Chapter 49
Elva
Baldr had brought some, but not all of our gold with him when he’d arrived to fetch his brother.
Sindri questioned him about it, but Baldr swore he was keeping it safe until we were in better accommodations.
At this, Njall told his brother to stop being an ass.
Baldr was furious at that comment because, apparently to a half-goat, the idea of being a donkey, was vulgar.
I tucked that information away for another time.
With Njall and Baldr gone from the castle, I looped my arm through Leifur and strolled with my brothers through the market.
Dressed in the nicer clothes Njall had in his room, and with my hair wrapped up in a silk scarf, we blended in without too much trouble.
As expected, Leifur’s blue hair drew a few quizzical looks, but people left him alone, since he wasn't a threat to any men. With a bag of the warm honey cheese buns we’d discovered on our first day here, we wandered in and out of various stores, finding some new clothes and replacement supplies for all we’d lost while traveling.
I even allowed myself to look at some linens—though a not-so-small part of me worried I would curse myself later if Baldr and Njall couldn’t get the king to allow us to stay.
Sindri demanded Leifur look at some shirts, so I wandered into a beautiful dress shop.
I had worn dresses when I was younger; a properly fitted dress could be as much of a weapon for a siren as a blade.
But after I was raped, I switched to pants and haven’t worn a gown since.
Still, in this shop, in a kingdom with a man who made me feel safe, I wondered if maybe it was time to let myself wear one again.
The shopkeeper kept a close eye on me but didn’t stop me from perusing the dresses.
I spotted one near the back that took my breath away.
The skirt was a soft turquoise silk that flowed almost like a waterfall, paired with a bust adorned in small flowers carved from mother-of-pearl shells.
I stood in awe of the gown for a long while before the shopkeeper appeared beside me.
“It would suit your eyes,” she said. “You should try it on.”
“I couldn’t,” I said, moving my hands awkwardly to my chest.
“You should.” Njall’s voice made me turn, and I couldn’t help but smile. “She’s right. It would make you sparkle.” He took the gown off the stand and handed it to the shopkeeper. “Go on. She’ll help you, and I’ll wait.”
A warmth spread through my chest. It wasn’t the hot arousal or annoyance I was used to when men tried to woo me with material things, but something softer.
Njall’s smile made me feel as if he was excited to see me in it.
I let the woman lead me to the back and help me into the gown.
It was so lightweight it felt as if I was wearing nothing.
The silk caressed my skin the same way Njall would when we’d lie together after making love.
My heart stopped when I realized I no longer considered it just bedding him, but so much more.
Terror gripped me at the thought that he might not feel the same.
For all I knew, he bought a dress for every woman he bedded.
“You look gorgeous,” Njall said as I forced my feet to leave the changing area.
I tried to smile, but fear and doubt had wormed their way into my gut, and I couldn’t focus on the beautiful dress anymore.
“We’ll take it,” Njall said, nodding to the woman.
“Shall I send the gown and bill to the castle?”
“Send the bill to me, and we’ll take the gown.”
“Njall, it’s fine. I don’t need it.” My nerves were beginning to get the better of me, but he stepped forward, cupped my cheek, and kissed me. His touch soothed all my nerves in an instant.
“But you need it,” he said softly. “Baldr has arranged for a ball tonight to welcome me home and celebrate your triumph. Fighting leathers won’t do.”
I smoothed down the skirt and gazed up at him. “Well, in that case, you should probably let my brothers know too.”
“Baldr’s handling that.”
We spent the afternoon finding the right clothes for Sindri and Leifur, along with masks and hair accessories for me.
I was nervous about leaving my hair its natural blue and green, but after Baldr explained the theme and we spotted over a dozen women carrying all manner of wigs and hair color, I decided it should be fine.
Njall tried to buy me jewelry to go with the dress, but I refused.
While I believed I could manage the dress and the beautiful lace and pearl-beaded mask he bought, I wasn’t comfortable wearing jewelry.
Truthfully, I didn’t trust myself not to pocket it at some point in the evening.
Even Sindri was unable to sway my decision.
After we finished finding everything and were preparing to head back to the inn, a guard stopped us. “Your presence is demanded at the castle, Your Highnesses.”
“What for?” Njall asked, moving ever so slightly between me and the guard. Both my brothers noticed and sent questioning looks my way.
The guard shook his head. “You’ve been summoned by the king. I am not privy to his reasons.”
Clenching his jaw, Njall turned to me and grabbed my hand.
“I’ll see you at the ball tonight.” He bowed down and kissed the top of my hand, forcing me to hold in a snort.
Then he turned and handed my dress to my brother.
“Guard this with your life.” Sindri accepted the gown wrapped in a linen sack that was still prettier than most of my normal clothes.
Baldr pulled three pieces of paper out of his vest and handed them to Leifur. “Your invitations. Show them at the door, and you’ll be allowed in.”
“Thank you,” I said as the guard led the princes down the road and toward the castle.
“What do you think that’s about?” Leifur asked after they were out of earshot.
“Nothing good,” Sindri replied, grabbing an invitation from his husband. “There’ll be food and live music. This is going to be fun.”
“We should get to the inn,” Leifur said. “Someone is going to need a very long time to prepare, and no, I was not talking about you, Elva dear.” I giggled as Sindri thrust his nose in the air and sauntered toward the inn.
