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“I’m not pregnant!”
Theresa laughed. I shot her a glare and turned to look out the carriage window, wishing I hadn’t talked Chevalier into letting her and Jin ride with us. They were sitting across from us, keeping their hands off each other, at least, but the teasing was getting to be a bit much.
And I was sick and tired of people asking if I was pregnant yet.
“You can’t say that for sure,” she pressed on.
“Neither can you,” I retorted. “Are you pregnant?”
Jin chuckled. “She’s got you there.”
I watched them in my peripheral vision, and despite my irritation, I had to smile. Theresa’s face lit up redder than her hair, even before Jin planted a kiss on her cheek. He threw an arm over the back of the seat, letting his fingers drape across her shoulder, and she shifted in her seat, embarrassed.
“Wh-what do you think our dresses will look like?” she stammered, now as desperate for a subject change as I was. Although this one wasn’t much better.
I sighed and turned to look at her again. “I don’t know, but I hope they’re not too… revealing.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve been to Benitoite, but Nokto said the current styles show a lot of skin,” Jin commented.
Nokto had told me the same thing, as had the palace seamstresses. Benitoite had plenty of sunshine and beaches, and that, combined with new ideas arriving on trade ships every day, meant fashions which would shock Rhodolitian sensibilities wouldn’t draw a second glance from a Benitoitan.
They even had clothes just for swimming. In Rhodolite, we simply stripped down to our undergarments, but in Benitoite, they wore swimsuits. And what I’d heard of those sounded scandalous.
“Belle wouldn’t have picked something you couldn’t wear, Ivetta,” Theresa reassured me. “And she’s marrying a prince. How risque could she get with a royal wedding, anyway?”
Chevalier was reading in silence beside me, as he had been doing the entire trip. I knew he was listening, but he wasn’t one to join a conversation unless he felt it was necessary. So Theresa and I chatted, and Jin contributed here and there, and when the conversation waned, I rested my head on Chevalier’s shoulder instead of picking up my book.
He was a much faster reader than anybody I knew. I read a paragraph before he turned the page.
He hadn’t been thrilled about me traveling to Benitoite. Everybody seemed to think three months of marriage was high time for me to be pregnant, and there was no escaping the comments and questions about it. Add to that one missed cycle, and he was on edge, worried about my health and hypervigilant of everything I did or didn’t do.
I’d explained to him it wasn’t unusual for me to miss a month here or there, and I’d even asked Theresa to confirm that for him, hence her teasing. But if I ate less for breakfast than usual one day, or if I seemed the slightest bit fatigued, he would get overbearing. I knew he was concerned about how my body would handle a pregnancy after my past injuries, but I wasn’t about to miss Belle’s wedding to allay his fears.
We had a big fight about it. He’d put his foot down, and I’d stomped on it, in a manner of speaking. After a tense day that included a bout of angry tears on my part and strict avoidance on his part, we’d reached a compromise and made up.
I hated fighting with him. Making up with him, however, was oh so much fun.
“Is that the palace? It’s gorgeous!”
I sat up straight and looked out the window at Theresa’s exclamation, and I had to agree. Pristine white walls edged with gold and broken by smooth pillars and arches rose to turquoise roofs topped with gold spires. Two rectangular pools of crystal clear water flanked the spotless white driveway, and sparse palm trees and other tropical plants unfamiliar to me spotted the scene with splashes of green and vibrant, colorful blooms.
And waiting for us at the main entrance was Belle, dressed in a turquoise gown to match Rio’s jacket. He stood next to her with a big smile; she was bouncing in place. Becoming royalty hadn’t changed either of them.
Chevalier helped me out of the carriage, and Belle tackled me.
“Oh, my gosh, you’re here! I’m so excited! Are you pregnant yet? Theresa!”
I had no time to respond or even roll my eyes before she’d leaped on Theresa, all the while keeping up a constant stream of bubbly, one-sided dialogue.
“Come on, I’ll show you to your rooms! You’re taking up an entire hall with all the people you brought along, Ivetta!”
And that was part of my compromise with Chevalier. I’d already known he would insist on bringing all twelve of my guards for security reasons, and I’d accepted that without complaint, but my doctor and my new maid, Melanie, had to come as well. In addition to Theresa, Nokto, Luke, and Sariel, who were all in the wedding party, and Jin, who was accompanying Theresa, of course.
That part of the compromise wasn’t bad. I’d been considering bringing Melanie anyway, so the only person added to our entourage was the doctor.
Belle led us through white halls decorated in shades of the sea and embellished with gold, finally stopping at a door in a hall carpeted with royal blue. “And this room is yours.”
