Page 133 of Between Wrath and Mercy

“I—alright.” I paused for just a moment, barely long enough to think, before I already knew my answer. “Dickey and Thyra.” Rain’s eyebrows raised. “That was actually pretty easy.” I gave him a quick grin.

“Dickey is no surprise, but Thyra?”

“Who else?” He stood for a moment before nodding.

“You’re right. I’ll ask her for you.” He leaned in, about to kiss me, when I felt my nose wrinkle.

“Shouldn’t that be something I ask her?” A look of surprise crossed his features, only for a moment, before a sly grin replaced it.

“I told you you’d make a good queen.” He pressed his mouth to mine, his tongue teasing at the seam of my lips, and I opened to him, lightly caressing his tongue as he pushed into my mouth. He groaned a bit before pulling away, all too soon. “I’m sorry, I have to get you back to Lavenia and Mairin before they have my head.”

“So, is this the last moment I get alone with you before tonight?” I tucked my fingers into his belt loops and pulled him toward me, using more force than necessary as I pulled his hard body against mine.

“Yes, so make it count.”

ItfeltlikeMairinand Lavenia spent hours getting me ready, and I didn’t even have the dress on yet. Thanks to my careful attention to it that morning, my hair was all soft waves and easy to manage. Mairin left most of it down, but she pulled strands from around my face back into loose braids, weaving in tiny purple and white flowers. Lavenia made sure Mairin left adequate space for the diadem I would gain at the ceremony, another detail Rain hadn’t mentioned. She explained there were so many crowns and diadems the Crown possessed, dating back millennia, that she was able to pick what she wanted from the trove. She had three she wore on rotation. Rain would eventually help me pick out others, but the one I was to wear today had been picked out to match the dress still awaiting me at the palace. My eyes lingered on the circlet Lavenia wore, a thin band of gold, inverted into a peak which rested on the top of her forehead, pointing down. At the tip of that point, there was a delicate ruby matching the color of her dress. Her dress was rather typical for what I imagined she'd wear to a royal ball, and I supposed her relationship was good enough with Shivani at the moment that she hadn’t wanted to cause a stir with something specifically chosen to annoy the queen. Mairin’s dress was the mirror of Lavenia's but in green. Both of their skirts were full and deeply pleated, elegant yet understated. They both chose to wear their hair down, and I’d never seen them more beautiful.

After Mairin finished with my hair, Lavenia moved in, adding kohl to my lashes and lining my eyes with it. When I caught a glimpse in the mirror, I saw the dramatic effect and wanted to wash it off. “This is too much, Ven.”

“Nonsense.” She pushed me down when I began to rise and pulled out a champagne-gold colored powder that she brushed on my eyelids, softening the black. She brushed more of the gold over my cheekbones and lips, and I raised a brow at her. Certainly, my face was completely covered in that rosy gold shimmer.

“The gold is tradition; Rainier will have it on too.” I glanced at myself in the mirror and smiled, imagining Rain covered in the same gold I was. It wasn’t as bad as I imagined, the powder softer and less bold than how it appeared in the palette in Lavenia’s hand. She held out a pair of earrings to me, tiny and delicate, just a stud made from the same stone as my ring. In this lighting, they looked like the violet-red Rain had described.

“A gift from me.” Her eyes were warm as she smiled down at me. “I’ll spare you all the weeping and just tell you that it's about time, sister.”

She may have spared herself the weeping, but she didn’t spare me. That one word hit me, hard and square in the chest, and I squeezed her hands tightly in mine. I missed Lucia so much, and I wished she was here. The truth, that if she were here this wouldn’t be happening at all, was a hard one to contend with. To have Lavenia call me her sister was an opening of a wound and a healing all in one. An end and a beginning I wasn’t expecting. The initial rip took me by surprise, but the warmth which flooded through after caused me to stand and throw my arms around her. It had been so long since I’d had a sister, and to find one in a friend who also loved the sister I lost was a blessing. I held her tightly, trying hard to limit myself and keep the hard work she'd done intact. Eventually, she placed her hands on my shoulders and pushed me back, a glimmer of a tear in her eye.

"You saved him."

Later,safelytuckedawayin a carriage, I felt unprepared. Though Lavenia had set aside dainty slippers for me to wear, I opted for the boots I'd owned for years. Something about them steadied me and helped bring balance to the fact all I wore under my cloak was the silk robe I'd had on for most of the day. Over the robe, I wore Lucia's thick, black cloak, and I tried not to think about her absence. She should be with me. She'd have the assuring words I'd need to hear, debating me about the situation until I acquiesced, naming her the victor. My sister would find a way to convince me of my worthiness, the surety of my decision, and find a way to make me laugh in the process. I didn't often think of her in this manner, the what-ifs too painful, but for the first time, I found myself lighter after, as if she were really there to say the words I needed.

