Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
The woman should have been a general. There was no time for Odette to get any more words in as she paused to comment about every little thing, from space between our bodies, the positions of our heads, and how we breathed. It made me wonder if this was how she’d been teaching Odette this whole time. If it was, it explained why Odette had gotten so much better in just a few days and why she was always hard on herself. It also made me feel guilty for not coming to rehearse with her earlier. However, my schedule barely left any room for me to come today.
Just when we had gotten through one dance without interruption, it was time for me to go. I didn’t want to, but I had to sign the new acts before the state dinner. From there, I was sent to prepare for dinner. The day raced by, and there was nothing I could do about it except go along with it, for now, at least, taking comfort in the fact that in a few months, Odette and I would be truly married. That we’d be returning to our rooms together after a long day and what we weren’t able to say during the day, we would be able to say at night.
“Shall you wear the medals today, sir?” my valet asked as he brought a tray of medals I had not truly earned—except one, the Iron Heart of Service, which I’d earned simply by doing one year of charity of work. All I’d done was volunteer at a hospital for three hours a day before going to a beach. Seeing it now only made me ashamed of who I was in the past.
“No, James.” I offered the man a slight smile. “No medals.”
“Then at least the sash, sir,” he said, holding the white and gold material for me.
I nodded, allowing him to help me put it on. He paused when he saw the double stitching on my collar before a small frown appeared on his lips.
“Say it,” I replied.
He kept silent.
“It is all right. You can say it.”
“Sir, you are the Adelaar now,” he said as if I had forgotten. “You do not think it is time to wear the correct suit?”
“Even if my brother is not here, I am still second, James. Until the day I become king, I will be second.” It was small. Very few would notice. Even if everyone noticed, I preferred it that way. There wasn’t much I could do to pay tribute to Arty. “The world and country will slowly forget him, James. They are moving on, and not only must I let them, but I must move on as well. I can’t openly grieve. But I can wear this—a quiet reminder that someone was before me, someone else was here.”
His face relaxed as he adjusted my suit. “Very good, sir.”
Knock.
Knock.
“Enter.”
Turning, Iskandar stepped inside, bowing his head to me. “Adelaar.”
I turned to James. “That is all, James, thank you.”
“My pleasure, sir,” he said, bowing his head before turning to leave.
It was only when the doors fully closed that I turned to Iskandar. “What have you found out? Who has Sophia been speaking to?”
“No one out of the ordinary. No reporters—in fact, her circle of communication is very small. That is how I am able to come back to you now,” he replied.
I cracked my jaw to the side. “Keep checking. Maybe she has said something in passing.”
“Sir, I do not think it is her.”
“Then who.”
“I am not sure.”
I exhaled. “Then keep searching until you find one you are sure of. I cannot stop the press outside, but at the very least, I should be able to stop them from being inside.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Thank you,” I remembered to add as I walked to the door. “Now, let us all get this night over with.”
Chapter 26
Reaching up, I held the crown on my head, still shocked it was there, panicked it would fall off if I took another step.
“Maybe we should add more pins.” I turned to Gelula and my hairdresser.
“Miss, if we add any more, it might tear your hair out when we try to remove it later,” my hairdresser said, coming up beside me one more time to show me how she’d secured it. “See, it shall make it through the night.”
I exhaled one more time. “Okay, thank you.”
Gelula spoke to her for a moment as I looked in the mirror. I stood in a fitted, strapless, red mermaid gown, no necklace but earrings matching the crown on my head. I had worn crowns before, and I’d seen my mother wear them all of her life, but seeing this one on me now was different. Once again, it hit me, really and truly hit me that Gale was a prince—a future king, and I was going to be his queen.