Relinquish: Book II of the Rising Trilogy (21 page)

“My name is Alesta. I’ve been chosen to have the honor of serving you, my lady.” Her voice is high and pleasant, like the trilling of a songbird.

She stares at me with underserved awe. I shift uncomfortably. “There is no honor in serving a prisoner.”

Her brow furrows with confusion. “I do not understand. Commander Drakon never said—”

“Of course he didn’t.” I sigh, sinking down onto the edge of the bed. I rub my temples, wishing the droning hum would cease. “He wants people to think I came willingly.”

“You didn’t?” she whispers.

When I look up, I’m surprised to see moisture in her eyes.
What is with these people?

I bite back a cutting remark. “When will I be presented to the king?”

“Oh.” A flush rises along her cheeks. “That will be within the hour.”

“An hour?” I gasp. “How long have I been asleep?”

“Nearly three days, my lady. The commander ordered that you be left alone, so I have been waiting for you to wake.”

“Three days,” I whisper, closing my eyes as I press my hands against my stomach.
Bastien.

I open my eyes and rise swiftly. “A friend came with me onto the ship. A boy. Dark hair. About a foot taller than me. Did you see him?”

She hesitates, shifting her gaze. I quickly close the gap between us and force myself to touch her hand. “Please. He means a lot to me.”

Alesta scrunches up her mouth, debating. “I’m not supposed to say…”

I take a calming breath, forcing myself to stop and think instead of just react. I’m in Drakon’s territory now. His ship. His rules. But that doesn’t mean I can’t bend them.

“Why do you call me my lady?” I ask.

Her eyes widen. “Because you are to be my queen.”

“And does that mean you must serve me? Do as I ask?”

She nods her head enthusiastically, eager to serve. I smile. “Good. Then I require to know the whereabouts of my friend.”

“I…” Alesta pales and lowers her head. “He is down by the engine room. No one is allowed in apart from the commander. I know nothing else.”

“Have you seen him?” I press.

Tiny ringlets of mahogany bounce about her face as she shakes her head. “No, but I have heard… screams.”

My hand slips away from her as I clench my fingers into fists at my sides. Alesta raises her gaze to meet mine, and I realize she is a couple inches shorter than me, petite and beautiful. “Thank you, Alesta,” I manage to say before turning my back on her.

“The commander spent little time with him, though,” she says in a rush, almost as if she needs to please me. “He had to see to preparations for your arrival.”

“Is my friend hurt?”

She hesitates. “Not as bad as he could’ve been.”

I can feel my anger swirling with maddening speed. I twist my wrist, clenching my fingers. The sound of crumpling metal beside me startles Alesta. Her tiny hands cling to my arm as she steps away from the demolished closet door. “How did you—”

“It doesn’t matter. What will happen to him when we arrive?” I glance back at her over my shoulder.

“He’ll be taken before the king. His fate will be decided then.”

I don’t like the way that sounds. No doubt Drakon will plead for Bastien to be turned over to him. And I… Will I even remember who Bastien is to claim him for myself?

“I need clothes.” I turn to look at her and see fright mingled with awe. It makes me sick. “Alesta. Focus.”

Her hands tremble as she holds out the towel. “You need to wash first.”

“I don’t have time—” But this time she is the one who cuts me off. I’m not sure where the commanding voice comes from in such a small body, but she manages to make me pause. “I am here to assist you in preparations to be presented to the king. If I do not, I will lose my head.”

I blink. “Literally?”

She nods solemnly. “The king does not like disappointment.”

I blow out a weighted sigh, shaking my head. My heart yearns to go to Bastien, to free him from the chains Drakon has bound him in, but I can’t just leave this girl to the king’s mercy either. She is my people, one of the people I gave Bastien up for in the first place.

