It was only at Richard’s request that Belle was allowed to attend the welcoming party in Sky House’s grand hall, and it was only due to Jac’s role of bodyguard that Jac was even allowed within Sky House’s walls at all. She had to leave Puissance in the servant’s quarters of the guest house where they were staying, but that was fine. Jac was feeling so buzzed, so alive that she felt like she could punch a hole straight through this fucking mountain, hammer or no hammer.
Jac strapped herself in simple leather armor while Belle dressed for the feast. The two of them quickly pulling on clothing in a room with all the rest of Richard’s attendants, Belle dabbing on a bit of makeup and releasing her intricate braids from the scarf that had protected them while traveling—it was such a stark contrast to just last night when Jac had been so lovingly pampered, paraded around, worshipped and celebrated and touched. It seemed like it had been a dream.
But this, Jac thought as she cinched her breastplate, was more comfortable for her anyway.
For some reason, the image of that rebel from last night arose in Jac’s mind. Mostly naked, lifting the little sword she’d been given and shearing off her hair. Jac shook the image from her head and ignored the pang in her chest.
Sky House’s grand hall was as colorful and extravagant as the rest of the city—more so, even. Each step of the grand staircase leading between the main floor and the balcony was painted a different bright color, contrasting the white floor with gold marbled through it. Massive arched windows revealed the now-dark sky and the millions of stars, the city and all its lights below, and all Lushale below that. It truly felt like they were sitting in the sky.
“Notice,” Belle said in a low voice, her glazed eyes staring at the wall opposite the windows, “how they forgot to put windows on this side.”
It was true. The high table, where Richard, Z, Lady Qatra and her daughters sat, was backed by a wall with arches just like the opposite wall—but mirrors had been set there instead of windows. Had there been windows, they would have been looking out upon the other side of the mountain. Where the mines were.
Wry, Jac said, “Can’t imagine why they wouldn’t want to admire their own handiwork.”
By and large, everyone at this party ignored the two women as they crept carefully through the room. Host, guest, attendant—all glanced right past the little nobody girl and her cheaply-armored bodyguard. The guests wore the most ridiculous “expensive” clothing Jac had ever seen. Cuppedia would love it here. They had foregone Broken Earth’s preferred traditional garments in deep, rich colors and opted instead for cinched waists and enormous skirts and massive shoulder pads and very obvious wigs, all in bright colors.
Some Lady walked by in a skirt so big she could be hiding three different people under there and no one would guess. Next to her, Belle in her simple blue cotton dress and her white woven shawl looked almost to be a different species.
Belle placed herself in view of Richard, her way of letting him know she had arrived without bothering him. He was in conversation with the Salacia daughters—Jac could never remember their names, just that they all started with Q. The daughters were tall and beautiful and Jac fully expected them to be the most ridiculously dressed of all, but they seemed to have chosen a more traditional look tonight. No colorful wigs and poufy skirts, just long, flowing silk gowns held on by precious shining metals. The black-haired sister, who Jac thought was the oldest, wore lavender silks and silver jewelry while the brunette sister had chosen emerald green and gold.
The moment Richard saw Belle, he stood up, startling the black-haired sister mid-sentence. He waved Belle over, and for the first time the room seemed to notice her. Skirts smushed into each other as ladies shuffled aside to make a path for Belle to approach the high table. Someone almost knocked over a table, sending crystal dishes scattering. Jac kept always one pace behind Belle as they crossed the room.
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Richard, infuriatingly, looked as handsome as he always did. Though the blood-red suit he’d worn for the Full Dry Moon last night had been exploded, the one he wore tonight was very similar in cut and style. Only the colors had changed—to Earthbreaker blue with silver embroidery that emphasized the gray-blue of his eyes. He grinned at Belle, and truly, if Jac didn’t know any better, she would name that look on his face Adoration.
Belle stepped in front of the high table and bowed deeply.
“Qatya, Qalliya,” Richard began introductions.
Right, Qatya and Qalliya, Jac thought, knowing full well that within five seconds she would have forgotten the names again. Even if she did ever manage to remember them, she would never know which was which.
“This is my—,” he managed to catch himself just in time. The queen had forbidden him from referring to Belle as his bride in front of anyone who mattered. “This is Lady Nyxabella Lilit-Mirare. My Lady.”
He completely missed the way their eyes snapped to Belle, the way their gazes sliced down her like razor blades, searching out every bit of soft flesh. Jac bristled instinctively and nearly reached for the hammer that wasn’t there—but she knew these women wouldn’t hurt Belle. Not physically. That wasn’t how the nobles operated, at least not in public. Belle was much better equipped than Jac to deal with these types.
“My—,” Belle pretended to almost call Richard her groom, and it made his grin widen. “My Prince, you honor me. As do my Ladies,” she bowed again, “to extend invitation to your beautiful home and this exquisite party.”
The brunette sister said, “We’re more than happy to bow to any request by our dear Crown Prince,” to remind Belle that she had not, in fact, received an invitation.
The black-haired sister piped up with cheer that even Jac could tell was phony, “So this is your…” She gave Belle another ruthless once-over. “Lady. Oh, she’s adorable, Richard. How cute in that little dress!”
Jac was startled by her use of Richard’s first name like that, but the prince didn’t seem to mind.
The brunette chimed in, “It’s true—very … understated. I’d heard word she was from the circus, I’d half expected her to arrive riding a unicycle.”
Everyone except Jac laughed. She clenched her fists. Very few people knew Belle’s history, and if they knew about the circus, they likely knew what had happened to it. But Belle took it all in stride.
Gracious, but not without a strength to her words, Belle said, “It wouldn’t quite fit in my trunk.”
They all laughed again.
Mother Light, Jac didn’t know how Belle put up with this shit all the time.
“You’d think a trunk carrying only simple little dresses like that would have a bit of extra room!” the black-haired sister said, then turned to give Richard’s arm a teasing little shove. “Couldn’t you get your Lady a bigger trunk, Richard?”
“Her circus days are far behind her,” Richard said, reaching across the table toward Belle. She let her hand rest in his, beaming up at him. “She’s a lady of Order now.”
“A shame!” The brunette said. “We’d love a performance—it’s the one thing we’re lacking tonight.”
“Oh, please, Richard,” the black-haired sister said, “we’d love a glimpse of the strange magic that caught the Crown Prince’s attention! Can’t she perform for us?”
Jac had to lock her jaw, grit her teeth so hard that they creaked, to keep from snapping at them. They were talking about Belle like she was Richard’s pet, asking him to show them a few of her tricks.
The quirk of Belle’s lips was slightly amused, but Jac knew how Belle felt about performances these days. The last time she had been put on display in front of a crowd… That week of walking with a filthy Belle slumped on her side still haunted Jac. And she knew it haunted Belle too.
Richard opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Belle’s words came out quiet, intimate. Her green eyes were locked on Richard’s face. She said, “That magic belongs to my prince, now.”
Jac couldn’t fathom how foul those words must taste on Belle’s tongue, nor how she spoke them so gently. Just hearing them turned Jac’s stomach.
Richard smiled and bent over the table to kiss Belle’s knuckles.