Chapter 36 Formalities
Formalities
Asharp knock startled me awake.
Blinking slowly, I braced myself for the bothersome harsh sunlight that streamed directly through the emerald glass-paned windows into my rooms, but when my eyes drifted open and I leaned to look out the windows, I was greeted with darkness.
It was nighttime? How did I get back to my rooms?
The last thing I remembered was . . .
Alaric.
I tugged the silk sheets up to my face while memories of being wrapped in strong arms floated back to me.
But then, I groaned when I remembered my complete and utter breakdown before the Serpent King.
Flopping back onto the fluffy pillows, I covered my hands with my face, as if that could shield me from the reality of what transpired with the man who broke my heart all those years ago.
Stupid girl.
“Your Majesty?” Reena’s muffled voice sounded from the other side of the door.
“Enter,” I moaned beneath my hands.
Perhaps if I hid in my room all night, Alaric would forget all I confessed.
For one last time, I could run from my problems.
A sharp inhale had me peep through my fingers, only to find Reena’s wide eyes roaming over my sprawling figure.
“You’ve looked better.” She pressed her lips tightly together, doing her best to stifle a laugh.
“Thanks for that,” I groaned, my head pounding from all the tears I shed earlier.
I rolled onto my stomach, throwing one of the golden silk pillows over my head. Not even a moment later, my lady-in-waiting wrenched the pillow from my grasp.
She tugged on my arm. “I’m afraid you must get in the bath right away, my Queen, or you will be very late for tonight’s festivities.”
After a few more futile pulls, I relented and turned to face her.
“What festivities?” A twinge of curiosity crept into my voice.
“First get in the bath, then I will tell you.” She smiled sweetly at me, which earned her a glare as I rolled out of bed and into my plush slippers.
Reena hummed with satisfaction as she buzzed into the bathing chambers and I followed her, stopping and gasping when I caught sight of my reflection in the floor-length mirror.
Holy gods, I looked like shit.
Black kohl was smudged underneath my eyes, and my skin appeared unusually puffy. Another reason I hated crying was what it did to my face—I looked years older with these bags under my eyes. I dragged a hand down my cheek as I continued to examine the bloodshot tint to them.
Seeing myself like this was revolting. Not once in all my years ruling as the Serpent Queen had I ever looked so dejected, so miserable.
The feelings I tried to shove deep down had finally reared their ugly head, and it made me want to work that much harder to defeat the Ice Goddess.
My emotions were like an invisible disease, and I desperately wanted to find the end-all cure.
With a heavy sigh, I padded into the bathing chambers and watched the tendrils of steam rise from the bath. Lavender salts splashed into the water as Reena threw a handful into the gold tub, making the water swirl with a light purple hue.
Even though a moment of absolute solitude sounded amazing, I couldn’t stand the thought of an ice bath. On top of that, a pang of sadness pinched my chest realizing I ever took such horrid baths to escape my snakes’ presence.
They were the closest thing to family I’ve ever had.
“Your Majesty, are you quite alright?” Reena stepped toward me, lifting her hand, almost like she was about to rest it atop my shoulder to comfort me.
Instead, she thought better of it, stopping short and quickly moving on to wringing her hands within the folds of her gown. Her question was long forgotten the moment my gaze roamed over the complexity of her deep green dress.
“Is this new?” I reached for the fabric, crumpling the luxurious velvet between the pads of my fingertips.
“Uh—yes, Your Majesty. It was a gift.” Reena’s fingers fidgeted, giving away her nerves.
Slowly, I lifted my gaze to hers as my fingers stayed latched onto her dress.
“A gift?” The words rolled off my tongue, leaving a bad taste in their wake.
“Yes, from Adalina.” Her throat bobbed.
She was deliberately avoiding making eye contact with me.
I hummed, letting my lady-in-waiting squirm for another moment before releasing her gown.
“It seems you two have gotten rather close.” My words came out far more bitter than I’d intended.
Reena gaped. “She’s been teaching me how to cook!” The pathetic excuse flew out of her mouth in a rush.