“Fine.” I growl, not feeling overly hospitable, but I see no way around it. I need to bide my time. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Alesta’s stern expression melts away as she scurries across the room in a rustle of silk. She presses a hand against a hidden wall panel and removes a small vial from the lower shelf. There are many vials within. Some glowing a bright flame-orange, others black and murky. The vial she selects is a calming aqua. “Here. This should help with the headache.”

“I never said I have one.” The small glass bottle has a black cork on top. I raise the vial and shake it. It bubbles slightly but settles back into its clear state.

“Human’s don’t travel well the first time.” She watches expectantly as I remove the stopper. I glance at her, praying it is right to trust her. What reason would Drakon have to harm me now that he is about to get exactly what he wants? I down the medicine. It feels like ice upon my throat. “You will feel the effects rather quickly.”

A strange fluid sensation flows over my body, reaching from toes to ears with amazing speed. Even as the pounding in my head begins to fade, I realize the stiffness in my neck and back begins to ease. The tender flesh about my waist, leftover from my initial hike with Eamon, heals over. I press my hand to my stomach and realize the pain is gone, as is the soreness in my calves and blisters upon my feet.

Alesta shoots me a knowing smile as she motions for me to follow her into the bathroom. “This stuff is amazing.”

“It should be. It’s my special recipe.”

“You made this?” I glance back to the wall at all of the multi-colored vials. “And those too?”

“Yes. My mother was a healer. She taught me how to use nature to find the same essence in flowers and plants when I failed to inherit her gift. I may not be a normal healer, but I do all right on my own.”

“So you’re an herbalist?” My thoughts drift to my best friend Aminah and her skill for making salves and tinctures from the forest. She would probably have much to discuss with Alesta if she were here.

The girl frowns. “I don’t think I know this word.”

“It’s pretty much the same… Oh, never mind. It doesn’t really matter.”

Alesta drops her head. “Yes, my lady.”

“Okay.” I place my hands on her arms and wait for her to look up at me. “We need to set some ground rules here. First off, as nice as you seem to be, I don’t need a servant. I’m perfectly capable of caring for myself. And secondly, don’t call me a lady. I’m not royalty.”

Alesta looks stricken. “But you are to be our queen. Please don’t send me away. The king handpicked me for you. If I fail…” She begins to tremble.

How did I get myself into this?
I inwardly groan.

“If I ask something of you, will you do it?”

“Of course.” She looks back at me with a hesitant smile, no doubt remembering how I tricked her before. “I can’t do anything against my king’s wishes, though,” she quickly adds.

“Fair enough. I forbid you to call me by any name other than Illyria. No bowing. No rushing to get everything for me. Just be here when I do need you, okay?”

I watch as she struggles to hold back her shock. Her lips press into a colorless line, heat stains her cheeks into a pretty rose color, but she nods.

“Thank you. Now”—I look at the basin before me—“I would like to wash myself, if that is all right.”

I can tell it isn’t, but Alesta concedes. “I’ll remain out here to prepare your outfit.”

“Fine.” I press the button on the door and breathe a sigh of relief as it seals her out. I cling to the sink, my knuckles white as I tremble.
Bastien has been hurt and I’m stuck here playing dress-up with this girl. What is wrong with me?

As I stare at myself in the mirror, noticing the circles beneath my eyes and the lifeless color within their depths, I realize I only have one option: to play along. Drakon will be suspicious, of course, and that is good. Let him worry.

Dipping a cloth into the steaming water, I rub a layer of grime from my brow. Slowly, I wash all of me, taking the time to inspect my newly healed injuries. No marks. No redness. It is if I had healed myself.

A small knock on the door reminds me that I’m running low on time. The door hisses as it opens. I snatch up the sheet from the floor to cover myself, but when she laughs, I realize how foolish I must look. “I’m not used to other people… you know, being here when I’m not dressed.”

“It is perfectly understandable,” she soothes as she motions for me to stand in the middle of the room with my arms stretched over my head. I hesitate, gritting my teeth as I hand her the sheet.

