When I woke up, the First General’s Suite was already flooded with servants in the living space. I’d barely had time to process it when they dragged me into the living space and began their work. Artisans studied my complexion, determining the colors and metals that brought out my features while seamstresses took my measurements, draping bolts of fabric across my body.

  Their presence was the only indication that Soren had succeeded in speaking with the emperor, and that our marriage wasn’t immediately annulled. It was now recognized by the empire, and even though we were already legally married, the emperor must’ve decided to keep the ceremony. By listening to the servants, I gathered that it was no easy task to accommodate the change of plans. It should’ve been cancelled.

  I was pulled into the bath, bathed in sweet smelling soaps, and rubbed in fragrant oils that softened the worse of my dry skin. Soreness that I hadn’t realized I’d had was massaged away by skilled hands, and for the first time in over a month, my hair was properly washed and styled. Healers assessed me in the late afternoon, fixing every bruise and cut I’d sustained. The dark rings under my eyes softened, and under the influence of their magic, my body finally felt rested.

  But for all the work that was done, it was hard to feel any excitement. Where had Lord William Caspian Leander gone without saying goodbye? He’d tried so hard to keep me out of the empire’s clutches, and yet he didn’t even have a final word of warning now that I was marrying into it? The Eidolon I knew wouldn’t have missed the opportunity to taunt me, or question my intelligence. But the Eidolon I knew hadn’t been free, and for all intents and purposes, he was now. I’d never given him any commands, and whatever pull he’d felt towards my father was gone. Any compulsions that would’ve forced him back to Astalia had disappeared as soon as I’d severed the ties.

  I’d admitted to binding him, and he’d been upset. I couldn’t blame him, but I had expected him to at least give me the chance to explain. Instead, he’d left without another word, and his absence left a noticeable hole.

  I missed him.

  The servants continued their work through the night, and I was dismissed in order to sleep—once the lead seamstress was satisfied with the progress they’d made. The next day followed similarly, with the addition of an older woman—who introduced herself as Iva—arrived to test my knowledge of Etherozian etiquette while I was treated like a dress up doll.

  “I’m impressed.” She confessed, the wrinkles around her lips made her expression look perpetually sour. “I would’ve expected more work, but you seem to be more educated than most of the young lords and ladies I’ve tutored.”

  I tried not to move as another pin fastened a fold near my hip. “I hope it is enough for the emperor.”

  Iva tsk’d as she circled where I stood. “It is enough for the prince, more than enough.” She said the last bit like it was a bad thing. “The emperor will not care for the power of your mind. While normally he would take interest at your lack of magic, it’s in your favor that you don’t possess the Bloodbinding. No LeMont has ever married into the Cassemir line. It’s been deemed too dangerous to have a Bloodbound within the royal family. Ruling from the shadows as they manipulate, no one would ever know.” She sniffed her nose in distaste. “But that won’t be a worry with you, so I imagine that Andreas will be looking for the other qualities that drew his son to you instead.”

  A shiver worked its way up my spine, immediately followed by a pin prick.

  “My apologies, your highness, if you could remain still I will be more careful.” But her accompanying glare felt anything but sorry.

  I tried carefully to hold still, hating the way that the older woman appraised me. “And do you think those other qualities will be enough?”

  “It’s not my place to say...” Iva stopped in front of me. She was tall and narrow, and I noticed her knuckles were pronounced with age as she gently tilted my chin and angled my face in the light. “Your features are quite striking though. Full lips, round cheeks, the vibrant eyes hiding beneath your dark hair. I could see how Soren may have taken one look at you and made the choices that he did.”

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  I lowered my eyes to the ground. I hadn’t shared any details of our meeting with anyone. “Thank you. I hope his excellency agrees.”

  Hours blurred, and conversations ran together until the sun set and I was dismissed again to the bedroom. I stared up at the ceiling as I laid on my back, waiting for sleep to claim me. Again, my mind wandered away from the wedding, and the team of servants just outside my door. It drifted back to Leander, to Caspian. The way his eyes always seemed to carry a glint of mischief in the corners. How he’d tried to shield me when we’d been found. The warmth of his chest against my back when he’d nearly slid off the horse.

  He was bound to me, but I feared that I’d never see him again. The Bloodbinding had been done without his consent, and I doubted he’d ever risk me acting on it. What was it that he had said? ‘I doubt you’ll ever see the beast again.’ He’d essentially told me he was leaving then, I just hadn’t known that he’d been referring to himself.

  I was woken up abruptly in the morning, as the first rays of sunlight had just begun to crest the rooftops. I ate quietly while servants fussed with my hair, and when I finished, they brought out creams and powders for my face. They dressed me like I was a child’s plaything, and when they finally stepped back, I struggled to understand that they were finished.

  “The prince will be more than pleased.” They murmured behind me, leading me to the far wall where they’d brought a tall mirror. The frame around it looked elegant, like it was taken out of the emperor’s own room.

  “You look absolutely lovely.”

  “Let me just add one more piece right... there.” Another one fussed as she added something to my hair.

  “What do you think, your highness?”

  All ten pairs of eyes turned to me expectantly as I stared into the glass. The woman in its reflection was a stranger, but the dress that she wore was exquisite. Designed for royalty with every stitch and every stone they’d painstakingly attached. Surely they possessed charmed tools to accomplish such a task in the two days they’d been given?

  The bodice of the dress possessed a square neckline, and the delicate lace trim they’d placed along the neckline looked like ethereal wisps of ivy, with small diamonds scattered throughout. The skirts were made of layered ruffles of the softest ivory silk and chiffon, and as they fell to the ground, the layers rippled like water. The sleeves were also made of chiffon layers, and edged by the same trim as the bodice. The dress alone was breathtaking, but that was only half of what they’d done.

  I hadn’t had a proper look at my face in weeks, and the few times I had seen it in passing, I’d hated the image I’d seen. As I stared at my reflection I had to admit that even Alexia’s skill wouldn’t have compared to what magic they’d performed on my face.

  My eyes had been lined in coal, and a shadow of powder covered the lids to accent the ruby quality of my irises. They’d added a dusting of rouge to my cheeks, which almost made my pale skin look like it possessed a healthy, sun kissed glow. My hair, which had almost always been styled into complex twists and braids, had only been partially pulled away from my face. The top half had been braided into a complex series of twists, while the bottom half had been left free to flow down my back in delicate waves. Golden combs had been added to either side of the braids, and three separate strands of delicate pearls draped across at varying lengths.

  The girl in the mirror was a princess.

  Did I deserve to marry into the Cassemir family? I didn’t know, but the girl in the mirror looked like she did, and for once, the nerves I felt were not induced by anxiety, but anticipation. For the first time since leaving Astalia, I felt... excited. Butterflies fluttered nervously in my stomach. I was a bride and I was marrying into a powerful, well-respected family, and my father would never be able to touch me here.

  Hope blossomed in my chest. I would be able to find Alexia. Her contact with those in Astalia may be irreversibly over, but I no longer dwelled in Astalia. No one except the Cassemir’s themselves would be able to stop me from finding her, and they’d have no reason to deny me once I found her. We could be together again in our new lives.

  Maybe the gods of old were watching. I could almost believe that all the suffering I’d experienced had been predestined to lead me back to my friend.

  “Your highness?” The lady’s maid broke me from the stupor I’d fallen into. “It’s time to leave, if you are well?”

  Another agreed. “We must make haste or you’ll be late to your own ceremony.”

  “It’s magnificent. Thank you all so much.” I smiled at my reflection as genuine happiness filled my heart, replacing the hollowness that had dwelt there for far too long. “I’m ready.”