Page 20 of Queen of the Wicked
No red aura… No signs of lies. She told the truth.
“I guess I have yet to see the kind side ofHis Majesty,” Alessia mused.
Isla shook her head. “I wouldn’t call him kind. He is a man who has experienced a great deal of pain in his lifetime. When someone experiences that much hardship…it’s hard to find light again. I have not seen His Majesty laugh or smile since my time here, and I…” She paused with the brush in her hand, face growing deathly pale. “I have said too much.”
“I won’t tell, you know,” Alessia replied, staring at their reflections inthe mirror.
Isla smiled briefly but remained silent as she grabbed hairpins from the drawer.
“Ow!”Alessia howled. The corset Isla was tightening was ridiculous.How did these women survive?She couldn’t eventhinkabout eating right now when her ribs were crushing against her goddamn esophagus. “You wear one of these every day?”
Isla rolled her eyes. “Do not be dramatic,” she said. “I’m almost finished.”
With a final tug, she stepped back from her to open up the closet in front of them, and all of the gowns in there made Alessia’s heart skip a beat. There weretons.All made of rich, expensive fabric and all different sizes. Velvet, silk, chiffon… “When did all of these get here?” she asked breathlessly.
“They’ve been sitting here for quite some time,” Isla replied with a slight grin. “Once we find the right size that suits you, I’ll have the other sizes removed.”
Alessia didn’t understand why a closet of dresses in various sizes would just sit in there, but she was too distracted by all their gorgeousness to continue asking questions. Her family certainly hadn’t been wealthy. She was told they always had to lie low to avoid being noticed, including homeschooling and staying indoors as much as possible. She hadn’t experienced any sort of luxury—certainly nothing likethis.
Her eyes strayed to a gown the color of a red ruby, which reminded her of the sky outside. It hada fitted bodice with a sweetheart neckline that flared out at the waist, and the velvet bell sleeves were ever so soft against her fingertips. “Are you surethis is appropriate for adinner?” Alessia hadn’t worn anything like this before in her entire life.
Isla grabbed the gown and ushered her out of the closet. “His Majesty will expect it.”
Of course.Erebos was one of those men who required females to look and act a certain way. He probably expected her to know which fork to use for salad and lift her pinky while drinking tea.
Alessia smiled to herself at what a rude awakeninghe was about to experience.
When the dress was on, Alessia covered her chest with her hands. Her breasts were spilling out of the top, but Isla reassured her it was supposed to look like that as she fussed with her hairpins again, attempting to make everything perfect.
Isla had pulled her hair half up, half down so that some of her long, delicately curled strands were still visible beside her face. The makeup she had used brought Alessia’s cheeks back to life—a soft pink against her pale skin.
“Beautiful,” Isla announced proudly. “You look like a queen.”
Alessia scoffed. “You barely know me, Isla. I amhardlya queen. Let’s just get this dinner over with.”
After being escortedby Isla to the grand dining hall and seeing a little bit more of the castle along the way, it was precisely how Alessia had imagined it.
A long, black table with regal, red velvet chairs occupied the entire span of the ballroom, allowing it to accommodate more than twenty people if desired. Candelabras placed around the room created a haunting yet ethereal vibe, much like a Gothic mid-century castle should.
A sparkling chandelier from above shone down on the decadent food laid out on the table runner. Roasted chicken, vegetables, potatoes, bread… Alessia internally moaned at the smell of carbs. She was starvingafter living off two granola bars for the past few days.
Erebos was in a deep conversation with Eryx while Izara gracefully cut her chicken. It was hard to look away from Erebos, especially when he looked likethat.He was almost as dressed up as she was, and now they both looked like they were from the 1800s. He wore a white waistcoat with trousers and a red velvet frock coat, and his curls were slicked back to push the strands away from his face. The skeletal hands were peeking out of the top collar of his shirt, showcasing the sharp cut of his jawline.
Isla pushed her forward into the room, instructing her to walk, but Alessia couldn’t tear her eyes away from Erebos.
The man was arrogant, selfish, and didn’t have a kind bone in his body, but that didn’t detract from his attractiveness. It made her wonder if he ever put that wickedtongue to good use in waysasidefrom being insufferable.
Maybe all it took was a good pair of thighs to shut him up and render him?—
Erebos’s eyes shot to hers, and suddenly she was staring directly into the depths of Hell. Those onyx orbs were lethal, weapons of their own as he did a lazy perusal of her dress, lingering on the bodice for a beat too long.
His attention had her spine straightening. At that moment, she despised the sudden, incessant need she felt for his approval. Erebos’s opinion of her didn’t matter in the slightest, and yet, her cheeks still warmed beneath his scrutiny. She watched the way his tongue darted out to lick his lower lip. Found herself enamored when he discreetly shifted in his chair, lifting his brows towards her in challenge.
Then, with an insufferable smirk, his voice filtered into her mind like a bucket of ice water to her lust-filled imagination.
Careful what you wish for, Little Mortal.
Chapter 10
