Page 29 of Unwilling Queen (Kingdoms #1)
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
Colbie
I take Violet’s advice and try to take a nap, and I actually succeed. My brain is exhausted, and I manage to shut it off for a couple of hours. When I get up, I enjoy a soak in my huge bathtub, releasing a little more of the tension in my muscles. The girls arrive, and I am plucked, curled, tweezed, and powder to perfection. The dress they select is a scarlet red satin with a full skirt and layered underskirts, a fitted, sleeveless bodice that had a high neckline, and a row of black buttons up the front of the bodice to break up the red fabric. It’s certainly a statement dress, and I do feel like a queen in it.
The debate about what to do with my hair rages around me, but eventually, everyone agrees with a messy updo, and Gracelin procures a small ruby and black diamond tiara.
“Gosh, I’m glad kneading bread keeps my arms toned,” I mutter as I turn around and look at myself in the mirror for the first time. The girls worked miracles, and I don’t look like myself at all. In the mirror opposite me is a gorgeous, curvy goddess. The dress accentuates my perky breasts, and the pair of spanks I have underneath makes my waist look slimmer and my tummy flatter. The skirt hides my hips and thighs perfectly, and the heels they forced me into give me a height that pulls off the whole look.
“Pfft, you’re gorgeous. I’m jealous of your curves,” Gretchin says, plucking at the teal blue mermaid dress she has on that looks stunning against her dark complexion. “This would look so much better with some junk in my trunk, but I can’t get any weight to stick. It’s the dreaded shifter metabolism at play.”
“And the fact that you’re in the military and always working out probably doesn’t help either,” Gracelin teases as she puts the finishing touches on Violet—another small tiara that she told Violet only had semi-precious stones in it when she freaked out and refused to wear it.
“Will that happen to me? Will I lose some of my weight? That would be awesome. I’ve always hated my thighs and ass.”
“Who knows? It’s different for humans who are changed. Some keep their original figures, and some don’t, but with the energy you are using, I wouldn’t put it out of the realm of possibility. Okay, done. Come on, we need to hurry up. We’re already running late, and Dad will lose his shit soon. He’s still pissed about your Mom from this afternoon. If there wasn’t an amnesty on council positions during the transition, Councilman Tideman would have been out of a position after his stunt.”
She hurries us out of the room and through our wing until we get to the public wing where the ballroom is located. “Right, you need to make an entrance, so wait here, and the three of us will go first, and then you will be announced and make your big entrance. You will be escorted down the stairs by your bodyguards, and Dad will meet you at the bottom of the stairs. He will then escort you to the head of the table. We will have a meal where you will be watched like you’re a circus act, and then the tables will be cleared, and the mingling will occur. Moms and Dad will introduce you to our society’s elite. There will be dancing and drinking, and you will feel like tearing your hair out by the end of the night,” Gracelin tells me in a rush of words as she looks me over to make sure nothing has changed on our hurried walk from my room.
“We have a safe word. If you text any of us the word ‘pineapple,’ we will know you need to be rescued and swoop in to run interference,” Gretchin tells me, producing my phone and handing it to me.
I gape at her. “But where do I put it?” I ask as she tucks hers into the top of her strapless dress. I can’t do that in this one.
“Pockets, my dear, pockets,” she replies and gestures to the skirt. I feel around and am slightly giddy with glee when I notice that the dress indeed has pockets.
“This is awesome. I always tell Mom she should put them in her dresses. She told me I was stupid and we didn’t need pockets when we had dates who have jacket pockets.”
All three of them scowl at the mention of my mom, and I don’t fault them for it.
“Okay, let’s go. Good luck,” Gracelin says, and Violet gives me a jaunty wave and allows the two princesses who have quickly worked their way into my heart to drag her along. I’m so pleased they’ve taken her under their wing as well. She’s like the younger sister we all wanted.
“And remember to smile. You’ve got this.” Gretchin winks as the doors open, and Violet slips through. I hear the herald announce her.
