Render Me Starless

♛ | Chapter 31 - "orange gift paper"

As soon as I had seen the garment, I knew something was very wrong. "Linda, I don't really like the dress," I tell the seamstress as politely as possible, fiddling with my necklace.
Her constant frown deepens as she pauses. "Why? What do you not like?"
I surveyed the gown. It was orange, an orange way too familiar. There was a bow wrapped around the waist that gave a gift effect. My skin crawls as I remember the dress in my visions, the dress I was staring at now.
I try to smile at the forlorn seamstress. "Maybe the colour. Or the bow," I say tentatively.

I had to find Orion. Now.

Linda holds the dress away from her body to look it over and her nose scrunches up. "The King had insisted your gown be orange."
My heart plummets to my stomach. What was the King up to? The question drills a hole in my mind and the only thing going through it is the need to find my mate. I take in a deep breath, fighting off the panic as it seamlessly grips my throat.
"Why don't you try the gown on? Maybe you will like it on yourself," she says, walking closer.

I choke down the 'no' I wanted to shout. I opt to just shake my head, gripping the necklace tighter
"Why don't you just put it on and we can just take a little breather afterwards?" Linda offers and I instantly see this breather as a way I could get to my mate. I needed to see him. "Let's put this on."

I surveyed myself in the floor length mirrors that covered most of the wall once I had the gown on. I clench my fists together, the need to tear the orange fabric away from my skin growing with every second. I hated it.
"Linda, I'm going to take that breather now," I force a smile at the miserable seamstress and do my best not to scurry out of the fitting room.

I find Max right across the door. "Where is Orion?" I rush out.

"In his room. Is everything okay, Astraea?" The warrior steps forward and again, I place on my smile. "Everything is fine, Max. I just really need to speak with my mate. Will you accompany me?" I hated to admit it but the thought of walking around alone scared me with the chance of  King Elias being anywhere. Having Max as my guard was a serious comfort booster.

"Of course, my lady," the ginger bows dramatically, easing my nerves just a tad. It was Wednesday, the day we were to announce to the kingdom that Orion and I were mates.

We make our way to my mates suite with no problems and as I place my hand on the double doors, I turn to Max. "If you wish to leave, you can. If not, do you mind just waiting out here for me?"
He presses himself against the wall and clasps his hands behind his back. "I will wait here."
I nod, smiling. "Thank you." I enter the suite, closing the doors behind me. "Orion?" I called out. He walks out of his bedroom. Or perhaps our bedroom now. "Is everything alright?" he asks.

He was dressed in familiar royal attire, the purple material clinging to his skin seductively. The suffocating purple was a welcome sight and in this second, I would do anything to go back to wearing the royal colour. Any other day, I would have surely taken my time to stare at my mate but, I couldn't bring myself to. I meet his kohl rimmed eyes. I shake my head in response to his question. "This is the dress," I say, looking down at it.
"The dress?" His eyebrows furrow as he too, looks down at the dress.
I nod. "Linda also told me that your dad had insisted on the orange colour."

Orion looks down at the floor, thinking. "He still plans to take you to the Day Throne." He curses. "Orange is their royal colour. Fuck. The hideous bow. He's going to give you away like a gift. He still plans to give you away, my mate. Even though he knows what you mean to me." Orion shakes his head, letting out a breath in disbelief. "My own father."

It's my turn to frown. I placed my arm on his shoulder. "Hey, I'm her with you so I'm perfectly safe. We'll figure this out." I squeezed his shoulder and he looked back up. "Together."
He meets my eyes before nodding. "You're right," he murmurs.
I make a show of gasping dramatically. "Did the mighty Prince Orion say I was right?"
I get the desired result; a good eye roll with him standing straighter. "Don't get used to it," he tells me and I laugh, returning my hand to my side. "Dude, I'm always right. You just hate admitting it."