Out of the Mountain (48 page)

“You never know what might come along these days. Did you see him? That was ridiculous!” Briony quipped as we heard the shower start up. All three girls turned to me with their eyebrows raised, and I blushed.

“So it’s serious, what you two have going?” Peyton asked curiously.

“Yes, very,” I answered truthfully.

“Lucky girl.” Genevieve smiled.

“Lucky guy!” Briony winked, and I laughed.

We were stuffing our faces with a makeshift picnic on the floor when Rowan exited the bathroom, hair still damp but pulled into a bun at the back of his head. He was dressed casually in denim pants, a loose gray shirt, and boots. I had to force myself to swallow the bite of muffin I had just taken.

“Ladies.” He smiled with a nod as he sauntered over to me, plucking the muffin from my hand and taking a bite out of it, his eyes never leaving mine.

“
Stop it! This is not going to help them get used to you.”

“I do not know how else to act but to go with what comes naturally to my mind.”

“Of course sexy and unattainable would be what came to you naturally.”

“I only have eyes for you.”

“I know that; they know that. You are making it undeniably clear that you could take me right here if you wanted to.”
I hissed
.

“Is my demeanor disturbing to you?” he asked Briony seriously, and she let out a nervous giggle that was so out of character that I glared at him. “
See!
”

“No, no! It’s nice to see this side of you—disarming, almost . . . right, girls?” She glanced nervously to Peyton and Genevieve, who nodded vigorously in agreement. I groaned slapping a hand to my forehead.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake!”

“Vivienne wishes for me to make friends, to enter society . . . I will admit that I have been very closed off from the world, but I am trying to remedy that by acting as I feel naturally instead of stifling myself,” he said, sitting beside me and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. He offered me the muffin he had stolen a bite out of.

“I think that’s a fantastic idea. How else would you act but by what comes naturally to you? It is a shame to stifle your true self. It will just be an adjustment, I think,” Peyton replied quickly.

“Yeah, I completely agree.” Genevieve nodded. I looked to Briony for help, and she shrugged.

“He’s only making bedroom eyes at you, so what’s the problem?” She scoffed, and I laughed.

“Indeed.” Rowan grinned and there was a collective sigh.

“Well, shit, none of us will have a chance now,” Malachi groaned to Tamora who released her own mock sigh from the doorway in response.

“Fear not, my friend. There is only one that I belong to,” Rowan quipped, and Malachi’s eyes almost bulged out of his head. He looked between me and Rowan, and I shrugged. When Malachi met Rowan’s eyes again he let out his own melodramatic sigh, and the room burst into laughter. Even Rowan chuckled. My heart swelled. He was really trying. I could feel a bit of unease below it, uncertainty, and a sad little spark of hope that had me placing a quick kiss on his jaw. A genuine smile lit his face, and I let out a sigh of my own.

Rowan left with Malachi and Tamora to do some last-minute planning. The girls had brought all of their things for the ball so that we could get ready together. I was happy that they had thought of it, because something that would have seemed boring had now turned into a kind of party. The girls hung their dresses in my dressing room and laid out their shoes and accessories to look them over. My dress was being delivered by Taylin today, and Mauve had informed me that someone would arrive to doll me up as well. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but Briony was excited enough for the both of us.

“We can learn so much just by watching how they do your hair and makeup,” she insisted as she looked through my closet’s contents. Nothing I had would fit her, but she was enjoying herself just the same.

“Oh, I love this!” She breathed when she pulled out a long shift dress in a dark red.

“Cut it in half and maybe it will fit you.” I laughed, and she glared at me.

“What? You are small, short, and thin. Live it,” I said, and she laughed.

“She speaks the truth,” she told the other girls, who laughed as well.

“Have you really taken time to think about it?” Genevieve asked as she was trying on a pair of shoes.

“Think about what?”

“The fact that beyond the battle we will face tonight, you will also be the crowned queen of a nation,” Peyton said, and I stiffened.

“You know, I honestly haven’t. I’ve been focusing on thoughts of not dying first,” I replied truthfully.

“It’s a lot to take in, especially in such a short amount of time,” Briony agreed.

