Essos looks lost until Zara steps into my place, distracting him. I grab a glass of champagne from a waiter and barely have time to take a sip before a young woman approaches me with a smile.
“Daphne?” she asks. She seems sweet, with a round face and long, black hair. Her features are dramatized by her dark black eye makeup. If I didn’t know better, I would think that she was in the Calling. She’s wearing a black dress with a plunging neckline and gems lining the edge, drawing attention to her cleavage.
“Hi, yes.” I give a curtsey, unsure of what I am supposed to do. She doesn’t look familiar from Sybil’s lessons.
“Oh, I’m so delighted to meet you. You look stunning. I just want to say I’m so glad that Essos has finally found someone. He’s been so lonely these past few years, unless, of course, you were one of the lucky ones to warm his bed.”
I furrow my brow, unsure what she’s getting at. The way she delivers her words makes me think they’re intended to convey that she was one of those lucky ones.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I pause. “And you are?”
“I’m Ellie. I’m sure you don’t really know who I am. I’m just a lowly wood nymph.” She giggles and flips her long dark hair over her shoulder. I’m trying to make myself focus on her, but I’m fighting a tide of rage. Only looking away soothes my anger. I catch sight of Essos dancing with Zara, but his blue eyes are glued to us, and he looks even more pale than usual.
Before I can say more to her, Helene swoops in. “Oh, no, no, we don’t waste our time on nymphs.” She shakes her head at the girl, practically hissing. “Go see if some lesser god is interested in what you’re selling, honey.”
Helene pulls me away. I try to turn back to Ellie but am dragged across the floor. The storm of anger I felt when I met her makes me wonder what is happening to me. I want to talk to Finn and see if he can help calm me, but Helene doesn’t let me go.
She has her hair pulled back in a tight, high bun and is wearing a stunning royal blue satin dress complemented by simple diamond earrings and a large statement necklace with one sapphire and two large diamonds on either side. I’m surprised she doesn’t topple over with the weight of the gems. The man she is leading me to is perfectly matched to her with a royal blue vest and a wide, welcoming smile.
“My dear Daphne, I want to introduce you to my hunk of a husband. This is Kai. Kai,thisis Daphne.”
When I say the man is tremendous, I mean that he is tall and wide, and a truck of a human being. Kai looks like he is about to burst out of his suit with one wrong move, but it’s cut perfectly for his figure. This is certainly not a man I would want to meet in a dark alley. His head is bald and polished to a shine. He gives me this big, broad smile with perfect white teeth, and I feel like all my worries have melted away.
He holds out a large hand, and I take it, my own hand disappearing in his. “Daphne, I’ve heard great things about you and can’t wait to welcome you into the family.” He shakes my hand enthusiastically. His deep voice sounds like I could go swimming in it. I feel mesmerized and almost miss when Helene stomps on his foot. Kai picks up on the cue, not from any sort of pain, but because of how dramatic Helene was when she did it.
“What he means to say is he can’t wait to seeifyou join the family, since nothing has been decided yet and she still has to impress Posey.”
“Did I hear my name?”
Helene grimaces. Her eyes meet mine with a dramatic roll. “Speak of the devil.”
She turns to greet a tiny woman wearing a gold gown, and I can only assume this is Posey. She’s tiny, maxing out at 4’11”, but the Marie Antoinette-style beehive on her head adds an extra six inches. It’s elaborate, with flowers and birds sticking out of it.
“No, dear, that would be your prick of a brother.” Her voice is high-pitched and squeaky. Posey pushes herself between Helene and Kai to offer me her hand. I see Xavier in the background, hiding a smirk behind his drink. When he catches that I’ve seen him, he raises his glass in my direction before turning to the buxom woman in front of him.
Posey waits for me to greet her the way she demands to be greeted. It’s as if she expects me to fail, so I fall into the deepest curtsey of my life, my nose almost touching the ground.
“Your majesty, Lady Posey, Queen of the Gods, Goddess of Mothers, it is a true honor and a privilege to be graced by your presence and be given the chance to make your acquaintance.” I stay low, waiting for her to allow me to rise.
“Sister, please let the poor girl stand up while you scrutinize her. At least then you can view her best assets.” I hear Galen behind me, and my heart skips a beat. I expect to feel better now that I’m in his presence, but the memory of Essos plunging a knife into my chest flashes again, and I feel sick.
“Fine, fine, rise.” She waves her hand at me. I straighten, towering over her slightly. I feel Galen put his hand on the small of my back, and I glance at him, unsure why he’s being so bold.
“So, you’re the one that has everyone in a tizzy.” I can feel eyes on us as Posey draws attention to her.
“I suppose so,” I say, trying to keep my voice calm.
“Your Royal Majesty,” Posey finishes for me. At my vacant look, her eyes darken. “You cannot address me the way my sister here does. You will address me with the rights due a queen. So, you are to end any sentence with ‘Your Royal Majesty.’” Her tone is unforgiving. I remember Helene covering this, and the look she’s giving me tells me that I should have remembered.
“My apologies, Your Royal Majesty,” I say, unsure if I need to do something else to show that I am contrite. When awkward silence settles, I opt to compliment her. “I do love your hair, it’s quite beautiful.” Posy smiles, touching at a few carefully arranged curls. “Your Royal Majesty,” I rush to add when Kai clears his throat with a pointed look. I love this giant of a man already.
“Yes, well, it was all the rage when I was in the mortal realm. I had a necklace made for Marie Antoinette and, well, let's just say she was not a fan.”
I nod along with her, thinking back to a story I learned in history class about a necklace that started the downfall of Marie Antoinette and wonder if it is the same one.
Posey whips out a fan and starts to flap air toward her face while sipping champagne.
Helene intervenes. “Daphne here still has to prove herself to the rest of us, so we should let her go back to mingling,” she says, trying to release me. She waves to an older woman, but one glance at Posey, and the woman feverishly shakes her head before disappearing into the crowd.