Fantasy of Fire (The Tainted Accords #3)(45)
Sounds of agreement from the delegates make me smile.
“Fiona, Jacky. Do you remember the day I asked you to teach me how to sew?”
“Of course,” Fiona says in a wobbling voice. It is she who was crying earlier. I suppose the pregnancy is making her emotional.
“You cut your hand on the mirror, and it brought up bad memories,” she says.
“A lie I thought necessary at the time. I apologize,” I say. “I looked at my face for the first time that day.” I toy with the bottom of my veil. The barracks are probably still wondering what’s going on. I keep expecting Shard to figure it out. Frost isn’t here, after all, and she said she would be.
“It took a colossal effort to remove this light material after years of habitual defeat. And, unfortunately, with its removal, all of my hopes and ambitions vanished into thin air. For the first time I discovered the reason my mother veiled me. It was not the happy ending I envisioned. You see, if I’d just been ugly, or beautiful, or deformed, it wouldn’t have been a problem…”
I take a better grip of the veil and face the barracks.
“You’ll soon understand your part in all this,” I say to my Outer Rings friends. “I’m sorry, but you come later in the story. For now, I wish to show you all my face.”
There are hushed whispers in the back of the room. The king clears his throat and the extra sound disappears.
“I show you because you’re all dear to me and I wish to live without lies. But I also show you because I wish for your support. Recent events forced me to show my face to an outsider. There are several others who have seen me too. I feel it is only a matter of time until the truth becomes known, one way or the other. I’d rather tell you in the way you deserve.”
I can’t resist the urge. I turn to find Jovan. He’s not there. I search for him and see he's stepped to my right. He stands just a breath away, but he’s there and I know he won’t leave me alone. I take off the Kaur band and look at my brother. After a few moments he nods, moving to stand to my left.
He’ll never know what that means to me.
Bunching the coarse fabric in my hands, I inhale, knowing my world is about to change, and then exhale, feeling some kind of peace that soon the secret will be a secret no longer. The burden will no longer be on my shoulders alone.
I’ve always closed my eyes when lifting the veil in front of someone new. This time my eyes stay open as I draw the veil up over the tips of my shoulders. I focus on keeping the tremble from my hands as it comes to my chin, my nose, and with a final tug, ridding my face of emotion, I pull it entirely from my head.
Chapter Ten
The veil floats to the ground in a delicate whisper that belies its evil past.
I look at the room of people, and they gaze back at me.
The dam breaks.
They turn to each other whispering frantically, then everyone starts doing the same and they start shouting to be heard over the explosion of noise. I keep my back straight and my friends stare at me and talk, then stare and talk some more. My eyes water in my determination not to blink too often and look like I’m hiding my eyes.
I take one staggering step back.
“Silence!” roars Jovan. The assembly stops. The barracks are half a step behind, but nowhere near as bad as when Alzona attempts to shut them up. The king steps behind me and I feel his warmth at my back. He rests his hands on my shoulders, probably glaring at my jury over my head.
“We are here to answer your questions, but don’t squawk like a bunch of fucking chickens. Ask Olina,” he orders. No one wants to be the first. They glance at each other wondering who will be brave enough to do it. The lack of noise is worse.
It’s up to me. I turn to the barracks and give some semblance of a smile. “Maybe now I can ask you what an Avalanche is,” I say.
They don’t understand straight away. But then Shard smacks his hand on the table.
“It all makes so much sense now!” he says. He scoots around the table. “All those times you said something out of place and we chalked it to you being fancy and coming from the castle.” He shakes his head, a broad grin on his face. “You’re a bloody Solati? This whole time.” He throws his head back and laughs again. He reaches me and holds me at arm’s length.
“You got big balls, Frost. Maybe bigger than Avalanche’s,” he says. We grimace at the same time. Malir gives him a withering look.
He leans in, eyes kind. I know my apprehension is all over my face. “I always assumed you knew this before, but might I say you’re as pretty as they come.” He pulls me into a tight hug.
It’s something I’ve always wanted to hear. My friend’s reaction is perfect. It turns out, it’s the last straw on a very stressful week. I take shuddering gasps as torrents of tears flood down my face on to his shoulder. Shard steps back and awkwardly pats my arm, looking at the barracks with an expression of alarm. I giggle on a sob as he hovers, unsure how to console me.
“Oh, watch out! Men and tears.” Fiona steps around him and kisses me on the cheek. She dabs her eyes. “I don’t know why I’m crying. You just have such a s-sad story. I always knew you’d be beautiful. Inside and out.” Her voice catches on the last word and she turns into Sanjay’s chest behind her. He pulls me into a one-arm hug around her.