Esmeray (Queen of Darkness)

03

If only I could burn all the corsets in the world. I'd throw them all into the fire, and relish in the sight of them turning to ash. If only. Letting out a loud oof, one of my maidens shoots me a glare and I crinkle my nose back in reply. Behind me another maid mutters under her breath but then eventually confides with the rest and ties off the corset strings. Praise the sky. Stepping off the raised platform, the girls help me into my dress and I pop my head out of the hole and face the mirror. I look like a lie. A deceitful, twisted lie that makes you blush and get twenty degrees hotter. Clenching my fists I turn away from my reflection and toward the circle of maids that compliment me. After glaring at them, they eventually shut up and help me into my heels.

"Beautiful," one mutters.

"Truly breathtaking!" Another exclaims.

"Truly irritating," I mumble.

Catching my words they purse their lips but shake their heads, dismissing my words. I can tell they all want to slap me. I can see the greed in their eyes. The distasteful pinch of their faces, that follow any Aura nobility. I don't blame them, I'd hate me to. I do hate me.

"My princess," one says, breaking my thoughts.

Looking at her I see she holds my crown in her hands. I hate that thing. I want to crush it under my foot then throw it into a furnace. Suppressing my urge to snap it in half, I take it from her and carefully place it over my hair, trying not to ruin their work. As the weight settles on my head, another settles around my shoulders. I have to put on a different face now. When this crown is on my head, I'm no longer a trained warrior, but a princess in love with the prince, and I have to act like it.

"Intended," my maids say in one unified voice as they dip into a curtsey.

Turning to them I straighten my back and incline my chin, "Thank you. You may leave,"

Standing up they nod and begin to pick up their things and makeup scattered around the room. Hesitantly I look over at myself in the mirror and when I catch sight of the thing standing in front of me, my breath is taken from my lungs and I fumble onto my bed. Sitting down I grip the fabric over my chest and pinch my eyes shut. I can't breathe, I can't-

"Intended?" A new voice questions.

Skies, why me?! Looking up I notice a figure hovering in the doorway and my hand instinctively goes to my thigh, where my knife normally is. Only feeling the silk of my dress I swallow down the lump in my throat and stand up, lacing my shaking fingers behind my back.

"Y-yes?" I stutter. Curse my stupid nerves.

"May I enter?"

Biting my lip I shuffle away from my bed. Act like a queen, act like a queen! "Yes. You may enter,"

Hearing the soft click of her shoes she enters and I squint trying to make out her face. Taking a couple more steps her face falls into the light and I nearly lose my jaw. She's beautiful, not a painted on beautiful, but a truly natural beauty that makes the hearts of man cave. Her hair is long and wavy with a beautiful light brown color, and her eyes are a soft warm blue that remind me of the paintings that are in the library of the ocean. She's wearing a long silky pink gown that compliments her darkish skin tone.

"I'm sorry to intrude, but I thought I'd introduce myself. My name's Anwen, Cassian's cousin,"

Smiling I nod my head, "Nice to meet you,"

Shifting into an awkward silence, we both seem to look over one another, trying to decipher whether each other is a threat or not. After a couple seconds Anwen blinks and shakes her head. Doing the same I fiddle with my fingers behind my back.