Five
CHAPTER
The corset of my dress was far too tight.
With each breath I took, I felt constricted by ribbons and thick fabric.
Any tighter, and I was certain my ribs would crack against the pressure.
This dress was far more beautiful than any dress I had ever laid my eyes on before, let alone worn.
I couldn’t fathom how much this must have cost, given it was made specially for me, as a gift from Neil.
He was too good to me. I was not deserving of his kindness.
I never would be, either. It should have been her wearing such beautiful things.
It was made from pure, white silk and stardust. A flowing A-line silhouette that cascaded to the floor in a singular, graceful sweep.
Delicate gold embroidery twirled and swirled around my neckline, down the center, and to the hemline of the dress skirt.
Sheer and billowy, adorned with intricate gold embroidered patterns that glistened in the sunlight, I looked as if I truly belonged in the Court of Clouds.
The hem of the dress was my favorite part—Neil’s sigil was carefully incorporated into the detailing.
While it complimented my features, the tulle and chiffon gave a more regal and enchanting fit. I felt like a princess.
Princess. I swallowed hard at the word. Memories flooded my mind.
Memories I wished I could forget. Memories about her.
About Princess Gelia. It was hard not to think about her.
I found my mind often circled back to thoughts of her even if I wished otherwise.
I was riddled with guilt, even now. If only I had been there earlier, I could have saved her.
Nausea traveled up my throat, forcing me to swallow it back down.
All these damn pins in my hair were surely going to give me a headache; it was only a matter of time.
Aradia wasn’t exactly gentle, either. I grimaced as Aradia stabbed me in the scalp with another pin for the tenth millionth time that afternoon.
My head was already aching, and the celebration hadn’t even begun.
“Ow!” I whined. Why were so many pins necessary in the first place?
! My hair was long, but not that long. Not even past my belly button.
It wasn’t like she was pinning all my hair up, either.
She was only doing enough braids to keep my unruly curls out of my face.
I had to look presentable, especially because it was my first time allowed anywhere outside of the Manor’s grounds.
“Hold still, Miss!” Aradia continued to pin back my curls in an elaborate half-up, half-down hairstyle with tiny braids and sparkly cloud-shaped pearls scattered throughout.
“Is this really necessary?” My reflection in the mirror stared back at me. I didn’t even recognize myself anymore between the dress, the intricate hairstyle, and the amount of makeup Aradia had painted on my face. Somehow, despite all of that, I still looked tired.
“Why, yes, it is, Miss. The Summer Solstice celebration is quite a big deal, you know. We all must look our best for the occasion. Besides, you’ll be meeting High Lord Calix, and you ought to make a good first impression.
Especially since it’s your first time in the Realm of Seasons, let alone an event as important as this.
It’s quite a big deal for all the Realms, not just ours, you know.
It’s a celebration of balance and harmony, to give honor and thanks to the Realms and the Seasons for their gracious gifts.
Elemental Magic is very fickle and must be tended to with an abundance of love, or we endure difficulties that could easily be avoided. ”
“Right, right,” I mumbled. “And why exactly do the Realms get together for these things if there is so much political tension between them?”
Aradia paused, her eyes meeting mine in the mirror for a moment, only to continue toying with my hair.
“It’s not only tradition, but it is to ensure that everything remains as it should.
The festivals and celebrations aren’t purely for fun.
We do these to please the Gods, and in return, the Gods take care of our collective Realms. The Mortal Realm included.
” She paused. “The brief time that we did not do such things because of the war, we suffered the wrath of the Gods. It is for everyone’s benefit that we do what we do and…
” the corners of her lips curled into a smile, “it is quite entertaining, watching everyone tolerate each other.”
Ah. I nodded. It made sense. When I was growing up in the Mortal Realm, there were often bonfires and festivals to celebrate the Gods. The belief was that by offering something to the Gods, they would give something in return.
I had only a basic understanding of the politics between the Realms and the varying magic they possessed.
Magic in the Realm of Seasons varied depending on the district in which said person resided.
Those in Fall had clairvoyant insights into the changing seasons, while Spring could manipulate plant life and had the ability to talk to animals.
Summer had either water or fire manipulation, and those from Winter could manipulate ice and snow.
