CHAPTER 26
I woke up later than usual, probably due to my late-night snack and sleeping most of the day yesterday.
I had missed breakfast, and since today was the ball, Ulric and I had already finished our last dance lesson.
He said that I was catching on quickly enough and that I would hopefully make it through my first ball without falling on my ass.
His comment had earned him a punch in the shoulder.
My breakfast was on the dining table in my room, already cold from the late morning, so I decided to skip breakfast and have lunch.
I went to place the tray outside my bedroom door, but stopped when I saw the note resting against the small bowl of fruit.
“I had fun sneaking into the kitchen last night. The ice cream was not the only thing tempting me. Take today to relax and prepare for tonight. I’ll see you on the dance floor.”
- Z
I read and reread the note multiple times, and each time, my pulse whispered against my skin. I tucked the note away between the pages in my leatherbound journal, keeping it safe from prying eyes.
After lunch, I visited Ares and slipped him a couple of mints and carrots, along with some gentle pats on his nose.
After he had eaten all the mints that I had brought, I made my way back to my room, specifically the bathroom, to start the process of getting ready for the ball.
I had a long and luxurious bath, soaking my body until wrinkles appeared on my fingers and toes.
I made sure to scrub my entire body and hair, and took extra care to keep the smell of the stables from lingering.
I climbed out of the tub and wrapped a towel around me when there was a knock at the door.
“I’ll be right there,” I yelled from the bathroom.
“What?! You have more important things to do than see your best friend?”
My heart skipped a beat as I dashed for the door, yanking it open with my towel held tight around me.
“MAYA!!!!” I screamed excitedly and pulled her in for a hug with one arm while trying to hold up my towel.
“What are you doing here?!” I moved back so she could step into my room.
“Someone had to bring you your dress for tonight.”
Oh, my heart faltered. She was only delivering my outfit, but I was still thankful for the moment alone with her.
“Annnndddd I’ve been reassigned to be your lady’s maid!” She said, her eyes widening with excitement, as her body did its own happy dance.
“Really?!” Oh, my goodness! He had done it! If I ever questioned whether my feelings were real, he had made it impossible to doubt now. I dropped the towel in excitement and brought her in for another hug,
“Pick your towel up,” she said while pushing my naked body away from hers, and then walked towards the bed, placing the dress down. I picked up the towel and then immediately tackled her, not caring that the towel was barely holding on or that we rolled onto my dress.
“I’m so happy you’re here.” Tears began streaming down my face.
“I don’t know what you did or how you did it, but thank you. Jane was such a bitch,” she said, rolling her eyes towards the ceiling. “She said that she trained you before. I have no clue how you kept your sarcastic ass under control.”
“I didn’t,” and we both laughed; an actual, genuine, heartfelt laugh.
“Shall we? We have a ball to get you ready for!” Her eyes glimmered, full of eager excitement.
A couple of hours later, I found myself sitting in front of the mirror while Maya styled my hair.
It reminded me of our time at The Academy, when she would try out different hairstyles on me.
I gave her a quick recap of my time here while she busied herself getting me ready, but I didn’t know if she would remember any of it because of the incantation; I would need to talk to Zendryk about that.
I left out the major details and tried to make it as “mortal” friendly as possible, so hopefully she could remember most of it.
“There, what do you think?” She asked me as she took a step back so that I could take it all in.
Not realizing I was watching her the entire time and not what she had been doing to my hair, I glanced down. “Oh, Maya! It’s beautiful!”
She reached around me from behind and gave me a tight squeeze around my chest; I squeezed her back as happiness washed through me.
“I’ll be in a waiting room near the ballroom, in case you need anything. I’m going to go change into my lady’s maid outfit and take this damn thing off.” She turned and hurried out the door, closing it behind her.
I stood up and looked at the woman staring back at me; I didn’t recognize her.
Maya had pulled half of my hair up and away from my face into a messy braid that twisted into a bun at the back of my head, held in place by a golden metal clasp.
The rest of my hair fell naturally, but the curls had been tamed by a metal device that she heated over the fire.
She lined my eyes with black kohl eyeliner, which brought out the green and gold in them.
