A Court of Dreams and Promise

Chapter Fifty

Velaria

Last night had been the first night that Velaria hadn't slept on the floor. Tamlin had come in to check in on her, moonlight flooding through the thin curtains, and her eyelids had been too heavy for her to argue when he traced a finger down her shoulder and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Now, the thought made her gag.

She woke up to two fae maids, one brunette and one blonde, yanking open the curtains and letting the rays of sun stream in. They gently pulled the soft, fluffy covers off of her, ignoring her protests, and helped her out of bed.

They then helped her to the bathroom after unlocking her shackles, leading her into a steaming bath smelling faintly of rose petals. Velaria wanted to sink into the cloudlike bubbles and drift away.

They worked quickly, scrubbing her hair and her skin with oils and soaps of the finest quality. They then hauled her out of the bathtub, drying her off with one of the softest towels Velaria had ever felt, and pulled a beige colored shift over her head.

She was pulled to the mirror and forced to sit, where they began to work on her makeup. The brunette touched up the powder covering her scrapes and bruises while the blonde brushed her hair and used her magic to dry it, pulling it back into a bun.

She was dolled up, blush patted onto her cheeks and a brown powder spread over her eyelids. They finished by painting black onto the corners of her eyes and putting a light pink gloss on her lips.

The maids backed up, smiling at her and gesturing for her to look in the mirror.

The female in the mirror looked like she belonged in the Spring Court, didn't look like her. She forced a smile onto her face. "Thank you," she said, her voice still hoarse. "May I ask what this is all for?"

The two shared a glance before the blonde answered, "The High King ordered us to get you ready for his presence."

Velaria scowled. Of course Tamlin had requested this.

"Are you pleased with your appearance, my lady?" the brunette asked, fidgeting with the fabric of her skirt.

"These are Spring Court fashions, are they not?" Velaria asked, and the two nodded. "Then I am pleased."

The blonde smiled. "Good. We are here to make you fit to be a Spring Court princess, and soon to be a queen of Prythian."

Velaria was quiet for a second. "What courts do you two originate from?" she asked. "And what are your names?"

"We both come from the Spring Court," the brunette said. "I'm Linnea, and this is Collette."

Velaria opened her mouth to ask another question when the two turned, staring at whoever had just walked in through the door. By their curtsies, Velaria didn't need to turn to know it was Tamlin.

"Ladies, you're coming with me," Tamlin said. "I need your help."

Velaria turned around, an eyebrow raised. "Do enlighten me on what we're doing today."

Tamlin grinned. He was wearing one of his signature green tunics, this one detailed with embroidery of both silver and gold thread. Two strands of his golden blonde hair were pulled from the front of his head to a braid in the back.

"Today, dear Velaria, we are fitting you for your wedding dress."

Velaria's stomach dropped. She thought she would have longer.

"Ladies, please help me to escort Velaria to the seamstress's room," Tamlin said. He pivoted and the maids flanked Velaria as they all began to walk.

Suddenly the basic makeup, the shift, all made perfect sense.