I was rounding the curve near the mountain when Iian and Kerr came into view riding tarrans. The moment they saw me, they dismounted and waited for me to reach them.
“We were coming to look for you,” Iian said. “Vaerik found the note you left in your room, but he thought you would be back from town by now.”
“You know me. There’s so much to see and do, and I have to look at everything,” I answered. Hearing that Lukas had taken time out of the meetings with Seelie to visit me made my weary body feel lighter. Combined with the exhilaration over what I’d done today, it was a heady sensation.
“You look tired,” Iian said.
I rolled my eyes. “Just what every girl wants to hear.”
They chuckled as we started toward home. Kerr looked at my empty hands. “You did not buy anything?”
“Maybe next time.”
“Did you see anything interesting in your exploring?” Iian asked.
Images of my day flashed through my mind. “Oh, you know. The usual stuff.”
* * *
“Looks like it’s you and me tonight,” I said the following evening to Kaia, who was curled up on the other end of the couch with her head on my feet.
She cracked an eye to look at me and closed it. Her loud purrs filled the room.
I sighed. As much as I loved her company, I wished I had a companion who could talk to me.
Tonight, the king was hosting a lavish dinner in honor of the queen’s visit, after which she and her people would return to Seelie. Tomorrow, the court would go back to normal, and I’d see Lukas, Roswen, and the others again. For now, I was on my own.
The bell rang, signaling someone was at the door. Kaia leaped off the couch and padded ahead of me when I went to see who was visiting. I was surprised to find Gelsey, Roswen’s personal tailor who had made all my wonderful new clothes. Gelsey’s arms were laden with dresses, shoes, and other items, and I rushed to relieve her of some of her burden.
“Did we have a fitting I forgot about?” I asked as I draped the clothes over a chair. I eyed the long dresses in confusion. We hadn’t discussed her making formal clothes for me.
She set the rest of it on the couch. “I have been instructed to help you dress for the queen’s dinner. I’ve brought some gowns I have been working on for Princess Roswen. A few adjustments and one of them will be perfect for you.”
I held up a hand. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m not going to the dinner.”
Gelsey’s brow furrowed. “Oh, but you must. Prince Vaerik himself asked me to tend to you.”
Lukas wanted me to go to the dinner with him? Warmth rushed through me, and I gave her a wide smile, brushing aside the fact that I had never been to a formal Fae affair and I had no clue what to do at one. I’d be with Lukas, and he would guide me through it.
I touched one of the dresses, a deep green one that felt like silk in my fingers. “Roswen won’t mind you trimming her dress for me?”
“It was her idea to use one of these.” Gelsey arranged the three floor-length dresses so we could see them better. In addition to the green one, there was a pale blue one, and one in midnight blue, all in different styles. They were beautiful, and any of them would work with my coloring and hair.
She picked up the green dress. “Why don’t you try on each of them, and we’ll see which one suits you best.”
Two hours later, I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom, hardly able to believe I was looking at my own reflection. After some deliberation, Gelsey had decided on the dark blue gown, and I could see why Roswen would have no one else make her clothes.
The off-the-shoulder sheath dress fit like it had been made for me. The form-fitting bodice adorned with lace and tiny blue crystals tapered down to a skirt that hugged my hips and fell gracefully to my feet. The skirt was overlaid with a gossamer veil that trailed a foot behind me. It was open at the front and flared out gently from the sides when I walked.
On my feet were low-heeled shoes the same color as the dress and trimmed with blue crystals that winked in the light. Gelsey had arranged my hair into an elaborate loose braid adorned with tiny white and blue flowers that draped over one shoulder, leaving the other shoulder bare.
“You are breathtaking,” Gelsey said from behind me, her eyes glistening with the sheen of tears.
I smiled at her. “Thanks to you.”
She shook her head. “I merely framed your natural beauty. With your unique hair and coloring, you are incomparable, and I am honored to be the one to dress you.”
I dabbed at my eyes. “It’s a good thing faeries don’t wear mascara, or I’d be a mess now.”
Gelsey laughed. “I have heard about the colored powders and creams humans put on their faces. Is it true they also wear false lashes and change their hair color?”
“Mostly women wear makeup and false eyelashes, but some men do, too.” I grinned at her shocked expression. “And both men and women dye their hair.”
“It is a very different world you come from,” she said as she adjusted the back of my dress. “I think I would like to see it someday.”
I turned to face her. “I’ll be happy to show you around when you decide to go.”
The bell rang, and her eyes lit up as she ran to answer the door. I took one last glance at the mirror and pressed a hand to my stomach to calm the butterflies there. Then I followed Gelsey to the living room to greet Lukas.
I came up short when I saw the unfamiliar dark-haired male standing in the entranceway with Gelsey. He was dressed formally in cream pants and a matching tunic with dark blue trim, and his eyes widened in appreciation when he saw me.
“Can I help you?” I asked him.
He gave a small bow. “I am Joreth. King Oseron sent me to escort you to dinner.”
“But…”
Joreth came over and took my limp hand in his. “I heard about our lovely new faerie, but the stories do not do you justice. You are a vision, and I will be the envy of every male there tonight.”
“Thank you.” I shot a helpless look at Gelsey, who seemed to be as surprised as I was by his arrival.
A growl came from behind me, and Joreth dropped my hand. He took a few steps back as Kaia came to stand between us.
I stroked her head. “Kaia, be nice.”
She stopped growling but continued to stare at him. I remembered that look from my first encounter with her.
Joreth cleared his throat. “We should go. We cannot be late for the dinner.”
I stepped around Kaia and walked with him to the door. Gelsey smiled weakly as we approached her. “I will collect the other dresses before I go. Have a wonderful time tonight.”
“We will,” Joreth answered for me.
“Can you let Kaia out when you leave?” I asked Gelsey, who nodded.
Outside, Joreth tucked my hand into the crook of his elbow, and I let him escort me to the lift. It wasn’t his fault I’d been expecting someone else as my date, and there had to be a good reason why Lukas didn’t come for me.
The few people we passed eyed us enviously. When we stepped onto the lift, Joreth happily confided that tonight’s dinner was a big deal, and invitations were highly coveted. Dressed as we were, it was no secret to anyone where we were going.