Page 12 of A Bride for the Winter King
The first kingdoms’ sense of style is closer to modern mortal trends, indeed.
Seth sighs in relief and removes his amethyst-crusted mask. “Welcome to the Spring quarters. We’re not allowed to step foot outside these halls until the Yule pageant starts, and as long as we’re here, we should be careful. The castle is crawling with courtiers in preparation for the wedding. Spying on the king should get easier on the road, when we tour the provinces.” He holds out a hand. “Mask, please.”
I peel it off and hide it behind my back. “I’d prefer to keep it close.”
My mask is a part of who I am—a crystallized part of my soul. Without it, I can’t travel through the sceawere. Without it, I can’t escape.
Seth rubs the arch of his brow. “Spring seeds don’t have masks, as you well know. Everyone has to believe I brought you here from the new world myself.” He slips a small silver key from his jacket and twists open the lock to a small metal chest on top of his bedside table. “I’ll take it with us on tour. And you don’t have to worry about it being stolen, because the chest can’t be moved by anyone but me.”
I lay down the mask on the silk lining the bottom of the empty chest, and my fingers tingle from the loss.
“Here, you can keep the key.” He tosses me the key, and I tuck it inside my bra. “The other girls are waiting in the dressing room at the end of the corridor. We have to make you presentable.”
The large closet door slides open, full of pastel gowns, but a black tulle dress with embroidered flowers stands out among the colorful mass.
Seth holds a pink and orange number to my chest, but I wrench a different hanger from the pole. “This one.”
“It’s black.”
“Withflowers. Listen, if you expect me to seduce a Fae king, I have to feel confident.” I slip inside the adjoining bathroom to change.
“We have fifteen minutes, tops,” Seth announces from the other side of the door.
I strip from my uniform and boots and adjust the slim black straps over my shoulders. The sweetheart neckline dips between my breasts, and the skirt finishes at my mid-thigh. Not my style given that I’d never choose to wear a dress, but I look good.
Seth cracks open the door. “Can I?”
I give a sharp nod.
“Here. Let me.” He reaches for the clip holding my hair.
“I didn’t peg you for a hairdresser,” I say.
Goosebumps raise along the back of my neck as he frees my long, dark mane and starts running his fingers through it. “Spring magic and all…”
“Right.”
Under his influence, the knots and dry ends vanish, my hair perfectly straight and glossy in an instant. The result is twice as impressive as when Baka does my hair in the Shadow Court.
“Perfect.” Seth meets my gaze in the bathroom mirror. “Now, look at me and close your eyes, partner.”
I spin around and point my index finger at his face. “I warn you. No funny business.”
He raises his hands in surrender. “I swear. Professional friends only.” His fingers swipe across my closed lids, ghost along my cheeks, and trace my heart-shaped lips. “You know… Iris was considered to be the second most beautiful woman in Faerie.”
The odd compliment sounds next to impossible, but I smile. “Only second, hey?”
This boy is mad… There’s no way a woman who looks like me could be considered a standard of beauty.I check the result in the mirror and reel at his talent. The dark eye-shadow makes my clear gray eyes appear almost silver, and I’ve never looked so glamorous.
I smack my lips together a few times and blot the excess lipstick with a tissue, but to my surprise, the magic make-up doesn’t smudge.Nice trick!
Feeling a little hot all of a sudden, I tuck my hair behind my ears. “Tell me about the Winter King.”
“Elio’s like all of his reapers. Cold. Unfeeling.” Lips twisted in a grimace, Seth clears his throat and walks away. “Your voice is a problem. What about a high, friendly tone? Give it a try.”
My voice? What the fuck.I roll my eyes. “Hi, I’m Lori Lovegood. I studied in the new world instead of Faerie becausemy mother was a bad-ass archer, and I’msograteful to my prince, Seth Devine, for this opportunity.”
The admiration sounds fake as hell, and Seth grunts. “You’re not even trying. Most of the Spring seeds in the other room have been prepping for this their whole lives. They attended boarding school in Faerie to prepare for their future roles in my mother’s court and fought for the chance to be here, so they know each other pretty well. They’re going to scratch your eyes out if you’re not careful.”
