Guarding the Goddess: A Kindred Tales Novel (Brides of the Kindred) by Evangeline Anderson

Author:Evangeline Anderson [Anderson, Evangeline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Evangeline Anderson Books
Published: 2020-01-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-two

Yet again, Ty found himself in a position he didn’t like one damn bit. This time, it wasn’t the visibility that was the problem—it was the sheer crowds of people they were about to go among.

Right now he and Ellina and the consorts and the guards as well as various musicians, dancers and singers were lined up and waiting behind the tall, golden palace gate. But soon the whole long procession would march out in parade form onto the Primary Corridor—the huge thoroughfare that ran right through the middle of the underground kingdom.

And as far as Ty could tell, every citizen in the whole city as well as thousands of visitors who had come to see the new Potentate would be there, lining the road and cheering.

He had stationed his Kindred guards as well as the new legion of Chorkay guards he was training around the perimeter of the central position that Ellina was going to be marching in. But he didn’t like the fact that between her and the essential safety of the trained warriors was a bunch of useless noblemen, all of them dressed up as though for a court ball and most wearing more makeup than Ellina was.

Of course, the Potentate was wearing considerably more than she liked herself —Ty had heard her arguing with her royal stylist as she got ready.

“You’ve made me up like a carnival performer or a bawdy stage actress,” Ellina had protested. “This isn’t me at all!”

“The people must be able to make out your features and distinguish you from all the rest in the Grand Promenade, Your Highness,” the stylist had argued back. “Some of them will be standing so far back they can barely see you—you’ll need to stand out to make an impression.”

In the end the stylist had carried the day, though Ellina still wasn’t happy, Ty knew, about the amount of cosmetics applied to her face.

Though he liked her just as well without all the stuff the stylist had put on her, Ty had to privately admit that the Chorkay woman had done an excellent job. She had accentuated Ellina’s delicate features and highlighted her Sacred Blue skin with a golden dust that made her almost seem to glow. Her third eye had been accentuated with a thicker layer of the same golden dust, making her look both mysterious and intuitive and her lips were berry-red, framing her little white even teeth.

When she smiled, she would be certain to dazzle any male who saw her, Ty thought. Well, except for the idiotic nobles who quite obviously wanted nothing to do with her.

The lot of them were jockeying for position—each trying to get as close to Ellina as possible in order to appear like they were the chosen consort—while at the same time keeping a careful distance so they didn’t actually have to touch her.

No wonder she’s felt like a freak all these years, Ty thought angrily as he watched one blue-skinned nobleman brush accidentally against Ellina’s arm.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.