by Katie Ashley
Suddenly it hit me. Without thinking, I blurted, “Wait a minute, are you and Griff, like dating or something?”
Maggie’s eyes widened, and she hissed, “Um, you should probably not make that known to everyone here.”
“Oh, sorry.” I hadn’t even thought that some of the girls here might actually have boyfriends. I didn’t think that Richard really cared about that fact at all.
“So,” I said, lowering my voice, “are you worried about the pageant? You know, like what would happen with you and Griff if you were chosen?”
Before she could answer, one of Mrs. Munroe’s secretaries called my name. Reluctantly, I followed her to the fitting room. She flung open the door without another word. Micah’s mother, Naomi, stood in the middle of the room, a tape measure around her neck. “Hello Cadence,” she said.
“Hi,” I murmured, ducking my head under her intense stare.
Naomi stepped forward, bringing the tape measure around my bust. I fought the urge to jump back since she was invading my personal space. She jotted down the measurement before moving on to my waist and hips. Tension hung heavy between us as I could tell she was holding back from saying something to me. The corners of her mouth wavered back and forth. I wondered if she knew Micah was in the Abir and what he has asked of me.
She wrapped the tape measure around her neck and then went over to the dress rack. She flicked through the dresses until she picked out one for me. “This one should work just fine without alterations.”
I eyed the rich, ruby colored fabric. “Odd color choice. I mean, red isn’t very demure.”
“It’s Kellan’s favorite.”
“And it’s going to look terrible with my hair.”
Naomi shook her head. “You would look beautiful wearing a burlap sack, Cadence.”
I laughed nervously. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She walked me to the door. When I started out of it, she jerked me back inside. “Cadence, I shouldn’t say anything. But, I’ll regret it every day if I don’t. I know how much my son loves you. Micah isn’t great at saying how he feels. He is like his father in that respect. We would have never gone out had I not had the courage to ask him.”
I shifted my gaze to the floor. “Uh, he, um, he did tell me how he felt the night before I left.”
“And?”
If I could have died of embarrassment, this would have been the moment. Being forced to discuss your romantic feelings with the boy’s mother you were emotionally confused about was mortifying.
Naomi must have sensed it because she reached out and patted my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Cadence. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I know you must be overwhelmed right now.”
“It’s okay.”
She opened the door for me. “Good luck.”
Before I walked outside, I turned back to her. “I-I do like Micah. How could I not as sweet, funny, and caring as he is? I hope…we can build on that.”
Naomi nodded. “I’m glad to hear that. I hope you can, too. I would like you to be a part of my family, Cadence.”
Heat rose in my cheeks, and I didn’t know what to say. I just mumbled a goodbye and headed out the door. I was so ready to be away from Naomi and her questions that I skidded out into the hallway and ran smack into one of the secretaries. Her clipboard clattered to the floor.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I mumbled, bending over to pick up the clipboard.
She gave me a disapproving look before snatching it out of my hands. “You need to report to the dining hall.”
I nodded. When I got downstairs, several of the other girls were already eating. I grimaced when I saw my boss, Mrs. Sullivan, was the one handing out dinner. The sour expression on her face showed me how displeased she was to serving, rather than bossing people around. “Hello Cadence,” she said.
“Oh, hello.”
She raised her eyebrows as she slid me a tray. “I assume it must be surreal to be on the other side of the serving table?”
I gripped the tray fighting the urge to truly mouth off to her. But, I knew that I would be returning to my old life just as soon as this pageant nonsense was over, and Mrs. Sullivan would still be my boss. “Yes, it is a very interesting experience. But, I’m sure the fairy tale will soon be over, and I’ll be returning to the real world soon enough.”
“Oh, do you think so little of yourself that you feel you wouldn’t be a viable candidate for Kellan?”
I bit the inside of my lip. “No ma’am, I’m just amazed by all the wonderful young ladies who come from our province.” Without waiting for her response, I snatched up my tray and flounced off. As I soon as I got to the tables, I skidded to a stop. Most of the girls were spread out among the tables and were eating alone. Only two or three of them sat together.
Easing down in a chair, I wished for Maggie to be through with her fitting. Not only did I want to press her for more information about her and Griff, but I really wished for a dinner companion since I hated sitting alone. As I gobbled down the rich food, I’m sure I gave some of those around me the impression I had little table manners. But I was more concerned with how delicious everything tasted and how wonderfully full my expanding stomach felt than making a good impression. I was still chewing when I went to dump my tray. I met Maggie coming in the dining hall as I was leaving.
“Oh, you’re finished?” she asked, with a disappointed expression.
I nodded. “Sorry we couldn’t eat together. I’ve got to go meet with my stylist now.”
“Have fun with that one. I hear most of the stylists are extreme bitches.”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “Fabulous. Can’t wait.”
I made my way back to the third floor. I met the same secretary I’d crashed into before, and she led me to a room to wait.
After what seemed like forever, my stylist flounced in the room, reeking of cigarettes and pungent coffee. Another sniff, and I got the impression the coffee tried to mask a few stiff drinks she’d had too early in the day. She took one look at me and groaned. “They would give me a redhead at the end of the day.”
