Ruins and Redemption: An epic fantasy romance adventure (The Aerytol Saga Book 1) by Erin P.T. Canning
Author:Erin P.T. Canning [Canning, Erin P.T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: H.C. Brown LLC
Published: 2023-09-15T00:00:00+00:00
Chapter sixteen
A dance
Gathering her skirts, she walks as quickly as she can through town, across bridges, uphill, under the gate, upstairs, and down the corridor toward her room. Sheâs out of breath by the time she reaches her chambers where Lady Marzella paces back and forth like a mother hen defending her coop from a fox.
âIâm sorry,â Adaline exhales breathlessly.
Lady Marzella doesnât wait for Adaline to explain. She thrusts her finger toward Adaline as if it were her husbandâs sword. âAfter all His Majesty has done for you, the liberties heâs allowed you to take with your wandering, the excuses heâs made for you shirking your contributions to the castle, the luxuries heâs gifted you . . .â
She stops bombarding Adaline for a moment to gesture vehemently at the doors to Adalineâs chambers and then continues her verbal assault. âI donât care where you come from, but you live here now. I will not see our king saddled with a spinster. At your age, you have no room to act like a forgetful child. And if your dress isnât finished in time for tonight, Iâm the one who willââ
âWhat a relief then that you have nothing to worry about,â Seira chimes, stepping out of Adalineâs chambers. âCome, Adaline. Thank you for your help, Lady Marzella, but I have everything sorted.â
Seira pulls Adaline into her room and shuts the door on Lady Marzellaâs mouth hanging agape, thus securing Adalineâs eternal gratitude and willingness to do practically whatever Seira has planned for tonightâs celebration. Holding Adalineâs hand, Seira leads her toward the washtub filled with steaming hot water.
Behind the tub, Kayla waits with soap in her hand and a towel draped over one arm. âGood afternoon, my lady. I have lunch waiting for you, but would you prefer a bath now so your hair has time to dry?â
âThatâs a brilliant idea.â Seira beings undoing the laces to Adalineâs bodice, followed by the corset. âNot my choosing.â Seira tsks to herself, which makes Adaline bob her head in agreement.
After a bath and quick meal, Adaline sits on the edge of her bed with a towel wrapped around her and stares at Merciaâs dress that Kayla had laid across the sofa. Thanks to the camise sheâs worn underneath, the dress looks perfectly clean. Well, except for the dusty, somewhat-muddy hem that Adalineâs dragged all over the city the last three days.
Adaline topples backward onto the bed. âCan I just not go?â
âMy lady!â Kayla gasps.
With a laugh, Seira flits over to Adaline and tugs her hand, pulling her up to standing, and leads her around the privacy screen from the top of which hangs Seiraâs periwinkle dress. âSlip this on.â
Adaline looks at Seira confused. âWhat about the dress the seamstress fit me for?â
âI dismissed her. She didnât understand.â
âUnderstand? But . . .â
âWe donât have time for buts. Kayla, help Adaline, wonât you?â Seira clasps her hands together and looks dreamily into the distance. âIâll wait on the other side to see the final result.â
As Seira skips away, Kayla comes around the screen.
Download
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.
Trickery (Curse of the Gods Book 1) by Jaymin Eve & Jane Washington(7527)
Shalador's Lady by Anne Bishop(6227)
Relentless: A Cyn and Raphael Novella (Vampires in America 11.5) by D. B. Reynolds(6173)
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas(6100)
Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty(5207)
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout(5193)
Four Psychos (The Dark Side Book 1) by Kristy Cunning(5021)
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern(4429)
The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon(4411)
The Legends of Regia Box Set: The Complete Series. Books 1-7 by Tenaya Jayne(4120)
Sin by Kelly St Clare(3497)
Lure of Oblivion (Mercury Pack Book 3) by Suzanne Wright(3489)
The Queen and the Cure (The Bird and the Sword Chronicles Book 2) by Amy Harmon(3422)
Persuasion (Curse of the Gods Book 2) by Jane Washington & Jaymin Eve(3381)
Guild Hunters Novels 1-4 by Nalini Singh(2936)
The Sea King by C. L. Wilson(2890)
Torched by Donna Grant(2617)
Blood Fury: Black Dagger Legacy by J.R. Ward(2594)
The Consumption of Magic by TJ Klune(2570)