Chapter 30 Audryn
AUDRYN
The tall woman lumbered behind me, pulling the comb and forcing it down from the tips of my hair toward my scalp. I had told Leanna I’d place my hair into a braid, but she insisted I needed to have a meticulous design for the formal dinner.
Memories still flooded me from the previous evening.
Things had gone from basking in the afterglow of pleasure to an impressive verbal lashing for snooping through a book—a book I had every right to look at.
When I explained I was only trying to get information about my brother’s execution, Ryder hastily informed me he’d ordered all records pertaining to my family to be destroyed.
My heart shattered. And when tears flooded my eyes, his face contorted into disdain as he threw my clothes at me. He’d dismissed me from his room and forced me to dress in the corridor. I was thankful for the grace of the land when I found the hall vacant.
“You need to hold still,” the woman demanded. “If not, your hair will not reach the full height needed for the design the princess has selected for you.”
My eyes roamed over my reflection. Most of my hair stood tall on my head without the use of any pins. “I’m pretty sure it’s high enough. Maybe we can even brush it down a bit?” I didn’t know what her plans were, but it seemed to only get worse as she continued.
In the end, I was left with an ache in my head and a gigantic dome atop it.
The hair sculpture was fit to house a swarm of bees, though I'd be wearing it to dine with a family of hornets.
Unlike bees, hornets preferred flesh to pollen.
They thrived on devouring the carcasses of others, and Ryder had made me his prey.
Opening the thin wooden door of the armoire, I smiled at my mother’s emerald gown pressed against the wall of the closet. There were no frills, no lace, just pure deep green satin shining back at me.
I clasped the hanger and carried the gown away. Holding it high, taking care not to let its skirt drag on the floor, I hung the tip of the hanger gently over the open bathing room door.
When the gown shifted and the light of the waning sun’s rays hit the fabric, I nearly stopped breathing. The material looked at me, threatening to unravel the evening and my insides.
A large black pour of paint lay crusted dry on the satin material. The shiny fabric surrounded the big dull oval, smeared from the top of the bust down to the center of the flowing skirts. There was no mistaking that the damage was done intentionally.
My body ignited with rage, recalling Maris standing in the foyer with a container of paint and brush in hand.
I’d said goodbye to Allura, but hadn’t missed Maris’s hand carrying the weapon meant for my gown’s demise.
There’d be no discussion or explanation to be considered; I would fucking kill her.
I shot through the adjoining bathing room, pulling on the door handle, only to find it locked.
I exploded into the corridor in nothing but a nightgown, the material sheer enough to see the outline of my nipples and panties.
Beehive pushing against the rush of air as I moved, I stormed to the next door.
Let the whole fucking house of bees topple.
I was a hornet and was on a mission to find my next victim.
“Audryn,” Fisher called, “you need—”
“Not now!” I shouted. “I’m busy!”
The guard stationed outside Maris’s room narrowed his eyes at me and then lunged as I jiggled the handle and shoved the door open.
He wasn’t fast enough to catch me before I found her and threw a right hook into her left eye.
I tackled her to the ground, straddled her, and went to land another, but my arm was stunted mid-throw.
Her guard was too strong for me to fight through the restraint as he pulled me off the bitch. He wrapped his big meaty hands around me and plucked me from her as if I were weightless. I flailed and attempted to move forward, but made no progress.
Maris lay sprawled across the floor in a beautiful gown, nearly the same color as my mother’s. With her hand held to her face, she peered at me through one wide eye. She was lucky she’d been left with any to still see me.
“You fucking cunt! I’ll kill you!” I thrashed as the guard left me to dangle in the air with flapping limbs. I donkey-kicked backward into his thigh, nearly causing him to drop me. “Let me down, asshole!”
“Audryn!” Fisher shouted, and appeared in front of me. I kicked him in the stomach as hard as possible. He lurched forward and gasped.
“Get away from me!” I shouted, and continued to kick at the guard holding me back.
She needed to die. First, for the years of snubbing Benton and his husband, and then for ruining the only gown my mother ever owned.
After she was dead, I’d fill her body with holes from my dagger for good measure.
Maybe I’d put her head on a stick and dance down the street with it for her family to see.
