ELDORA
2:30 pm
"Ma'am?"
"Ma'am, please, you must wake up! It's almost time!"
I opened my eyes and sat up straight. My sudden movement made the maids flinch back from the bedside, their eyes wide. My neutral morning expression did nothing to calm them. Not wanting to frighten them further, I plastered on a gentle smile.
"May I ask why I was woken?" My voice was raspy, thick with unwanted sleep.
Wait. Afternoon light.
I jolted from the bed as if electrocuted.
"What time is it?"
"It's 2:31 pm, ma'am..." the braver one whispered, wringing her hands. "We came to get you ready for-"
"The gala."
The word sucked all the air from the room.
"Oh, no. No, no, no, no." The polite mask shattered. I was across the room in three strides, throwing open the curtains as if the bright sunlight could burn away the reality.
The grand carriages would be lining up in three hours. Panic, cold and sharp, clawed up my throat.
"Get Aris. Now," I commanded, my voice no longer raspy but edged with steel. The head maid scurried out.
For seven years, my retired-general-turned-handmaid had been my rock. She entered a moment later, her stern face a calming anchor in the storm. She took one look at me-wild-haired, in a simple sleep shift, breathing too fast-and clapped her hands once, sharp as a gunshot.
"Enough. The sky is not falling. You are a Crown Princess, not a startled deer." Her voice was a command. "You. Draw her bath.
You. Lay out the creams. You," she pointed to the youngest, "brew the strong tea with ginger. Move!"
The room erupted into disciplined chaos.
Aris steered me toward the bathing chamber. "You slept because your mind needed refuge. Now, it's time to arm yourself."
In the bath, the scalding water worked to burn away the last of my lethargy. Aris spoke low, her words a strategic briefing.
"The Prince's delegation arrived at noon.
They are settled in the east wing. Your father is meeting with their chancellor. The ballroom is prepared. Your gown is ready."
"And…..." I couldn't say his name. "The other
RSVP?"
Aris's hands, scrubbing my back with a rough, fragrant cloth, stilled for a second.
"Confirmed. He will attend."
I sank lower into the water, wishing it could swallow me whole. Kasim, in this palace.
Walking these halls. Seeing me play this role.
The next two hours were a blur of being polished, painted, and pinned. They rubbed scented oils into my skin, dusted my shoulders with shimmering powder. They wound my hair into an intricate, heavy coronet of braids, not a single strand permitted to be free.
The final touch was the dress.
Ivory silk, heavier than it looked, embroidered with a lattice of silver threads that felt like chainmail. The neckline was high, the sleeves long. It covered everything, a fortress of fabric. Perfect for hiding a secret necklace. Perfect for feeling utterly, completely trapped.
As they fastened the final clasp at the nape of my neck, I met my own eyes in the full-length mirror.The Phantom Princess, ready for her grand performance.
A knock sounded, brittle and precise.
I didn't need to turn. The cloying scent of rose perfume announced her.
Ivy stood in the doorway, a dress of emerald silk. Her smile was all sweet poison. "The car is ready, cousin," she sang. "You look... absolutely bridal. How fitting."
I turned slowly, the weight of the gown and the hairstyle making the movement feel regal. "It is the official color of my house for a state occasion. I'm sure you remember the protocols."
Her smile tightened. "Of course. I'm just so eager to see you and Prince Lance together.
He's been asking about you all day. He seems…. invested." She let the word hang, a clear double meaning. "Do try to look pleased to see him. We wouldn't want our guest to think his efforts are unappreciated."
I took a step toward her, the layers of my silk gown whispering like a drawn blade.
"My duty is to secure this alliance for Crowcrest. I suggest you focus on your duty tonight, Ivy. Which is to be seen, to be charming, and to stay out of my way."
For a heartbeat, her mask of sweetness fell, revealing the raw spite beneath. Then it was back. "We'll see," she said lightly, and glided away.
Aris stepped to my side, her presence solid.
"Remember your training," she murmured.
"The ballroom is just another kind of battlefield. Watch. Listen. Do not reveal your flank."
I gave a single, sharp nod. My expression hardened, steeling myself to walk into a war fought with smiles and whispers.
My heart was a frantic drum against my ribs, a counter-rhythm to the calm I forced into my limbs. I touched the spot on my chest where the sapphire lay hidden, a tiny, hard knot of truth beneath the layers of false silk.
Let's see what the night unfolds.