Page 218 of Night's Fall
“It’s about me wearing this dress and being on his arm,”Iexplained.
She rolled her eyes. “Stopstressing.Youlook gorgeous.Andthat dress is…fit for purpose.”
Cat snorted.
Gayle choked.
Monique outright laughed.
Lancet gasped in affront and snapped, “Fitfor purpose?”
“Anyway, there’s no going back now, right?”AnthemeignoredLancetand asked me.
She was very right.
“I do not know why you subjected me to this creature’s opinion,”Lancetcomplained.
“BecauseI’mgoing to have just shy of eighteen million pics taken of me in this gown.Ilove it.It’sstunning.Butthose pics are going to travel twenty realms, live forever, andI’mfreaking out,”Iexplained.
His mood changed immediately, thoughIdidn’t know if it was about wanting to console me, or the reminder that eighteen million pics would be taken of his gown.
“Oh, dearest,” he cooed. “You’llwow them all.”
I turned on my gals, my heavy skirts swirling with me, almost taking me off balance (note to self, don’t move too fast at theMasqueorIwas going down).
“You three are set with gowns?”Iasked.
“I was set two months ago,”Catdrawled.
“Only because, after you very belatedly invited us, the aide to theTrueBridemade comms and got the two top designers in theFall, not including you, of course,”Gaylesaid her last toLancet, “to rush gowns for us.Mineis nowhere near as lush as yours, but it’smega.”
“Mine is a shooting stars theme,”Moniqueshared. “Ithought that was an awesome idea, but butterflies beat it by a mile.EveninNocturn.”
“Laura, you need to be at thePalacefor your weekly tea with the queen in less than half an hour,”Anthemewarned.
Oh.
Right.
That had also been added to my schedule.
I couldn’t sayQueenCalisawas warming up to me, as such.Ihad a feeling she was already as warm as she’d ever get.ButIcould sayIloved our chats, mostly becauseAleecealways joined us, it felt nice getting to know them better, and it felt fabulous being inducted in their crew.
Although the queen wasn’t a demonstrative person, her closeness withAleecewas clear, and the indication they wanted me to be a part of it meant the world to me.
I was going to ask ifIcould take the gals to one of our teas, andIloved knowingIhad to ask, but the queen was going to say yes.
I stepped down from the dress platform. “I’llchange.”
Lancet bustled after me.
I got changed, hugs, cheek kisses, gratitude that they took their lunch hours to show atLancet’sstudio for the fitting were exchanged, and we all rolled out.
“Are you working theMasque?”IaskedAnthemeas we leftLancet’sbuilding, me waving at the gals who were walking down the pavement (sadly, not every craft had a ready-made landing spot at the doors of every building, but they’d all taken theSubterrato get there).
Antheme was scanning as we moved toward our craft. “I’mwhere you are if you’re in public.”
“Right,”Isaid just as she tensed.