“There are so many unknown factors at play, so many possibilities that I can’t focus on the details for the bigger picture, you know?”

“Yeah, that does make sense. Survive the night, then worry about ruling a nation,” Peyton joked.

“I don’t know what is to come. I can only assure you that whatever it is, whatever happens, I will give all of myself, everything I have to it. I may not have asked for these responsibilities to be thrust upon me, but I take none of them lightly.” I pledged in a moment of solidarity between us. They nodded, believing me, trusting me . . . and that was enough for now.

***

Taylin arrived after lunchtime when we were all sprawled out on my bed once again talking about our childhoods. They were fascinated by mine, and I had only begun to delve into it when she bustled through the door.

“All right, ladies! Let’s get this started!” She clapped her hands and an entourage followed her through the doorway.

“This is Micah, Josephine, and Madeline.” She waved a hand in their direction and I took in three women dressed identically in simple black-and-white dresses. Micah was a wisp of a woman, blonde hair piled onto her head in a beautiful array of curls. Josephine was robust, a larger woman with a full face of makeup that enhanced her unique beauty. Madeline was mousy-haired brunette with kind eyes. She was holding the garment bag and I guessed this must be Taylin’s assistant.

“Shower, now!” Taylin barked at me, and I eyed the others before I scampered off and did just that. I lathered, rinsed, scrubbed, and shaved until my body was pristine. I was feeling overwhelmed and took my time drying myself and wrapping a robe around me. When I noticed the tiger lily appear on the bathroom sink, a smile split my face. I picked it up and held it, gathering my courage before I entered the fray.

“Better,” Taylin said as she looked me over, and the others nodded.

“Where do we begin?” I asked, and Micah pulled me along behind her and sat me at my vanity. She rolled my damp hair up into thick curlers, and Josephine set off on the mission of buffing and cleaning my nails. She cut, cleaned, and polished them into immaculate order. I liked the way the teal polish sparkled in the light. Warm air began flowing around my head, and I returned the smile Micah gave me as she manipulated air to speed the drying of my hair.

I glanced around and saw that the other girls had begun their preparations as well. Briony was braiding Peyton’s hair; Genevieve was already applying makeup. They smiled and gave me a thumbs-up when they caught my eye.

Josephine began her process by buffing my face until it felt raw and then applying some kind of lotion that tingled and made it feel better. When she came at me with the tweezers, I frowned, shaking my head. There was nothing wrong with my eyebrows, but she wasn’t taking no for an answer. I flinched as she plucked here and there and was surprised that I liked the result. Not a major difference, subtle, but it cleaned me up a bit. I closed my eyes and relaxed into the feel of the makeup being swept onto my face. It was kind of fun, to be honest. When hands moved to my hair, I felt the curlers pop out and my hair bounce with volume. Micah began her long process of pinning and pulling my hair to her will. I sat still like a good girl and eagerly awaited for her to finish.

When they finally turned me to face the mirror my mouth fell open. It was me, but it wasn’t. My skin had more depth and color, cheeks rosy, lips shining like they had just been kissed, eyes bright and framed by thick liner and lashes. My hair was pinned into a loose and seemingly simple updo that took a lot more effort than it appeared to. I smiled at them happily, and the girls clapped in appreciation. I blushed, but I felt good.

“Seriously amazing. Rowan isn’t going to know what to do with you!” Briony said, and I took in her hair and makeup. Her hair was curled and flowing down her back, the red shining bright and vibrant. Her eyes were lined thickly, making them appear much larger, and her cheeks were bronzed just enough to allow her freckles to shine through. Her lips were a flashy bloodred. It was a good look for her.

“You look amazing!” I squealed, and she turned to give me a better look. I laughed and complimented Peyton and Genevieve as well. Peyton’s hair was piled into a complicated pleated braid that fell to one side of her head and was secured in a bun. Her makeup was a light dusting of pinks. Genevieve’s skin was glowing like copper, half of her dark hair was pinned back so that her face was easily seen. Her lips were bright and pink. They looked beautiful.

“It’s almost that time.” Taylin smiled, leading me into my dressing closet. I took a deep breath and conjured appropriate underwear before allowing her to help me slip into my dress. Nerves were building in me again, and I stood quietly as she laced up the back of my dress. When she was finished, she made me turn for her, and a smile lit her face.

