Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
ASHLYN
Asharp swing of the gilded door sent me bolting upright on the sofa.
Eva’s soft features sharpened into focus as I rubbed my eyes.
I had only stared at the ceiling for a moment or two before I dozed off.
“Princess Ashlyn, the feast for your arrival starts in an hour. Lord Fyn asked me to check on you,” she said. “He said you might not be feeling well.”
I waved her in. “I didn’t mean to sleep for so long.”
“I heard you had quite the journey here,” she said.
My back stiffened. “From Lord Fyn?”
“Yes.” She went for the wardrobe. “He said it was several days on horseback.”
I forced a smile. “It was most tiring.”
I waited for the pull, for the strange sensation to fill me at anything I said—at anything she said. Maybe it was simply my exhaustion.
Maybe I’d be fine after all.
She held out two gowns. Each were dyed with vibrant pigment—sapphire and emerald.
“The hues are extraordinary.” I ran my fingers over the silks. Both were smoother than anything I had ever touched.
“Color is deeply embedded into our culture. The marketplace is filled with every shade imaginable.”
My fingers trailed the smooth fabric of the bold blue gown. “This one is stunning.”
“Blue it is, then,” she said.
“I should very much like to see the marketplace. Do you think it could be arranged?”
“You could ask Prince Soren. Prince Kilan’s wife, Princess Novena, frequents it often.”
I relaxed as she loosened the ribbons along the back of my dress. “Have you worked for the royal family long?”
“The past few years. I’ve aided the Princess since she arrived at the palace.”
“What could you tell me about Prince Soren?” I asked.
“I don’t think I am the person to say much of anything to you, Your Highness.” She lowered the gown to the floor, sweeping it aside as I stepped out of it.
“Surely you know him better than I do.” My hand slipped from the sofa as I stepped into the new gown.
“Is that too tight?” She asked as she laced the gown.
I shook my head. “I only wish to know what to talk to him about.”
“The prince has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. I’m sure he will find much to talk about with you.” The moment she said it the feeling struck me again.
“Are you all right, Your Highness?”
I nodded—it pulsated.
I was not all right.
The warmth released its hold on me as she fixed the top of the dress. A curved neckline traced just above my chest. There were no sleeves.
“The women don’t wear sleeves here?” Maybe there was a jacket.
“Not always. Is it a problem, Your Highness?”
It felt freeing not to be constricted everywhere. “No, maybe I prefer it.”
I turned toward the mirror to watch her twist my hair up on my head.
“Prince Soren wanted you to wear this.” She reached into her apron and removed a golden necklace from a silver silk pouch. “They’re moonlit quartz, mined alongside the ore.”
She secured it around my neck. My fingers slid over the tiny white stones that glimmered blue in the last of the sun’s light.
“Lord Fyn will escort you when you are ready,” she said.
“I’m ready.” The feeling hit me even harder, stealing my breath. I was grateful she didn’t notice as I gripped the door to step out into the hall.
“Send for me if you need anything else, Your Highness.” Eva curtsied quickly turning from me.
Fyn stood at the edge of the hall with his back to the wall. He tugged the fabric of his formal emerald tunic.
I waited for him to look up at me. “You’re to escort me?”
“Yes, your Highness.” He bowed deeply.
The edge of the neckline bent awkwardly inward. My nails grazed my skin as I pulled it back.
“You look…” Fyn fell quiet as his gaze held mine. “Lovely.”
“Lovely?” Fyn had never told me I looked lovely.
“You are well-dressed for the occasion.” His words cracked.
“I am dressed.” I waited for his laughter as I tugged at the necklace. “It is all exquisite.”
“We shouldn’t leave them waiting for you,” Fyn said.
“I find it unacceptable.” There was a hint of a sarcasm in my tone. “That you have nothing else to say to me.” I hated it that I wanted more from him.
“Ashlyn.” Fyn said my name like a warning. “There is much I’d like to say to you,” his voice lowered as he extended his arm. “But none of it would be appropriate.” His smirk finally formed.
I wasn’t someone who could be tempted and be left wanting. No, I’d think about his every possible thought all evening. “Try me, Lord Fyn.”
“Your dress is rather revealing.” There was an even cadence in his every step. He wouldn’t falter as he prodded me.
“The court will see my neck and my arms. It’s such a scandal.”
“They won’t be able to miss any part of you.” Fyn’s eyes parted from mine.
“You wouldn’t dress your bride this way?” I asked.
He pulled his shoulders back as we rounded the next corner. “I would never dress my bride.”
“You’d rather her undressed?” I kept my tone low.
The air whistled in his throat. “For a princess, you sure speak in surprising ways.” He tugged my arm closer to him. “I don’t believe in dressing females. My bride could wear whatever she chooses.”
