Chapter Twenty Nine

Aerilyn

A set of guards had knocked on the door the following morning with the news of a final dinner before the last trial. They had the day to train and prepare for what was to come. After the last two trials had been entirely different, it made guessing the third one almost impossible. Aerilyn had stayed curled in bed with Everett, wanting the day to simply pass away. The thought of facing the world outside the two of them made her stomach twist. She didn’t want to think of the reality of what they may face once they left the room. After the trial, she wasn’t sure what would happen between her and Everett. If they returned to Orissia, his father would never allow them to be together. She couldn’t even imagine being a queen. Everything was so unknown and she hated that.

A soft knock tapped on her door, pulling her attention away from applying the dark liner to her lash line. The knock wasn’t one she recognized. Since nobody barged in, she knew it couldn’t be a guard. She slowly cracked the door open to see the small figure standing before her. The dark hair and green eyes were easily recognizable. “Rosette?” Aerilyn questioned as she studied the girl, trying to understand why she was there. “I need help doing my hair and I didn’t want to ask the maids for help. I wanted to have my hair pretty like yours,” the child had a smile on her pink lips. “You’re coming to dinner?” She felt a wave of confusion, not knowing why Azazel would allow her around his enemies. “Az said I can eat dinner with you all tonight as long as I don’t tell your friends who I am,” she clapped her hands in excitement. Seeing the smile on the girl’s face was enough to take some anxiety away from her. “Does Az know you’re here now?” She raised her brow, giving Rose an accusing look. She giggled and shook her head no. “Please help me. I want to look pretty like you and I don’t have anyone to do my hair,” she pouted, giving her the same look she had the previous night.

Aerilyn sighed and nodded her head once. “Let me get my dress on and we can go get you ready. Does that sound like a deal?” She motioned for the girl to come into her room before turning to her wardrobe. Marianna had brought her a sleek tight red dress that sparkled in the light. She’d never seen a fabric that beautiful before. It was breathtaking. She heard Rose’s footsteps behind her as she followed Aerilyn into the room. She didn’t waste time stepping into the washroom with the dress to change. The gown fit her body perfectly, hugging each of her curves. It felt like the dress had been made for her.

When she exited the bathroom, she heard a small gasp from the child. “You look like a princess,” she whispered, rushing over to Aerilyn as she touched the fabric with her small hands. The comment made her feel warm inside. The child was pure in every sense. She didn’t want anyone to ever ruin that. It made her feel slightly protective over the little girl. “You’re the princess here. Now let’s go get that hair fixed up,” she tapped the girl’s nose delicately before taking her hand to go to Rose’s room. The palace hallways were full of people rushing about to prepare for the dinner. The thought of it being her last was enough to make her want to hurl her guts up.

Several workers passed by them without a second glance while a few stared at them with a horrified expression. The enemy and their princess walked hand in hand. Something they probably hadn’t expected to see. She knew it wouldn’t be long before Azazel found out about the two being together. She tried not to pay any mind to the attention as they slipped into Rose’s room. She felt the same level of warm comfort from the space as she entered. It was unexplainable. It felt like a home that she’d never had. Rose picked up her hairbrush and handed it to Aerilyn before she sat on the small stool before her vanity.

Aerilyn’s mother used to do her hair when she was the same size as Rose. Being around the child made her miss her mother more than she ever realized. She slowly ran the brush through the dark hair, careful to avoid tugging on it. Once every knot was out of it, she set the brush down on the counter. She took the top layer of the hair, splitting it in half to make a twisted crown of hair on the top of her head. Aerilyn took her time to pin each strand of hair into place.

“Aerilyn?” Azazel’s voice made her gaze snap to his. Their eyes met in the reflection of the mirror and she could see the anger in his expression. “Azazel,” his name fell off her tongue in a soft whisper. “Az! Aerilyn is making me pretty like her,” Rose called out to him, a smile still glued to her face. “I see that… You look beautiful, Rosie,” he approached them slowly, his eyes staying on Aerilyn’s. She finished placing the final pin, letting a few strands around her face fall out. “Go get your dress on for dinner,” Aerilyn tapped Rose’s shoulder gently, wanting to get a moment alone with Azazel to try to explain. She stood and ran to the washroom to change, leaving an awkward silence in the room.

“Azazel, let me explain-” she began before he held his hand up to silence her. “I haven’t seen her smile like that in a long time. You bring something out of her. I don’t want to know how you ended up in our wing of the palace, but I have a feeling it was her doing,” his expression softened as she turned around to face him. “Are you letting her come to dinner?” Aerilyn tilted her head as she looked up at the man. “I am. She asked and I can’t deny her what can bring her any sort of happiness,” he ran a hand over his face as he let out a small sigh. “I’ll watch out for her in any way that I can. I won’t tell them who she is, I promise,” she tried her best to reassure him of what she could. “I expect nothing less. She’s going to act like my head guard’s daughter. I don’t need your friends to know anything about her. If you care for her at all, you’ll keep your mouth shut,” he warned, but there was only warmth in his tone. It was odd to see his gentleness every time he was around his sister. Marianna’s words repeated in her mind as a reminder that the king wasn’t as bad as he seemed. The maid had told her that she’d change her mind about Azazel being a monster and she was slowly understanding why. She’d never be able to forgive him for what they put her through, but she could see why some people did appreciate their king.

“Do I look as pretty as Aerilyn?” Rose’s soft voice stopped their conversation. She stood in the doorway of the washroom wearing a fluffy purple gown. “You and Aerilyn are equally stunning, Rosie,” Azazel grinned, grabbing the child’s hips to lift her off the ground. He twirled her around once before setting her back down. His words struck Aerilyn. Stunning. She had assumed he’d found her anything but attractive. The small compliment made her stomach whirl with butterflies. She hated that she reacted at all. “Just like a princess,” Aerilyn tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she watched the two siblings. “We can both be the princesses tonight,” Rose rushed to Aerilyn, grabbing her hand.