That was the best she could come up with for lacking in her duties? It was precisely her job to be at my side at all times, yet she’d practically abandoned me since we set foot in this new realm. And to make matters worse, she left me for a god we barely know.
“Since when do you like to cook?” I challenged, shoving my hurt down into the ever-growing well of emotions I’ve spent my life running from.
“Well, since . . .” A distant look passed through her eyes, her brow furrowing with confusion. “I suppose I don’t.”
My brows rose toward the golden chrome ceiling. “Are you quite alright, Reena?”
She shook her head, clearing the glassy look from her eyes.
“Yes, thank you. I’m simply enjoying my time in the Emerald Glades.
There are so many different things to see and learn, and I do enjoy all the colors here.
” She nervously glanced at me before skittering over to the tub.
Then, she gestured to the water. “Come, now. I’d hate for your bath to run cold before you even got in. ”
As I shrugged out of my nightgown and let the golden silk pool around my feet, I decided to let this conversation die out . . . for now. But this was far from over. Over my dead body would Adalina undermine my trust in the two people I brought with me on this journey.
Considering the gods abandoned the mortals, this was undoubtedly another part of their schemes. Adalina wanted to create a divide between me and the only two individuals who were unwaveringly loyal to me.
Carefully, I stepped into the tub and sank beneath the scalding water.
A small hiss slipped from my lips, but the scorching temperature felt great on my muscles after an afternoon of training and running.
My head lolled back to rest against the cool metal rim of the basin, pulling a sigh out of me as I closed my eyes and relaxed for what felt like the first time in—well, in forever.
A splash sounded, breaking my short-lived moment of peace. I cracked an eye open to see Reena towering above me, a washcloth now floating in the water.
“Apologies, but we must move swiftly. You need to be ready in thirty minutes.”
“Thirty minutes?!” I squeaked in disbelief.
Reena winced. “Adalina has invited us out tonight to experience all the Emerald Glades has to offer. She said it was to act as a proper send off before continuing on to the Ice Goddess’s realm.”
I scoffed. “Did she now?”
Reena gave me a nervous look, then dashed to the gold and white marble countertops and began to polish a small spot.
“And who is included in this us?” I pondered as I quickly worked the washcloth against my skin, scrubbing it hard enough to turn my complexion a furious shade of red.
“Just the Serpent King and you, of course,” she said quietly as she cleaned the sink, but her next words were muffled to where even I couldn’t hear them.
“Speak up, Reena,” I commanded.
“I—apologies. I will be accompanying you . . . and Landon will be joining us as well.”
“Why in all the lands was that so hard for you to spit out?” I laughed softly at Reena’s odd behavior.
Of course my lady-in-waiting and bodyguard would accompany me to tonight’s festivities. We were in a foreign realm full of potential enemies, after all.
So why was Reena acting like she wanted to be anywhere but here?
She scrubbed the sink with frenzied strokes, doing her best to keep her face turned away from me, but I could see her reflection in the mirror.
“The thing is, Your Majesty, Landon is essentially going tonight as Adalina’s, uh,” Reena’s breaths were short, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she stumbled over her words.
“Reena, what is it?” I barked, doing my best to control my breathing as well.
“Adalina asked Landon to formally accompany her to tonight’s activities.” Reena’s eyes pinched closed, and she looked a mere moment away from puking in the sink she just scrubbed to sparkling perfection.
I schooled my face into the mask of cool indifference I wore everyday as the Serpent Queen, not letting a crack of fury slip free.
“Ah, I see.” I gave her my signature smile, the one I wore every day to indicate I was in charge—to show that everything was fine. “Reena, I can finish my bath on my own. Wait for me in my rooms. I’ll be out momentarily.”
She turned toward me like she was about to protest, but thought better of it and dipped her head, offering me a small, timid curtsy.
My lips turned down at the gesture, my eyes trailing after her as she scurried from the bathing chamber, so quickly you’d think her feet caught on fire.
Did she just fucking curtsy to me?
What in all the realms was going on today?
First, my lady-in-waiting was acting completely out of sorts and now Landon—my Landon—was going to be a god’s date tonight and not accompany me as my bodyguard . . .
I sank below the cooling water, opened my mouth, and screamed.