Page 28 of A Kingdom of Destruction

The more time she wasted in the bath, the less she had to eat, and eventually, despite her desire to waste time, she joined Nora in the bedroom. Her empty stomach grumbled and turned itself into knots. The fae woman stood beside the small table and gestured toward the plate of food.

“A light dinner,” she explained unnecessarily. “There will be more once you get to the ball tonight. All sorts of delicacies and delights you haven’t tried before. Our kingdom is known for several foods available nowhere else.”

“Didn’t I hear a tale somewhere about eating fae treats and being bound to stay here forever?” Aven sounded bitter even to her own ears. “Not like I’m going anywhere anyway.”

“Those are stories to frighten mortal children at night. There’s nothing for you to worry about. You’re safe here.”

Lies. They were nothing but lies, and her five days down in the dungeons attested to it.

She ate her fill while Nora worked on her hair, weaving the dark strands together and humming something low underneath her breath while she worked. The song calmed Aven, somehow slipping through her defenses with its haunting melody.

“It’s something my mother always sang to us when we were little and had trouble sleeping,” Nora explained eventually. Her hands continued their tireless winding, and Aven didn’t need a mirror to know that the updo was something she’d never seen done on herself.

On the twins, perhaps. They’d always fancied themselves above the cut, craving the latest fashions and styles. Two messy braids had been enough for Aven. As long as it kept her hair out of the way during battle?—

For all the good it did. And remembering her sisters now brought a penetrating flash of agony so strong she lost herself for a beat.

Once Nora finished with Aven’s hair, she moved to the armoire and pulled out a velvet-lined hanger. “This is the dress Crown Prince Cillian requested you wear tonight for the festivities. He has a good eye, don’t you think?”

Aven wanted to tell her lady’s maid that she didn’t care what Cillian requested because she’d rather eat glass than attend his ball. They were insufferable on the best of days.

Spiteful words bubbled up inside of her, and she swallowed down every sour one of them. She rose and lifted her arms to the side, uncaring about her embarrassment as Nora undid the bathing robe. Naked, Aven allowed the fae to dress her. First the underwear and undergarments, then a corset to emphasize the smallness of her waist, Nora explained.

Finally the dress, silk, the color of the sky. The color of Roran’s eyes. The comparison wasn’t lost on her, but once again, nor was the fact that she kept comparing things to him. It irked her to no end.

By the time Nora finished preparing her for the ball, the sun had begun to sink lower to the horizon, and the color of slats across her floor took on a warm peach hue.

“It’s going to be a marvelous time. You’ll see.” Nora tucked a gemstone necklace at the base of Aven’s neck. “Things might seem scary now, but once you get down there, you’ll find it enjoyable.”

Who was this woman trying to convince?

A knock at the door sounded half a second before it swung inward, and Cillian’s presence filled the space. Nora instantly took a step back and ducked her head in reverence. The air practically crackled with his energy, and Aven swallowed over a low moan.

“She’s ready, Your Highness,” Nora murmured.

“I didn’t realize crown princes were in the business of escorting prisoners down to a ball. Aren’t there attendants for that sort of thing?” Aven asked sweetly.

Then she stopped under Cillian’s scrutiny. Today the crown prince had traded his tunic for a suit jacket that looked like it had been hammered out of solid gold. The material captured thedying rays of the sun and reflected them back, his skin taking on the same tone. He studied her unabashedly, taking his time in the perusal, and every step he took toward her thickened the air.

“You look stunning, Aven.”

The compliment took her by surprise, and her feet grew roots through the soles of her slippers. “There’s no need to lie,” she found herself saying, tugging uncomfortably at the end of her sleeves.

“It’s not a lie. I mean every word of it. Shall we?” Cillian held his arm out for her, palm upturned. “Everyone is waiting for us.”

Just like that, he’d roped her in. Just like that, he’d dismissed Nora, who remained standing with her focus on the floor as Aven slid her palm to Cillian’s and allowed him to draw her forward. The silk whooshed like the wind where fabric met the floor.

The two of them headed down the hallway. No, they glided. She somehow found herself in the exact circumstances she’d wanted to avoid, with a handsome man at her side and the world spun around them. This wasn’t real. None of it could be real.

“I don’t understand why you chose this time to throw a ball,” she said in an undertone.

Cillian regarded her from the side with one eyebrow raised imperiously. His golden hair had been slicked away from his face, leaving it bared for her own personal perusal, the same way he’d done to her.

“Don’t you? This ball is celebrating the peace won, due to my strategizing and your capture.”

The words filled her with ice. Something sharpened inside of her, and she used the strength of it to glare at Cillian.

“You’re hauling me off to a party to celebrate the wayyoumurdered my family?” She ripped her hand out of his, wiping it on the side of her dress. Disgust burned her insides. “You want to parade me past your cronies because of your victory? Your head is large enough. You don’t need any help to grow it.” She snapped out the last part.

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