The dress Mrs. Prast had sent me was gorgeous; it was a black, floor-length gown that flared slightly at my hips before tapering upwards, held in place by a corseted back.
The bodice of the corset featured a top layer of black floral lace that extended just below my shoulders, then became sheer and flowed down my arms. The floral pattern on the lace intermingled with my markings, and I silently thanked Mrs. Prast for that small detail.
The neckline of the dress plummeted at the front, and the corset, once tightened, swelled my breasts and accentuated their curves.
The markings on my chest came to a rest at the center line of my breast, flowing with the rise and fall they created, delicately tracing along them.
I looked at the heels beside my bed and cursed silently as I walked over to them to put them on.
They were a couple of inches high, and, like the dress, they were all black.
Of course, the House of Darkness would dress in black attire.
I picked one up and looked at the details; the black leather heel had an ankle strap near the top that buckled together to hold it in place, and it was adorned with small silver studs.
I slipped them on and wobbled as I tried to stand up, using the bedpost for support.
Another knock sounded at the door, and I slowly shuffled my way over to it.
I opened the door to find Ulric standing there, wearing a buttoned-up dress coat with a neckline just below his ears, a leather belt around his waist that held a spot for his sword, and a small clock-like instrument hung off it.
“Well.” He crossed his arms. “Don’t you clean up nice?”
“I could say the same about you.” And I crossed my arms mimicking his gesture.
Smiling, he put an arm out for me, and I looped mine into his.
“I figured you would want an escort, or someone to balance on so you don’t fall on your face.”
I playfully smacked his arm, “Thank you.”
The walk to the ballroom seemed longer than normal, and my nerves were eating me alive.
Guests and servants fluttered around the entryway; some guests held drinks, and servants went from group to group, offering food from silver trays.
From the looks of it, they were serving small bites of appetizers with those little wooden sticks in them, just like the night that changed my life.
That life seemed so far away now. It was different, being a guest instead of a servant, and my stomach flipped at the thought, causing a new wave of anxiety to wash over me.
Ulric could sense my nervousness and placed his free hand over the one I had looped in his arm, so I stopped fidgeting with my fingernails, not even realizing I had started to pick at them.
“Where do the lady’s maids wait?” I asked, trying to calm myself with a distraction.
He turned us slowly and pointed to a room on the far side of the entryway. “It is over there. If you need anything, go there and ask; someone will help you.”
“Maya should be there. Zendryk worked his magic, pun intended, and she is now my lady's maid.” I replied.
“Interesting.” He said while craning his neck to sneak a peek inside the lady's room.
I smacked him, harder this time. “Hands off.”
“I wasn’t doing anything, just taking a look.” But his boyish smile gave him away.
“No,” I said with finality.
The doors were slightly open, and I craned my neck to see if I could see Maya. I spotted her joyful smile; she sat on a sofa, a cup of tea in hand, chatting with the other ladies in the room. I immediately felt my nerves wash away at the sight of her.
The other guests had already seated themselves in the ballroom, and our manor was about to enter. I looked around, but the royals were nowhere to be seen.
“Are you ready?” Ulric asked me, giving my arm a little squeeze of encouragement.
I let out a long and low breath, “If I have to.”
“Oh, you have to.” He said flatly.
We walked towards the closed doors, and the guards grabbed the gold handles and pulled them open.
“Mr. Ulric Wulvane and Ms. Avyn Ashwood.” The guard on the right announced to the room, and it fell silent as every single guest turned in our direction.
So many eyes, judging, curious, angry. I needed something to take my mind off this.
“Your surname has wolf in it? Ironic.” I whispered as he guided me towards our table.
“The irony is not lost on me.” He whispered back.
We made it to our table, and he pulled out a chair for me. We were at table two and not the main one with the King and queen, and I thanked the heavens.
“Are you not sitting with Zendryk tonight?” I asked Ulric, not wanting to bring too much attention to the question, and trying to ignore the large number of people looking in our direction.
“We figured it would be best if I remained close to you tonight. I don’t mind either; the conversations the King and Queen have are such a bore. You’ll make things more interesting for me.” A playful smile appeared as he talked.