Fix Me Up (Unknown Succubus Series book 2)

Coronation Preparation

      You have got to be joking! It was the day of my freaking coronation and all I could focus on was killing my advisor. How dare Janet announce that I am accepting suitors... for marriage! Too bad she had vanished last night so I couldn't strangle her to death. That old bird was screwed when I found her and eventually I would.  If only I could breathe! I was currently strapped into a woman's version of an inanimate boa constrictor, a corset. Not to mention my dress had at least four layers to the skirt. It was so heavy that I couldn't even hide any weapons inside of it. But what made me the angriest was that running or moving quickly was practically impossible. I was positive the dress weighed more than I did and it was painful.

     There! I caught a flash of a familiar tight bun rushing through the door. I jumped to my feet and pushed past what felt like hundreds of people to leave my dressing room. I seemed to be moving excruciatingly slow almost as though I was in slow motion. Once I had accomplished stumbling out into the hall it was void of any bossy, stern-faced advisors with obvious death wishes. Clarice dragged me back into the room to finish curling my hair. It has grown much too long during these past few weeks. The long brown locks had gone from the middle of my shoulder blades down to my hips. To put it simply I needed a haircut, having so much hair made things difficult. Especially in a fight. Or living with a man-cat, he played with my hair for hours and never got bored. "Aspen!" Two hands covered my eyes as Violet attempted to surprise me.

      "Please don't tell me Sam has attacked Hunter again!" I groaned, turning to glance at my vivacious best friend. The cheeky wood nymph was the only one keeping me sane. Violet laughed sweetly but kept the mischievous grin curling her lips. "No, this time it's Colton. We had to break it up before your kitty pulled out his claws again." She even laughed a bit.

      "I swear I'm going to drain every single "suitor" that comes until they stop. This is worse than high school!" I muttered angrily.

     "I wouldn't know, I was raised among the trees with my sister nymphs." Violet's response made me freeze.

      "You've never been out in a human city have you?"

       "Nope."

       "We're going, it's official. As soon as this coronation crap is over we're going to New Orleans. I'm gonna show you city life at its best." I grinned for the first time in what felt like days.

      "That's really not necessary, I mean I wouldn't fit in at all!" She looked so nervous that my heart broke for her. Poor girl had some serious self esteem issues.

       "That's what I'm for! I'm the token Succubus! I'll get us into clubs, get free rides around the city, find some cute guys to play with." I winked at her, playfully.

      "Oh stop, you know that you can't just take off anymore. You have a kingdom to run and a King to find." And she just had to bring that up. I released a tired sigh, allowing Clarice to finish the minor adjustments to my hair, dress, and makeup. I felt like a doll, and being a Succubus didn't help. Attention made me uncomfortable and it seemed like I would constantly be under scrutiny here. Anyone could judge me and I just had to sit there and look pretty. I was the girl breaking all the rules and making my own road. Unfortunately, I was also the girl stuck in a thirty pound dress for a stupid ceremony that lasted four hours.

      "I don't need to find a man to rule this stupid society, I will do perfectly fine on my own. The queen of England seems to be doing just fine by herself. Besides I don't see you with a honey." I snapped back, fighting the urge to scream in frustration. 1....2....3 and breathe. Hunter walked into the room to collect me for the stupid coronation. But my mind was focused on the fact that I'd be stuck in the suffocating dress for hours on end with no breaks or the chance to escape. I was led through a series of halls and heard the loud chatter of hundreds of people. Too many people. I gulped nervously before straightening my back and setting my features into a calm expression. The panic on the inside would be invisible to those looking at me. I twisted my hands until my knuckles were white and bloodless in front of me. The noise was loud as people fought to talk over each other as they waited for the useless ceremony to start. It was the twenty first century and I was forced to wear a freaking corset to a bloody coronation ceremony. What was this the Princess Diaries? Hunter had a hand on my lower back almost as if he were trying to comfort me and assure me that nothing could possibly go wrong. I however knew to expect the unexpected when it came to my life and so with one last anxious lip bite I stepped forward. Ready to finish the ceremony and rip the torture chamber currently tied to my body off and burn it.
    
       "Let's get this shit over with." I grumbled quietly. And with that I stormed straight into the room, head held high with trademark smirk.