Page 201 of The Wishing Game

"My parents are home. We need to get ready for dinner," she casually says as she drops the boxes to the ground.

I blink at her, confused.

"Uhm, what?" I ask groggily.

"I brought you some shoes to choose from. I think I got your size right," she says as she eyes my feet pensively. "You have tiny feet, so I got the smallest size. I'll also do your hair and makeup," she drones on, and it's then that I realize that her hair is already styled in a prim bun at the back of her head, her makeup simple yet elegant, with lip gloss, peachy blush, and winged eyeliner. She's wearing a beige dress made out of a combination of silk and lace, the silhouette fitting her perfectly and accentuating the contours of her body but without seeming too risqué.

"Is it that formal?"

"Unfortunately." She rolls her eyes. "My father is a stickler for propriety. My mother is a bit more lax, but she still follows his decrees. If you are out of your room, then you must be presentable. It's all about image." She clicks her tongue.

"Oh. Let me quickly wash my face."

I go to the bathroom and splash some water on my face in an attempt to chase the sleepiness away. The cold water is refreshing, and I soon feel slightly more alert.

"Come." Thea waves me over to the vanity. "We'll do hair and makeup first and then dress and shoes. Okay?"

"Sounds good." I nod. "Are you sure it's all right for me to be here, though? You know, with me being human and all that..." I trail off. Her attempts to beautify me and make me presentable for her parents make me doubt I'll get a good reception, particularly since her kind seems to look down on humans.

"What? Of course not. I told you, they won't mind it. They'll be so happy I brought a friend, they won't even care you're human." She chuckles. "Besides, this is to my advantage as well since it will take the focus off me."

She takes a jar of cream and starts applying it to my face.

"What do you mean?" I frown.

"The same old." She shakes her head. "My parents, well, my father mostly, want to see me mated and married off as soon as possible, so he's been adamant about arranging meetings for me with single males. It's one of his greatest shames that his oldest daughter is still unmated at this age." She sighs dramatically.

"But you're not old," I protest.

She smiles.

"I might not seem old, but I'm six thousand eight hundred years. In our world, that's three thousand years over the marriageable age. I'm considered an old maid." She chuckles.

"But your brother isn't mated, and he's older than you. So is Ze."

"For them it's different. They are considered an asset for Aperion due to their role in the military, so no one is forcing them. For me, however..."

Opening a drawer, she studies the assortment of cosmetics, chooses a few, and places them on the vanity. She unscrews a jar with what looks to be foundation, and she starts applying it all over my face.

"I should have been mated a long time ago, but I managed to put it off because I was still working on my qualifying exams. But lately my father has become obsessed with finding me someone. In our world, especially for the upper class, it's frowned upon if a female is not married by a certain age," she explains.

"And you don't want that?" I ask. "You don't wish to have a family someday?"

A sad smile pulls at her lips.

"It is not that I do not wish to have a family. Rather, it's that I do not want any of the males my father thinks would be suitable for me. And..." she trails off, nibbling at her lip.

She's quiet for a moment as she finishes applying the foundation, after which she dusts some creamy pink blush on my cheeks.

"I trust you, Luce," she finally takes a deep breath. "This isn't something...that I normally advertise, because, well, Ze was right. It could get me shunned, or worse, killed."

I blink in surprise, but I don't probe, letting her tell me at her own pace.

"Our world is very strict. Unions within the upper class have to be approved by the Supremes. And despite Ze's protestations, this world is much harsher on females than it is on males."

"Is it because you haven't passed your exams then?"

"If only it were just that." She gives a dry laugh. "Females of my class are expected to be...pure." She swallows. "There have been cases in which a female did not come to her mate untouched, and the male reported her to the authorities. Not only was she and her family shamed, but she was also imprisoned for her offense."

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