~*~
I looked like an entirely different girl by the time Tyrone was finished with my makeup. He hadn't done a whole lot, some light contouring to accent my natural facial features and smokey eye shadow that made my red eyes seem to almost glow. Ty had also put some mascara on my lashes that made them seem longer than they really were.
I was still nervous. After our confrontation earlier, my mind had come up with every negative outcome that could possibly happen. Well, that could happen based upon my own imagination. Either way, the end result usually resulted in me turning into a bleeding pile on the floor. Hopefully Dylan had confiscated whatever weapons she still had on her.
"Alright, that should do it," Ty said once he was done with the finishing touches.
I gave myself one last look in the mirror. To say I was pleased with his work would have been an understatement. I finally felt like the princess everyone else kept saying I was. I was almost to the door when Tyrone piped up again.
"Oh, Cello, wait! You almost forgot this!"
I turned around to find him just before me, delicately placing something onto my head. Another look in the mirror revealed it was a silver tiara with ruby flowers woven through it. It only added to the fiery beauty this entire look brought out in my features. It was then it finally hit me, I could have looked like this my whole life. True, the clothes would have been too expensive, but instead of trying to pull off such a dramatic style, I could have accented my natural beauty. I could have highlighted what was already there instead of trying to cover it up.
"There, that oughta do it," Ty said, tousling a few of my curls so they weren't tangled together. "Now you're ready to be presented."
Cue the swarm of butterflies trying to burst free from my stomach. "I have to go out there now, don't I?"
"Afraid so, hun."
"There's no, I dunno, body-double spell?"
He chuckled, "Sweetheart, if there were, I would've used it years ago. You'll be fine, No one will be allowed to lay a finger on you. You'll have Lord Dylan and several body guards posted throughout the room to ensure your safety. Now go on, my art must be displayed."
With that I was shooed out of the room and pushed on toward the large doors that I assumed separated me and what was certain to be a bloody fate. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and slowly walked into the room. It looked like a long banquet hall, someplace that could hold banquets and other such social events, yet double as a war room if needed. The walls were made of gray stone, so different from the bright, and colorful crystal walls I'd seen through the rest of the castle so far. The hall held an ominous air, as if something were lurking behind a corner, waiting for me to let my guard down.
"Boo," whispered the vixen in my ear.
I couldn't hold back my yelp, or stop my body from flinching away from the source. This received a chuckle from the same voice, though when I looked to where I had just been standing there was no one there.
I looked over to the door I'd just walked through to see an exasperated Dylan leaning against the wall. He rolled his eyes and shook his head before walking over to my side. He took my hand and led me over to the long table in the center of the hall, pulling out the end chair for me so I could sit down. I smiled at him as a thank you and took my seat. Dylan then took the chair directly to my left.
Looking further down the table, the princess from earlier seemed to materialize into her place, tipping her chair back with her feet propped up on the table while she cleaned her nails with one of the daggers she'd been carrying earlier. Even in her slob-like position, there was no other word to describe her than regal.
Beside her sat a man of similar features, coal-black hair cut short and styled in an elegantly tousled mess upon his head, smoldering gray eyes with flecks of bright colors, his consisting of green and orange. His skin was like snow, and veins flowed black where they could be seen through the flesh. His bone structures were over-exaggerated by the thin skin pulled taut over them. Unlike the former Harpy, this one's lips were a pale shade of pink, almost blending in to the surrounding skin.
He wore a simple gray dress shirt, but with the table in the way, I couldn't see anything below his mid-torso. The first two buttons were undone, revealing a small portion of his sculpted, pale chest. His eyes gazed at nothing, the rest of his body language declaring he'd rather be anywhere than here right now. I didn't let that sting my pride, if anything I felt the same way.
Across from those two sat the Sayaadian twins. I could now tell them apart based just upon where their eyes chose to look. Gabriel, being the more confident of the two, glared directly at me, our gazes locking when he finally noticed I was staring. His twin, the name of whom I still hadn't learned, gazed at the table like an obedient dog, waiting for orders before taking any action.
"So, what exactly are we in here for?" I finally asked, drawing all eyes in my direction. I resisted the urge to shrink back into my chair.
Dylan was the first to speak up. "This is a formal meeting between her Highness and her eligible courters. We, your courters, are to give our formal introductions, and leave you to contemplate your options. There is of course no rush in your deciding, your courters shall be staying as your honored guests until your crowning ceremony."
