Page 108 of Falling Princess

But I liked the idea of being out in a foreign city more or less unsupervised. By the fourth store, Lorcan had resigned himself to a long afternoon. He sat slouched down in a high-end boutique, scrolling through his phone.

Raina consulted with a salesperson, who eyed me.

“I already have a dress,” I told my friend in our native language.

“Not the pink monstrosity from last year.” Raina groaned.

“Yes, the pink one from last year. It’s perfectly appropriate.”

I don’t like it, but I didn’t know what else to do with it after the designer insisted upon making it a gift.

Raina gave me a look of pure exasperation. “You’ve already been photographed in it. We’re not getting that many more press events, not with security so tight. You have to make an impact! Doesn’t Cata tell you this stuff?”

“Maybe. The real question is whether or not I care, and you know the answer to that.”

“You. Go in there, put this on. Let Claire help you with the zipper.” I surmised that Claire was the sales clerk. “Zosia, part of the point of your being out here in the world is to foster goodwill and publicity. I realize we’ve had to dial back on that because of the threats—”

“Threats?” I called out, over the wall of the changing room. “What threats? Why doesn’t anyone tell me anything?”

“Because we’re—never mind. This isn’t a discussion to have now. Are you dressed yet?”

Claire instructed me to suck in. I breathed out and held my stomach as flat as I could. She worked the zipper midway up my back and told me to hold my long hair out of the way while she tied a neat bow at the base of my neck.

The jade-green gown was tight through the waist and hips, with a deep V in front nearly to my navel. It left nothing to the imagination.

“I can’t wear this,” I complained through the wall to my friend. “Not in public.”

Blood drained dizzyingly from my face when I checked the price tag. Technically, I could afford it, but I’ve never spent that much money on anything in my life.

“Come out before you decide,” she called through the partition. “Trust me, I have an eye for these things.”

Claire hustled into the next room to assist Raina. I’m used to being dressed, but ordinarily, it involves many more layers of fabric. I’ve never worn anything this fitted, unless you count leggings, which I don’t because everyone wears those here. This is embarrassingly sexy.

“Raina, I can barely walk in it.” The toes of my pink Converse stick out from the hem, which I have to hold up by the fistful to keep from stepping on.

Claire came back, rattled off rapid-fire compliments in French, then switched to English and commanded me to put my feet in a pair of loaner heels. Reluctantly, I toed off the sneakers and stepped into them. The hem still swished on the floor, but at least I could walk.

“You have the perfect figure for this dress. For any gown, but you are exquisite in this one.” Claire opened the dressing room and practically shoved me out. Cold air ghosted over my shoulders and naked back. My nipples pebbled against the silk.

Lorcan glanced up from his phone and did a double take. He stared at my face, dropped his gaze down my body, then jerked it back up. I bit my lower lip. His cheeks turned red enough that I could see him blush from three meters away. The dressing room door behind me opened. Claire fussed over Raina, too. She looked stunning in a deep violet gown.

“Told you to come out,” Raina smirked, eyeing Lorcan. “You’re buying it, right?”

My face steamed with embarrassment. She’s not... helping us, is she? We’ve been so careful about not being found out. Or so I thought.

“I guess,” I mumbled. My father will kill me for not being more frugal. Cata will watch me like a hawk. The last time I went on a spending spree, I resold the goods to go out dancing.

Claire piled on a gold silk wrap, and talked me into buying a pair of matching heels and a uselessly tiny, sparkly purse to go with them. I obediently slapped my credit card down on the counter. I refused to look at the price displayed on the screen. I haven’t spent this much money in the entire time I’ve been abroad for school.

“Cata will be proud,” Raina gloated, nudging me in the ribs.

“Until she sees the bill.” Not to mention how my father would react to the slinky dress. He’s not going to like it—which, perversely, heightened my anticipation of wearing it to the Louvre event on Saturday.

“He won’t care. It’s a drop in the bucket compared to what we’re spending on—” She bit off the end of her sentence.

“Just tell me.” We’re not speaking English. It’s not as though Skía could come in here and threaten Claire to tell them what we’re saying, because she can’t understand.

“On war preparation. Technology, materials, medical supplies. All bought in secret, not always through legal channels. International agencies are watching us as a potential terrorist cell because of the people our fathers have been contracting with. I’m not supposed to tell you.”

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