There was a great deal of Elemental Magic within the Realm of Seasons.
Magic was the strongest in the Realm of Stars, as their magic came from the Gods themselves.
Or so Acheron had told me. Those from the Realm of Stars could manipulate Starfire and walk through dreams. The Realm of Clouds could manipulate the clouds and the weather that could be created from them.
Then there was the Realm of Nightmares. They were a mystery, but I had heard their magic consisted of fear inducement, shadow manipulation, and dream manipulation.
“And DONE!” Aradia chirped, gesturing to my reflection.
I looked so much like her. Like Gelia. It should be her who was here, getting dolled up and pampered the way I was. Guilt crawled up my throat, making it hard to swallow. I didn’t realize I zoned out until Aradia gently grabbed my bony shoulders.
I turned to her. She was beautiful in a gold and ivory dress, layered with tulle and chiffon that complimented the embroidery stretching across the silky fabric of her dress. Hers was far more reserved than mine. Most of her skin was covered, whilst mine was not.
I was insecure by the amount of skin that I was showing, having always been on the more reserved side. Until now, I suppose. I looked beautiful, and that may have been the reason I felt so on edge. I had never once felt beautiful before. Not until today.
“Everything alright, Miss?” I nodded.
“Yes, just tired.” Lie. That was a blatant lie. I wanted to say no. I wanted to scream and cry and rip out all the pins she just spent half the afternoon carefully placing. I wanted to beg Neil to take me back to the Mortal Realm, to take me to Gelia’s grave. Yet I chose to lie instead.
“Mm,” she hummed.
She knew I lied. I could sense it in her tone, in her hesitation. I turned to her as the maple door to my bedroom creaked open.
Aradia and I turned toward the door and my eyes widened. Neil stood there, dressed in a white suit with intricate gold embroidery, jewelry, and cufflinks. A golden crown sat atop his head with little clouds that levitated around it. He was gorgeous. He always was.
I was breathless.
And it wasn’t because of how tight my corset was, either. It was because of him.
Neil smiled at me with twinkling violet eyes. “Aerilyn.” He held something in his hand. “I have a gift for you.”
“For me?”
He nodded. “For you.” He approached me, his hand outstretched, holding a golden necklace with the engraving, ‘The sky is not the limit, your mind is, and yours is limitless. – Neil’
My eyes twinkled in adoration as I admired it. I had never been given a gift before; at least, nothing like this. The gifts I received consisted of candy and raw potatoes. This gift, I’d cherish forever. “Thank you,” I whispered, tears in my eyes.
“Allow me?” he asked.
Nodding, I shifted on the bench. His gloved fingertips gently caressed my skin, pushing my curls to the side to expose my neck.
Butterflies fluttered about within me as he carefully placed it around my neck and hooked the latch.
Neil pushed my curls back in place and offered me his outstretched hand.
I took his hand and stood up, my eyes upon his.
“It’s beautiful on you.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Thank you, Neil. Truly.”
He pulled my hand to his lips and planted a single kiss on the back of my palm. “There’s no need to thank me.”
“I—”
Aradia cut me off. “We are going to be late if we keep dilly-dallying like this, you know.” She pouted, her hands on her hips.
Neil smiled, rolling his eyes. “Best we get going then, hm?” He raised a brow in Aradia’s direction, who continued to mutter and mumble about being late as she exited the room, presumably to go get the others in quite a huff.
“Is she always like that?”
Neil laughed, leaning in closer to my ear. “She gets in a tizzy about making a good impression on Lord Calix. She is quite smitten if you didn’t know.”
A laugh parted from my lips. “Ah yes, I forgot she fancies him,” I said mid-laugh.
“That she does…” His laughter dwindled. His hand held mine, and he took the other to slide through his snowy white curls.
“Come, let’s get going or we are never going to hear the end of it.
I don’t know about you, but I have other things I would rather be doing than hearing about how perfect he is.
It’s ridiculous, you know. If she should be fawning over anybody, it should be me. ”
I enjoyed his company, quite an awful lot.
Neil rolled his eyes playfully, a smile crossing his marble features. “Ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” He pulled me closer to his chest with one arm wrapped around me, while the other reached for the bowl filled with twinkling starlight.
Stardust.