The Hidden Orphan (The Chronicles of Mistar - Book 2)

Eighteen · · · Evangelene

Castle Starlight, Crestlin, Tatin, Ablatin

EVA LOOKED INTO THE MIRROR. She was wearing his thick-rimmed glasses, transparent to the wear, as clear as the glass. Eva figured they would make her eyes blurry, but they felt normal, only blurring a little bit. Maybe she needed glasses too.

The Feast of Foreverness was today. They were to eat a lunch-dinner in the gardens on a table that was built to curve around Castle Starlight, out the front gates, and down main street. All of Crestlin was going to be there, including people from all over Tatin. Even a few families from Wren who would come to support their prince and future king.

Eva was not ready. The day was to be hot, boiling and sweltering unlike the high winds and cool breezes of the day before. Eva felt the weather should have been switched. The hot day would have done nicely for the quick ceremonial walk through the garden, being able to spend the rest of the day indoors. The cool breezes would have felt nice in a small jacket to spend the whole day outside.

The person, or people, Eva felt the most sympathy for was Monta and his friends. They lived on Gazar their whole life. Their hottest temperatures consisting of 40 °F, barely ever reaching that high. From her textbooks, Eva knew that Gazar's most average temperature throughout Solstice stayed at an even 25 °F, nowhere near forty.

On Ablatin, the temperatures were most likely going to be in the high seventies. Eva could just imagine them, sweating in their heavy clothes as they ate hot food with no way to shade themselves. And they couldn't go inside. The castle would be on lock-down. No one inside and no one out. As soon as Eva left the castle, she wouldn't be allowed back in on order from her father, the king.

Eva rested the glasses on her chin. She decided she was going to wear them as an accessory until Siend decided to steal them back. All she needed was the perfect outfit. Earlier, she had pushed out her maids, saying she wanted to pick out her gown herself, that she didn't need any help.

The glasses were a sign. Eva needed an outfit that fit a ring.

She was only fourteen but she already knew it was coming. It would have to come sooner or later. After her father made it clear that Siend was to be her king-consort, her fiancé, betrothed, the people would be expecting a proposal soon. Siend couldn't have proposed at the ball. That was Bondest and Eve's moment. The day before wasn't public enough, or public at all, and he couldn't propose in Wren since it wasn't his country.

When Siend gave her his glasses at breakfast, Eva knew exactly what it meant after she studied them when she got back to her room. Siend was going to propose during the Feast of Foreverness. If anything, King Evert probably gave him the idea or made him do it. Eva laughed at the thought of her father and Siend having a serious conversation over the proposal.

Eva picked out something simple. Or, as simple as her gowns were. It had a navy blue ribbon, strapless top with a long silky skirt etched with gray and topaz blue designs. The back of the skirt had navy blue and white ruffled with a long white ribbon tied into a bow around her waist. She picked out a loser white corset so she could breathe better and eat more food than she usually would be able to. Eva wore shorter white heels that showed her topaz blue painted toenails with diamond earrings and a necklace laced with cream-white fire flower pearls. She left her fingers and wrists bare, ready to show off her engagement ring that she would wear for births before she finally got married. When Eva was finally dressed, she called in her maids to do her makeup.

There was only one reason Eva was glad it was hot: she wouldn't have to wear a full face of makeup. It would be simple and plain. Her eyelashes were dark, black with mascara. The top of her eyelid was covered in tan and silver eyeshadow while her bottom lid had a line of teal-topaz blue. Like always, her lips were dipped in a dark, blood-red.