Chapter Fifteen #2
Her brow furrows. “It is warded for you to only have access as far as I know. The only other people who can get in here would be your staff or whoever the king grants entrance to,” she says.
I glance over at the flowers. She follows my gaze and walks over to them.
“Oh my goodness, did the prince send you flowers?” she asks with a smile. Then she bends down, inhaling deeply.
“No. Draven is in Faeria,” I say, tone clipped.
She rears her head back. “Oh. That is strange. I have never seen this type before either. But they smell lovely, don’t you think?”
She turns to me with a smile, arranging them better in the vase.
“Yes, they smell divine. Ivorie. Who the hell brought them in here then,” I say.
Ivorie looks up me with her brows drawn inward, noting my expression and anger.
She shakes her head. “I am not sure. I will find out for you immediately. It is concerning that someone was able to just bring them in like that. Try not to worry yourself too much about it.”
I stand there in silence, not knowing what to think.
She looks up at the clock. “We need to leave for your appointment soon. I will lay a dress out for you. It is best if you bath.”
To be fair, I am covered in sweat and grime. But that is beside the point. I now have to go pick my wedding dress out and act like everything is okay after I just received cryptic flowers from a person who can just walk into my room whenever they want.
The same flowers I smelt at the scene of a crime.
I watch Ivorie as she walks back into her room. Suspicion and apprehension brewing in my gut. How convenient it is that the only people who can get into my room other than me, is one of my staff members.
? ? ?
I observe Ivorie warily from my side of the carriage. She sits across from me with her hands in her lap looking out the window. Whether she has noticed my change of behavior, I cannot tell.
“Sorry I did not come to look at different fabrics last night, something came up while I was in the healer’s wing,” I say casually.
She gives me a soft smile. “Oh, that is alright. I just had a couple of swatches anyways. I was more so going to try and get an idea of what you wanted, to make today easier for you.”
“I see. So, what did you do instead then?”
“I just ate dinner and read a book before bed.”
I do not reply back. I nod and turn to look out the window. The rest of the carriage ride is silent.
? ? ?
I stand outside the front of the tailor shop. My feet firmly planted on the ground, not moving as a light drizzle of rain hits the bridge of my nose.
I do not want to do this. Not to mention the fact that I have not one person I love, here with me today.
I envisioned my wedding when I was little as something out of a fairytale. I would wear a giant puffy gown and my dad would walk me down the aisle to my prince charming as my mother would cry. That vision quickly became unrealistic because you have to actually have a mother and father for that.
It later turned to being something simple, fun. Gracie would be my maid of honor and I would get married somewhere tropical and then get drunk on a beach after.
Now I am alone, with no vision of this wedding.
I have no loved one to share this with and to see. Instead, I have someone with me I do not trust and I am about to marry someone who can so easily leave me without even a simple goodbye.
The door to the shop swings open and a small woman pokes her head out.
“Well, are you coming in or are you just going to stand out in the rain?” she asks.
I nod. Ivorie comes out of the apothecary across the street in perfect timing and walks inside with me.
The tailor shop is familiar because of our previous trip here, so I walk right over and stand on the podium that sits in front of three mirrors. The tailor makes quick work of taking my measurements, stabbing me multiple times with her pins as Ivorie holds a book open in front of me.
The book has an array of different styles of dresses inside. She rambles on as she flips the pages, talking about how I should try on different styles to see which one I would like best. I am not interested.
As she flips through, I settle for one that my younger self would have wanted. If I am going to marry Prince Charming, I might as well look the part.
The tailor has me try on a sample dress of the one I picked. I step into it and stare at myself in the mirror with vacant eyes while she clips it tight behind me so it fits just right.
The top of the dress is an embroidered ivory corset.
Jewels and pearls trace across it in a delicate pattern.
The corset is strapless and the neckline is straight and fitted across my chest. The corset ends and a full-length satin ivory skirt begins.
The skirt is so full, it has at least five layers underneath of it, creating immense volume.
The tailor slips on satin ivory gloves that stop midway up my biceps.
