Chapter 32
Appropriate
Evelyn heard a commotion in the hallway just before her bedroom door flew open. She scrambled to her feet from where she had been practicing Energy magic under the window.
“What are you doing on the floor?” Gabrielle scolded. “Silly little girl!”
The dressmaker and her two assistants stormed past the guards. They opened the closet to hang up garment bags and laid accessories on the dresser.
“Lady Gabrielle,” Simon said irritably, “the princess is not taking visitors today.”
“We must prepare for tonight,” Gabrielle argued. “Do you wish Her Highness to attend the king’s funeral naked?”
Simon turned bright red. “That is not what we’re saying. But you can’t barge into a princess’s room—”
“It’s okay,” Evelyn interrupted. “Gabrielle is welcome.”
Simon huffed, annoyed on principle. “Very well.”
He and Rory backed out of the room. As soon as the door closed, Gabrielle’s assistants pounced on Evelyn.
“I have a black dress already,” she protested.
Gabrielle tsked. “Nonsense! I’ve seen the polyester mockery the northerners call fashion.”
Rude.
“Carrowmore is in a completely different climate,” Evelyn reminded her. “Here, you don’t have to worry about staying warm or dry.”
Gabrielle removed Evelyn’s plain black dress from the closet and made a face like it was covered in cat vomit. “You will not embarrass me with this!”
“It’s a normal dress. I don’t need a ballgown for a funeral.”
Gabrielle tossed the offending dress into the air, and it floated as if suspended from the ceiling. She waved her hand, causing every seam of the dress to rip itself apart.
“What are you doing?” Evelyn cried out as scraps of fabric fell into a pile on the carpet.
“Perhaps the maids need new cleaning rags.” Gabrielle snapped her fingers at her assistants, who stripped Evelyn’s dress off. Then her eyes narrowed on Evelyn’s chest. “Where did you get that?”
Evelyn had been laced into a corset, but her new locket was visible without a dress to cover it.
Shit. Ritter told me not to let anyone see the necklace, and I’ve already failed.
“It was a gift,” Evelyn said.
“And what need does a princess have for Lochmatten magic?”
How does Gabrielle recognize it? I don’t even know what it is!
“I’m not using its magic. I don’t even know how. I’m just wearing it.”
The dressmaker studied Evelyn for several long seconds. “Fine. Keep your secrets, pale princess.”
She really hates Carrowmore.
The two ladies put Evelyn into a sleek, floor-length black gown that hugged her curves.
The square neckline and thin straps showed slightly more skin than Evelyn would have picked for a funeral, but it was flattering.
When the silk fabric was completely still, it simply appeared black.
But any movement made the dress sparkle like flickering stars.
“It’s gorgeous!” Evelyn gasped. “But is it appropriate?”
“It’s appropriate if I say it is,” Gabrielle declared.
Fair enough.
Gabrielle inspected Evelyn in the dress but had far fewer notes of things to fix than last time.
“Take her out of that now,” she told the assistants before returning to the closet.
Evelyn was back to just her undergarments when Gabrielle asked the scariest question the princess had ever heard.
“Where is the blue gown you wore to the ball?”
Evelyn froze.
Maybe if I don’t move, she won’t see me.
“Answer me, girl,” Gabrielle demanded.
“It’s being cleaned,” Evelyn lied.
“No, it is not. My team would be the ones cleaning it.”
“I… I don’t know, then.”
“Tell me where the gown is before I send you to the funeral in bright orange pajamas.”
I can’t tell if that’s a real threat… But knowing Gabrielle, it probably is.
“I burned it,” Evelyn whispered, like being quiet would make it better.
Sparks burst out of Gabrielle in all directions. “You WHAT?”
“Rory!” Evelyn yelled.
The guards flew through the door while the assistants ran off, carrying the black dress.
“How DARE you destroy my creation?” Gabrielle screeched.
Simon moved in front of Gabrielle to block her. Rory pushed Evelyn into the bathroom before he went to help Simon. Gabrielle’s shrieks weren’t coming out as words anymore. Evelyn put on a robe in case she needed to run.
A whoosh, a sizzle, a cry of outrage, and the slam of a door were Evelyn’s only clues as to what transpired in her room.
Rory knocked. “Princess?”
She opened the bathroom door a crack. “You vanquished the monster?”
He snorted unprofessionally. “She has retreated to her lair.”
Evelyn stepped out of the bathroom. “What did you do?”
“She started sparking again, so I doused her with water. That made her mad and she left.”
“More importantly, what did you do?” Simon asked.
Evelyn winced. “I burned the gown she made me for the ball.”
“Shit, really? You’re lucky to be alive, Princess.”
“Yeah, I got that impression, too,” she deadpanned.
In the early afternoon, Damien knocked on her door. “Princess?”
