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“They wish to be under his constant gaze, so the rest of us do not have a chance to be alone with him if possible.”

“It would appear so, yes.”

Victoria didn’t plait or braid her hair, but she made a small, tight bun on the back of her head off to the side. It was behind her right ear, clipped so that the waves of her hair were controlled to rest over one shoulder and down her chest. It tucked underneath her jaw when she applied more pins to make it appear thicker. Pulling her hair like this to one side highlighted the pale flesh of her neck on the other side.

“They are rather devious, those two,” Valerie said, raising a brow through the mirror’s reflection.

Now that her hair was done, she was instructed to turn around so she could do her make-up.

“You saw how I prefer it last night; I wish for it to be similar around the face. You may apply it as glamorous as you please around the eyes. There, I do not care.”

With a nod, she began her task. Valerie closed her eyes so that they could be painted, the dusty make-up cold against her eyelids.

“Are you worried about the other women participating in the gala, my lady?”

“Not at all. We can call it a gala, but it is really a competition. We will all play the game how we see fit, and it is up to King Bradwick as to what he decides is titillating.”

It was a game Valerie would be pretending to play, and she had been strategizing since she arrived. It was also one she wasn’t invested in at all.

If I play mysterious, it will give me the freedom to search while also garnering the king’s interest so I can get closer.It could backfire, though; he might see her as disinterested.

She opened her eyes when Victoria was finished, nodding in approval. A soft brown had been painted on her lids. Her eyes were shinier, while the rest of her face appeared natural.

“You have yet to tell me what today’s events are,” Valerie said, watching Victoria pull dresses from her clothing chests.

“King Bradwick seems to prefer blue. If I were you, I would dress accordingly.”

“I do not care what his favourite colour is,” she answered dully, moving one of her legs so it rested atop the other. This made the girl pause in surprise. “I wish to wear the grey dress.”

It was pale in colour, but it would stop her skin from washing out if she were to walk into the sun. It had a multi-layer skirt, which would fluff out so it would be comfortable to walk in. There was brown stitching over the chest that came to a V near her navel, while the rest of the torso was plain. That same stitching danced along the sleeves.

“Yes, ma’am. Sorry to be so untoward.” She grabbed it, airing it out of any dust, while Valerie stood to remove her nightgown. “You are to attend court while Bradwick makes up his mind on what he wishes to do.”

“There is no plan for the day?” She thought he would have some clue as to what he was doing.

“He does for the rest of the week, but I believe he is unsure for today, since it is technically the first day of the gala. He does not know you ladies, so please be patient with him.”

Ah, so he is unsure how he wishes to approach us.I would be overwhelmed if I had four men fawning over me.

Valerie felt pity for the king.

“Do you not have any other shoes?” Victoria asked as she gestured to the plain black slippers in her hands.

“No. It seems my servant forgot to pack them.”Cecily’s feet had been too small.

“Oh no, this cannot be tolerated.” She walked over to one of the sofas and matched the bottom of the slipper against her own foot. “I believe I am a size too small.”

“It is fine, Victoria. I can make do with one pair. I, at least, chose to wear something comfortable in my travels.”

“You are trying to impress the court, my lady. They will ridicule you if they discover you only have one pair.” She helped put the slippers on Valerie’s feet before she stood up to place her hands on her hips. “Clothing and footwear often go missing. I will try to find something that will fit you.” Then, her eyes darted up to Valerie, who towered above due to their height difference. “Perhaps something that lacks a heel, though.”

“Much appreciated,” Valerie answered, with a bow of her head to show her thanks. “Am I ready now? Or is there something missing from my ensemble that you wish to criticize?”

The baroness had been creating a fuss for most of the morning, wanting to make sure she looked beautiful. She felt like a porcelain doll.

The woman blushed. She’d made many comments about Valerie’s lack of fancy dresses, jewellery, and footwear. Valerie was thankful she’d gone through Cecily’s travel chests and thrown out everything over the top.

“No, I believe you look fashionable.”