“Thank you, Belle. Is it alright if we settle in here and continue the tour in an hour or so?” I asked, as per my agreement with Chevalier.
“Sure! And then we have to do the dress fitting. I can’t wait to show you what you’ll be wearing!”
Sometimes, I forgot just how much energy Belle had.
I surveyed the room, taking in the rich blues of the fabrics and the clean whites and bright golds of the walls and furnishings. A glass door opened onto a semi-circular balcony overlooking a pool surrounded by lounge chairs, tables, and tasteful greenery, and the smell of salt was a constant reminder of the nearby ocean.
“Well?” Chevalier came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder.
“Everything is so pretty.” I folded my arms over his and turned to smile at him. “And I’m feeling perfectly fine and not at all pregnant, so you can stop worrying.”
He kissed my cheek. “If it were that easy.”
I turned fully in his arms and put my arms around his neck, standing on tiptoe to give him a kiss. “I’m fine. Let’s just enjoy our first international trip together, okay?”
Exchanging kisses in the light sea breeze felt nice. A downside of letting Jin and Theresa share our carriage was the lack of kissing during the long, long ride. Chevalier and I had made up the balance for yesterday at an inn last night, and I was looking forward to doing the same here in our sumptuous quarters.
“Queen Ivetta, where would you—oh! E-excuse me!”
I put a finger over Chevalier’s lips and settled back on my heels. “Hold that thought. I’d better see what Melanie wants.”
Melanie’s shyness was the primary reason I chose her as my new maid. After Theresa’s boldness and familiarity, I thought Chevalier would appreciate a quiet, polite maid who wouldn’t antagonize him. Melanie was having some trouble settling into the role, though. I still couldn’t get her to drop my title, and she was terrified of Chevalier. She also got more embarrassed than I did if she caught us kissing, or even just hugging.
I hoped this trip would help her come out of her shell a bit without overwhelming her. If she wanted to accompany me for whatever Belle had planned, that was fine, but if she needed to retreat to her room to recuperate, that was also fine.
And I was sure Belle had a lot planned.
That was where the hard part of my compromise with Chevalier came into play. I’d promised him I would take it easy. He didn’t want me running at Belle’s speed all the time, just in case.
But we were staying in Benitoite for a week, and this wouldn’t be our one and only visit, I reminded myself. We’d be back. Anything we couldn’t get to this time could wait until next time. And if a relaxing week gave Chevalier peace of mind, so be it.
So, I helped Melanie unpack our luggage, and then I sat obediently on the sofa next to Chevalier, reading my book until Belle’s knock on our door.
The palace tour, and then the dress fitting. I took a deep breath before I opened the door.
“Alright, Chevalier, you have to leave!” Belle said, bursting into the room with a horde of women parading in after her.
“Um, Belle?”
“I can’t wait any longer, so we’re doing the dress fitting now, and then we’ll do the tour later. And we’re doing the fitting here, so Chevalier doesn’t have to worry about you overexerting yourself.”
I spotted Theresa’s mischievous smirk in the crowd and glared at her.
“What? She was going to find out sooner or later,” she defended herself.
“You’re pregnant?” Arianna exclaimed, running up to me and grabbing my hand. “Congratulations!”
“No, I am not—”
“Congratulations, Ivetta! I’m so happy for you!”
“I—Elise?”
I blinked, staring in surprise at her hazel eyes. The flecks of gold and green caught the light and sparkled with her bright smile, giving her a dazzling beauty I rarely saw from her. She looked nothing like the shy girl who’d bid me farewell after my birthday party.
“I wanted to surprise you,” Belle interjected. “Elise is staying in Benitoite for a little while, and she’ll be a bridesmaid, too. Is Chevalier gone? Okay, bring out the dresses!”
“Wait, wait,” I said, realizing I still hadn’t gotten my point across. “Listen, everybody, I’m not pregnant. Everybody is just…”
The words died in my throat at the sight of the bright red fabric the seamstresses produced. A quick glance at Theresa confirmed she looked as shocked as I felt, her green eyes wide, her mouth agape. Arianna and Elise didn’t bat an eyelash.
Four red dresses.
Four glittery red dresses.
Four tiny glittery red dresses.
“This one is yours, Theresa. And this one is Arianna’s…”
“Jin hasn’t seen me in red before,” Theresa said, holding the dress up to herself. It had short sleeves and didn’t even reach to her knees. “He’s gonna go crazy.”