“Presenting Lady Violet Marsden, advisor to the queen.”
There is an outbreak of whispers at this announcement, and I only hope that Hunter’s brother and sister are somewhere close by to her at the dinner table. I did make that request, and hopefully being queen gets me a few perks.
“Presenting Princesses Gracelin and Gretchin, secretary to the queen and bodyguard to the queen respectively.”
When Bryson appointed Gretchin to be one of my bodyguards, I was stunned but pleased. I did double check if it was something she wanted and not being forced on her, and she assured me she’d ask for the position herself. I quickly agreed, happy that I have someone guarding my back I can trust. I was a little less sure about the secretary to the queen position for Gracelin. I felt like it was a downgrade, but it’s what she was doing anyway. She lives for organization and did it on a small scale for a large shifter company prior to having Archie. She’s been a stay-at-home mom since then, but she is ready to get back into the workforce. This way, she can bring Archie with her when he doesn’t have school. It worked out perfectly for everyone, and she’s dying to start bossing me around.
“Presenting Her Majesty, the new queen of the shifters, Colbie Karridge.” That’s my cue, and I step up just as the doors fling open.
The lights blind me slightly, but I resist the urge to shade them with my hand. Instead, I move forward so everyone can see me, pausing for effect on the staircase landing. The five rows of tables are full—one across the top for VIPs and then four perpendicular to it. Each table apart from the VIP table is able to sit upwards of seventy shifters. All of those eyes are on me. My stomach rolls with nerves, but an even stronger feeling of reassurance from my animal gives me the strength to keep going. I’m wearing my pendant, but it doesn’t seem to dull my connection with my animal now, only dulling everyone else’s sense of it.
I smile serenely as Watch Team One falls in around me, all resplendent in formal suits, and then as one, the six of us move down the stairs in sync, almost like it was rehearsed, but it wasn’t. I haven’t seen any of them since the drama at lunch. I’m dying to ask one of them how my mom behaved when they escorted her to the neutral zone, but it will have to wait.
I hear whispers, and with my new hearing, it’s easy to make out what is being said.
“She doesn’t feel very strong. What was the goddess thinking?”
“I heard that no mates have shown up at the palace, none at all.”
“Gosh, I bet that skirt is hiding a giant ass.”
A growl from my side has someone yelping in fright, but I don’t dare turn my head to look. Despite some of the whispered words being my own fears, I know the truth—I am powerful, and when I can finally show them, they are going to wish they had kept their mouths shut.
I’m sure they know I can hear them, but they are trying to get me to react, so I tune them out and smile at Lucas as he holds out his hand. I place mine in his, and he bows over it before pressing a kiss on top. I dip in a curtsy, giving Lucas the kind of respect he deserves.
“Shall we?” he asks, holding his arm out, and the two of us move toward the table. Once we are seated, everyone else takes their seats.
Dinner is served, and thankfully, I have people surrounding me whom I know, so I’m not forced to suffer small talk with strangers during my meal. It would be a damn shame not to be able to focus on all the delicious food that is being presented to us.
I hear the occasional, muttered bitchy comment aimed at me though.
“Look at how much she eats. No wonder she needs such a big skirt.”
I wonder if that’s the same person who made the skirt comment before. Seems like they may be fixating on my ass.
I turn my head to look at where the comment came from. At one of the middle tables, there are two girls with delicate forms, almond-shaped eyes, and long, glossy dark hair staring at me with some serious hatred.
“Did you hear that, Prince Gryffin?” I ask the man who is sitting on the far side of Layla, who is directly next to me. I’m not sure how they worked out the seating arrangement, but I think Gryffin is strategically placed for my protection, while the rest of Watch Team One is seated next to him. Mia and Evelyn are on the other side of Lucas, followed by general Bryson and his family with Violet on the end. “Someone seems to have an obsession with my skirt. Do you think we can figure out who it is and give them the name of the designer?” I ask him, sounding unbothered, and he snickers while Layla hides her laugh by taking a sip of her wine.
