Without me hardly noticing, the pixie procured a necklace, which she quickly hung around my neck.
“Oh, who does this belong to?” I fingered the heavy piece, which consisted of seven large ice-blue jewels and many smaller white ones surrounding them. “Am I allowed to wear this?” The necklace appeared expensive, and the last thing I needed was to get accused of thievery.
“It belongs to me,” Larina said. “It was a gift from Prince Jeondar’s mother.”
“Oh, no, no. I can’t wear this.” I started to unclasp the back.
Larina’s face fell. My hands stopped at the sight of her downcast expression.
“What if somebody recognizes it and…?”they throw me in a dungeon for the rest of my life.
“Oh, no one will, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Larina flew down to the makeup table and sat on a silver powder canister. “She received it as a gift from a foreign dignitary and had no occasion to wear it before she…” Her little eyes wavered as she fell silent. It seemed to me that the pixie had been very fond of the former queen.
“It’s hardly appropriate for me, Larina. I’m no queen. It doesn’t feel right to wear it.”
“Ican’t wear it, and someone should. Valeriana told me what you did for her. She’s one of the minor folk like me, and not many bother with us.”
Minor folk? I had a vague understanding of what that meant. Fae like pixies, dryads, pookas, brownies, and others were treated the way minorities were sometimes treated in our realm, except perhaps worse. Some of them were slaves for the entire expanse of their long-lived lives. Was that the case with Larina? Was that what would become of Valeriana if she wasn’t placed somewhere with her kind?
“Thank you, Larina. I feel honored. I will wear your necklace with pride.” I couldn’t find it in me to turn her down.
Her face lit up, and that was all I needed to make the decision feel right.
With my hair and makeup done, I walked into the bathroom and changed into the gown. When I came out, Valeriana clapped her hands and jumped in excitement.
“We were right. You look beautiful.”
The dress expanded around me, ballooning from my middle to the floor. The bodice was strapless, the color of Kalyll’s hair. It pushed my boobs up and narrowed sharply toward my waist. From there, pleats of tulle rained down, layered perfectly to create volume, their color gradually changing from midnight blue to snow white.
A pair of slippers was waiting for me in front of the bed.
Larina pointed at them. “Those are the best I could find. They are simple, but comfortable. Besides, no one will see them under the dress.”
“They’re perfect,” I said as I slipped the flaps on and wiggled my toes inside of them. They were absolutely comfy, and I much preferred them to any shoes that would pinch my toes. I was used to scrubs and sneakers, so they were right up my alley.
As I walked by the mirror on my way out, I had to do a double take. I was unrecognizable. Mom and Toni would have a fit. They loved dressing up, whereas my youngest sister preferred jeans and a hoodie. Foolishly, I wished I had my phone to take a selfie, except that wasn’t the only thing I found myself wishing for.
I would have liked for Prince Kalyll to see me as I was: my mahogany hair swept up elaborately, my waist accentuated by the gorgeous gown, and my breasts looking luscious in the tight bodice, sparkling slightly with pixie dust.
“Dance a lot,” Valeriana said. “You have to tell me all about it.”
“I will, and thank you, you two.”
They waved and smiled as I walked out the door and made my way downstairs, chiding myself for being so stupid.
CHAPTER 24
Musicguidedmetoa ballroom the size of two basketball courts. The place was swarming with people under the glow of fairy lights that seemed to float against a dark sky. The entire tableau was an assault on the senses.
The melodious notes were enchanting. The palette of colors in the outfits of both males and females, a riot to my eyes. Different scents filled my nose as I turned this way and that: honey, lavender, roasted meat, fresh rain, and many more I couldn’t name but seemed to beckon me.
The sound of trickling water drew me right to a floor-to-ceiling waterfall glowing red with what looked like tiny living creatures. The cascade flowed into a pool where iridescent fish of different colors swam lazily among undulating plants.
As I walked further into the room, the floor turned soft, and I glanced down to find a bed of tiny purple flowers, which changed to yellow, then blue as I kept going—a veritable living carpet. Many marble statues stood around, each more expertly carved than the next.
A handsome satyr wearing an embroidered skirt with a scarlet sash across his bare chest captured my attention. His hooved legs were covered in brown fur, and small horns grew out of the sides of his forehead. His dark hair was swept back at the sides, forming what looked like tucked-in wings and ending in points at the back. Two patches of white hair started at his temples and were also swept back, looking like smaller wings on top of the bigger ones. His eyebrows rose upward in sharp points, and he had a small beard that also had a pointy end.
He stopped and bowed respectfully. His eyes were unusual with horizontal pupils and nearly no white around their golden irises. Aside from their strangeness, the admiration in them was undeniably familiar. He seemed to approve of what he saw.