My dark brown hair stands in stark contrast against the ivory gown. My pale skin glows with life.
“You look so beautiful,” Ivorie says.
I look over and see her dabbing her eyes with a tissue. My expression softens and I give her a small smile.
I nod my head. “This will do.”
“Perfect, I will send out your measurements and it should be delivered to the castle in a month’s time,” the tailor says.
She unclips the gown and roughly works the laces loose on the back of it. It sits up on its own with nobody wearing it, so I easily step out.
After I am dressed, we leave the tailor shop to head back to the castle. Back to the carriage and back to sitting across from Ivorie, staring at her in question once more.
“Why don’t we visit your family while we are here?” I ask.
“Not today.”
“Well, why not. I would love to meet them,” I push.
“Today is just not a good day.”
We sit in silence for a few minutes. I am hyperaware of her short responses on the subject.
“I did not know you were an incantor,” I blurt out.
Ivorie looks at me, confused. “What do you mean?”
“You never told me what you were.”
“Solene, I thought you knew what I was. I do not understand.”
I say nothing.
“How do you think I do your hair every day or get you ready so quickly. I use spells,” she says.
Oh. Now that I think about it, she does do hair too quickly for it to be natural.
“Oh. Well, I did not know. It felt like you were keeping it a secret or something.”
“Why would I ever keep who I am a secret from you? Is everything okay?”
I do not miss the hurt in her voice.
“Well, if you are an incantor, then why are you a lady’s maid in a castle? Are there not other things you can be? Unless there is a specific reason why you need to be in the castle,” I say with accusation.
Ivorie looks at me with a puzzled expression. I see guilt and panic flash across her eyes.
I have caught her.
This is where she is going to confess to me. Right here in the carriage.
She clears her throat. “There is a reason why I am working in the castle.”
I lean forward, ready for the blow.
“You cannot tell anyone, please,” she begs.
I nod my head immediately for her to continue. “I will not.”
She takes a deep breath.
“My father is dying,” she says.
My heart stops in my chest.
“I took the job at the castle for extra money as well as access to the royal healing wing. I volunteer there and in return I get free supplies and training. Sometimes I take some extra, I will admit.”
I sit there staring at her slack jawed.
She continues, “I visit him often to try and heal him, but it is not working. He will be crossing into the Afterealm any day now. That is why I have been gone so often lately. It is why today is not a good day to see him.”
She drops her head.
“No day is a good day to see him,” she says sadly.
Here I am, sitting here interrogating her and speaking to her as if she is a common criminal. She is just someone doing whatever it takes to help her dying dad. Shame consumes me as I stare back at her. Maybe I am a terrible person.
I reach forward, grabbing her hands.
“I want you to know that I will never tell anyone anything about what you have been doing. In fact, I will help you, if you ever need it.”
She nods her head.
“I also want you to know that I am sorry. I deeply understand how you feel. More than you know.”
“You do?” she asks.
I mentally prepare myself for the uncomfortable conversation.
“Yes, I do. I understand because I lost my dad a few years ago. Well, I lost my dad and my mom, at the same time.”
Ivorie grabs her chest. “Oh Solene. I had no idea.”
I nod my head. “It is okay, I do not talk about it. But you must know, losing a parent leaves a gaping hole in your heart that will never be filled again.” I place my hand over my heart, smiling sadly. “I have two holes.”
Tears start to swell in Ivorie’s eyes.
“You learn how to navigate life without their presence, forever missing them. It does get easier with time, but in all honesty, the pain does not ever go away. You just get used to it.”
Her tears begin to fall, one after another.
“In time, you will start to see their death as a gift, rather than a punishment. You are going to blame yourself at first, but slowly you will realize nothing you do will ever change fate. Eventually learning to let him go, so he can move forward and experiencing peace,” I say.
Leaning forward, I pull her into my chest, hugging her tightly.
“That is what he will be in, everlasting peace, free of pain. I am so sorry.”
I am so sorry for everything.
We spend the rest of the carriage ride home, crying and hugging one another.
The two holes in my heart filling momentarily, before they empty once more.