Page 98 of The King is Dead
Nighttime was our time. In the dark, when the rest of the Palace was quiet. But those stolen hours kept me going during the three days, then two days, then one…
The night before my thirtieth birthday, sweaty and near dozing in the chair in Melek’s apartment, he gathered me in and kissed me.
“Happy Birthday, Love,” he murmured when the high moon chimes rang through the Palace.
Body languid and eyelids heavy, I just smiled and whispered, “Thank you.”
And my mind echoed over and over,one more day.
The day of the Jubilee itself dawned bright and clear, though chilly. Autumn was well and truly upon us, with bright, golden days and near-frozen nights. I had thought Melekmightstay in bed with me, or wake me for my birthday to celebrate quickly. But I was wrong.
I was woken by a gaggle of servants—my maids, Berne, the seamstress—all singing and laughing.
They had flowers and hot chocolate, kafk and fruit. I was bathed and primped, celebrated and fussed over.
And even though I’d been looking forward to it—particularly to the new gown and the festivities that would run throughout the day—there was something distinctly hollow about thanking servants for presents rather than my mate, and only seeing Melek from a distance for the first few hours.
I knew it was the way things had to be. But my heart yearned for more.
One more day.
But as I was whisked into the flurry and bustle of the day, the hours passed in a blur.
Breakfast with Istral, and her beautiful gift of a necklace she’d designed and had made by the jeweler. Yet I was preoccupied, thinking tomorrow I could sit here with Melek,finally.
Walking the halls between meals and events was a joy—the servants sang songs and called bright greetings. But I kept looking over my shoulder, hoping Melek might appear and walk at my side.
The banner erected in the dining hall warmed my heart. But it was soon forgotten when it occurred to me this was the last time I’d walk through the Palace as a Maiden.
Tomorrow,my heart said in rhythm with its beat.Tomorrow they will know.
Tomorrow they would all learn that my soul was branded with Melek’s name, and my body by his touch. Then Melek and I could finally stop pretending to be less than we were.
By the time we reached evening and the ritual was upon us, my nerves were tight, fluttering in my stomach like swarms of butterflies. It had been such a battle to get Melek to this point, I hadn’t let myself think deeply on the battle we would facetogetheronce he accepted the crown.
But all of that was fortomorrow.Today was for celebration, and hopefully, the last vestiges of resistance against Melek as an ally. It would have to be. I wasn’t waiting any longer.
As evening fell, the formal events were done, and it was time for the bonfire. My mind shied from the mild horror of what was required tonight. But I huffed a breath and shook my head as I passed the guards and stepped into my personal suite.
“There’s the Lady of the hour!” Turner said with a broad smile as I entered. Nelly, my second maid, clapped her hands and greeted me as well. But it was Keesa, the royal designer, who had my attention.
She stood in the corner of the room, near the three-paneled mirror for dressing, beaming at me.
She’d told me this morning as she dressed me in the gorgeous, blood-red gown she’d made for the Jubilee, that she had a surprise for this evening. I wasn’t sure what she had up her sleeve—the night ritual was supposed to be attended in night clothes, though the term was loosely defined. Whatever she’d made for me, it was hidden under a long, semi-sheer length of fabric that she’d draped over the dress form in the corner that she used when fitting me.
The women all stepped back to give me a clear path into the room, smiling and clasping their hands as they watched me approach. I drew up short scanning their smiles.
“Good evening everyone. What’s going on?” I asked as good-naturedly as I could. A night ritual was something most of theservants and lower class in the Palace looked forward to, because it was a rather leveling affair. I didn’t mind being humbled in front of these women. But I didn’t want to beembarrassed.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I promise you’ll be pleased,” Turner said quietly.
“I hope so.”
“Don’t worry! We’re going to make youirresistible,”Keesa whispered. “And I don’t want you to see until it’s all done.” With quiet instructions, she turned me around. “Just while we’re getting everything ready,’ she whispered happily, placing a soft, black scarf over my eyes and tied it carefully at the back of my head. Then she clapped her hands and started issuing orders…
A few minutes later I was utterly disoriented, and my theories on what Keesa had done were changing by the moment and growing more and more unlikely. I’d been pawed and gripped and giggled over. Parts of my body felt far too tightly secure for nightwear. Yet others were alarmingly open to the air.
Finally, Keesa clapped her hands again.