“Come in!” Evelyn called, setting her book down with its cover hidden.
He doesn’t need to know about my Energy magic yet.
Damien strolled in. “I heard there was an incident with Gabrielle earlier?”
“It’s possible she wants me dead,” Evelyn mused. “Her plan didn’t seem well thought out.”
“Is there any particular reason for her sudden bloodlust?”
“…Maybe.”
Damien crossed his arms. “What did you do?”
Evelyn bit her lip. “You remember that dress I wore to the ball?”
“The one Gabrielle spent days making? The one you claimed she would stab me for if I ruined it?”
“That one,” Evelyn confirmed.
“What about it?”
“I… burned it.”
Damien blinked at her. “What the fuck, Evelyn? Why?”
“It was right after I talked to Leo and found out he’d been lying to me. I burned everything I was wearing, except the queen’s tiara and that bracelet you gave me.”
“Is that what the scorch mark on the carpet was from?” Damien remembered.
Evelyn nodded. Palace staff had repaired the damage the next day.
“Okay.” Damien blew out a breath. “Well, I’m gonna go ahead and side with Gabrielle on this one.”
“It was just a dress!”
“You were stunning in that dress.”
She could see he wasn’t teasing her. “Thank you.”
“Now you just look like”—Damien gestured toward all of her—“you.”
“Thank you,” Evelyn said sarcastically.
Damien laughed. “Gabrielle’s assistants are in the hallway with your new dress. We need to leave for the funeral in an hour.”
“Do they actually have a dress? Gabrielle threatened to send me orange pajamas for the occasion.”
“Skimpy or baggy pajamas?”
“You aren’t funny.”
“As far as I know, the ladies have a real gown for you to wear. Can I let them in? I’ll even stand guard in the hallway.”
“Sure,” Evelyn agreed. “Gabrielle destroyed the only other black dress I have.”
The assistants each greeted her with a quick “Hello, Princess” before putting Evelyn into the dress. However, a slit had been added up to mid-thigh on one side and the neckline was nearly an inch lower.
“I can’t go to a king’s funeral in this!” she told the women.
“Gabrielle insisted this is what you are to wear,” one of them said.
Both assistants curtsied and promptly left the room before Evelyn could issue further complaints.
Damien walked in and whistled. “Even Nicolas will stare at you in that.”
“Not. Fucking. Helpful.”
“Give me a couple minutes. I’ll be right back.”
I can’t wear this. It already feels like no one here takes me seriously. I’m the other princess, the extra guest. Everyone will think I’m begging for attention. Maybe I can pretend I’m sick and skip the funeral. If I’m going to be a disappointment, it might as well be less public.
Damien returned about five minutes later with a lady’s maid. He also held a roll of some black fabric.
“This is Odette,” Damien explained. “She works for Queen Camille and has a knack for fashion stuff. Odette, this is Princess Evelyn.”
Odette curtsied low. Her blonde hair was in a thick braid that reached her waist.
“Can you help me?” Evelyn begged.
“I think so,” Odette said, her eyes wide. “Pardon me for asking, but did you upset Lady Gabrielle?”
Evelyn groaned. “It’s a long story.”
Odette kneeled at Evelyn’s side to examine the slit in the skirt. “Hmm… This isn’t a straight cut. See how it’s wider at the bottom? She removed some fabric. That means I can’t just sew it back together because the edges won’t line up.”
“I can’t show my whole leg today!”
“Captain Fontaine, can I have the chiffon?” Odette requested.
Damien brought the roll of fabric over. Odette used magic to cut a long section, then held it up against the dress. “I can use this to connect the sides of the slit. An extra panel of chiffon won’t look out of place with the rest of the dress.”
The black fabric was sheer but better than bare skin.
“Yes, please!” Evelyn agreed.
It took Odette less than a minute to attach the chiffon and complete the skirt with her magic.
“That’s so much better,” Evelyn said.
“What about the top of her dress?” Damien asked.
“Let me see…” Odette considered.
She used her magic again to cut a larger length of fabric, which wrapped around Evelyn’s arms and shoulders.
With some adjustments, the chiffon was fashioned into a round cape that draped over Evelyn from the base of her neck to just below her elbows.
The low neckline of her dress was still visible, but she no longer felt on display.
“There we go!” Damien exclaimed. “Maybe your father won’t have a heart attack, after all. Although I prefer the original style.”
Evelyn ignored him. “I owe you a favor, Odette. Truly, thank you.”
Odette smiled. “It was really no trouble, Princess Evelyn. Would you like me to pin up your hair while I’m here?”
“Please! I will owe you two favors.”
Evelyn glanced over at Damien, catching him staring at her.
He helped me. Again. I’ve been crying over Leo and thinking about Haydn while Damien is just… here. I don’t deserve a friend like him.