I cocked my eyebrows at her. “Nice meeting you, too.”
A smirk curled on her lips. “Ah, one with an attitude to match her hair. That’s a nice change from some of the simpering prima donnas I’ve seen already.” She thrust out her hand. “I’m Laurel.”
“Cadence.”
Laurel spun me around in the chair to better give me the once over. “Hmm, not bad. Not bad at all. I can work with you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I guess it’s good I’m not a total mess. I wouldn’t want you to have to break a sweat trying to make me presentable.”
Laurel’s dark eyebrows shot up into her forehead. “Well, well, looks like someone is going to give Kellan a run for his money.”
I snorted. “Yeah, like I’m the kind of girl he’d want.”
“You might be surprised at what he really likes, deep down.”
“And how would you begin to know what Kellan wants?” I gave her the once over and shook my head. “From the way you’re thrown together and reek like a brewery, I can’t imagine how you retain this position, least of all how you’d ever have been in Kellan’s presence.”
The second the words left my mouth, I winced. Were my pageant nerves really making me such a bitch? Laurel pursed her lips before ducking her head. She started rifling through the giant case she had brought with her. Multi-colored tubes and jars appeared in her hands before she lined them up on the counter in front of me.
“Listen, I’m sorry. I went too far.”
She jerked her head up. Surprisingly, she grinned at me. “Nah, I’d say you hit the nail on the head.”
“No, it was—”
Laurel held her hand up for me to stop. “You’re right about me being a mess. I chain smoke and drink too much too early in the afternoon. But what you don’t know is why I do it and how I know Kellan.”
“Oh?” I questioned meekly.
“Once u
pon a time, I was Maureen’s personal stylist.”
I gasped. “Kellan’s mother?”
Laurel nodded. “Yep, I went all over the world and country with her. I won’t say it was always a picnic working for her. I mean, she could have her moments, but hell, I guess we all do.”
“And Kellan was with her on these trips?”
Sadness swept across Laurel’s face. “Yes, he was. Maureen never liked Kellan to be out of her sight. She certainly wasn’t a typical CEO’s wife in that respect. While her rich-bitch friends shipped their children off to boarding school, Maureen insisted Kellan be home-schooled with the best private tutors.” Her eyes became wistful. “She adored him. And the feeling was mutual.”
Laurel appeared to distract herself by raking her hands through my hair, pulling it into a bun and then dropping it back down, surveying how it looked the best.
“What happened to her?” I questioned in a whisper. I didn’t exactly worry about it being too painful for Laurel. It was more about the fear that churned in my stomach when mentioning the disposed Empress. She had disappeared a few years ago—it was around the same time Griff and I had lost our parents.
“Richard imprisoned her for aiding the rebellion. I would imagine she’s being held somewhere nearby.”
“That’s terrible.”
“Yes, it is. But there’s not much in our world these days that isn’t terrible, nor is there someone who hasn’t suffered grievously at the hands of this government.” She caught my gaze in the mirror. “Am I right?”
I shifted my gaze to my hands. “Yes, you are.”
“Whom did you lose?”
As the smiling faces of my parents flashed in my mind, it sent pain radiating in my chest, cutting off my ability to speak.
Laurel took pity on me. “Your parents?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
She squeezed my hand. “I’m so sorry, love.”
“Thank you.”
I met her gaze, and she smiled. “So, how about we make you as drop dead gorgeous as anyone has ever seen?”
“Okay,” I replied, returning her smile.
“I’ll try out the best colors, and then we’ll know what’s best for you in the morning.”
She got to work on my face. Besides washing it every day, there was little I did to it on a daily basis. Laurel gave me a facial and then put some kind of cream on it that smelled like strawberries. Then, she waxed and tweezed my eyebrows within an inch of their life while sending her minions, two male assistants, to wax my legs. Fortunately, she didn’t ask them to go any further. I would have died of mortification before I let them do anymore.
After my half hour was finished, I felt revived and recharged. But more than that, I actually felt pretty for the first time in a long time.
When we were alone again, Laurel smiled at me in the mirror. “Phew, that was intense.” At the look on my face, she giggled. “Couldn’t help myself. All right, then. You’re good to go, and I’ll see you tomorrow for the real deal.”
“Thanks, Laurel.”
I started to head back to my room, but she stopped me. “I’m going to level with you, Cadence, because I like your spunk.”
“Um, okay.”
“If you really want to win this pageant, you better go out there acting like yourself. Don’t put on some shrinking violet act because you think it will win Kellan over. Richard may like a girl who is seen and not heard, but I know that Kellan doesn’t. He was raised by a free-thinking woman, and he truly cared about Venessa who was the exact same way.”
“Seriously?”
“Trust me.”
Truth reverberated in Laurel’s eyes, so I nodded. “Okay.”
When I got back to my room, I was exhausted. It was still early, but the bed was calling for me. It had been a rollercoaster ride of a day, not to mention the fact I hadn’t slept well the night before. I decided to take a quick shower, but it ended up being a lot longer since the steaming hot water along with the delicious smelling soaps were intoxicating. I started to wonder if I’d use up all the hot water, and then I remembered where I was. Leaning my head against the marble tiled wall, I let the water stream over my head and face, washing away all of Laurel’s hard work. I also allowed myself, for just a moment, to imagine what it would be like to live here all the time. To have servants bring my breakfast tray in the mornings, to not have to work, to have a closet full of beautiful clothes. My chest tightened with the temptation.