“And Elise…”
My stomach was swarming with nervous butterflies. Belle wouldn’t make me wear something like that, would she? I rubbed my arm through my sleeve, biting my lower lip.
“And our lovely maid of honor gets this one.”
I let out a deep breath. “Oh, thank goodness.”
The dress was the same as the others, except a sheer red material extended from the short sleeves to the wrists and from the hem of the skirt to the floor. It looked like the same translucent fabric the seamstresses in Rhodolite used in some of my summer dresses so I could wear something lighter and more breathable while still concealing my scars.
“Go on! Try them on!” Belle urged us.
Theresa was still studying her dress with a dubious expression, but Arianna was already helping Elise get undressed. I blushed and scanned the room for Melanie, hiding in a corner and watching with nervous gray eyes.
“Um, I’ll change in the bathroom. Melanie? Would you mind helping me?”
“No corset, Ivetta,” Belle called after us.
“Well, there’s a bright side to this,” I muttered under my breath.
It looked even more daunting when I held it up to myself in the mirror. The color was too bold, and it was small. Very small. I wouldn’t be able to wear a chemise and drawers under it without them showing.
“Queen Ivetta,” Melanie ventured, “are you really wearing that?”
“I think I have to. Help me out of this dress, and we’ll see how bad it is.”
It was tight. Skin tight. The solid portion of the skirt ended mid-thigh for me, and at least I had the sheer portion for more coverage, but I felt very exposed.
Chevalier would never let me wear this. Not in front of anybody else.
“Are you coming?” Belle called through the door.
I took a deep breath and gave Melanie a forced smile. “They’re all wearing the same thing. It’ll be fine.”
She grimaced and opened the door.
“I hope your dress is a knockout, Belle,” Theresa was saying. “Because if it’s not, we’re definitely stealing the show. I didn’t know dresses like this existed.”
The dress hugged her voluptuous curves like a second layer of skin. She twisted around, studying her reflection in the mirror as she turned to test how it felt and looked when she moved.
“It’s the latest style,” Arianna explained as a seamstress scurried around her, taking measurements and tutting to herself. “The little red dress. There’s also a little black dress, too. That one’s getting really popular for parties”
“Black? Like you’d wear to a funeral?” I asked. I felt a little better about my dress after seeing the three of them in theirs, arms bared and legs exposed from mid-thigh down. The sheer material in mine really changed the look.
It was just so tight.
“Not at all. It’s the same material as this, and it can be glittery, or sequined, or glossy, or matte. It looks nothing like mourning wear,” Elise said.
“It would look stunning with your hair, Queen Ivetta,” gushed the seamstress who was measuring me. She arranged my hair over my back and both shoulders and stepped back, putting a hand to her chin in thought.
“I think I know what you’re getting Chevalier for his birthday,” Belle teased.
“If she’s not already pregnant by then,” Theresa added.
“You two are impossible,” I complained. “Elise, is your father okay with you wearing that?”
She shrugged. “He’s just thrilled I’m in a royal wedding, and besides, he wanted me to travel and get exposed to new things. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
Belle laughed. “Getting away from him has done you a world of good, Elise.”
“What about Chevalier?” Theresa asked. “Is he going to let you wear that?”
I shook my head slowly. “No. We’ll have to hide it.”
“We can all get dressed in my room,” Belle volunteered. “You can hide your dress there, Ivetta.”
“And mine,” Theresa said. “I want to surprise Jin with this. He’ll be drooling all through the wedding. Speaking of which, Belle, try yours on. Let’s see how badly you’re going to mess up Rio.”
She smirked. “Badly.”
She disappeared into the bathroom to change, and I tried moving in different ways in front of the mirror, watching how the dress moved with me. A little black dress was not a bad idea for Chevalier’s birthday. This would drive him crazy.
And then Belle emerged from the bathroom, and I envisioned Rio picking his jaw up from the floor. After he fainted.
It was white, at least, but the strapless bodice covered in lace and sequins was as form-fitting as our red dresses, and it had a heart-shaped, plunging neckline. The skirt hugged her legs, with a slit halfway up the thigh to allow her room to move.
“Did the priest approve of this?” I ventured to ask.
“You’re so modest it’s disgusting sometimes,” Belle proclaimed, twirling around so we could appreciate the dress from all angles. It was backless, too. I had to wonder what was holding it up. “It’s my wedding, and I’m only doing this once in my life, so we’re doing it my way.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
I met Melanie’s eyes and gave her an encouraging smile. It would only be for a few hours on the wedding day, and I wasn’t the only one dressed this way. Chevalier would just have to deal with it.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPuw9ubswl
