Page 69 of Crown of Briars
“Yes. But only for drinking.” She grinned again.
“May I… er, join you? I mean, with the drinking.” I laughed again.
To my surprise, Enzira’s face paled slightly, and she shook her head. “You should not drink faerie wine, my lady. It isn’t safe for humans.”
“Is thereanythingthat’s safe for me there? Will there be normal wine?”
She tapped her chin, considering this. Then, her eyes crinkled with her smile. “I will speak with the kitchen staff and ensure something is prepared for you.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I don’t need to drink anything.”
“Nonsense! If you are to adjust to our customs, it is only fitting that we should do the same.”
My entire chest warmed at her words, and I found I didn’t know what to say. I felt undeserving of the affectionate gesture, and all I could do was mumble a chagrined, “Thank you.”
Enzira’s smile widened. “Of course.” She strode to the armoire and threw open its doors. “Now, we must find you something fitting to wear. I should warn you, the attire for the event tends to be scandalous by your standards.”
I snorted. “After your description of the revel, I’m hardly surprised.” I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, hoping I wasn’t making a terrible mistake in doing this. The dresses and gowns I was accustomed to in the Earthen Court showed a bit of cleavage but nothing too appalling. Already, I noticed the fashions here were quite different and showed far more skin than I was used to.
Enzira pulled out a tiny black strip of fabric, then held it up to where I stood, her eyes calculating. Then, she shook her head. “No, that isn’t right.” She put the fabric back, and only then did I realize the tiny slip had been adress.
Stones. This was going to be a disaster. The heat in my face had spread to my neck and ears, and it suddenly felt far too hot in this room.
“Ah, this is the one.” She pulled out a thin, burgundy dress, the bodice barely held together by an ornate lace design.
I swallowed hard as she approached me, holding up the dress to ensure it was the right size. She nodded with a smile. “It brings out the red in your hair.”
I self-consciously touched the waves of my hair. No one had ever said my hair wasredbefore. It was brown or chestnut ormud-colored, as Orla had once claimed.
Enzira seemed to read the hesitation on my face. “My lady, you do not have to go tonight.”
I dropped my hand and lifted my chin. “Will the king be there?”
“Yes.”
“Then, I should go.” Not only to experience the customs of the unseelie but also… to apologize for my brutish behavior toward Varius earlier. He had not deserved my wrath.
“If you like, I can stay by your side the entire time,” Enzira offered.
That strange, warm feeling in my chest burrowed deeper inside me. “Oh, you don’t have to do that. You should enjoy yourself with your friends.”
Enzira cocked her head at me in genuine confusion. “But, youaremy friend. Aren’t you?”
My chest coiled so tightly I couldn’t breathe. The earnestness in her eyes made me want to weep.
“Yes,” I said in a strained voice. I took a breath and said more firmly, “Yes. You are definitely my friend.”
Enzira smiled, her eyes crinkling again.
A soft knock sounded at the door. For a moment, I turned to the shared door to Varius’s room, expecting the king to emerge. Then, I realized the knock came from the door to the hall, and Ramia poked her head in.
My stomach sank. Why had I been hoping for Varius? It must have been my guilt, nagging me to clear the air between us. I didn’t like to leave things unresolved.
Ramia frowned as she looked over the scrap of lace in Enzira’s hands. “I was about to turn in for the night, but I sense something is going on here?” She almost sounded as if she didn’t want to know.
“There is a revel tonight,” I said. “It will be an event of unseelie merriment.”
As expected, Ramia blanched, her face stricken as if I had just suggested we go on a murderous rampage. “You—You plan on attending this?”
