Page 57 of King of Lies
“Well then, let’s get you fixed up,” she says moving back into the bedroom.
She guides me to sit at the vanity and brushes my hair in a way that I wonder if my mother would have if she was still alive. Rhys and I have both lost so much. It’s sad. I only hope that I can help him move through the grief.
She quickly twists and pins my dark hair at the nape of my neck making it look both clean and put together, but also soft and pretty.
“There you are,” she says sweetly.
“Thank you.”
“Now one last thing,” she says. And when I pull my brow in question she laughs and says, “Jewelry.”
Maeve pulls another older looking velvet box from her pocket containing large teardrop pearls that hang from an ornate platinum setting covered with small, sparkling diamonds. I quickly trade my earrings and necklace for the pearls. I look at my wrist, and she smiles.
“Those are fine, dear. Everyone needs a good watch.”
“What’s going to happen next?” I ask as she leads me back into the sitting room.
“I’m going to take you to the family parlor. The prince and princess are there,” she says. “The family is officially in mourning for two months’ time. An announcement will be made of King George’s passing. The citizens of this nation, particularly those who live close but also those who live farther away, will travel to the castle gates and leave flowers, cards, etcetera. Courtiers will collect some of the condolence cards for the queen but the family, with the exception of the queen, will travel outside to greet people and thank them for their well wishes. The prince and princess will go first, tomorrow you and the king will venture out.”
“All right,” I say quietly.
Leo pulls open the door that we’ve stopped in front of and I walk in, not knowing that I am now fully ensconced in a viper’s nest.
Chapter 22
Funeral
Once again, I am dressed in all black, standing outside the gates of the castle beside Rhys while he thanks the people for loving his father.
When I got out of the shower this morning, another outfit was laid out on the bed waiting for me. Black wide leg trousers, a black silk blouse, a wide leather belt, and my black leather Louboutins. I’ve worn them so much over the last week and a half that I’ve come to see them as truly mine, even if they cost more than I make in a month at the bookstore.
I dried and styled my hair the way Maeve showed me. It’s been my go-to for the last week, at least. The one time I wore my hair down, the queen screamed at me. “This isn’t a party!” she shouted and from then on, I decided to wear my hair up.
Grief makes people do really weird things.
As I fastened the belt, there was a knock at the outer door. I moved through the suites and opened the door.
“Your coat, ma’am,” Leo said as he handed me a belted coat.
“Are we going somewhere?” I asked just as Rhys rounded the corner.
“It’s our turn to greet the mourners,” he answered softly.
“All right,” I said and then turned to follow him.
We walked side by side, Leo and another man trailing behind us, as we wound our way through the halls of the castle. This was different, this was official, this was work. We didn’t touch or embrace as we walked through the halls. This was not an engagement announcement or anything happy, this was serious for the people of this country, for the king they loved, for the man they mourned. My job was to do what I needed to and quietly support Rhys so that he could be strong in the face of his people.
When we reached the gates, hundreds of flowers and cards, stuffed bears and balloons, had all been left for the family. I knew for a fact that Rhys had them collected and distributed to people in the hospitals every day. This was a testament to how beloved his father really was, and while that was wonderful, I couldn’t help but wonder how heavily it weighed on his own shoulders.
Mourners were all around, people who had stopped what they were doing to pay their respects to a man who they’d probably never met but who had impacted their lives in one way or another. It was both lovely and heartbreaking to see.
They looked up when they notice movement from the castle and saw Rhys. They all waited patiently for what he might say or do. He stoped close to the people, but not too close, and thanked them all for coming. I stood quietly behind him with my hands clasped in front of me, both to keep still and to keep warm. The weather had been cold and the skies gloomy since the day the king died. I couldn’t help but feel like it was some kind of an omen.
“I know he is at peace with my mother now,” he says to a crowd of people. “Their love was one for the history books and we’re all better for having witnessed it.”
I can’t help but wonder how well that statement will go over with the queen when she gets wind of what he’s said. Although, she’s been reminding us all for days, that she and Rhys are the same age. How much they’ve both lost. How no one can understand that pain but the other.
It’s … well it’s weird, and I haven’t known what to do about it, so I’ve just ignored it. I’ve stayed quiet and kept to myself.
