Hell's Throne (The Devil's Assistant Series - 5 ) - Unedited

Chapter Two

Unable to force myself upright, I rolled to the edge of the bed. Peering over the side, I judged the distance to the ground before rolling off and onto the floor. I just managed to get my hands and my legs underneath me before I landed on my face. I drew in several deep breaths to steady my roiling stomach before crawling towards the wardrobe.

Upon opening the door, I discovered someone had removed all of my other clothes, all clothes except one giant mass of deep red fabric. It was almost the same shade as freshly spilled blood. With long sleeves, a fitted top, and a full skirt, the garment took up the majority of the wardrobe. The only way to wear the dress properly would be with a corset but the very idea of having the cords pulled so tight I could barely breathe was not appealing.

"Bloody man, what on earth is he up to?" I muttered, staring up at the oddly beautiful monstrosity.

The detailing was exquisite. I had never had much of an appreciation of clothing but even I could see quality when it was placed right before me. Reaching out a hand, I let the bottom of the dress slip through my hand. It was silk - expensive silk.

A knock sounded behind me before a young woman slipped into the room. She was wearing the uniform I associated with the castle staff but I had never seen her face before. Despite how awful I felt, I pushed myself to my feet and smiled.

"Are you here to help me get ready?" I asked.

The girl gave a small nod of her head. Her eyes remained lowered to the floor respectfully, an action that was a bit disconcerting. More and more of the staff were adopting the protocol. It was as if I had already married Lucius and had assumed the throne. He hadn't even given me a ring.

"That's great. I was worried for a moment I'd have to figure out how to get into the tent by myself." I said with a nod at the dress hanging all by itself.

The young woman's lips, which were a cerulean colour, twitched up into a faint smile. Her eyes lifted for a moment to the dress before dropping once more to the floor. Seconds later all hint of emotion were gone from her face.

I sighed quietly before turning away. "I need to shower first but I won't be gone long."

***

Within an hour and a half I was clean, dressed, and primped to perfection - or at least as close to perfection as I could manage. The nausea and headache were gone but it had been replaced by shortness of breath. It was the price of looking fierce. The corset, which I had caved into wearing with only a little nudging, forced me to stand up taller and the large puffy skirt meant no one would miss my entrance. My makeup had been done with dramatic flair; there was dark liner around my eyes while my lips were painted the same shade of red as my dress.

Standing outside of the throne room, I peeked through the gap in the doors. Our guests were already inside but Lucius had yet to make an appearance. I fought the urge to wipe my clammy hands on the skirts and instead focused on getting precious air into my lungs.

"You look amazing."

Spinning as quickly as the dress would allow, I glared at Lucius. "You know you're not supposed to leave the girl waiting. We need to get this over and done with so I can breathe again."

Stepping closer to me, Lucius wrapped his hands around my waist. A broad smile played across his lips. "You're cute when you're angry."

"I'll show you just how cute I can be." I retorted, punching him in the arm. "This dress is may be pretty but it is painful too." I pouted up at the man, sticking out my bottom lip and attempting to look as pathetic as possible.

"See. You're cute." He smiled and then pressed a kiss to the end of my nose. "Now, stop fussing. We have to make our grand entrance."

Giving me a conspiratorial wink, he held out his elbow. Looping my arm through his elbow, I held on tight. With a great shove, the doors swung open hard and fast. Crashing into the walls, the loud bang caused several of the gathered guests to startle. I resisted the urge to give them sympathy. It didn't take a genius to figure out this was a posturing exercise. Lucius was coiled tight, his entire body tense under my hold.