Page 19 of Kingdom of Flames & Flowers
I refused to look any more, instead staring directly at the ground. Each girl went their turn in succession. After Azalea, Freesia’s turn came. She met it with a face so white I thought she’d pass out halfway to the table. Then the queen picked Heather and Hyacinth, who each sobbed so loudly and screamed in such pain that I thought the queen would surely put an end to all of it.
She didn’t.
Oleria bore hers with no tears or expression at all, to where I wondered if she was alright. Then the queen’s finger roved between me and Wisteria.
“You,” the queen pointed at Wisteria, but gave me a smirk.
Oh boy. She was saving the best for last.
Wisteria’s hands clenched into fists at her sides and they stayed that way through her entire examination. At the end, the prima withdrew and told her to sit up, then addressed the queen.
“This one is spoiled.”
Wisteria’s face broke, twisting into despair and confusion. Vession grabbed her by her hair and yanked her up, scowling. “Who was it, eh? Did some fireguard pay you for the privilege?”
“NO!” she screamed, her hands going to her hair to pry his fingers off. “He didn’t pay me, he just shoved me down in a back alley andtook—”
**End of trigger warning**
“That’s enough,” the queen whispered, her deadly tone carrying across the large room. “Get her out of here. She is not worthy of my son.”
Fireguards must have filed in behind us without my notice, as two came forward, each of them taking an arm and dragging Wisteria between them toward the steps.
“NO! PLEASE! IT WASN’T MY FAULT!”
She tried to rip away and reach us, but the guards were bigger and stronger. Her screams carried up the stone steps, eventually fading.
We all watched her go with wide, terrified eyes.
The queen’s gaze landed on me.
Before she could order me up to the table, clanging footsteps banged down the stone staircase to reveal the fireguard’s captain, slightly out of breath.
“Your highness, I apologize for interrupting. The prince has finally returned from his inspection of the wall.”
Trumpets called from a distance, and the queen smiled, gesturing dismissively to us. “Give them proper clothes immediately. I won’t have my son see them so debased.” Her gaze turned directly to me. “We aren’t done.”
I couldn’t hide my mild flinch. The queen turned on her skirts and left, ascending the spiral staircase quickly.
Vession clapped his hands, and the fireguards left. Several minutes later, they returned, each bearing beautiful robes in different colors.
“These will be your day-to-day clothes for your rooms,” Vession began. His voice was as oily as his hair. If he offered me an apple in the street, I’d be quick to run away. “You’ll have a court dresser who will consider how best to dress you. We will make custom gowns for each of you.”
Every girl perked up at this, and I resisted the urge to scowl. We’d (well, everyone but me) just been defiled and humiliated, and they had dragged one of us to an unknown fate. But mention a pretty dress and silks? Smiles all around.
A pattern soon emerged as the fireguards stepped forward with their bundles. I tried to search their faces for Zariah, but didn’t see him. The stone girls all received a slate gray robe that none-the-less shimmered silver where the light touched it, complete with matching sandals. Azalea got a gorgeous light blue that went well with her coloring, and Leilani got a golden robe that likely represented bread and butter.
Scarcely daring to hope, a fireguard approached me. He handed me the bundle, and I glanced down.
Mud brown.
It didn’t shimmer. It didn’t glow. It was as ugly and plain as I was.
I fought down my disappointment. I’d known this was coming. I really wasn’t supposed to be here, but having physical proof still hurt.
I didn’t like the judging looks being shot by the other girls. It was as if I deserved such an ugly robe for being spared the torture they’d just endured. I put the brown robe over my white shift and slid the new sandals onto my feet without complaint. Clothes were clothes.
I could see it was on the tip of Freesia’s tongue to argue that I hadn’t been examined, but I suppose even bullies had their limits. She shot me one glare, but it lacked her usual venom. Freesia, along with the other girls, just looked vacant and sad.
