“Will you tend to Oliver for me?”
“Aye, lad. Go. Hurry!”
Just as Jon turned to head for the castle doors, the castle guards, lined up, thwarted him, swords drawn and pointed at his chest. “Halt, Jon Doe!” one yelled “You are under arrest by order of Prince Iver Daring!”
As the pale, discontent Nina would say, fuck.
“One more bow in this GD beehive and someone dies. You got that?” Nina groused, flapping away the hands of the very patient handmaiden who’d reconstructed her hairdo, as the bluebirds settled back into the nest of her ebony hair.
If she only knew how utterly surreal she looked, the soft lemon color of her dress, rather than taking away from her paleness, accentuated it. But she was wearing down, and it was beginning to show, endlessly worrying Toni.
Marty sighed as another handmaiden fluffed her amazing gown of lavender silk and taffeta. The gorgeous detail of the bodice alone, with its swirls of flowers and leaves, would be the envy of every female ball attendee.
The puffy sleeves off her creamy shoulders bounced as she sighed. “Ignore her, girls. Please. And if she keeps complaining, give her a clove of garlic. That shuts her right up.”
Wanda rose from the poofy white lounging chair she’d been quietly sitting on and shook a finger at Nina. “Don’t be so ungrateful. They’re just doing their jobs.”
Nina whipped around, the skirts of her heavy gown whispering across the floor. “I’m gonna pluck those wings right the hell off your back, Wanda. I know this has been a whole princess party come true for the two of you, but me? Sheer effin’ hell. I want out. I miss my kid, and my man, and my own GD castle.”
Marty’s blue eyes became watery, her lower lip quivering as she fought tears. “I have to admit, I miss Hollis and Keegan like crazy. I don’t know if time passes the same here as it does back home, but if it does, I hope Keegan remembered to help our girl make cookies for Santa. She loves that more than I think she even loves opening presents.”
Wanda was the first to reassure her, her eyes filling, too. “You know Archibald and Darnell are on top of things, Marty. All of the children will be taken care of, if that’s the case. Arch isn’t going to let them miss a thing. In fact, if it is Christmas Eve back home, know what they’re doing right now? Sleigh-riding down that big hill behind Mara’s old place. Keegan’s dragging the little ones to the top of the hill while Greg waits at the bottom. Heath is making snowmen with Darnell, and Arch has them dressed like they’re in Siberia, waiting for them to finish so he can tuck them under those awesome heated blankets with a huge carafe of hot chocolate, brimming with the mini-marshmallows they love so much. It’s our Christmas Eve…tradition,” she said, her voice cracking.
“You think Katie, Shaw, the twins and Teeny are there?” Nina asked, a smile reaching her eyes.
Wanda smiled brightly. Almost too brightly. “Of course they are. Teeny’s trying to sneak off for a smoke while Grandma Lou, Clay, and Casey chase after her.”
Marty nodded, her smile growing. “How much you wanna bet Quinn’s trying to hook Arch up with Teeny again?”
Nina barked a sharp laugh, slapping her thigh. “You remember what Teeny said about him the first time Quinn tried that shit?” She hunched over and scrunched up her beautiful face, mimicking Teeny. “He came at me like he was gettin’ ready to lay one on a damn fish. I don’t want no stuffy old man. I want me a youngin’ with abs o’ titanium and a tight butt!”
All three of the women laughed. Their combined memories were what had kept them going on this trek to the castle. They were always talking about one incident or another they’d shared together as they’d trudged through the forest, while Toni had stayed in the background and eavesdropped on their happiness. Her heart clenched tight. They were all so close—so intertwined in each other’s lives.
She rose from the magnificent four-poster bed with inlaid wood, sitting in the middle of the breathtaking room she’d been whisked away to last night, the rustle of her beautiful skirts hindering her stride. She crossed the room and squeezed Nina’s arm, shooting Marty and Wanda an apologetic glance.
“I’m sorry, Nina—all of you. I know how much you’ve sacrificed to help me. But this will all be over tonight. You heard what the king’s messenger said, right? He said he’d take court with us this evening at the ball. It won’t be long now.”
Nina squeezed her arm back. “Sorry, kiddo. I’m low on this damned elixir crap and it’s just making me crabbier than usual. This fucking dress doesn’t help. Who the hell thought this contraption up? If I had organs, I’d have fekkin’ yarked them up by now, it’s so damn tight.”
“I’ll treasure this always,” Toni said with a grin.
“What?”
“Your apology.”