CHAPTER9
It had been three days since I last saw Evren. He left my room so swiftly after his cruel words, and I hadn’t seen him since.
And every part of me was yearning to see him, to feel him.
But I couldn’t think about Evren and the sinful way he had touched me when I was standing across from Gavril and the queen.
“The ball is in two days’ time,” the queen barked at the seamstress who was pinning fabric along my body. Her hands trembled as she worked, and I didn’t blame her. I had barely been able to look the queen in the eye for fear that she would know what I had done. “Everyone who matters in our kingdom will be here, and the Starblessed must be the most desirable person in the room. We want everyone to want what belongs to us and know that our family will be the ones to strengthen our kingdom.”
My gaze met Gavril’s in the mirror, but he didn’t say a word. He was simply looking upon me as if he knew what his mother said was right. I doubted Gavril ever spoke against the woman.
I wouldn’t have either if it wasn’t for the lack of fabric of the dress. “Couldn’t we add a bit more fabric?” I kept my gaze on Gavril. “While the dress is beautiful, I feel completely exposed.”
The dress was fitted against my body in pure white silk that left little to the imagination. Thin straps caressed each shoulder and slid down my back to meet the fabric where it hung just above the curve of my backside. A piece of chiffon that was covered in small clear gemstones wrapped around my chest and fell over my upper arms and upper back.
It did very little to cover and only seemed to draw more attention to my body that was exposed.
And I knew that was exactly what the queen wanted.
“That’s not an option, Starblessed. It is imperative that everyone sees your mark.”She didn’t even look up at me as she spoke. She was staring straight at my back.
I nodded once and clenched my fists at my sides. It didn’t matter what I said or what I thought. I was only here to be viewed and to be used for a power I wasn’t even sure I possessed.
“Can we have a moment, please?”
I searched for Gavril in the mirror, and he was still staring straight at me.
“This dress must be finished.” The queen was still fussing over the fabric, but she stopped when Gavril spoke again.
“My betrothed and I require a moment alone.” He finally looked away from me to focus on his mother. “Surely the dress can spare a few minutes.”
I watched as anger flashed across her face, but she hid it quickly.
“Of course.” She headed toward the door with the seamstress behind her, and I held my breath until the click of the door proved that Gavril and I were alone. And even then, it almost felt impossible to breathe.
“I’m sorry.” The prince was still watching me through the mirror as he spoke. “I know that my mother can be overwhelming.”
“It’s okay.” I looked away from him and back toward the door. “To be honest, everything about this is overwhelming.”
He stood and slowly made his way behind me, and I tensed as he got within arm’s reach from me. He noticed the movement immediately.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Adara.” He stared at me over my shoulder before slowly lifting his hand and pressing his fingers to my bare shoulder.
My mark sparked to life under his touch, but it felt dull in comparison to what I had experienced with Evren. I wondered if he knew, if he could sense his brother’s touch against my skin that was supposed to belong to him and him alone.
“Do you trust me?”
His brother had asked the same of me just days ago, and my chest ached with how much more I trusted Evren. His dark blue eyes were soft and pleading, and I knew that in another life, I could have easily fallen for this man. But fate was cruel, and I craved another.
“I don’t trust anyone, Gavril.”
His gaze dropped to my back, and he stared at it for a long time before his hand slowly moved from my shoulder and down my spine. It felt like he was appraising every inch of me as his hand slid down my skin.
“You really are amazing.” His touch was a whisper, a promise of what was to happen between us, and I couldn’t stop the dread that filled me as thoughts of his brother flashed through my mind.
“I’m simply a girl born with a mark on her skin that everyone worships. I have done nothing to be called amazing.”
He looked back up at me in the mirror before he let his hand drop from my skin. “I disagree.”