Immortal Reign(112)
Yes, so very true.
So many choices and so many consequences.
“Tell me,” Nerissa said after they walked in silence for a while. “Did you ever dream of anything in your life beyond being empress?”
Amara considered this. “To be honest, no. The only real option for me was marriage, but I’d put it off as long as I could. I suppose, before I became empress, I was waiting for the right powerful man that I knew I’d be able to control and manipulate.”
Nerissa considered this. “And now?”
“Now I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with the rest of my life.” The sea air was warm and smelled like salt. She breathed in the unexpected freedom that she knew she didn’t truly deserve. “Why would you leave Cleo to come back here? I know she depended on you and considered you a true friend.”
“The princess doesn’t need me anymore,” Nerissa replied simply.
Amara couldn’t help but laugh at this. “And I do?”
Nerissa took Amara’s hand in hers, squeezing it. “Yes, actually I think you do.”
Amara looked down at Nerissa’s hand. She didn’t try to pull away.
“So,” Nerissa said when the docks came into view up ahead, “where do you want to go now?”
Amara smiled at the sheer number of possibilities that now lay ahead of her—opportunities she never thought possible. But perhaps somewhere along the line, in some small way, she might find a way to redeem herself.
“Everywhere,” she said.
CHAPTER 36
CLEO
LIMEROS
“Ouch!”
“Apologies, your highness.” Lorenzo Tavera finally finished lacing up the back of Cleo’s gown so tightly that she could barely breathe.
“I don’t remember it being this uncomfortable during our previous fitting,” she said with a grimace.
“Discomfort is temporary,” he told her. “The beauty of silk and lace is forever.”
“If you say so.”
He took a step back from her, clasping his hands together with joy. “Absolutely stunning! My greatest creation to date!”
She took a moment to admire the gown in the mirror before her. The skirt consisted of layer upon layer of delicate, violet-colored silk and satin, like the petals of a rose. Golden threads woven through the material created a near-magical sheen whenever the gown caught the light. Several seamstresses—and Lorenzo himself—had spent weeks embroidering graceful birds in flight over the bodice.
They were hawks, which Cleo appreciated. Hawks were the symbol of Auranos, the symbol of Watchers and of immortality. They were every bit as meaningful to Cleo as the phoenix was to Kraeshians.
Life—Auranians had learned in the days following the Kindred’s deadly siege upon the city—was about love, about friends and family, and about not putting one’s own desires above the well-being of another person, no matter who they are.
Cleo gently stopped one of her two attendants from tugging at her hair in an impossible attempt to make it perfect. Her scalp felt as if it had been set aflame. Half of her golden locks had been coiffed into an intricate series of braids, the other half left free and flowing down her shoulders and back. Lorenzo had requested that all her hair be up so the crowd waiting outside in the palace square could appreciate the beauty of the gown that he’d made by hand, but she much preferred to wear her hair just like this.
“I think we’re done,” Cleo said as she looked at her reflection. She had mostly recovered from the ordeal of being possessed by the water Kindred. The only remaining sign was one faded blue tendril along her temple. One of her attendants, a girl from Terrea, told her it looked like a painted adornment worn by her ancestors during the half moon celebrations.
By the way she’d said it with such enthusiasm, Cleo took this to be a great compliment.
Lorenzo smiled as Cleo moved toward the door. “It’s even more beautiful than your wedding gown, if I do say so myself.”
“By a fraction, yes, I must agree. You are a genius.” That gown had been incredible, but she’d never had a moment to truly appreciate it.
Today would be much different.
“I am a genius,” Lorenzo agreed merrily. “This coronation gown is one that will be remembered throughout history.”
“Without a doubt,” she agreed, repressing a smile.
Nic waited for her on the other side of the door impatiently. “You took forever to get ready. Is that how queens are? Wait, now that I think of it, you always took forever to get ready, even as a mere princess.”
“You didn’t have to wait for me, you know,” Cleo said.
“But how could I miss a single moment of today?” He walked beside her down the hall. Jonas was waiting at the other end as well, also ready to accompany her to the balcony, where she would be making her first speech as the queen of Mytica.
“Are you sure you haven’t changed your mind?” Jonas asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Save your breath,” Nic said to him. “I’ve tried to convince her otherwise during the entire trip here, but she refuses. If you ask me, this is the worst idea ever.”
“Then it’s very smart that I didn’t ask you, isn’t it?” She smiled at him patiently. “When is it that you’re planning to leave on your journey to explore the world with Ashur?”