“Not so tight,” Jade said, and the attendants behind her eased their tugs on her corset. “My ribs are still healing.” Though she wasn’t sure it was the corset that was constricting her.
Across the Boudoir and near the bath, Solis stood with her cousins, Luna and Stella. All three women were dressed in gold kaftans that hung on their bodies like fancy capes.
“Battle wound?” Solis asked, referring to Jade’s comment about her ribs.
“Yes,” Jade replied, and remembered how she’d been smashed in the chest with an iron candelabra while trying to escape Gelida on horseback. “But I’ll be fine once I’m all cinched in.” Jade wasn’t going to let her broken ribs dictate the dress she wanted to wear.
In the large mirror that hung on the wall, Jade caught Nova’s reflection as she entered the Boudoir. She did a double-take. Nova wasn’t even dressed yet.
“The suitors are arriving soon. We must welcome them as they depart the ship. Can you hurry up and get dressed?” Jade asked. What had Nova been doing all morning?
Nova walked in front of Jade. “I am dressed,” she said. Jade looked at her incredulously. Nova was wearing what she always wore— a tunic, trousers, and boots.
“You can’t wear that,” Jade replied, her annoyance rising. “You’re a queen. You need to look like one.” Her tongue was sharp, but Nova couldn’t be that naive, could she? A queen needed to dress the part.
“I’m comfortable in this,” Nova said, looking sheepish— which was a rare look on her.
Jade paused, knowing she’d just been cinched into a corset while ignoring her broken ribs. “It’s not about being comfortable. You need to properly represent Sterling. Why don’t you borrow something from my wardrobe?” Jade looked to the attendants bustling near the vanities. “Retrieve a ballgown and heels for Nova. She’ll need jewelry. Something fancy. And a crown.”
Nova’s whole face wrinkled, but Jade didn’t have the patience to deal with Nova’s resistance. It was almost time to meet the suitors.
Luna reached into her kaftan’s deep pocket. “I can save you some time.” She pulled out the bottle with the gold dust. The one from Cor Montem.
Attendants fluffed Jade’s full skirt as she stared at the potion. “Please,” Jade replied. “The entire kingdom is waiting for us. Let’s not waste any more time.”
Nova’s eyes shifted to Luna. She looked skeptical, but Solis cooed instructions. “Close your eyes. Relax. This won’t hurt a bit.”
Nova reluctantly did as she was told, and Luna tossed a handful of dust through the air. It swirled and sprinkled down on Nova like blown flour. Nova flinched when it hit her. Then, just as the witches had in Cor Montem, Nova’s body rolled, starting with her feet.
Her worn boots went glossy and thigh high, covering a good portion of slick black breaches. Her plain wool tunic melted into a stiff, studded bodice with a high collar that jutted out around her neck. Magenta wings flitted over her shoulders like a cape, and her blonde curls smoothed into a waterfall of waves. Lastly, bright petals and dark leaves were weaved into her tresses, making a crown of flowers.
Jade gawked as Nova looked down at herself and touched the flowered crown with her fingertips.
“Ravishing,” Stella squealed. “This just screams of power. Of strength.” Her kaftan sleeves shimmied as she whirled a hand at Nova.
“That will work,” Jade said quietly, a bit stunned. Nova’s magical outfit wasn’t a dress, but it certainly was jaw-dropping. Jade found herself second-guessing her own gown.
Luna raised the potion to Jade. It was still uncorked. “Would you like a dusting as well?” Her eyes widened and she smiled.
Jade looked down at her dress. It was one of her favorites. She’d painstakingly picked it from hundreds of dresses, trying to find one that would make the best first impression on the suitors. It was emerald green, like her eyes, and heavy, like her heart. But maybe today she needed something more?
Glancing at Nova again, Jade nodded. She needed to feel as powerful as Nova looked.
“As long as you don’t put me in pants,” Jade said, after a moment of thought.
Luna gave a curt nod and poured gold dust into her hand. “That’s the neat thing about this potion. It gives you what you want. It creates your fantasy. Just close your eyes.”
The attendants at Jade’s side scampered back, and Jade slid her eyes shut as dust was thrown her way. She knew her body was probably rolling just like Nova’s had, but it felt like she was standing still. The only sensation was that of fabric gliding across her skin, tightening in the appropriate spots. When those sensations stopped, Jade opened her eyes and gasped at her reflection in the full-length mirror.
“Oh my,” she started, and placed a gloved hand to her chest. She was donning a ball gown, but the new dress looked nothing like the one she had on a few seconds ago. Her new dress shimmered in the light—all purples and iridescent blues. It reminded Jade of the buzzing hummingbirds in the garden. She touched the belled skirt. It was layers upon layers of fabric flowing over each other like the inside of a rose. The beaded bodice hugged her chest softly, not pressing hard enough to irritate her injured ribs. Rows of pearls wrapped around her neck, and a solid gold crown sat atop her silky raven hair which was loose and draped over her shoulders.
Jade was speechless, feeling like she was staring at someone else in the mirror. Someone more grown-up.
“Beautiful. Both of you,” Solis cooed. “Now, shall we go greet your guests?”
Jade smiled cautiously, surprised to find that a pretty dress could lift her spirits. “Yes, let’s go greet them.”
Nova stepped toward the door, her magenta wings rustling as she moved. “Are you ready to get this show on the road?”
Jade knew Nova was trying to lighten the mood, but to Jade, this wasn’t a show. As she walked with Nova, Jade knew this was her first step toward securing her future.
CHAPTER FIVE
Nova
Nova didn’t want to admit it, but she loved her outfit. When Luna threw the magic dust at her, Nova was certain she’d end up in some frilly, sparkly dress that’d make her feel like a frosted cupcake. Instead, her outfit made her feel strong— which was exactly what she needed today. The frilled wings on her back reminded Nova of the wild, free birds in the sky. The flowers in her hair were more beautiful than any jeweled crown she could’ve imagined. And her black boots clicked along the ground like trotting horses.
This magic stuff might be helpful in more ways than she thought.
Now, if only magic could help her act. Because that was what she was mentally preparing to do. Nova paraded through the castle, alongside Jade. The witches were at their backs. A group of guards flanked them all. No one spoke, and Nova nearly asked Luna if she had an acting-potion somewhere in her kaftan. She wanted anything that would help her pretend to be a queen—one that wanted to entertain a bunch of stuffy suitors.
Together, they marched out the gatehouse. When Nova laid her eyes on the crowd outside the castle, her entire body stiffened. The bridge in front of the castle was filled with people. They spilled back into the streets of Sterling, and the sight reminded Nova of when she first arrived in the city, unaware and innocent. She’d stood on that same bridge and watched as Jade was presented to Sterling for the first time. At that time, Nova had never heard of Jade. Or Katrina. She’d never heard of an earthan and didn’t know real magic existed. Now she looked at Sterling, at its people, with fresh, weary eyes.