Page 23 of Crown of Briars
He exhaled in a relieved sigh. “Thank the gods. I feared the pain had claimed you again, my lord. Come in, please. Your wedding is in a few hours, and there is much to be done.”
Don’t remind me.I wanted to retch at the thought. The idea of marrying that tiny, pathetic human was almost as dreadful as the torment I’d endured these past few days.
Almost.
If it were only my life hanging in the balance, I would gladly endure the repercussions of the curse myself. But it was not just me. Tislora, Clermont, and the entire castle staff would be at the mercy of the deadly shadows if I did not do this.
So, begrudgingly, I entered the room and let my staff tend to me. A few of them had brought in buckets of steaming water. After removing the filthy pair of trousers that clung to my legs, two servants began scrubbing me from head to foot with rough loofas that chafed my already tender skin. I was filthy, but there wasn’t time for me to soak in our hot springs. This would have to do.
Once I was clean, two more attendants rushed forward to dress me in my violet ceremonial jerkin. The tunic was open at the chest, revealing a large expanse of my crimson flesh. A thick, black leather belt encircled my waist, the golden buckle shined to perfection. The black kilt hung from my hips, with thick leather strips of battle armor reaching down to my thighs. Underneath the kilt, I wore fighting leathers. It was all ceremonial, of course; no battle was to be expected. But for generations, my people had worn this attire to show that our commitment to our marriage vows was as sacred as our loyalty on the battlefield.
The thought made me feel ill all over again. I would be exchanging vows with a stranger. And I would feel no loyalty toward her. Nothing but spite and bitterness.
We did not know each other. I had seen her once, but I still knew nothing about her. And I did not want to. She was nothing to me. Nothing but a means of saving my people. That was all.
The fuchsia rays of dusk filtered in through the window, reminding me that our time was limited. Clermont looked me over, his face full of scrutiny, then nodded once. “Yes. Very fine indeed, my lord.”
I gave a grunt that was neither denial nor agreement. Behind Clermont, the row of servants watched me expectantly, some with reverent expressions on their faces.
With a sigh, I ran a hand down my face. “Thank you, Clermont. And thanks to all of you for your efforts.” I looked each servant in the eye and nodded my gratitude. A few stood up straighter, their faces full of pride.
“We pledge to follow you, my lord,” Clermont said, his chin lifting. “What you do serves this entire court. We will not forget it.”
His words made my stomach knot and didn’t bring me an ounce of relief. It only reminded me of the curse, my failure to break it, and my fruitless efforts to save my people.
This is the first step,I reminded myself.You cannot break the enchantment without doing this first. After this, you can see to the rest of your plan.
With this thought, I squared my shoulders and faced the door. “I’m ready.”
Clermont ordered the servants to return to their stations, then escorted me from the room. I walked with him, somber and silent, as I made my way toward a fate I dreaded more than anything.
I could have swornthe shadows by the door were watching me.
But when I looked closer through the crack, they vanished. A shiver of unease rippled over me, but I shook it off and turned back to the mirror to prepare myself for the ceremony.
The wedding garment was certainly the most revealing thing I’d ever worn in my life. Two swaths of black silk were draped over my torso, barely covering my breasts. They came together at my waist, with two identical pieces of fabric at my front and backside that covered the space between my legs. While the silk reached all the way down to my ankles, it left the sides of my legs and buttocks completely exposed. Not to mention if I turned a certain way, one would get a full view of my breasts.
I kept wringing my hands together, feeling restless and anxious, until Enzira took one of my hands in hers to still me. She gestured to my chest with a clawed hand. “Is fine.”
I swallowed, still feeling uncomfortable.
Enzira seemed to sense my distress. Her dark brows drew together as she tried to form the right words. “For Shadow Fae… is fine. Dress is… like this.” She pointed to my garment again.
I nodded, but this did nothing to loosen the tight knots inmy stomach. If a loose and revealing garment was customary for the Shadow Fae, that must mean I would be expected to wear things like this all the time.
Would the Wraith King wear something similar, too? Panic flared in my chest at the thought.
Enzira seated me at the vanity so she could do my hair. Her hands went to the amber necklace at my throat, and I quickly stopped her, my fingers catching hers.
“Please,” I said quietly. I wasn’t sure how to convey to her the importance of such a thing without giving too much away.
But Enzira was more perceptive than I gave her credit for. She scanned my eyes, then nodded once with a gentle smile. She dug inside a drawer of the vanity, and I caught sight of sapphires and diamonds that made my eyes go wide. She found a matching pair of amber earrings and placed them on my earlobes.
My fingers itched to sift through the gemstones in the vanity to see what powers they would grant me, but that would have to wait. Would these gems work differently because they were in a different court? The diamonds alone would provide a huge advantage. To wear diamond jewelry was one thing—it granted me boldness and bravery, but not physical strength. However, if I wielded aweaponmade with diamonds, then my body was granted the endurance and agility of five fae warriors. Like with my amber necklace, there were certain caveats in order for my magic to work to the fullest extent.
What if I could find a way to embed these diamonds into the hilts of other blades? Then I would have a whole arsenal of Wraith Killers.
“Do you know the king well?” I asked.
