Page 104 of The Chains You Defy

The mood in the room bordered on oppressive, and as Antas strolled over to a chaise, I busied myself withcutting the ribbons tied around the first crate with my dagger.

Gods, I really needed this distraction.

As I pulled the first garment out, I noticed with relief that despite the tailor’s and his team’s disdain, as well as Dion’s abysmal behavior, the professionals had created something beautiful.

Lifting an airy plum-colored gown to show the garb to Antas, I exhaled in relief.

“Oh, how pretty is this dress? To be honest, I was afraid I’d receive rags instead of decent clothes.”

“No one at court would risk losing their position due to their prejudices. Even though you are only a lowly human in the eyes of most, you are entwined with Dion. As the heir to the throne, his word can cost staff members everything, including their lives.”

“Mh. Does he throw around his weight a lot?”

“Well. Yes and no. You cannot forget his reputation, which he earned all by himself, even if he followed Galrach’s commands most of the time. Still, being assigned to his personal staff is often a death sentence and a popular punishment that my brother doles out to those he does not like.”

“That’s horrible. Why can’t Dion see that his way is wrong?”

“For him, it simply is not. I do not always approve of his methods, but in the end, here in Galanta, morals are different from those in Ivreia. Yes, fae consider life precious since children are so rare. But still, if you want to survive, defending yourself and your loved ones is mandatory. The best way to deal with a threat is to eliminate what endangers your surroundings. Keepingenemies alive when we can reach several thousand winters of age is seen as stupidity.”

“But Dion—”

“Yes, he is taking the sentiment to the extreme. And my intention in explaining this is not for you to give him carte blanche. You have a good influence on him, but do not expect him to change so much that he fits into your worlds’ view. No matter how much you mean to him, he will never adopt the standard ethical principles of an Ivreain citizen.”

Antas’ words caused my skin to pebble. Usually, I spent as little contemplation as necessary about Dion’s murderous side, and if I did, then only tinted in heavy humor.

“Nayana, you grew up in a society where you were taught that every life is worth preserving and that ending it is wrong.”

“Basically. Except females are valued less. Which would be bad enough if all men were decent, but—”

“They are not. And I am not saying that the Galantan system is better or worse; fae morals are simply different. What you have done to your intended—here, everyone would have congratulated you for successfully defending yourself. And if you had not brought him to justice yourself, those around you who cherish you would have finalized the deed instead.”

Contemplating his words for a while, I went back to unboxing and marveled at some of the dresses. Keeping my hands busy was a welcome diversion and prevented me from spiraling into memories. Even if I’d begun to digest Jelric’s assault, the fact that I’d been responsible for his death was still firmly tucked away in the locked attic of my mind.

So, I examined my new wardrobe. That fae females preferred an airy wardrobe was obvious, the skirts flowing like water or like the wind ruffling the branches of a weeping willow. Each gown was a dream of layers of the finest silk, gossamer, and chiffon adorned with embroidery, lace, and ribbons. The heaviness of Antas’ and my conversation was put on pause as I admired dress after dress. “He went overboard.”

“You will have many watchful eyes on you and be under constant scrutiny. Not only as the only human Galrach’s High Court has seen in over a century, but also because you are Dion’s bound Amplifier. Because of your connection, you are magnifying their nightmare prince’s power to unknown heights, which he already possessed in abundance before. It is not a comfortable place to be, and even if it sounds small, taking some pressure off you and sparing you nasty comments about your sense of fashion is meant to support you.”

“All fine and well, but no one sees me anyway.”

“You will not stay in your quarters all the time.”

“Is Dion aware?”

“He means well.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that I’m unhappy. In here, I can’t help. And I wager all I own that he plans to keep me completely in the dark.”

Opening the next crate, I instantly closed the lid again. My cheeks heated, and I hoped my embarrassment wasn’t too visible. No way would I unbox underthings in front of Antas, especially not since I’d caught a glimpse of more laces and other impractical fabrics.

The following box wasn’t much better, but I detected this only on the second glance.

Picking up a white garment, which turned out to be a nightgown, I blanched as I realized the material was half-transparent. With jerky movements, I shoved the indecent nightwear back to the others. Did fae wear pieces like these lacy nothings or sheer sleep clothes for real, or was this a misguided joke of His Royal Bastardness? “Uh.”

Antas, thank the gods, pretended he hadn’t witnessed the nightgown or my visible discomfort, which I appreciated to no end.

“Can I ask you something, Antas?”

“Of course.”