“Perfect,” she said as she swept from the room. I walked over to my dressing mirror and took in my whole look. The dress was gorgeous, somehow fitting impossibly better than last time. The silky fabric laid just right, the cinching of the waist made my hourglass figure appear even more so. The overall effect was overwhelming.

“Beautiful,” I heard Rowan from the doorway, and I turned to him. I drank in the view of him in a dark suit, vest the same color as the blue in my dress. His hair was pulled back neatly, and I had the odd urge to mess it up, to somehow bring down the perfection level so I could speak. He chuckled, making his way to me. He had clipped his stubble shorter, but I was glad he didn’t shave it all off. I liked it.

“Is it too much?” I asked pointing to my face, feeling awkward. What if he liked this version of me better? There was no way I could go through this process daily. It was just entirely too much work, and I wouldn’t even know where to start.

“Too little, too much? There’s no such thing for you. I can appreciate you in all your forms. Your soul shines through your eyes, Vinnie, and that’s the most beautiful part of all.” He smiled, and my heart skipped a beat.

“All that, right back at you,” I joked, and I got a flash of the dimple for my trouble.

“This, though . . . ,” he said as he trailed a finger from my neck to my plunging neckline. My breasts were pushed up and looked rather nice in the tight bodice.

“What about it?”

“I rather like it. I only wish I had more time to openly admire you,” he admitted, and I smiled, satisfied, as he walked behind me. Queen Alma’s necklace slipped around my neck, perfectly finishing my look as he clasped it and placed a quick kiss right above it.

“Are you ready?” he asked shaking himself and taking my hand in his.

“No,” I said honestly, tone turning serious. This was the moment of truth.

“Neither am I,” he replied, and that gave me the courage to walk into the other room.

“Look at them. It’s like looking into the sun! It burns!” Malachi teased, looking pretty great himself with his arm around Tamora in a matching tux.

“Well, aren’t you two just the cutest!” I joked. Looking around the room, I noticed the women who had made me up waving as they retreated out the door. I gave a small smile and returned their waves.

“For the record, he copied me,” Tamora griped, and Malachi shrugged.

“It’s a good look,” he said gesturing to the three-piece, all-black suits they wore. The only difference was that Tamora’s short dark hair was slicked back. Malachi’s was buzzed.

“Yes, well, someone compliment me. Hurry!” Briony joked, and Luca walked through the door and whistled at her.

“Look at my spicy little redhead!” he bragged, and she smiled, taking in his suit and tie.

“And look at my big strong wolf!” Briony replied, pretending to scratch him behind the ear. I looked between them, reminding myself to keep my mouth shut about how perfect they were for each other until this was all over.

“We don’t need compliments. We know we look H-O-T,” Tasmin said from the doorway with Adelaide. I had to agree that they did indeed look hot. Adelaide was in a snug, floor-length red silk gown that hung low on her shoulders. Her long dark hair was loose and fell in waves. Tasmin was in light purple, a shiny fabric that seems to glitter as she moved. Her hair was piled high on her head in a tight knot. Felix had adopted the all-black method as well, but Marlowe was shining bright in an all-white tux. It was striking.

The rest of the group filed in, all looking equally as nice, and nervous energy filled the room. We talked last-minute strategy, and Rowan held my hand tightly, trying to comfort the waves of anxiety that were flowing out of me as time ticked down. When one of the wait staff came to escort me to the throne room, I squeezed Rowan’s hand more tightly as the others filtered out with well-wishes as they went.

“Do not worry, I am with you,”
Rowan said, and I nodded as we followed the man through the palace. The halls were empty; all had gathered for the coronation. Everyone was going to be watching me, expecting me to fail. I was going to mess up the words for sure. I thought I was going to be sick.

“Calm yourself, deep breaths,”
he said, and I complied, trying to slow my breathing. I couldn’t let this anxiety sweep me up like that again. We stopped outside the thick doors and the man who had lead us here walked to join another man and prepare to open the doors. Rowan began to back away from me and I clung to him.

“No.”