Page 47 of Snow White

“Ow. Please.” Azura groans, touching her head.

“Sorry,” Belle whispers, before flopping back onto Azura’s bed.

I groan. “I’m s-sorry, Azura. We will go.”

“Aren’t we supposed to have a girls’ night?” Belle asks.

“We can when she is feeling better,” I respond.

If she even wants to see you again.

Azura groans again. “You can stay if you’re quiet.”

Belle’s eyes light up, and she pats a spot for me on the bed.

“Are you sure?” I ask Azura.

She nods, moving to lie back on her bed and covering her eyes with a black towel. “It’s fine.”

“Is there nothing that will help?” Belle asks.

“No,” Azura says. I take her hand in mine, using my thumbs to massage the middle of her palms. When I was a girl, my mother would often massage my hands to help take the pain from the elemental magic growing in my body. On some occasions, my hands would almost freeze from the strength of the ice elemental.

Azura winces but doesn’t pull away. “I often get them. They can be debilitating,” she says, trailing her fingers along my hand. “That feels good.”

“Hm,” Belle hums, looking between us. “Well, you want to know how I calm my headaches?”

Azura snorts as I move to her next palm, my hands cooling. “I don’t think I even want to know what you use, Belle.”

Belle laughs. “I was going to say soup… and a sturdy pillow.”

“I don’t get it,” I say with a frown. Belle only chuckles in response.

“Don’t let me put a damper on girls’ night,” Azura says on a purr of contentment as I continue to massage her hand.

“I don’t mind it. Really,” I say, shaking my head.

Belle nods. “Besides, we should celebrate, Azura. We were chosen to stay. Lady Lock was, too. If you are curious.”

Azura smirks. “Not surprising.”

I make Azura sit up, sliding behind her as I move my hands to her shoulders and dig into them, kneading at the knots making her muscles so tight. I have never felt so much tension before.

How much has she had to carry on her shoulders? For how long?

Belle shrugs. “You missed some of the tearful exits, too.”

Azura moans softly, resting her head on my shoulder. “Who?”

“Princess Tabitha. Lady Celina,” Belle says, tilting her head as she watches us. “Oh, and Princess Petunia.”

Being this close to Azura has my heart pounding. She smells like orchids and all things wicked. When I close my eyes, I picture us naked and surrounded by those flowers. Goodness me, I can’t start thinking about this now.

“No surprises there,” Azura says.

“They were the worst, honestly.” Belle nods.

On occasion, I’d heard those women trashing Belle’s name due to her origins. She isn’t a princess or a lady, yet somehow, she ended up here. I don’t care about that. I am glad she is here, but to the other princesses, it would be considered improper, almost scandalous, for a woman of Belle’s status to be accepted as queen.

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