unless surrounded by snow. However, here in the desolate Otherworld, it did not seem incongruous at all between the dry, drab green grass and the murky gray skies.
The Queen’s mood abruptly shifted to a more cheerful one as the carriage clattered to a halt. “Come, we are here. I cannot wait to put you in the hands of my ladies, and see how you look tonight. We will dress you in the colors of your family. I am sure Ronan will be completely surprised when he sees you.”
“I’m not sure I want Ronan to see me,” Khiara said , struggling to keep a scowl off her face. “In fact, I would prefer to deal with him in my own time.”
“And so you will, but tonight you will at least enjoy the dance.” Titania’s smile was playful as the footman in attendance opened the carriage door for them. “You will enjoy the dance, even if you cannot enjoy the other pleasures that are being offered to you. I assure you, you are safe in my home.” With that, the Queen gracefully exited the carriage and swept along the stone path into the glittering palace.
Liam followed, so silently that Khiara did not even realize she was alone in the carriage for an entire minute. She saw him standing by the door, waiting to help her down to the ground. As she took his hand, he tilted his head to look at her speculatively.
“You handled that skillfully,” he said, not relinquishing her hand, even though she was standing on solid ground. “You are doing very well in being gracious in accepting faerie hospitality. Your diplomacy and caution do you credit. Two debts to the fae are more than enough.”
Khiara looked at him. “I said ‘thank you’ to you, because I trust you, Liam,” she told him softly.
His hand tightened around hers a nd she cringed at the crushing pain. “You trusted Ronan too,” he reminded her.
Chapter 10
It had been a little discomforting to strip down and bathe in an unfamiliar place, not to mention a place where the people treated her with hostility and suspicion, but the warm water had been all too inviting. She had sunk down into the claw-footed porcelain bathtub with a sense of relief. With a silver filigree screen between her and the fae handmaidens sent to attend to her, Khiara took her time washing her hair and body. By the time she was done, the water had turned filthy with the dust of the past few days spent on the road. Khiara did not recall ever being so dirty in her life.
After the bath, the faerie maids each performed a different task to prepare her for the Queen’s ball. One ran a silken cloth over her hair until it was dry. She then brushed it and gathered the smooth, straight honey-blonde locks by one section at a time to wrap them around heated curling tongs. Another of the maids sprayed her with perfume – a light scent that reminded Khiara of baby powder – and then appl ied make-up to her face. The third maid was the one who responsible for clothing her, and Khiara had to keep herself from squirming like a badly behaved puppy as the woman dressed her from head to toe in finery.
After the ministrations of the fae women, Khiara hardly recognized herself when they permitted her to look in the mirror.
The dark red dress had a black corset-like bodice that laced up the front, and puffy red sleeves that tapered along her arms into flowing black lace cuffs. There were several black buckles at the waist, which only emphasized her slender figure above the full, floor-length red skirt of the dress. From the red choker-like collar of the dress to the top of the bodice, black lace was the only thing covering her chest. Her hair dangled around her shoulders in golden curls, with a few loose braids woven into it on either side, left unfastened so the ends would interweave with the rest of her hair.
“This is insanity,” she muttered while the maids cleaned up the room. In her mind, Khiara had dubbed all the hair devices, make-up tools, and wardrobe the Implements of Beautification. “They
The Queen’s mood abruptly shifted to a more cheerful one as the carriage clattered to a halt. “Come, we are here. I cannot wait to put you in the hands of my ladies, and see how you look tonight. We will dress you in the colors of your family. I am sure Ronan will be completely surprised when he sees you.”
“I’m not sure I want Ronan to see me,” Khiara said , struggling to keep a scowl off her face. “In fact, I would prefer to deal with him in my own time.”
“And so you will, but tonight you will at least enjoy the dance.” Titania’s smile was playful as the footman in attendance opened the carriage door for them. “You will enjoy the dance, even if you cannot enjoy the other pleasures that are being offered to you. I assure you, you are safe in my home.” With that, the Queen gracefully exited the carriage and swept along the stone path into the glittering palace.
Liam followed, so silently that Khiara did not even realize she was alone in the carriage for an entire minute. She saw him standing by the door, waiting to help her down to the ground. As she took his hand, he tilted his head to look at her speculatively.
“You handled that skillfully,” he said, not relinquishing her hand, even though she was standing on solid ground. “You are doing very well in being gracious in accepting faerie hospitality. Your diplomacy and caution do you credit. Two debts to the fae are more than enough.”
Khiara looked at him. “I said ‘thank you’ to you, because I trust you, Liam,” she told him softly.
His hand tightened around hers a nd she cringed at the crushing pain. “You trusted Ronan too,” he reminded her.
Chapter 10
It had been a little discomforting to strip down and bathe in an unfamiliar place, not to mention a place where the people treated her with hostility and suspicion, but the warm water had been all too inviting. She had sunk down into the claw-footed porcelain bathtub with a sense of relief. With a silver filigree screen between her and the fae handmaidens sent to attend to her, Khiara took her time washing her hair and body. By the time she was done, the water had turned filthy with the dust of the past few days spent on the road. Khiara did not recall ever being so dirty in her life.
After the bath, the faerie maids each performed a different task to prepare her for the Queen’s ball. One ran a silken cloth over her hair until it was dry. She then brushed it and gathered the smooth, straight honey-blonde locks by one section at a time to wrap them around heated curling tongs. Another of the maids sprayed her with perfume – a light scent that reminded Khiara of baby powder – and then appl ied make-up to her face. The third maid was the one who responsible for clothing her, and Khiara had to keep herself from squirming like a badly behaved puppy as the woman dressed her from head to toe in finery.
After the ministrations of the fae women, Khiara hardly recognized herself when they permitted her to look in the mirror.
The dark red dress had a black corset-like bodice that laced up the front, and puffy red sleeves that tapered along her arms into flowing black lace cuffs. There were several black buckles at the waist, which only emphasized her slender figure above the full, floor-length red skirt of the dress. From the red choker-like collar of the dress to the top of the bodice, black lace was the only thing covering her chest. Her hair dangled around her shoulders in golden curls, with a few loose braids woven into it on either side, left unfastened so the ends would interweave with the rest of her hair.
“This is insanity,” she muttered while the maids cleaned up the room. In her mind, Khiara had dubbed all the hair devices, make-up tools, and wardrobe the Implements of Beautification. “They
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