The Prince Of Curses h.s.

Twenty

All morning my head felt completely scrambled.

I couldn't think straight, and my concentration was limited to drifting off into thoughts of yesterday. I had these newfound feelings towards Harry that I couldn't completely pinpoint. In a way, it almost felt wrong.

It was different than what I had felt with Elmer. Elmer felt sweet and emotional, he reminded me of daydreams and laying in the grass. Harry felt physical. My body ached for him more than my heart did.

Thinking about his touch sent shivers up my spine. The way I felt his hard length press against the bare skin on my stomach. The thought gave me goosebumps. I tried not to clench my legs together as Olesia brushed through my hair.

Today was the day of the ball, so all morning I had servants coming in and out of my room to help me get ready. I watched Olesia pin one side of my hair up, using a clip I had never seen before. It was a gold-shaped snake with emerald green eyes, and it was almost curled into a perfect S.

I was still wearing the necklace that Harry gave me on my neck, the pendant falling between my collar bones. It matched much of everything else I was wearing. Gold and white seemed to be a common theme in this castle.

Olesia patted a light amount of rouge on my cheeks, bringing life into my skin. She dabbed a nice rosy-colored lipstick on my lips, smiling to herself as she pulled away to look at me. She helped me stand, careful not to mess up my hair or makeup.

I didn't realize how big a deal these balls were, or how seriously everyone had been taking them. I was still in shock that the castle celebrated holidays like this, unknowingly to the rest of the kingdom. It was a different world here, one that I wasn't used to.

Olesia and a few other servants helped me slip into my dress. The seamstress had dropped off the newly altered version this morning. The waist of the dress tightly cinched my waist, making me muffle a small wheeze as the women pulled the strings on my back together.

The tightness of the bodice made my breast appear perkier, rounding them out at the top of the neckline. I stared at myself in the mirror as the servants fluffed my skirt, tugging and pulling at the tulle. I looked almost unrecognizable to myself— from the peasant girl working in a bakery over a month ago.

I had never imagined that I'd actually be living the life I had always envied— although it didn't happen in the exact way I had dreamt it. All those years wishing I was born a lord's daughter, wishing my family could afford better fabrics for clothes or a bigger house to fit us in. And here I was, standing with servants around me, in a ballgown made with the highest fabrics and wearing a necklace that was too valuable to have a price.

"I'll be walking you down shortly," Olesia said. She was in her normal uniform, her straight hair brushing against the tops of her shoulders.

I nodded, my stomach filling with nerves. I didn't know what to expect from this ball— or how I should interact with other people. I tilted my head to gaze out the window, seeing people heading towards the castle. My stomach flipped and my magic flew through my veins in an icy cold rush.

I stared at myself once more in the mirror. If anything, I needed to work on breaking this bond between Harry and I. I looked over my tattoo, wishing I could somehow hide it as it stuck out against the white color of my dress. I haven't seen many women with visible tattoos, let alone a full sleeve. I wasn't ready for the type of judgment I'd receive when people see it.

Moments after, I was following Olesia to the ballroom. When I entered it was already crowded, and people were still walking in through the front door. There were elegant decorations scattered about, and in the corner across the room was a table of wine and food. Guards stood around the walls and entryways, still as statues.