Page 73 of Faking with the Fae King

I nod, spinning slowly in place. Dresses surround me, the most beautiful dresses I’ve ever seen. They come in every color of the rainbow, but all of them share a single trait: they’re all made of Faerie silk. One whole corner of the shopglows with white fabric, filled with wedding gowns made out of dreams.

“Welcome to Haute and Bothered.” A shadow fae woman steps forward, tall and beautiful, with tan skin and flowing light-brown hair. She wears one of the shop’s dresses, showing it off better than any mannequin ever could. “I am Valena. I will assist you this evening.”

Severin sets me on my feet, his arm lingering around my waist as he says, “I’ll leave you to it.” After a kiss to my knuckles, he exits the front door, heading back to the green, where the walking tulips immediately surround him.

“Do you have a favorite color?” Valena asks.

Like most people with a spring skin tone, I wear a lot of bright colors. But this evening, something pulls me toward the blue dresses. My fingers drift across the rack, luxuriating in the feel of the Faerie silk, soft as a caress. I halt, pulled to a dress the color of the summer sky right before sunset, a lovely rich blue. It’s the color I see every evening when Severin takes me flying over the forest to practice my magic. “This one.”

“Excellent choice.” She waves her hand, and magic tingles over me. In a flash, I’m wearing the dress and matching silk slippers, my clothes piled on the counter at the front of the store. Another flick of her fingers, and the fit of the dress adjusts, becoming custom tailored to me.

Valena touches my cheek, and my face tingles. Then she runs her hands over my hair in another rush of magic.

When she pulls me over to the shop’s standing mirror, I’m shocked to see my make-up redone, with smoky eyes and blue eye shadow. My hair flows around my shoulders in flawless waves, looking better than it ever has in my life.

And the dress! Oh, god, the dress is utter perfection. Gauzy layers of the thinnest Faerie silk drape my body and fall in flattering waves from my hips down to swirl around my ankles.

“I’m not sure I can afford this.” There aren’t any prices on the dresses, and you know what they say: if you have to ask…

“King Severin has already paid for everything.”

Oh! Pleased surprise ripples through me. I probably shouldn’t accept such an expensive gift. After all, this isn’t like the engagement ring—a fancy dress won’t make our fake relationship look more real. But I’ve never worn anything so beautiful, and it’s so thoughtful of him to have arranged this for me.

“I love it,” I say. “Thank you for your help.”

“It is an honor to serve the future queen.” She dips her head. “You are to remain here while I let King Severin know you’re ready. I’ll be but a moment.”

I turn to watch as she leaves the shop, but there’s a haze in the air, and I can no longer see the town green. It takes me a moment to realize it’s Severin’s shadows, purposefully blocking my view. What can he be up to?

He’s going to so much effort for tonight’s date. It certainly makes me feel special. But it’s got to be part of the act, right? He’s putting on a good show, so people think we’re in love. So why does it feel so real every time he touches me?

God, I’m so confused. What’s fake? What’s real? I knowIwant more, but what does he want?

I grab my phone from my clothes and text Skye and Autumn on our three-way chat.Help! Severin’s taking me onthis really fancy date tonight, and I’m so confused.

Confused how?Skye asks.

He’s putting in a LOT of effort, and I keep hoping it means something…

Autumn types,But you’re worried it’s all part of the fake thing.

I like her message with a “100%” emoji.

Do you like him?Skye asks.Like-like him?

Yep.

Ask him what this means to him, Autumn responds.You’re already emotionally invested.

What she said, Skye adds.I know you. You hate uncertainty. So ask him, so you can stop worrying.

This is exactly what I’ve been thinking, but it’s still good to have it confirmed.Thanks! You two are the best!

We sure are, Autumn types.

Skye texts,Be ready to spill all the deets tomorrow at the next Witch Bitch Spicy Book Club meeting!

I add a laughing emoji and put my phone away right as Severin steps into the dress shop.

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