Page 206 of Fated or Knot

He combed his fingers through my hair and nodded. “I can’t take it anymore. Kiss me with closed lips, like we’re fumbling teenagers,” he invited.

I was more than willing to do that. I tilted my head up to meet his lips, but I couldn’t help a giggle as it felt purposefully awkward not to taste one another’s pheromones. He drew back and licked his lips anyway, growling in a way that was more alpha than refined prince. “Enjoy picking your outfit. You have plenty of time. Remember, this is our date and we’re still going to have fun,” he murmured.

“We are,” I agreed. I watched him leave the room with a thread of regret tightening around my stomach. I hated that there was a fog of uncertainty over everything except for my imminent heat.

I pushed my worries to the side and turned to the gaggle of house moths. Jani and Lon jumped to introduce the other females as the handmaidens that served the other princesses. The group waited as I inspected the dresses first. “You should try them on, Princess. See what fits and feels best,” Jani suggested.

The handmaidens provided several extra hands to help me in and out of each dress. There were eight in total, all fashion statements in their own right. If Fal hadn’t mentioned pixie dresses, I wouldn’t have immediately thought that was the inspiration.

I didn’t have to be tied into any of them, though one did have a bold slit up both sides that showed a flash of panties. It was an automatic no. I inspected each dress when it was on my body and I narrowed down to the right selection one by one. Once I picked the best dress, for how it felt on my skin and accentuated my body’s natural curves, the handmaidens swept me up in a flurry of activity.

There were appropriate undergarments to find and makeup to apply. I disappeared in a cloud of pink powder that was approximately my skin tone and tried not to giggle as one determined house moth painted my face, while another asked if I wanted the undergarments with extra lift or extra support, and a third suggested I forgo heels for a pair of slippers. And those shoes she was waving around wereverycute. “One at a time, ladies! Also, extra lift.” I wanted to look sexy for this event. Whatever it was, I was attending by Fal’s side.

Despite my request, there was a lot of work they needed to do to get me ready. A fourth moth tiptoed behind me with brushes, combs, and flash curlers for my hair. Lon took my right hand and Jani my left to file and paint my fingernails with shimmery pink-purple lacquer. I also started to feel like a posable doll with so many hands working on preparing me at the same time.

The house moth with the shoes returned, showing me each pair one by one. I decided on the slippers anyway. They were a dark purple cloth, cut and shaped for support while also designed to look like I’d wrapped my feet in indigo leaves fresh out of a Seelie forest.

I saw the inspiration reflected back at me in a full length mirror once we were all done. My chosen dress left my shoulders bare, with floaty sleeves attached to the bodice that ended in a bell shape around my wrists. The fabric hugged my torso and formed a design of layered feathers on my upper chest.

The gravity-defying extra lift undergarments pressed my breasts up and out to make an alluring crease. The moth that’d helped me into the strapless undergarment nodded in approval. “Siora always says your décolletage should cause alphas to break their necks. I think yours will,” she said sweetly.

Siora would absolutely say that,I thought, picturing the voluptuous nixie in something far more daring than what I was wearing.

I smiled brightly and thanked the handmaiden before swishing my skirts around. The best part about this dress was absolutely the layered skirts that tinkled with multiple tiny bells with every movement. The back of the fabric hit my knees, so there was no danger of sitting on any of the silvery bells that’d been sewn all the way around each skirt. To finish off the pixie dress inspiration, this garment came with a braided silver belt, from which hung more bells that chimed gently with every sway of my hips.

It was perfect. My wing dust clung to it the longer I wore it, giving it the kind of sparkle it needed to really pop. I thought the dress was so great, I only completed the look by putting on a pair of amethyst hoop earrings. They glinted while I adjusted my hair to frame my painted face just right. I’d grown my hair out enough that, even curled, the white strands brushed my bare shoulders.

“You look beautiful, Princess,” Jani said.

“There’s one more thing. A gift just arrived,” Lon added. The house moths squeaked excitedly as they gathered around to see what was in the box she handed me. We all gasped when thelight hit the bracelet within. It was a solid chain of gold with amethysts and diamonds glittering upon it.

I knew what this was before I even read the note folded up in the box.

Larkie,

This is a special bracelet that’s been treated with multiple layers of magic. While you’re wearing it, it will completely change your scent.Please wear it!Otherwise your pre-heat smell is going to start a hundred fights tonight.

Love,

Your Favorite Bonus Dad

I put it on immediately. My smell probably changed, though I was nose blind to my own pheromones.

The first thing Fal had explained earlier was about Rennyn and his involvement in orchestrating what would happen tonight.“My father does know what he’s doing. He’s acting in his position as Spymaster of Serian. Aye, surprise, he’s got his fingers in thwarting every treasonous plot, murder attempt, and kidnapping plan that’s attempted in and around the palace. He has a hundred years of experience outmaneuvering alphas with more brains than the bark brothers combined.

“With that in mind, your role in his plan is to lure the bark brothers out of hiding. They have to have a reason to act recklessly, and theywill. Your perfume could cause any unbonded alpha in this city to think with his cock, let alone three males who already know what you smell like. But we’re going out in public, so you cannot go around smelling breedable until the right moment. My father is going to give you some shiny bauble layered with somewhat illegal spell work that his spies use to obfuscate their scents. And he’s going to do the same thing to Marius, Tormund, and me, just because he thinks we stink. You must wear it,mo stór.”

So far, Fal was completely right about how tonight would go. Some of what he’d told me had been based on his intuition, as he’d been benevolently manipulated by Rennyn countless times to avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong moment.

“Should I tell the princes you’re ready?” Lon offered, cutting into my thoughts.

“Yes, please.” I practically vibrated with anticipation to see my mates’ faces when they saw me all dolled up. In the meantime, I thanked the gaggle of handmaidens for their help. They bowed happily and rushed off to go help the other princesses, my pair of house moths were included.

I was only alone for a few minutes, before Kauz slipped into the room. He froze three paces in my direction and his eyes widened, exposing more purple-threaded nebulae. “Wow, sweetheart. I think you stopped my heart for a moment. You’re a vision.”

“Thank you.” I wiggled my wings with joy. “You look great as well.”

I didn’t think I’d seen him in a suit before. It was a different style than Fal’s usual looks, since his tailor had to work around his wings. His jacket was a deep plum color, and his pants and undershirt were black rather than his signature gray. He wore a set of dark gloves with intricate stitching along the back that glowed the same silvery white as his magic.

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