Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee

Author:Fonda Lee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group

* * *

I spent the afternoon uncharacteristically fretting over my appearance, yanking at my hair with an ivory comb, wondering how much makeup to wear (none and I would look like a little girl, too much would make me appear to be a married woman), trying to apply kohl to my eyes and powder to my face and moaning in dismay at the amateurish results.

At last Nasmin swept into the room and rescued me, taking the brush from my hand and saying, “Oh, Ester, let me do that.” I was embarrassed to need her help and so grateful for it that I nearly burst into tears. The high emotions I’d been riding for the past week were running out like the last bit of wool off a spindle. Only the ridiculous thought that the prince might notice and be disappointed by my absence prevented me from throwing myself onto the bed and sulking there for the rest of the night.

I wished to have Nasmin’s cheerful social ease, or else to be as self-contained as Darius. He deserved to be recognized at court as much as I did; Zahra might not have brought down the manticore at all if Minu hadn’t injured it first. But when I suggested to him that perhaps Babak could request a third invitation to court, Darius had reacted with horror.

“Stuffing myself into robes and trying to make polite talk with nobles who know nothing of ruhking but will pretend they do in order to ask inane questions?” Darius shuddered. “Holy fires, no.” He wasn’t at all unhappy to stay in the mews. At the moment, I wished I’d made the same choice, but if I had, I would’ve been miserable, loathing myself for not being brave enough to go to the feast.

Thanks to Nasmin, I was presentable and much calmer by the time we arrived at the palace garden an hour later. Prince Khovash greeted us as if we were his childhood friends, throwing his arms wide with welcome. “Nasmin! Ester! I’m glad I could separate you from your rocs for long enough to give you even a bit of the public honor you deserve.”

The prince’s pleated red robes were patterned with white blossoms, his dark hair and beard were curled in perfect tight ringlets, and black kohl accentuated the size and intensity of his luminous eyes. He shone like chariot gold, like the morning sun over scrubland, like the bronze of Zahra’s wings. Nasmin and I dipped to our knees, fabric pooling around us, and kissed his hands. I was accustomed to wearing functional clothes for hunting and working in the mews: loose men’s trousers, tunic, and boots. The beautiful white robe I’d borrowed from Nasmin was gathered up under a wide golden belt to fit my shorter stature, but I still felt as if I were drowning in fabric and unsure of how to move properly.

“My lord prince,” we murmured in unison. Nasmin added, “The kingdom is blessed to have a royal son who so deeply appreciates rocs and their divine purpose.

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