I had become mesmerized by Dylan's captivating and formal tone. It wasn't until I felt five pairs of eyes on me, that I realized they were awaiting my response. I was unsure of whether I should stand or remain sitting, so I only sat up straighter. I made a quick glance at everyone around the table, the princess now sitting properly and Jacque now silently sat beside me to my right. I cleared my throat to address them without the embarrassment of having a hoarse voice.
"Well then, let's begin shall we? Seeing as I'm already well acquainted with Dylan and Jacque, and I met the Sayaadian princes briefly already, I would like to meet the Harpies first."
"Which of us should start your majesty?" asked the princess, any trace of malice or ill will now gone from her voice.
"You, I suppose, you clearly hold more confidence than your companion beside you." That earned me a flicker of rage from the succubus, but I retained my stony, professional front. I couldn't show weakness, I'd only be feeding her ego which I feared had fatal consequences in this world.
"Fine," she flowed gracefully from her draped position out of her chair and seemed to almost float around the table towards me. "While I'm not foolish enough to tell you my full name, you may call me, Zalaam."
I eyed her carefully as she approached, but was not distracted enough to miss her words. The name rolled off her tongue in a musical way, it sounded foreign and beautiful, and I would not let myself forget it. Just because I could not show her my fear, that didn't mean I couldn't show her my respect. "Thank you for sharing that with me. I'll ask you to please sit back down, the others still need to introduce themselves."
She glared at me, but halted her movements, silently sauntering back to her chair. I'm not certain it was because of my request, or because of the daggers being shot at her from Dylan and Jacque's eyes.
Next the Harpy sitting beside Zalaam stood and bowed formally. "I, your Highness, am Zil. Brother Zalaam, and eldest prince to the kingdom of the Harpies. My older sister and I come to offer ourselves as allies to your kingdom, should you choose one or both of us as your consorts."
"Ever so formal, aren't you brother?" snarked Zalaam, taking the opportunity to check her nails as she was once again lounging in her seat.
I ignored her and nodded to Zil, who sat back down, straight as an arrow. The Sayaadian twins stood together and gave their formal bows. Were it not for his scars, I couldn't have told the shy brother from the mischievous one.
"We are Sléibhte and Abhainn, your Majesty, the eldest princes of the Sayaadian kingdom. We come to offer ourselves as allies should you choose one or both of us as your consorts," they said in perfect unison. It was as though they'd rehearsed those words their entire lives.
Slightly taken aback, it took me a moment to recover and nod at them to sit back down. Dylan was the only one to stand next, Jacque locking his gaze at the table.
"Though you already know who I am, my name is Dylan, and I am the only Shivarran prince this cycle, Jacque stands in as my proxy companion, even though he is only a mere knight. We offer ourselves to be your consorts, and shall stand with you whether we are chosen to be members of your harem or not." Without a nod from me, Dylan sat back down. I glanced once more at Jacque, feeling slightly sorry for him before standing to address the others at the table.
"I thank you all for being hear, and apologize for any inconvenience that may have befallen you at being made to come her to play as my suitors," I didn't know where these words were coming from, but I just let them keep flowing and hoped for the best. "I know it is best for all of our kingdoms that you are here. I want you all to know that I am appreciative of your proposals of alliance."
They all nodded their heads in respect, even Zalaam, who'd at some point come to a lady-like position in her chair. Suddenly the doors I'd walked through before swung open, and in swept my mother, regal as the last time I'd seen her in her glamour guise. She came to stand beside my chair and even placed a delicate hand with a surprisingly vise-like grip on my shoulder.
"If you could all please excuse my daughter and I for a moment, there are things I need to discuss with her that must not be shared in public."
As the princes and princess got up from there seats the politely bow and exit the room, my stomach filled with a curious dread at the prospect of being left alone with my mother. Jacque seemed to also feel uneasy because he remained in the room.
"I asked you to leave," my mother's tone had gone icy, so much so that shivers ran down my spine.
"I only answer to my princess," said Jacque boldly.
"Insolence!" screeched my mother, raising her right arm in Jacque's direction.
There was a crackle of what felt like electricity in the air as my knight was picked up like a ragdoll by invisible hands and flung across the room. Staring in shock, I almost didn't notice the claw of a hand curling around my throat. Before I could scream for help, my air was cut off and I was dragged out of my chair. I was turned to face a reptilian version of what had once been my mother.
"Ah, well, I'd planned something more subtle, but I'll work with what I've got," she hissed. My eyes watered as my nose was bombarded by the monster's acrid breath. I prayed for anyone to save me while my world started going dark. The last thing I saw was Jacque struggling to get up before everything went black.