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I hmmm in response, just to say something besides the poison trying to make its way out of my mouth. I'm not sure if peculiar is the word I would use to describe his antics. Infuriating, yes. Invasive, absolutely. Utterly ridiculous, definitely.
"By the way," she continues, walking nearer to where I've gotten distracted from changing. "There have also been changes to your itinerary while you're here."
"Have there?" My question comes out unnaturally high, and I work to loosen my fist from its tense position. "I was supposed to have a tour of the kingdom today with the king's right-hand man, Shan, I believe."
"Right, yes. The tour is still happening. I just wanted you to be made aware of the changes so you are," she pauses, "prepared for them."
Gods damn it. I exit the changing area, and she gives me a quick but thorough once-over to ensure I'm properly draped in this beautiful monstrosity. Now that it's on, I see the appeal. It feels so light and soft against my skin, whispering against it as I move. The light blue shimmery fabric catches the light, the layers of it creating an ocean of waves across my skin.
"Am I safe to assume His Royal Majesty will be joining us then?" I bite the inside of my cheek, tearing a small piece of skin off to calm myself. I tug on the strange cutouts on the sleeves, connecting with small clasps all the way down my arms, leaving much of my skin on display.
She gently rights the fabric I've disrupted, pushing my hands away so I stop fiddling. Then she answers, "Shan has been called away, some disturbance he needed to address. Something of the utmost importance." But not important enough for the king to deal with himself. Before I can voice my thoughts, her eyes dart to the vanity by the window. "Can I help with your hair? Please? It's my favorite part of being a maid, and your hair is so lovely."
"Oh." The abrupt change of subject catches me by surprise. "Yeah, that would be great." I take a few steps and sit in front of the mirror, watching her excitement grow at something as simple as styling my hair.
"I apologize," I say, "I haven't even had a chance to brush it yet. I'm sure it's a mess."
With a small laugh, she picks up the brush, twirling it in her gloved hand. "Oh, that's alright. Doesn't bother me. I'll be gentle, I swear."
After a few moments of silence as she pulls the brush through my snarly strands, using her fingers to keep it from tugging too much, she speaks again, "I know you're probably not thrilled about spending the day with His Royal Majesty, but it won't be so bad. Just... don't argue with him, don't use a tone, and don't let him see how much he rattles you."
"He doesn't rattle me," I tell her vehemently. Maybe too much so, if her smirk is any indication. "He doesn't. He's just another man."
Her work pauses as she throws her head back with a belly laugh. "He most certainly is not. He's The Horned King. Or did you forget already?"
"Well, the king I've met and the one I've heard stories of are vastly different. I was expecting... I don't know, someone who would threaten to kill me on sight, not mistake me for a whore."
She pinches her lips between her teeth to stop her laughter. "Easy mistake. They send one every few weeks, hoping to entice the new king. Generally, he lets them stay for dinner, ensures they're fed and paid for their time, then sends them on their way."
"That sounds... really nice," I admit.
With a scrunch of her nose, she responds, "Don't read too much into it. It's not kindness. It's just politics. He knows who he should make enemies of and who he shouldn't. Everybody knows the members of the Ordinance own all the secrets in the kingdom."
Brushing finished, she moves on to weaving plaits into my hair, grabbing little gems that match the dress from her pocket and twisting them into the braids. Once her work is done, most of my hair flows freely down my back, with just a handful of bejeweled braids holding it out of my face.
"Thank you," I tell her earnestly. "It's beautiful."
With a beaming smile, she backs away, looking out the window at the sun ascending into the sky. "You'll need to be ready to leave in ten minutes. Someone will retrieve you."
She disappears almost soundlessly out the door, gently closing it behind her. I'm still frozen, seated at the vanity, and dreading the day that's coming. I don't understand why the king has taken such an interest in me when, all along, he's been less than receptive to our communication.
When a knock sounds, alerting me that it's time to go, I finally pull myself off the chair. Shaking off the tension, I open the door to two armed guards waiting for me, both with masks covering their faces. Every inch of skin is covered in metal and leather, shaped perfectly to their forms, protecting them from whatever threat comes their way.
Without saying a word, they turn and expect me to follow. I have to nearly jog to keep up with their long, perfectly in-sync strides. While I can't see any weapons, I'm sure they have several tucked away in their immaculate armor. Thankfully, they're silent the whole way to the front entrance of the palace. I don't think I could keep up with them and converse at the same time.
The large doors swing open, and my eyes immediately drift to the crashing waves in the distance. Once again, I'm captivated by the push and pull of the foamy water on the white sand, unable to look away. Distantly, I wonder what the water feels like. Is it warm or cold? What does it taste like? Does the sand move with the tide?
The clearing of a throat shakes me from the spell, and I look at the black carriage before me, so stark in contrast to the bright blue and white landscape all around us.
And there, standing in front of it, dressed in the same color as me, is the king.
"Good morning, Your Majesty," I tell him curtly.
One side of his lips lifts in a smirk. "Good morning, Elva. Do you want to get closer?" My brows pinch together, confused at his question. He clarifies, "To the water?"
"Oh." I take a step forward. "No. We have an itinerary."
"It can wait five minutes," he assures me.
