Page 25 of Kingdom of Flames & Flowers
He fingered my ugly brown robe distastefully, shooting looks at what the other girls were wearing. “Yeah … sorry you got put with me. I’m the mud girl,” I informed him quickly, wanting to get his disappointment over with. I doubted the queen would let him make anything nice for the girl from the mud quarter.
His eyes grew cold, and his gaze sharpened. “Nonsense. There is nothing wrong with dirt. Jewels come from the dirt, don’t they? They must pry the most precious materials in the world from the earth’s grasp.”
His grip on the fabric between his fingers tightened. “No, this won’t do. My dear, we will ensure youshine.”
I barely kept from rolling my eyes at him. “The stone girls will wear jewels. I’m not one of them.”
Elio let go of my robe and rubbed his hands together with excitement. “No, but there is one gem. They don’t mine it because they can’t find it. It’s the one precious resource that hasn’t surfaced in hundreds of years, and those from the mud quarter used to mine it exclusively.”
I leaned in, curious. I’d thought Shava was pulling my leg when she’d said our people used to be miners. What did he know?
“Oh no, my dear. We won’t ruin the surprise. I’m taking your measurements, and that will be that. You’ll see it the day of and get no other hints beforehand!” He trilled in delight, then accosted me all over with a long piece of string, muttering and calling out numbers to a servant who dutifully marked them down on a piece of parchment.
My mood soured. Even the servants here knew how to read and keep sums.
“Lift your feet, dear.”
Begrudgingly, I lifted my leg and let him trace the shape of my foot against yet another sheet of parchment. He tutted at my injured heel, but said nothing else.
“What garments would you like for your talent display?” he asked suddenly.
I blanched, then remembered what Zion had suggested. Surely that had been a joke, though. I couldn’t seriously fight. Could I?
I thought carefully, then turned to Elios. “Clothes for fighting. Worn leather boots or soft fabric that won’t be tight. I’d like fitted pants at the waist, but flare them out a little from there, so they don’t restrict my movements. Have the fabric stop at my calves.”
He stared at me for a full second, then his face exploded in a wide grin. He snapped at his assistant. “Well? What are you waiting for? Write what she says!” The servant stared at me, mouth hanging open slightly, then shook her head and dutifully took down what I said.
“For my shirt, something like the fireguards wear, but lighter in the chest. I want it to protect me, but also to be flexible. I need a full range of movement in my arms.” I tried to think if there was anything else. “And something to tie my hair back with.”
Elion was grinning like a lunatic. “Anything else?”
I shook my head.
“Very good, very good. I cannot wait to see your talent, Miss Marigold Mudthrice.” Finished, he shoved all his parchments and tools at his two servants, who scampered away with them. For a moment I thought he would follow, then he paused, turning back to me.
He leaned in close, brushing my ear with his lips. “You are stronger than you know. You are more beautiful than you will allow yourself to accept. The dragon is rising.”
Before I could turn and demand he explain himself, he fled the room. In all the commotion, no one had noticed our strange interaction. At least I was now free to wander to the other girls.
I went to Leilani first. Her stylist was a red-haired noblewoman in a sweeping silver gown, whose lined face only made her look more distinguished.
“Definitely something as pale as possible to bring out her eyes and the color of her hair. How high of a heel can you handle?”
At Leilani’s panicked look, the stylist merely huffed and made a tick on her parchment.
I leaned in. “Azalea said something about Oleria. What’s up?”
Leilani kept her body and head still as servants measured her from head to toe, moving only her lips. “When the dragon attacked the dome, she was closest to the middle. The heat left burns all over her body even though there was no fire. The primas took her to recover. That’s all we know.”
Well, that was reassuring. At least she hadn’t died.
“Is she still expected to compete?” I asked, curious.
Leilani shrugged, earning her a small slap from the servant measuring between her shoulders.
“What clothes do you require for your talent this evening?”
Leilani bit her lip, thinking. “Are you familiar with the traditional garb from the bread quarter?”
