Yesterday hadn’t been a good day for either of them, and today wasn’t going to be an easy one either. The previous kings who took the throne probably did so with a thrill of excitement; he would claim it with a knot of dread in his stomach.
Not only did he have the throne because his father was dead, but he had a lot to live up to when it came to his father’s legacy.
And he would make sure he succeeded in doing so.
Lexi was showered and dressed in the clothes she brought with her when someone knocked on the outer door. She drank some of the birth control Sahira had given her and tucked it back into her bag.
Cole was also taking a form of birth control, but she was extremely careful about it. She was definitely not ready for babies. When a knock sounded again, she left the bedroom behind for the sitting room.
“Come in,” she called as she walked.
Amaris opened the door and poked her head inside. She smiled when she spotted Lexi and pushed the door further open to enter. Draped over her arm, the striking blue dress she carried was the same shade as Cole’s eyes.
Lexi gaped at the thick, satin-looking material that shone in the sun spilling through the windows. “Is that for me?”
“Yes.”
Amaris’s smile lit her black eyes. Today, she’d pulled her thick black hair into a braid that dangled over her shoulder. The brown dress she wore was slitted to midthigh on both sides.
“Do you like it?” Amaris asked.
“It’s beautiful, but it’s… it’s… too much.”
“Of course it’s not,” Amaris scoffed. “It’s a dress fit for a queen.”
“I’m not a queen.”
“Not yet, but you will be.”
Lexi couldn’t argue with that. Cole hadn’t formally proposed, but he’d made his intentions clear.
Closing her mouth, Lexi stared at the dress as Amaris laid it across one of the chairs. When the sun’s rays lit on it, they turned it a more spectacular shade of blue.
“I’ll return to help you dress in a couple of hours,” Amaris said. “I have some plans for your hair that I think will be lovely. It’s such a pretty shade.”
Lexi couldn’t stop herself from touching her hair. “Thank you,” she murmured. “Are you all alone today?”
“Yes. The others are helping to prepare for the coronation and the celebration to follow. We all miss King Tove; he was loved by many, but a coronation is a time of celebration, and after the war and now King Tove, we could all use some celebrating. Many are excited to see Lord Colburn take the throne; he is also loved by many here.”
“Even though he’s only half dark fae?”
“He led our side to victory during the war. I’m sure you’ve heard of his reputation in battle?”
“I have.”
“The dark fae respect power and might, and Lord Colburn possesses both. If he survived the trials, he is stronger than the many other dark fae who failed before him, and his dark fae side must be the more dominant of the two. That is enough for most.”
Lexi wasn’t sure she would agree with the dark fae being the more dominant part of Cole, but she wasn’t going to say that. Amaris was already saying many instead of all the dark fae when she talked about Cole and the fae. Lexi didn’t need to give the woman gossip to spread that could turn many into some.
“And what do they think of me?” she asked.
Amaris’s eyes darted away. “They don’t know much about you.”
But that’s not stopping them from talking about me.
Lexi didn’t ask her for more information. The topic clearly made her uncomfortable, and she doubted Amaris would reveal what the fae were saying about her.
“I was going to explore the palace for a bit; Cole said it would be okay,” Lexi said.
“If you’d like, I have some time and can join you for a bit.”
Lexi couldn’t stop herself from beaming at the offer. “I’d like that very much.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
Amaris stayed with Lexi as she made her way lower through the palace. She opened doors and peered into countless rooms. Many of them were bedrooms, and some were nurseries; there were dens, libraries, art studios, a couple of music rooms, and one trophy room that made her blood run cold before she shut the door.
And those were the doors that opened for her. There were more than a few that simply refused to budge. She stared curiously at those doors and pulled on the knob a little more than she should have before conceding defeat.
“Many of the rooms have never allowed us entrance,” Amaris said.
“Have you been through the whole palace?”
“I think so, but I’m not sure. I swear the palace sometimes changes around us. Or maybe I only believe that because those have always been the rumors. But it’s so large, and there are so many halls, rooms, secret passages, and stairwells it’s impossible to keep track of them all. I could have been through this whole place dozens of times, or maybe I’ve only ever seen a quarter of it.”
“How fascinating,” Lexi murmured.
“It is a wondrous place.”
“Do you… do you work here willingly?”
“Yes. Though some helots are here because they’re being punished or owe a debt, many others are here to serve our king. I am here to serve my king.”
“Good.”
Lexi would have hated it if this beautiful, kind woman was obligated to be here. But then, for all she knew, Amaris was playing with her and she wasn’t kind at all. She could be trying to gain her trust to learn secrets about Cole.
An uneasy feeling churned in her stomach. She couldn’t trust anyone in this realm, but she hoped time would change that.
When they arrived on the first floor, the unseen clock chimed eleven in the distance.
“I must leave for a bit,” Amaris said. “Would you like me to return you to Lord Colburn’s rooms?”
“No, thank you. I’d like to find the moon room again.”
“It’s right down that hall.” Amaris pointed to the hall on their right. “You can’t miss it. I’ll meet you there at twelve, and we can return to get you ready.”
“Thank you for staying with me.”
“It has been my pleasure.”
When Amaris walked away, Lexi strolled down the hall. As she wandered, she opened and closed doors. Her face reddened when she came across the dance studio, but she smiled before shutting the door.
The next few doors wouldn’t open to her, and then she was in the moon room. A sense of peace descended over her as she took in the glass walls and gold beams carved to look like branches running across the ceiling.
Countless brown vines and green leaves covered half of the glass walls, but the ceiling remained clear of the plants. One of the four moons was directly overhead, but the sun's glow drowned out its silver radiance.
The multicolored, vibrant blooms of the luna flowers turned toward that moon; they weren’t as fully in bloom as the last time she saw them. She suspected the sun’s rays had caused this change.
She entered the room, settled onto the bench, and rested her head against the glass to study the flowers. Some of them turned toward her and revealed their beautiful petals before they closed. When they turned back to the moon, their petals unfurled once more.