I hadn't expected the crowd. It was stupid of me; the last royal bonding ritual had been almost ten years prior, and it would give the people something to celebrate. I smiled, remembering when I'd heard vague details about Lavenia and her duke, not realizing the duke was Dewalt. I'd paid no heed then, trying to push my former friends to the back of my mind. I heard a shout from outside, and I swore I heard the wordspeasant princess.

"Pay it no mind." Lavenia reached over, mistaking my expression for concern. But I found the moniker interesting. Was it because I was the daughter of a minor lord, or was it because I'd lived in Brambleton? Had gossip of my isolation spread? Was it a good thing? Perhaps it would work in my favor. While I hadn't starved thanks to my father's stipend, I knew all too well the effects of poverty on those less fortunate than me. And now I'd be in a position to help—to do more than use my divinity at no cost. I pulled back the curtain just a sliver, taking in the sea of faces that crowded the road. Some eyed the carriage warily, while I saw others wearing expressions full of hope and excitement. I spotted a small girl, no older than six years, clinging to her father's ears from where she sat atop his shoulders. She was missing her two front teeth, and her raven hair tumbled down around her face in loose curls. I saw eyes of the brightest green light up when she saw me, and a grin spread across her face, the gap-toothed smile and dimples reminding me so much of Elora at that age. I smiled and gave a small wave, aimed only at the little girl, before sitting back and allowing the curtain to drop. I hadn't once been confident in my abilities to take on the role of princess and eventually queen, but for the first time, I was optimistic, hoping Rain and I would have the ability to change things for the better.

Before I knew it, we were in Lavenia’s chambers. Her rooms were in a newer wing of the palace and significantly nicer than Rain’s. I remembered with a shudder where we'd be sleeping, and I wasn’t looking forward to the stark and dreary room we’d been in before. The thought promptly left my mind when Lavenia pulled out the dress. My dress.

The fitted bodice boasted a deep, sweetheart neckline, tapering down to a skirt covered in flower petals. Starting at the waist, all shades of purple and blue flowers covered the fabric, trailing down delicately, almost as if the petals had fallen from above. Thin layers of silk made up the creamy layers of the dress, light and flowing, ending in a long yet manageable train. The off-the-shoulder sleeves were made from the exquisite, thinnest silk, cuffed at the wrist, loose and billowing on the arms.

“I’m speechless.” I walked over to the bed where she’d laid the garment and tenderly traced my fingers across the flowers. The petals were soft and felt real, and I questioned it at first before remembering the seamstress was a witch.

“That’s a first.” Mairin quipped playfully from behind me. I shot her a look, but the smile I had on my face took the sting out of it.

“You have lady's maids to help you get ready if you want them.” I shook my head; I’d rather get ready alone than have lady's maids fuss over me. Lavenia smiled, nodding. “Mama hates when I don’t use mine, but I don’t care.”

“Alright then, let’s get down to it.” Mairin took charge, lifting the dress and holding it open for me. I kicked off everything I was wearing except my lacy bottoms and hustled over, stepping into the gown. When she finished fastening the gown and pulled the corset lacing taut, I noticed it only went halfway up my back. I shuddered a bit, thankful Mairin had left my hair down. After slipping on the dainty slippers set to complete the outfit, I finally turned, allowing myself a moment to ogle my reflection.

I had never felt particularly beautiful in my life. I’d been the child who could disappear behind her sister. The girl who worked things out with her fists and not her words. I'd prided myself on my ability to go unnoticed, always managing to slip through the cracks. But seeing myself in this beautiful gown, Elora’s necklace resting on a neck that seemed elegant, long hair flowing over graceful shoulders, and the gold dust across my face, I felt like something out of one of Elora’s stories. The dress was flattering, tucking in at the waist and flaring enough at the hips, creating a figure I didn't realize I had.

“Witchcraft.” I looked at Lavenia in the mirror, and she started laughing, one of her head-thrown-back cackles, and pulled out the gold dust again, touching up the imperfections and adding some to my collarbones.

There was a quick rap at the door, and Mairin cracked it enough for me to see Dewalt on the other side.

“It’s time.” His eyes met mine, and he froze.

“Pick up your jaw, fool.” Mairin kicked him in the foot, and Dewalt was drawn back into the moment. We both knew it wasn’t me he was seeing, and I felt my heart tear a little. He was as handsome as ever, dressed in tailored black breeches and a structured velvet jacket, a black and dark-grey brocaded vest peeking through underneath. He had a sword belted on his hip, polished to perfection. I wished more than anything that Lucia was here to see him. He took my hand and pulled it to his mouth, kissing my knuckles.

“Emmeline, painfully beautiful as always.” I squeezed his hand, and he let go, both of us hurting over the ghost of my sister but not having the words or courage to speak of it. “Here, you’ll need this.” Dewalt handed me a ring, a large vine made of gold, clearly meant for Rain, and I slipped it onto my thumb. We made our way through the palace with me at the back, ensuring the others didn’t step on my train by accident. Finally, we approached a small door off to the side of one of the hallways, and they slipped through it, directing me to continue walking. I followed their direction, unsure of where I was going until I found the small alcove leading into the gathering space.

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