| |
“WHAT COLOUR DRESS AM I wearing?” Addyson is laying on the floor, exhaustion on her pale face. Since Millard died she seems more like a child than ever, hugging Everleigh, sitting on her lap, rolling on the floor like a toddler, all her thoughts of being ladylike or grown up abandoned.
“Whatever colour you prefer,” Everleigh says. Needing her sister to be happy. She’ll be so spoiled now, by everyone hoping to make her forget all the horrible things she’s seen.
“What colour are you wearing?”
“Gold. Very Queenly.”
“I can’t wait for the feast. Cook said she’s cooked a quail in a turkey in a duck in a chicken or maybe it was a duck in a chicken in a turkey...I don’t know but it sounded good.”
“She’s been cooking non-stop since she started feeding your army yesterday.”
“She loves it,” Ceryn says.
“She does. And her food is gorgeous.”
“I can’t believe it’s all over and all we have to worry about is whether the duck is cooked in the chicken or the other way around.”
Everleigh gives Ceryn a shove with her hip. “Actually, I’m worried about my good friend Will. And whether he’s about to have his heart broken by a mysterious masked woman.”
“Shut up!” Ceryn shoves Everleigh properly, and she stumbles, breaking out into peals of giggles.
“You dare shove your Queen?”
“I do when she’s talking nonsense like that.”
They are laughing. “Come on, Addyson, your turn in the bath.” Della ushers Addyson away and Everleigh turns to Ceryn. “He’s a good man. The best.”
“I thought Archer was the best?”
“He is. For me.”
Ceryn laughs. “It’s fine. I’m not in love with him anymore. I haven’t been since he came back to life. And I’m not in love with Will either.”
“Really?”
“Not yet.”
“But you could be?”
“I don’t know. It’s all too scary.”
“It could be wonderful.”
“Maybe. But I’ll be too busy, won’t I? Heading up your army and teaching you to fight?”
“You’re definitely staying then?”
She nods. “If Weaver was alive and he was going home, I might have gone with him, but now, I’d just be by myself. I think my future’s here, with you lot. If you’ll have me.”
“Of course. And yes, you’ll be busy, but I’d give you time off for Will.”
Ceryn shoves her again and they both break down, giggling.
Addyson joins them, wrapped in her drying cloak. “Are you really staying?”
“Yes. Is that alright?”
“It’s more than alright.”
“Everleigh – your turn!”
Everleigh grins and leaves them alone to talk.
“Life has been horrible since my father was killed. Now I think it might be good again.”
“I’ll make sure of it. If you need a friend, you’ve always got one, someone to talk to, you’ve got me, someone to teach you how to give a smart answer to any idiots who bang on about you being the cursed princess, you’ve got me. I feel like I’ve got sisters, I’ve never had female friends before.”
“I’ve never had friends.”
“Oh, Addyson, now you’ve got me and Della. I know Della loves you, too.”
“Della’s like my mother.”
“She is, and with Finn gone, it’s good for her to have someone to look after. She needs you as much as you need her.”
Della holds out her hand for Addyson. “Come on, let’s get you dressed and make sure you look beautiful. It’s going to be a great day.”
Ceryn chews on some grass while she waits for Addyson to come back out, and for Everleigh to be dressed in her coronation gown.
Addyson comes out first, in a beautiful green silk dress, her hair in plaits down her back, so fair compared with how dark Everleigh’s hair is.
“You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. You look...clean.” She’s beaming that she’s found something nice to say to Ceryn and Ceryn bellows with laughter, hugging her close, but making sure she doesn’t wrinkle her lovely dress.
Della comes to the door and coughs. “Queen Everleigh.”
Everleigh glides into the room; that’s the only way to describe it, she glides.
Her hair is down, and her eyes are dancing, she has the most wonderful smile on her face and she does look like a beautiful Queen. Ceryn bows low to her, and Addyson claps her hands.
“Queen. You look perfect.”
“Thank you, you look...”
“Clean?” Ceryn asks and laughs again.
Everleigh looks so different now that Millard is dead. Happy, carefree, young again. She’s only seventeen and yet she’s had the worries of the whole Realm on her shoulder. And she always will now.
There’s a knock at the door. It’s the teacher, to take them down to the coronation. “Oh, you look wonderful. Very regal.”
“Thank you. I’m ready. I think.”
There’s another knock and this time it’s Will and Archer.
Will looks very handsome indeed and Ceryn cannot look at him. She busies herself with attaching her mask.
Archer looks handsome too, and only has eyes for his Queen, as it should be.
They follow Everleigh out of the room, a small procession, all of them happy, all of them excited, the pain of their losses there but just out of reach, tucked away, just for today.