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“Can I at least eat first?” I laughed, my stomach rumbling in protest. All I’d had was wine, and dizziness greeted me as I rose from the stool.
“Bring me some fruit,” she called out as I returned to the living space. I rolled my eyes and piled two identical plates with food, both with extra fruit. They clattered against the marble as I placed them amid the haphazard array of makeup.
Settling cross-legged onto the stool, I dug my fork into the eggs and semi-cold cinnamon rolls before consuming the fruit and cheese. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I looked at my empty plate and wanted more. “I’m still hungry, but that dress was tight when I had it made,” I laughed, and Liliana joined me around a mouthful of food.
“Beauty is pain,” she managed to say, covering her mouth with her hand. She chewed and swallowed, then drained the last of her wine. “Now, let’s fix your face. I’m thinking sultry.”
“When are you not?” I bantered, spinning to face her. “But yes, I want Ruslan to think of nothing else when he sees me.”
Liliana scoffed and unscrewed the lid of one of her jars. “Pretty sure he would do the same regardless of when, where, or who was around.”
“True,” I replied. A smile pulled up the corners of my mouth despite my attempts to smooth my face so Liliana could workher magic. The depth of devotion Ruslan offered me with each glance in my direction was nearly indescribable, solidifying the utter safety I felt when I was with him.
Obediently, I followed Liliana’s directions as she painted my face, accentuating the bright blues of my eyes with heavy dark makeup around them, then sharpening my cheekbones and dusting them with a shimmer that caught the light no matter which way I looked. Her final touch was a glossy lip stain that made me afraid to drink or eat anything.
Her brows pinched ever so slightly as she made a few adjustments, and I had to smother the smile as her bottom lip popped open. Why her face frozen in concentration was so amusing, I had no clue. Perhaps it was the wine, or perhaps I was drunk on the excitement of the day. Either way, she snapped at me to hold still more than once.
When she was finally satisfied, she stepped back and then spun me so I faced the mirror again. Crouching, she bent her head toward mine, and we gazed at our reflections together. Our styles were similar, but each of our unique personalities shone.
“We’re definitely going to be the most fuckable females there,” I whispered, that smile finally breaking.
My comment earned a laugh from her, and shook her head. “As if we weren’t already.”
“Have I ever told you how much I love your self confidence?” I said as I rose from the stool and made my way to the bedroom where the intricate dress rested on the bed. We worked together to shimmy it out of the bag, careful not to snag the jewels sewn into the fabric on anything. As I drank in the exquisite gown with a sheer waist with thick boning, I regretted that last cinnamon roll I’d eaten.
“Hopefully I don’t break it,” I said, patting my belly.
“Oh shut up, you’ll be fine,” Liliana snorted, unhooking the buttons on the back and shaking out the wispy skirt. The trainwas long enough to cover the bedroom end to end if we stretched it out. My robe dropped from my shoulders, and I took great care in avoiding the white fabric as I readied myself to pull it on. Using Liliana for balance, I stepped into the puddle. I exhaled all the air from my lungs, and she shimmied the dress up over my legs. When the cups that supported my breasts reached my chest, I clasped them against my body, allowing Liliana to work to close the dress around my torso. The dress fit perfectly, even after all this time, and I breathed a sigh of relief when Liliana stepped back.
“All done!” she exclaimed, gingerly bunching the white fabric around my feet so she could circle me, searching for anything out of place. I adjusted my breasts in the top, then the sheer sleeves that started just above my elbows and billowed out until they cinched at my wrists.
Glancing down at myself, I admired the fine fabric, its sheerness leaving almost nothing to the imagination, but the softness held an almost romantic quality. And because it was the Iron Realm, there were gemstones galore. None of the tiny diamonds sewn into the skirt compared to the bodice Liliana lifted from the bed.
The glittering metal overlay made it look like I was quite literally dripping in gems, and Liliana managed to fasten the collar of the piece around my neck without catching my hair. From there, she adjusted the layers of chains covered in glittering diamonds and smoky gray stones, fastening the last of them around my waist, just above where the flowing skirts tumbled down my hips in every direction. The metal was cold against the bare parts of my back, and I hobbled to the mirror to get a better look at myself.
The female in the mirror looked like a goddess – sexy, romantic, and powerful. Metal armor had become my preferred attire, but this, this was an outfit of war just as much, if notmore, than what I strapped on to spar. The dress commanded attention and respect, and the fierce look on the female wearing it? Well, that was enough to send any male’s knees quaking.
“Insidious bloom,” I said to myself in the mirror, turning this way and that as the white fire in my chest flared with the heady thrum of my thoughts.
Liliana slipped into her dress, a sultry garnet piece with a slit so high in the leg that one forceful breeze would expose her. The bodice had boning that matched mine, keeping with the style of the Iron Realm to show a lot of skin. Glancing at the large clock on the wall, I noticed it was nearly time for the procession to begin, which meant Ruslan would be returning at any moment.
“Ready?” Liliana asked, using silver tendrils of her magic to lift my skirts and arrange them in a neat bundle that would allow me to walk. We waddled over to where a pair of white slippers waited for me, and I stepped into them, not loving the pinch around my toes.
“Now I am,” I grinned, my stomach turning over as I felt Ruslan drawing nearer.
Liliana’s eyes shone as we held each other’s gazes, and a crooked smile twisted her features. All her emotions washed over me, drawing tears to my eyes, too. “You look so beautiful, Izidora. You deserve this so much.”
I clasped her hands in mine, giving them a light squeeze. “You will have this too, with Endre and Drazen. Now reel back your emotions, otherwise I might cry and ruin all your hard work.”
“You’re the empath, can’t you do that?” Her laugh was watery as we embraced. I was so grateful to have my best friend by my side for one of the most important days of my life. Goddess, I was grateful to have everyone in my life when I had gone twenty-one years without a true friend or family.
Ruslan, Drazen, Liliana, Endre, the other Félvér… they were my family. The Iron Realm was my home. And my mate was steps away from seeing me.
The doors to our suite opened, revealing Ruslan in a sharp black suit perfectly molded to his muscular frame, the newly minted Empire Crown resting atop his head. Garnets the color of blood dotted the thick band of black metal covered in intricate filigree that spoke of the unity of Északi as it wound its way around. A matching one had been crafted for me, though I would receive it from Ruslan later.
Never had he felt so large and imposing as he did the moment he stepped into the room, looking every bit the emperor of all the Fae realms. The air fled my lungs as our gazes collided, and it was as if the world stopped turning, just for us. We remained frozen, raking our eyes over one another, until finally he broke our trance and crossed the room in three strides, capturing me against his body and running his nose along what little bare skin remained around my neck.
“This fucking dress and those fucking jewels, Izidora… are you trying to kill me with lust?” His raspy voice was thick with it, and I didn’t have to imagine just how aroused he was with his erection digging into my stomach.
