Charmed

Chapter Nineteen

A/N: Hey guys! Hope you're liking the story so far. Just wanted to give a little shout out to the first person to have read this story on here, and here, and she is TheIntrovertWrites! She has just published her first fantasy story on here called "The Magical Adventure of a Witch". Go check it out! Much love <3

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I slept for an entire day, just like I did when the Elders had put me through their ridiculous ceremony. Claude and Darius took turns in watching over me, not that I knew they were there. Claude was on duty when I woke up, her blonde hair shining like melted gold in the warm summer sun.

"Hi," she smiled, immediately handing me a goblet of water. I sat up and sipped it gratefully, realising that I was still in Darius' chambers. I didn't mind that one bit - his bed was ridiculously comfortable, although it was always better when I woke up with him beside me. "Darius is in a meeting."

I smiled as I put the goblet on the bedside table. "Have you been here long?"

She shrugged. "It doesn't bother me how long I have to watch over you. I'm just glad I can help keep you safe." She moved from her chair to sit beside me at the bed, picking nervously at the sheets. "We were all so worried when Darius couldn't find you."

"I was gone for almost a week?"

She nodded. "Darius was beside himself. Mother, of course, tried to make him not send people out to look for you. But he didn't listen, not for one second."

I sighed. "She despises me."

"Mother doesn't like change," Claude told me. "You're the biggest change that she's going to have to get used to, even more so than Father dying." She leaned forwards and hugged me gently, careful not to touch my bruises. "I can't believe you're going to be my sister."

I smiled at her when she pulled back, glancing at the ring on my hand. "Neither can I."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Claude bounced up off the bed, her amber dress puffing out as she did so.

I had seen that dress hung up in Claude's wardrobe once before and thought it was a hideous thing, but seeing it hug Claude's curves and flow around her body made me realise she could make anything look good on her. Another gown was laid out in front of me, a black dress embroiled with golden lace. It was an exquisite dress, and perfect to my taste, too.

"This is for you," Claude said, sitting back beside me.

My eyes met hers immediately, and I gaped. That dress could not be for me, surely? "I - Are you trying to sneak me into another ball?"

"No," she chuckled. "You're going to be the queen, Gwen. That means you have to dress the part."

I gulped. "In those itchy, scratchy dresses?"

"Admittedly, they could be a little more comfortable, but once you get used to them they really are wonderful. Try this one on. I had it made a few days ago." She helped me out of bed and allowed me to strip out of my nightgown behind the changing board before she wriggled the new dress over my head. "Gwen, it's beautiful!" Claude clapped her hands together as I walked out and stood in front of the mirror.

Truth be told, the dress wasn't an awful fit. Much like the dress that Vivian had designed for me when I snuck into the Queen's masquerade ball, the sleeves hung off of the shoulders. While it still hid the bruises that Kane had inflicted on me, it showed off my collarbone for all it had. Claude wrapped my hair into a tight bun that sat atop my head, explaining how most royals and noblewomen wore their hair up like that. I didn't like it, but I couldn't complain. However, I drew the line at the makeup that Claude hauled into the room.