Page 89 of The King's Queen

I nod my head in respect, reminding myself to remember his name as I haul Blaine towards the door. As we walk, a small parchment falls from his sleeve. I prop him against the wall to bend and retrieve it, and my heart stops cold when I recognize the cursive scrawl across the page.

Tell your Vera it’s not nice to break and discard her toys. I was more than happy to keep him safe for her. But next time I catch you in my city, I will nail your dick to the walls.

Your Love,

M.

I suck a sharp breath between my teeth and glance over my shoulder. No one notices anything amiss, so I continue walking and throw Blaine over the back of the horse. I mount in front of him, grunting when his dead weight hits my back. My mare pins her ears as well, and I rub her neck fondly.

“‘I love her.” Blaine whispers in my ear.

I grit my teeth. “I know.”

Chapter35

Verosa

Tanja is the perfect picture of graceful elegance as she twirls in my room, the length of her golden gown shimmering in the candlelight with each swish around her ankles. Her makeup is done in matching shades of metallic gold, causing her to glow in an ethereal light. She moves like sunlight through the room, each of her movements fluid and enchanting.

Aiko smiles as she watches, her handiwork with a makeup brush being put on full display as Tanja beams. She had requested weeks ago to be allowed the honor of preparing me for my birthday ball, and I agreed on one condition. Tanja is also to be dressed and pampered like a noble lady and will attend the ball as Aiko and Finneas’ ward. The older woman joyfully agreed and came earlier this evening to help us prepare.

She hums softly as she paints a peach shade across my lips, pausing every once and a while to correct a smudge or dab more color onto the brush. She worked meticulously on my hair before, going through great pains to perfectly pile every curl atop my head, with only a few to frame my face. She sewed diamonds into the updo, causing small rainbows to flicker around my face each time the light struck them. She uses that same painstaking cautiousness as she dabs crushed crystals against my eyelids across my nose and soft cheekbones. She doesn’t coat my face with powders of heavy paints like the king requested. She maps my face with her art, but in the end, I still look like me, just a more ethereal version of me.

“How are you feeling?” Aiko takes a step back and sets the brush down on my vanity, allowing me to admire the work she’s put into my face.

“Not as nervous as I thought I’d be,” I answer honestly. Maybe It’s the fact that I know I leave tonight and can finally be free of this place, or that my friends are with me, but I am not afraid. If anything, I feel as if a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. After tonight, I am free for the first time in my life.

“Well, that’s good. You look lovely.” Aiko’s face is soft and sweet, but her smile doesn’t reach her eyes. There’s that same pain lingering there that I saw the night we first met. The night I accidentally called her Mom.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I am fine.” Aiko touches my arm softly. “This time of year is always tough. I lost my daughter twenty years ago around this time. Being allowed the honor of assisting you today… well, it’s just bringing back a lot of memories.” The sly fox’s blue eyes become misty with unshed tears. My own heart breaks for her, and a bit of jealousy slips in as well. To have a mother who loves you so much is something I could never relate to.

Before I can offer any condolences or remarks, Aiko claps her hands together and smiles brightly again. “Oh, I almost forgot! I have a surprise.”

Tanja has settled down enough that the word ‘surprise’ piques her interest, and she bounds on over towards us and takes to perching on my shoulder. I tug my robe closer to my body and laugh at the way her eyes light up in anticipation. The older woman also notices with a hearty laugh. She reaches down and pulls out a basket from which she removes a long piece of sparkling fabric.

I gasp as I recognize the dress from Finneas’ story. The dress he thought made her look like dawn itself, and how quickly he fell in love with her. The dress has been kept in perfect condition, despite over twenty years having passed.

“Aiko, I can’t.”

“Please, at least try it on.” The woman pleads, placing the fabric in my hand. I hold it gently as if carrying a sacred relic. Her stare bores into my skin, and I relent.

The material is smooth as I slip from my robe into the gown. The outside is encrusted with thousands of glittering crystals, but the inside is pure silk that is soft against my skin. Each way I move sends small reflections of light scattering, and my very skin seems to glow when covered with the fabric. The draping sleeves fall perfectly off my shoulder, and the gown fits every curve and hollow of my body as if it had been waiting for me to wear it.

Tanja squeals with delight as Aiko finishes lacing the back up with gentle hands. With the utmost careful caress, she spins me by my shoulders so that I can see myself in the mirror.

Tanja steps closer, her fingers interlacing with mine.

“Dawn and her morning sun,” Aiko whispers. “You both look lovely.”

I’m not quite sure what overcomes me, whether it be the emotion of leaving or the magnitude of this kind of gift, but I rush forward to crush the woman in a hug.

“Thank you,” I whisper. “I wish my mother had loved me half as much as you do your daughter. I will always be grateful to you.” Aiko’s face flushes, but she returns my embrace. I can make out her heart beating steadily through the velvet fabric of her gown. Its rhythm is a comfort, even as I pull away and Tanja grabs my hand in her own.

“Enjoy the ball, Verosa.”

I grin as Tanja drags me away with little decorum. I used to loathe these events and dread them whenever the day finally arrived, but now the prospect of tonight is something I look forward to. After all, it is Tanja’s first ball.

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