red wine coats my mouth and settles into my stomach, calming my nerves a bit.

“Thank you,” I tell her, offering a weak smile.

She laughs sort of hysterically.“You’re thanking me? You just saved my son’s life, and you’re thanking me?”

I shrug and fold my arms around myself in a hug, at a loss.“I was just trying to stop the bleeding.”

She gets down on her knees in front of my chair and looks up into my eyes, the gratitude in her expression almost unbearable.“Whatever you did, my son isalive. Because of you.” Not knowing what to say, I take another drink of the wine.“Are you a witch?” she asks, no fear in her voice, just curiosity.

“I don’t know,” I answer honestly, thinking I must besomething, like Finn said, since no mere mortal could do what I just did.

“Your eyes were brighter… when you were healing Leo,” she says quietly as if reliving the trauma. I nod again, starting to accept that I have some abilities. I just have no idea really what they are. Or what they mean. Or how to use them.Love that for me.“Either way,” she says decidedly.“I am indebted to you.”

I wave my hand around, brushing off her comment.“Please, don’t say that. Anyone would’ve done the same.”

“No. They wouldn’t have. You were the only one who stepped up, and you didn’t even think you could truly make a difference.” Her eyes fill with tears, but her tone is bitter, and I realize she must be angry at her neighbors, her fellow townspeople, who all stood around and watched her panic as her son bled out in the street.

“I’m just glad I could help.” I make to stand.

“Please,” she says, her eyes wide with desperation.“Let me give you something. We don’t have much, but I can’t let you leave empty-handed.”

“That’s really not necessary…” I say, realizing I don’t even know her name.

“Pearl.” She smiles earnestly.

“Nice to meet you, Pearl. I’m Auri,” I say, realizing a second too late that I gave her my real name. But considering the fact that I’ll likely never see her again, I figure it's not the end of the world.

“Well, Auri. Please wait right there. I have just the thing.” Before I can argue, she rushes into the back room, returning a moment later with a beautiful, peach-colored tulle gown in her arms. I stand up, about to reject her offering, firstly because I really don’t wear dresses, and secondly because I can’t possibly accept something that I’m sure is extremely costly.

“Before you say no,” she warns with a mother’s authority,“this gown has already been paid for. The client who purchased it decided they no longer wanted it. It’s been sitting in the back room for a week, but I think it will fit you perfectly. If you would step up here please.”

Pearl gestures towards the alterations platform in the center of the room. Unable to resist her, she has me face myself in the full-length mirror while she rushers around me, taking my measurements. My reflection leaves much to be desired; I’m not only dirty from the road, but my shirt and hands are covered in a significant amount of her son’s dried blood, the stickiness and smell of it making me feel slightly sick.

“Just as I suspected,” Pearl says from behind me, meeting my gaze in the mirror.“It should fit perfectly. There’s a washroom through there you can use to clean yourself up a bit, and then you can try it on.”

I don’t fight her this time, knowing she won’t take no for an answer. I head to the washroom with the dress in my arms, quickly strip my bloody, dusty clothes, and throw them in my bag to clean later. The shirt is probably beyond repair, but I keep it anyway. I use the bar of soap that’s adjacent to the basin and scrub myself down as thoroughly as I can, making sure to get the dried blood that’s under my fingernails. I dry myself off and step into the peach-colored gown, holding it close to my chest as I’m unable to lace up the corset in the back by myself. I walk back out to the main fitting room where Pearl is waiting for me, and she smiles at me warmly upon seeing me in the dress. I step back up onto the small, round platform and face the mirror once again as Pearl does up my laces.

She wasn’t wrong when she said it would be a perfect fit. The dress is both elegant and sensual, with long, sheer sleeves and a deep, sweetheart neckline that reveals the round swell of both my breasts. The fabric is peppered with small crystals along the top of the bodice, and a delicate ribbon accentuates my waist, then flares out into a slightly fuller skirt, flattering the curve of my hips. In the sunlight, the color of the dress seems to shift, blazing more of a pale orange than a soft pink, and I’m enchanted by my own reflection.

“Thank you,” I tell her.“I don’t normally wear dresses, but this is absolutely stunning.” I don’t tell her that having to carry the dress around with me will be a hassle, but honestly, at this point, I really don’t care.

“This is nothing compared to what you’ve done for me. But you look beautiful. A dress is nothing without someone to wear it.” Pearl smiles before adding,“Let me get you something else to wear in the meantime and I’ll have the dress delivered to wherever you wish.”

She’s off again before I can respond, returning with a pair of leather sandals to go with the dress, plus soft black pants and a dark blue tunic to wear in the meantime. I change into the new clothes quickly, not at all surprised to find that they fit perfectly, which I suppose makes sense since Pearl has my measurements. When I emerge from the washroom, Leo is sitting with Pearl at the table in his own fresh pair of clothes, looking happy as ever and perfectly healthy. She thanks me again and I tell her the name of the inn that I’m staying at, and she promises to have the dress sent over by this evening.

Unable to accept any more thanks or praise for my accidental good deed, I leave the shop in search of the leathersmith, thankful that the crowd from earlier has dispersed. After wandering a few blocks and asking around, I find the leather smith and inquire about a modified saddle for a pegasus. The kind, older man insists that it can be done and quotes me four gold pieces for the saddle, and five silver pieces for the alterations made to the skirt and the fender that will allow space for Shadow’s wings. We shake on it, and I pay him half of the money now with an agreement to pay the rest upon picking up the saddle the day after next.

By the time I make it back to the inn, the sun is setting, and I’m starving. I ask one of the maids to have some food sent up to my room, and I trudge up the stairs, drained from my eventful afternoon. Once in my room, I smile as I see the dress from Pearl’s already laid out nicely on my bed. I pick it up and drape it over the back of the chair in front of the hearth so that I can lie down while waiting for my food.

Finally alone, I take a moment to process the last twelve hours. Saving Leo was by far the strangest thing I’ve ever done, but I suppose if any fraction of my mother’s power was passed down to me, it makes sense that it would be a healing ability. I can still feel a minor headache, no doubt a side-effect of exerting so much energy.

A knock at the door signals the arrival of my dinner, and I get up to answer it. The same maid from earlier hands me a large bowl of some kind of stew and a chunk of warm, buttered bread, and my stomach grumbles in anticipation. I thank the girl, but as I’m about to close the door, she holds out a piece of parchment for me, which I take from her cautiously. She curtsies and leaves, and I close the door behind me, placing the food down on the table before examining the parchment.

On the front, the name“Hazel” is written in elegant calligraphy, and on the back is the wax seal of the Spring Kingdom, sealing the message. Unsure why anyone in the Spring Court would know where I’m staying or send me a letter, I break the seal with shaking hands. I unfold the parchment to find the same handwriting, penned gracefully across the paper.

On behalf of the King and Queen of the Eastlands, you are hereby cordially invited to attend the Autumn Solstice Ball on the evening of September 22nd. If you accept, a carriage will escort you to the castle at dusk. We sincerely hope you will grace us with your presence.

Your humble servant,

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