Bend In Line

Chapter 9

I stare at my reflection in the mirror, a little overwhelmed by what I see. I am wearing a fitted vintage gown, something reminiscent from the flapper period. The dress is a diamond encrusted rose gold color, floor length with two splits up to the fronts of my knees which disappear when I stand still. The top has thin straps in the front, but a rather beautiful sheer overlay stretched from the shoulders to the shoulder blades that almost look like wings in the back. The diamonds scattered down the length of the gown are in fact real. This dress is fit for a Queen which is ironic because it was a gift from the King. A headband of diamonds and pearls glisten amongst my loose curls. The makeup? Well the only word I can think of is angelic. My normally pale complexion is luminescent. I feel much older than my twenty years. I had been speechless when the prep team had left me more than ten minutes ago. I guess I still am.

The door opens and the sound of music filters in. Cass is dressed in her own beautiful navy evening gown, a haltered number that reaches the floor even on her tall frame. "You look incredible, Ari. The boys are going to flip their lid." I giggle. "Are you ready to head down?"

I nod and kiss her on the cheek, "You look beautiful too." She winks and holds the door open for me, careful not to step on the back of my dress which trails behind me in a cascade of silk and diamonds. When I reach the top of the stairs, I pause to calm my breathing and collect my emotions running away with me. I move slowly down the grand staircase, careful not trip or catch my heels in my dress. When I pause at the midway landing, I look up to find the room hushed and staring at me intently. King Lathan appears on my right and holds out his arm which I accept with a courteous bow.

"You are even more lovely than I envisioned in that dress." He whispers as we descend. I give him a sheepish smile. When we reach the bottom, Rowan is waiting. He extends his arm to me beaming, pleased by my appearance or the crowd's attention, I'm not sure. When I turn to take his arm, King Lathan unexpectedly kisses me on the cheek. "You have his eyes." He whispers in my ear. I drag my eyes to his. I've been told I have my father's eyes my entire life, but the way he says it unsettles me.

I am pulled into a crush of well-wishers. The music swells around us. I find I don't have much time for dancing. I disengage myself from Rowan at the earliest opportunity, his attention to me a stark contrast from yesterday's events. The party that once would have filled me with such happiness, was not helping my tangled web of emotions. I seek out Luca to no avail. My mother also seems to have disappeared after a brief hug.

Several hours later, I sneak away looking for a quiet moment. I find myself standing alone on a balcony on the backside of the mansion, overlooking the expansive field and circle which would host my unbinding in less than an hour.

"May I join you?" A gruff voice asks. I turn and beam at Braddock.

"Of course."

"You look so much like your mother at her Unbinding Ceremony."

"I always forget you knew my parents when you were my age."

"Your father and I were friends in the Academy. Good ones. He never treated me as a lesser being because he was called to the Order and I was not."

I purse my lips in discontent. "I'm afraid to say I don't really have any friends outside the Order."

He laughs heartily. "Am I not a friend? You treat all the Guards you work with fairly and with respect. They speak very highly of you. When you were...sent away, all the Guards who went with you volunteered. Your training and education were handled.... very different from all the Alpha's before you. Some didn't believe you deserved your status, despite the fact you were simply born to it like all the others before you. Some assumed you'd fail because of your gender. Others simply didn't know what to do with you." He leans closer. "They still don't know what to do with you."