Once we were inside, Killian brought us hot water and an assortment of fragrances and scented oils.
It seems she missed nothing. Getting into my dress went smoother than I expected.
Both my brothers were more than capable of doing up my corset for me and making sure everything was positioned where it should be.
When I tried to add my thigh dagger, Sindri was appalled and insisted I leave it behind.
Leifur agreed to bring his sword since we’d seen many men carrying them around the market.
The most complicated part of getting ready was figuring out what to do with my hair.
In the end, Leifur fetched Killian and tipped her a gold coin to help us.
She arrived carrying what looked like a piece of a spear.
She warmed it in the fire, and when she wrapped my wavy hair around it, the locks fell off in elegant curls.
If she’d said it was sorcery, I would have believed her. But in the end, my usually wild hair had been turned into shiny, beautiful curls, each almost entirely one color. I would never admit it to my brothers, but I’d never felt more beautiful.
“A few important rules when you attend the ball tonight,” Killian said as her magic wand cooled.
“You must curtsy or bow to anyone of a higher rank, which for you all is everyone except the help. While you call them, Baldr and Njall here, in there, you must only call them Your Highness. Never turn your back on the king. It’s considered disrespectful enough that he can have you arrested for it.
The only exception is when you are dancing. ”
We listened intently. Many of the rules were things I’d learned as a siren about etiquette already, but there were a few customs unique to Tyndorf.
Both Leifur and I committed them to memory.
After thanking Killian, we headed off on foot and soon found ourselves in the well-off part of town, where groups of people were milling about, making small adjustments to their masks and clothes before heading into the castle.
Seeing the number of people with colored hair made me feel much better about leaving mine as it was.
Several women had colored theirs similarly to mine, even though I didn't know how they’d managed it.
While I was a little nervous about getting in, the guard barely looked at us and only examined our invitations.
Finding them genuine, he waved us in. Already, the sounds and smells of the event filled the yard.
I locked arms with my brothers and we ascended the marble stairs, following the other elegantly dressed guests into a gigantic hall.
While nowhere near as majestic as the Siren Queen’s halls, the room was decorated with tapestries and ribbons that reminded me of the sea—coral, waves, and schools of fish.
Swaths of green fabric hung from the ceiling like seaweed, and the centerpieces were vases decorated with shimmering mother-of-pearl mosaics.
I made a mental note to ask Baldr where he found them so I could get one for our home. Once we found one.
A man in a tailored suit wearing a mask that reminded me of a sandy beach approached us with a tray of drinks. We accepted, and he moved on to the next group.
“I’m impressed how quickly Baldr brought this together,” Leifur said.
“And the little details! He's outdone himself,” Sindri added. I merely smiled and sipped my wine.
“Welcome to my party,” Baldr boomed from a few groups over, weaving through the crowd toward us.
“I’m thrilled you made it.” He placed a hand on Sindri's and my shoulders before leaning in.
“My brother is hiding over by the food—his shirt matches your dress.
And I have some people I'd like you two gentlemen to meet.”
“Oh?” I asked.
“A dear friend is looking for a talented blacksmith, and I told him I could put him in touch with the best. Shall we?” Baldr smiled, steering my brothers into the crowd.
I turned to search for Njall, but found almost every man here was wearing a turquoise tunic.
Spotting another servant, I drank my glass and handed it off before pushing my way through the crowd toward the food tables.
I reached the table laden with stuffed buns just as someone stepped behind me. Assuming it was Njall, I grabbed a bun and turned, ready to greet him with a kiss. Instead, I met a pair of predatory gold eyes.
“So, you’re my brother’s new whore,” Ingvar sneered. “I could smell him on you from across the room.”
I pulled my lips back just enough to show off my elongated fangs and growled at the crown prince. “Nice mask,” I taunted, nodding at the gray wolf covering his face. “Scared someone might forget what a monster you are?”
“Says the actual monster,” he retorted, stepping closer. “You might fool the humans here, but I smell the sea on you, siren. Don’t think you’ll be getting anything from my idiot brothers, because my father and I will make sure—”
“What?” Njall interrupted, appearing beside us. “That no one will forget she’s different … like us? That she has gifts others don't? Who does that remind you of, wolf boy?”
He wore a mother-of-pearl mask that matched mine.
“Catch your tongue,” Ingvar growled, glaring at us both. “You might be stupid enough to let a siren lure you to her bed, but I’m not.”
“What makes you so sure I lured him?” I shot back as Njall slid his arms around my waist, pulling me away from his brother. “I was sent to rescue him in exchange for gold, nothing more. And if I need a man, I’m more than capable of attracting one.”
Njall chuckled behind me, before leaning in to whisper, “Don’t antagonize my brother. He has a temper and the power to make your life here miserable.”
“What was that?” Ingvar snapped, narrowing his eyes at Njall.
“Just telling my siren to behave herself,” Njall replied smoothly.
The way he said my siren sent a wave of heat through me.
“You should keep it on a leash,” Ingvar snarled before pushing past me to grab a bun and stalking off.
“That could be fun,” Njall whispered in my ear.
“Only if you wear it.” I tugged him close by the front of his tunic, pressing a fierce kiss to his lips. “Aren’t you supposed to ask me to dance? Isn’t that what humans do at these things?”
“We could dance,” he said, adjusting his shirt with a smirk. “Or I could take you somewhere more private.”
“I'll take option two.”