“Why are you doing this? I was born on Picadilly Street to a woman who didn’t live long enough to name me. I am not their equal. I am a poor girl who took a wrong turn and found herself in nice clothes,” she whispered so no one else would hear her shame.
Prince Ira stopped and turned his head to face her.
Entire universes gathered in his eyes, flecks of gold dancing over the green. They bore into her, and for just the briefest of seconds, she saw what he did when he looked at her, and she was beautiful. A diamond amidst stones glimmering against the sun. Unique and powerful.
“You are more than any of them could ever hope to be. We don’t choose who we are born to, but we choose who we are. You are courageous, kind, intelligent, and limitless. Don’t let them put you in a box they designed because being anything other than who you are would be a damn shame.”
Emotion was drowning her, pulling her under after each gasping breath, and she knew she couldn’t survive for much longer. Her eyes dragged down to his lips that were slightly parted, and she fought the urge to reach out and run her finger over them.
“I-” she tried.
She lifted her gaze to his, and there she died. Forever swept away in breezes that dance through tree canopies, carrying cinnamon along its winds.
“Do you smell that?” Max said. “I read about this. It’s-”
“Time we all found our seats,” a man said. “Ira.”
He held her gaze for a moment more, and the second she lost it, she was sure she would have done anything for just a little more.
“Yes, father,” he said.
“Sit with me, Luci,” Gladys said.
She came up beside Luci and threaded her arm through hers. Luci tried to nod her head, but she felt far too dizzy to manage it safely.
“Ira,” Gladys whispered.
He squeezed Luci’s hand once more before slowly letting it fall from hers. The loss of him was unsettling, like she was lost and adrift without hope of being found. Gladys pulled her along towards the table that stretched for twenty feet. Rose petals were scattered over white cloth, while every few feet were golden vases filled with roses, next to ornate three-tiered candelabras that were molded from gold.
At the head of the table sat King Rupert, whose eyes tracked everyone’s movements, whipping to and fro. To his right sat Queen Alexia with her golden curls and soft smile. She nodded her head towards Luci as Gladys directed her to take the seat next to hers. The only problem with that was that it put her two seats away from the Queen, which was a mistake of comically embarrassing proportions.
“I should-” Luci began.
“You must be Lucinda.” The queen’s voice was lyrical and gentle. “I’m told we have you to thank for why Ira is chronically covered in Bertram's slobber.”
If it weren’t for her smile, Luci might have thought she was reprimanding her, but there was nothing but warmth in the way she watched Luci.
“I- it was nothing.” Luci tried.
Across from her, Max took his seat and grinned, showcasing a newly missing front tooth that was entirely in conflict with his scholarly demeanor.
“You lost a tooth,” Luci said.
“He sure did. Make sure not to put it under your pillow when you go to sleep tonight.” Lucien said, taking his seat next to her. “You're in my seat, by the way, but that’s all right. We’ll make an exception tonight.”
“Why would I put my tooth under my pillow? Thats ridiculous.” Max said, eyebrows pulling down sharply.
Prince Ira patted Max’s shoulder as he walked by and took his place to the left of his father.
“You of all people don’t know the story of the tooth fairy?” Prince Ira asked, his lips pulling up in a crooked smile.
Brielle took her seat next to Lucien, and she could not have been more grateful for a barrier against Lord Treveon. It didn’t matter what affirmations Prince Ira and Brielle said to her; at the end of the day, they didn’t mean anything if she didn’t believe them.
“Oh, I know this one!” Brielle said. “If you place your tooth under your pillow, the tooth fairy takes it and leaves a treasure in exchange.”
“Yes, that’s the children’s version, but the real story is much darker,” Lucien said.
“It’s all nonsense.” Lord Treveon said.