But then I thought about how my parents would feel about me being seduced by wealth. Even though we had lived comfortably, we had never been wealthy. Mom and Dad had eeked out a decent living working at the local university. And even though Dad’s buddies tried to get him to leave his position as Biology chair and take lucrative consulting jobs with medical companies, he’d refused.
Their main goal in life was to make a difference, and for them, making a difference meant teaching. I couldn’t imagine them thinking what I was doing at the palace was making a difference, and they sure wouldn’t think I was making a difference by marrying Kellan.
I shut off the water and climbed out of the shower. The new gown and robe felt scratchy against my skin, but I was too tired to care. After I slipped them on, I fell into bed. And even though I was in a strange place, I fell asleep right away.
Within the folds of the downy mattress and crisp sheets, I slept better than I had in years. Although, I nearly had a heart attack when I woke up and didn’t realize where I was. When the revelation finally hit me, I rubbed my chest, trying to still the erratic beating of my heart.
I glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. It was a little after eight. We were expected downstairs for breakfast by nine. Then, the next two hours would be chaotic as we all got ready for the pageant, which started at noon.
A gentle rap came at the door. I hopped out and threw on my robe. After glancing at the peephole, I saw Maggie dressed and waiting for me. I flung open the door. “Good morning.”
“Nice bed hair,” she mused.
“Whatever,” I said, smoothing my hair down as she stepped inside. “Just give me a second to throw something on.”
Once I was dressed, we headed down to the dining-room. Girls dotted the tables around the room. No one seemed to be eating. Instead, nervous faces pushed food around on their plates.
“Coffee?” Maggie suggested.
My stomach rolled like choppy ocean waves at the thought of any food. “I think that’s the only safe choice. I don’t think I’d make a great impression if I threw up on the stage.”
Maggie appeared thoughtful. “Hmm, now that I think about it…” When she met my gaze, she flushed. “Well, you know.” She got so flustered she dumped way too much sugar in her coffee.
“It’s okay, Maggie. I understand.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Y-You do?”
I drew in a deep breath. “I can imagine you might feel like throwing the pageant because of Griff, right?”
She gulped down some of the coffee and then winced. When she saw me waiting expectantly on her response, she sighed and bobbed her head.
I chewed on my lip before I continued. “If you’re worried that I mind or something, I don’t—I really don’t. I want Griff to be happy, and if he’s happy with you, then that makes me happy.”
Maggie smiled. “I am glad to hear that. Griff’s been worried you would be upset—you know, since it’s just the two of you. We especially didn’t want to say anything now because of the pageant.” A dreamy expression came over her. “We want to get married—he’s asked me…it’s just no one has rings or money for them these days.”
I didn’t know what to say. I wondered if Griff had told her about being in the Abir. There wasn’t much of a future for them if he was killed or imprisoned. At my hesitation, Maggie’s expression sobered. “Don’t you believe in marriage?”
“No, it’s just you guys are so young,” I protested.
Maggie shrugged. “Sure we’re young by the old world
standards, but not now. I mean, why wait? It’s not like I have the option of going off to college. The best I can hope for is some on-site nurse’s training.”
“Well, yeah, but—”
She lowered her eyes back to her coffee. “Besides, Griff is very old fashioned. He doesn’t want us to…well, he doesn’t want us to be together, together until we’re married.”
Heat rose in my cheeks. The last thing I wanted to hear was about my brother’s sex life or lack thereof. But then, it hit me. It wasn’t about Griff being old-fashioned—it was about him being a man of faith. He had always taken Mass and prayers far more seriously than I had. And even now, when our faith was banned, he wanted to uphold the principles. I had to admire him for that.
It was because of him, I forced a smile to my lips. “Regardless of when it happens, I want you to be happy.”
“Thanks.”
We were interrupted by Mrs. Munroe clapping her hands at the front of the dining room. “Come ladies, it’s time.”
Maggie crinkled her nose. “Fabulous.”
“I guess this is really it,” I grumbled, as I rose from my chair.
“I’d say good luck, but I guess that’s pointless, right?”
I grinned. “Yeah, I’d say so.”
Mrs. Munroe directed Maggie to one room and me to another. “See you in a little while,” I said, as I turned the knob on the door. Since Mrs. Munroe couldn’t see her, Maggie made a gagging gesture with her finger before disappearing into her dressing room.
When I entered my room, Laurel was already racing around a frantic pace. She had six girls’ hair and makeup to contend with, and her waxing minions from the day before were also there to help. Even though we were allegedly all equal competitors, the girls from the province’s wealthier families were divided into other rooms. I assumed Maggie was in one of them since her father was a doctor.
“Ah, there’s my token red-head,” Laurel greeted me.
“Hello to you, too,” I replied.
She motioned me down into a chair next to a petite blonde. “Have a seat here by Emma, and I’ll get started with you in just a second.”