I don’t know what I expected when I’m finally revealed. A weird look? A smirk? A look of horror? Alesta shows none of those. Instead, she hardly reacts as she slowly moves around me, her gaze sweeping over my curves with a critical, almost indifferent glance.

“This dress should fit you nicely. We might have to take it in a bit at the waist and flare it a bit at the hip, but the top should suit you well.”

“Wait? What?” I turn to look at her as she moves away to the bed. “What dress?”

I stare in horror at a wispy bit of cloth that she lifts into the air for me to approve. Its color is rich as a field of lavender, yet I can easily see her fingers though the other side of the fabric. “Where is the underdress?”

Alesta laughs. “There is none.”

I back away, arms outstretched. “No. No way. That thing is see-through.”

She actually rolls her eyes at me. “Of course it is. Did you honestly think you would be allowed to wear that offensive uniform when you meet the king?”

“Well…” I had held out hope, but even I knew it wouldn’t be allowed. But this… this goes way too far. “I’m not wearing that.”

She turns and lifts a smaller triangle of fabric, darker and more solid-looking. “This goes with it. It will conceal you.”

“And the top?” I peer over her shoulder at the flimsy bit of silk.

She winces and shakes her head. I grit my teeth and close my eyes. “This is beyond my worst nightmare.”

I jerk when her hand falls lightly upon my arm. “I know this isn’t my place, but I think you will look radiant in this.”

“I don’t want to look radiant,” I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest. “I want to look fierce.”

A tiny smirk tugs at the corners of my servant’s lips. “Perhaps we can do both.”

I stare at myself in the mirror, amazed at the transformation. The halter is low-cut, hugging perfectly to the curves of my chest. Delicate swatches of white fabric drape across my upper arm.

My neck looks long with my hair swept up into a mass of curls, adorning my head with beautiful multi-colored jewel clips that make my eyes sparkle. A single purple jewel nestles in the hollow of my neck. Its color is vivid, its surface veined with black.

Alesta worked her magic on my eyes, lining them with thick black around my eyelids. She used a charcoal-gray powder to highlight my eyelids. They shimmer with hidden silver flecks. My lips are a deep crimson, bold and fierce, just as I asked.

The skirt falls at my hip, dipping low into a V below my belly button. The gossamer fabric shows off the length and grace of my legs that I hadn’t realized I possessed. My feet are encased in slippers of shimmering silver. The three-inch heels draw lines of definition on my calves.
Zahra would kill for a pair of heels like these
, I think absently as I turn to look at myself.

Alesta was right. The scrap of fabric she gave me does an adequate job concealing me, although it does nothing for my backside or my chest. I chew on my lip, dreading stepping outside that door. “People will stare,” I mutter under my breath.

“Of course they will,” Alesta says as she pinches my cheeks to revive some color. Not that I’m going to need it. The moment the first person lays eyes on me, I will be red as a beet. “You are the future queen. You demand attention.”

“Please tell me I don’t have to wear this long.” I turn to look at her, hearing the pleading in my voice.

Her eyes widen in surprise. “If you don’t like the color, I can select another one. There are plenty to choose from.”

My heart rises in my throat. “More?”

“Of course.” She laughs, teasing my hair. She has primped for nearly half an hour. “King Aloysius had an entire wardrobe made for you.”

“Of course he did,” I grumble and wave her off. “What now? Do I just wait here?”

Alesta grins. “We’ll be arriving shortly. I thought you might like to view our landing from the main deck. The view from there is spectacular.”

She doesn’t wait for me to protest or ask just how many other people will be taking in the view as she tugs on my hand and keys in a code at the door. The door hisses open and I’m blasted with a cool breeze that makes me shiver. Space is cold.

Two guards turn from their posts at the door and stand shoulder to shoulder before us, blocking our path. I watch as heat stains the neck of the one on the right and feel my own blush rushing over my body as he dips his gaze toward my chest, lingering. Alesta clears her throat. “I am taking her to the main deck for the viewing.”