“Audryn!” men and women shouted as they poured into the small room, consuming the space in an instant. Everyone near me was being struck with my hands or feet. I didn’t care who they were or the title they held. I’d hurt each of them until I made my way to the bird-faced bitch.
“Put her down!” The sea of guards parted as a familiar voice boomed through the air, and Ryder walked in. His order was dangerous, and I was dropped instantly, landing on the floor on my ass. He smirked and raised an eyebrow. “I suppose that’s one way to do it.”
I pushed my sweat-soaked rogue strands back and staggered to my feet. “She—”
He raised a hand and stepped forward, our faces nearly touching. His voice was low and threatening. “I do not give a single fuck what your reason was for acting like a hideous beast. Go to your room.”
My chest heaved as I battled to slow my racing heart. Shooting my eyes at Maris, I sent a silent threat.
“Now!” the prince roared, sending droplets of spit at my face.
Fisher gestured to the open door and I obeyed the prince’s order. The guard stayed on my heels as I exited and made it to my door.
“Give me some fucking space!” I demanded. The guard shut my door and stayed in the corridor, leaving me alone and enraged.
I couldn’t be sure how long it had been or when he’d entered my room, but when his boots appeared in front of me, my body stilled. I didn't bother rising from my seat on the sofa.
“I’m not going to dinner.” I scowled at Ryder and gestured to my mother’s ruined gown. “She ruined my dress, and I have nothing to wear.” His eyes roamed over my nightgown, the thin fabric clinging to my sweaty skin.
He turned and looked at the garment hanging on the door. “And you know Maris is responsible how?”
“Don’t you see it?” I stood and stomped to the ruined dress. “First my mother’s necklace and then her gown. She’s the only one who can easily access my room. Is your affinity for her so grand that it prevents you from seeing what’s right in front of you?”
He drew his eyes down at me. “Don’t speak as if I am stupid.
I don’t know what you women do when you’re not busy making my life more difficult.
” Drawing back, he scanned over me thoroughly.
“What I see in front of me is a spoiled little girl who does not know better than to roam the corridor half naked.”
I swallowed, but lifted my chin and held his stare.
“I’ll solve the issue. However, I expect you to get a hold of yourself.” His eyes narrowed. “There will be important people at this dinner. King Grave and his sister, to name two. I need things to go well for Rivale’s sake … and yours.”
My pulse quickened at the danger hovering over me.
“Remain in your room and, for Divine’s sake, do not contact Maris.” He looked me over before dropping his eyes down to my lips. Slowly he moved, and I drew in a breath, refusing to retreat. He placed a gentle kiss on my mouth, but I didn’t return the gesture.
I sat in my room before the lanky woman returned to fix the hair I’d ruined during the scuffle. She pulled and twisted roughly, perhaps as upset with me as Ryder was. It wasn’t long before my locks were returned to the same ridiculous design.
The door pushed open, and Leanna popped her head in. “Are you decent?” She gave me a sweet smile before making her way in and partially closing the door behind her. I stifled a laugh at the ridiculous design she’d let the woman put her hair in.
The strands were formed into five points that stuck straight out. One center-spiked chunk of hair sat on top of her head like a horn, at least six inches into the air. The others jutted out, two flanking either side of the central piece.
“My brother said you needed to borrow a dress.” Leanna pulled the door wide, letting three guards walk in. Each one held a different iteration of an aquamarine gown in their hand. It was the same tone Leanna wore.
“Choose whichever you’d like,” she gushed. “Any of them will go with your mother’s necklace.”
My thumb and forefinger instinctively reacted to her words and rubbed the glass pendant; I’d been lucky I hadn’t damaged it in the skirmish.
“Well, lift them up in front of you, so Audryn can get an idea of how they’ll look when not draped across the floor.” She motioned with her hand to the guards. They lifted the gowns, bringing the dresses to themselves and letting the necklines settle under their chins.
I chuckled as the three men held the dresses up to themselves, seemingly irritated with Leanna’s order. Such a minor act had already lightened my mood.
“Shall we have them try the dresses on?” She raised a brow. “Perhaps they can have dinner with us, and you can throw a shawl over your sleeping dress. That would really piss off my brother.”
“I’ll wear the middle one.” I grinned. In such a short time, Leanna had grown on me, and I almost considered our relationship a friendship. “Thank you for allowing me to borrow one of your gowns. I’ll be careful with it.”