There were few times I started a conversation and wished I didn’t. It was unfortunately one of those times. I knew better than to ask him anything further, but that didn’t stop me from doing it. “So you will marry someday?”
“I’m not sure how you coming here for a potential marriage turned into a conversation about me.” His eyes caught on mine again. “But since you asked… no, I don’t see myself marrying.”
“Ever?” He didn’t seem like the type that would, but when he said it still surprised me.
“It doesn’t seem to be in the stars’ plans for me,” he said.
“Surely someday you’ll meet someone so extraordinary that you’ll rethink those words.” I tugged on the fabric of my dress as my slipper caught. “Stupid slipper.”
“Are they as stupid as the boots?” His laughter rose, cutting through me.
My cheeks heated.
Fyn stopped, pivoting towards me. “You’d wish for me to marry?” The jade light in his glare glowed fiercely.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” Swiftly the sensation swelled.
I pressed my fingers into his arms, steadying me.
“It’s good to know I’ll have your blessing from afar.” We turned the corner stepping closer to the grand staircase.
I caught a glimpse of Soren standing on top of the stairs. I tried to sever the hold Fyn’s gaze had on me as I focused my attention on the prince.
His tunic was darker than my gown, with midnight sheen.
My hand slipped from Fyn’s arm as I took each step up to the top.
“Princess Ashlyn.” Prince Soren bowed. “You are radiant.” He lifted my hand to his lips, his blue eyes held mine, before they slipped to my necklace.
“It’s a most beautiful gift. You are truly so kind to think of me.” I forced myself to stare into his eyes.
Silk scrunched beneath my fingertips as I clutched Soren’s arm.
“It is stunning on you,” he said.
Every hue that decorated the ballroom was just as I dreamt it. Silks in shades of burgundy and plum trailed from high above, creating a canopy that embraced the chandeliers.
As I peered at the people who stood around us, the vibrant shades of hair caught my eyes—emerald, ruby, violet, fuchsia, and inky blue.
Coordinating gowns and tunics made the room appear like a painting I had seen so long ago.
The colors created a midnight garden in a way that was more lifelike than any I had seen before.
But now it wasn’t just paint. It was people who moved slowly around us, watching our every step as Soren led me through the crowd. Black fabric draped over the top of the tables and billowed down the sides like pooling water. Every glass, every plate was boldly hued.
King Harlan’s eyes settled on Soren as we stepped before him. Soren bowed before his father. I forced my curtsy to match the way he lowered.
Kilan offered a mildly amused smile when I looked to him next. His wife glanced around the room at his side.
“We welcome Princess Ashlyn of Bailoc to our Kingdom.” King Harlan held a crystal ruby goblet high. “To the prospect of a marriage that would unify the human realm.”
When their colorful goblets were all raised, the king sipped his wine.
Soren led me to the chairs set beside his father. “I would love for you to sit beside me.”
Their staff pulled back the chairs before I could even agree to it.
I slipped into my seat as the food was set before me. Fish seasoned with herbs. Potatoes encrusted with something breaded sat beside it. It looked so much like meals I had eaten in Bailoc.
Each flavor melded in my mouth—as savory and seasoned as I liked it. Everything was entirely human.
“Do the fae eat differently than we do?” Soren asked.
I dabbed the white linen square to my mouth as I swallowed a sharp edge of a potato. “A little. The food here is certainly more savory.”
“What do you think he’s thinking?” Soren tilted his wine glass ever so slightly to where Fyn sat at a far-off table.
It wasn’t too far that I couldn’t see how Fyn slowly moved his food around his plate.
“That would be impossible to truly know.” I tried not to laugh at the way Fyn’s brows rose as he swallowed a bite.
“They enjoy vegetables with meats like we do. I will say, I am most grateful to be eating a human meal again. It’s more flavorful. ”
“And wine, do you enjoy it too?” Soren eyed my glass as he lifted his to his lips.
“Certainly.” I wrapped my fingers around the stem as my stomach tensed.
Fyn’s heartbeat was still a cadence I remembered all too well.
He watched me take the first sip of the wine. “We have vineyards at the edge of our palace grounds. It’s very fresh.”
The mild bite of alcohol singed the back of my throat as I lowered the glass. “I should like to see it sometime. I should like to see it all.” Even if this arrangement didn’t proceed, I’d savor every bit of humanity.
“Your enthusiasm is most refreshing.” Soren flashed a smile.
“Other women don’t wish to see vineyards?”
He coughed as he swallowed. “No. I believe they only care for the wine.”
I once only cared for some wine, too. I didn’t want to think about that now. “I have my curiosities.”