Page 33 of The Princess of Nothing
He grabbed my arms and looked me dead in the eyes. “About that. I’ve been searching for you, sleeping as much as I could, navigating the dream plains.” His stare turned wild as we fell into an ocean of layers, the dream reacting to his emotions. The forest morphed, turning the trees snowy, then red from autumn. “I wanted to tell you I’ve made arrangements with people I trust. Skilled men. They’re going to help me get you out of the castle, but it will take a week, maybe eight days.”
“It’ll be too late then. If I agree to this wedding, they’re not going to waste time. They’ll marry me off as quickly as they can.”
He stared at me with tortured eyes. “Then you must stall them, Winter. Pretend to care, act however you need to. Like you did with Blaise. Find a way.”
“Why can’t your father help?” I asked, desperation lacing my tone. “He’s a king.”
Cedric shook his head. “He doesn’t want to start a political upheaval with Xenos. I tried.”
I swallowed thickly. “I know you would have. I just... Cedric, what am I going to do?”
“Play the part. Win Kiros to your side. Earn his trust. Flirt. It doesn’t matter. Winter, you must stall, for your safety.”
“I hate him.”
He squeezed my arms. “It doesn’t matter.” His expression was frantic. “This isn’t about principles. It’s about survival. You’ve come this far. You made it from Berovia to Magaelor before and got through a wedding and out of Niferum. You can do this.”
I rested my forehead against his. “I’m tired of fighting,” I whispered, my breath fogging the air.
He let out a heavy sigh and brushed my hair back from my face. “I know you are.” He ran his finger down my cheek and then my neck, until the dream started to dissolve. I wasn’t ready to let go.
He pulled me to arm’s length and a lump ran down his throat. “Do whatever you have to do to gain their trust.”
He faded, slowly at first, then all at once. I blinked and opened my eyes. I didn’t even get to kiss him good-bye.
I inhaled sharply, preparing for the day ahead. I propped myself against the plush pillows, barely looking around. Edna was waiting by the foot of my bed, making me jump. “You people.” I placed my hand over my chest. “Why can’t you just knock instead of standing there like a living statue?”
“I’m sorry I frightened you.”
Fear crowned her honey-brown eyes, piercing guilt into my chest. She was just as much a prisoner here as I was, even if she didn’t know it. She was enslaved by coin, her duties as a woman, and society. “Don’t be, it’s fine.” I pressed my lips together. “I need you to do something for me. Go and find Prince Kiros. Tell him I’m ready to give him my answer. Tell him I said yes. I will marry him.”
***
Edna brushed a lockof golden-blonde hair back, tucking it behind her ear. She finished placing the pins and spun me around. She tightened the corset strings, and I gasped for breath on the final tug. “You look perfect!” she exclaimed, admiring her work.
I turned to take in my reflection. My eyes trailed down the dress. It was unlike any fashion I was accustomed to, even at court. The bodice was navy blue, embroidered with silver stars. The skirt was a shade darker, and on it, stitched constellations of white contrasted. Black lace trimmed the hem. A V-neck showed my cleavage. I wasn’t used to having my body on show. It was crude for a royal, but I supposed I didn’t have a choice. It was the same with the Gothic fashion in the dark fae court. The dresses I’d worn there were equally as revealing.
My black hair was pinned back, half up with curls reaching down my back. I admired my nails, painted to match the dress and coated with a gloss that made them shine. She’d applied makeup, which I wasn’t used to wearing, and it sharpened my angular features. My lips looked bigger somehow, and my eyes popped against the blue gradient shadow on my lids.
She pumped the atomizer on a glass bottle of clear liquid, then smiled. Sage with a splash of vanilla pinched my nostrils.
Edna was dressed in a yellow, plain dress, with a white apron tied around her center. “You’ll be a guest of honor at the constellation ball. Every year, the king invites hundreds of dignitaries, the fae royal family, and—”
“Did you say the fae royals?” I asked, interrupting her.
“Yes.” She nodded. “I do believe this year the princes, sadly, won’t be attending.”
Considering Cedric was a prisoner here not that long ago, the revelation hardly surprised me. They were probably asked not to come. “Right.”
“There will be cake,” she said with a toothy grin. “We get to eat what’s left over, and there’s usually a lot. King Xenos spares no expense in honoring the stars.”
“Why is this done again?”
“Oh my, I should have known you wouldn’t know our traditions. I am sorry.”
“Don’t be,” I mumbled.
“The constellation ball is an age-old tradition. Xenos is a great believer of the stars’ signs and using them to see the future and define our motives.”