“As you wish, my queen. I will listen carefully to the crowd to figure it out,” he says just as loudly as I had. Dropping his voice, he mutters, “Naughty cookie, but well played.”
“Indeed,” Layla agrees. “That was masterfully handled.”
No more whispers reach my ears, though I’m sure they haven’t stopped completely, just not in hearing range of a tiger, which I’m assuming is fairly far.
Dinner is cleared away, and I have to mingle. It’s excruciating, and I lose track of all the people I meet who kiss my ass. It’s all fake and nauseating, and I’m reaching my limit when I am approached by a familiar face.
“Dad, will you allow me the pleasure of a dance with Colbie please? I’m sure she would like a break from all of this.” He smiles charmingly, and his mothers twitter at him as his dad practically shoves me into his arms. My hand is hot in his as he leads me onto the floor. He spins me around before drawing me into his arms. Gryff wraps one arm around my waist and holds my hand up as he twirls me, waltzing in time to the orchestra. Dancing with him is like dancing on a cloud. He moves effortlessly and doesn’t strike up a conversation, somehow sensing that I need a break to decompress.
I wonder what his animal is. I remember his mothers explaining how it works, and if I remember correctly, both of his parents are tigers, so that would make him a tiger… I freeze on the spot, and he frowns quizzically. “Are you okay?”
“What color is your tiger?” I ask him, unable to hide my suspicion, especially when I take into account the funny reactions when I told them all about my tiger cuddle experience at breakfast.
He winces and shrugs. “White,” he admits, and I pull away from him.
“It was you last night, wasn’t it?” I ask, feeling hurt, before spinning and moving away from him. I feel like a fool.
“Cookie, wait.” He grabs my arm. “It was my tiger, I swear. He took over, and I was strictly in the passenger seat. He wanted a belly rub, and there was nothing I could do. I didn’t know that you were the queen or that none of your mates had appeared. I wasn’t trying to give you false hope. I swear,” he pleads, but I shake off his hand and hurry away from him, pulling my phone out and typing “pineapple” to Gretchin. She won’t let me down.
I’m done with all of this today. I’m sick of this bullshit. Why can’t I do this queen thing on my own? The reminder that I can’t take my full duties until my six mates appear is a kick in the teeth. Gryffin’s actions, while not malicious, were still hurtful, and the whispers around me all night have been speculating about the lack of possible mates, and if it’s because I have no power. At one stage, I gripped the pendant around my neck so hard I thought it was going to shatter, but Lucas reminded me that without control, I could easily hurt or kill someone, so I dropped my hand. Gryffin’s deceit was just the nail in the coffin.
I’m intercepted on my way off the dance floor, and I barely contain the growl that bubbles up out of my chest.
“Your Majesty, allow me to introduce myself since Lord Lucas hasn’t deigned to do so.” The man uses the title Lucas will hold once I am crowned. Technically, they should still be referring to him as King Lucas. I turn and find a handsome, gray-haired man beaming at me. He is accompanied by his wife and two children. I know exactly who this man is because I had Violet point him out earlier.
“No need, Councilor Tideman. Your reputation proceeds you,” I say, pasting on a barely there smile.
He guffaws with laughter, and I take note that none of his family curtsies or bows to me as protocol dictates. “Wonderful, I look forward to getting to know you and helping you with your new position.”
“Now then, no business talk at a party.” Gretchin slides between us and herds me away. Tideman protests, but she ignores him. “Sorry, Colbie is needed for a moment. No rest for the wicked.” We lose them in the crowd, and I sigh with relief. I was not ready to deal with that, though I most certainly will.
“You done?” Gretchin mutters, and I sag.
“Absolutely,” I tell her, and she discretely ushers us out a side door and takes a different route back to my room.
“We ran interference with Dad, so we are in the clear.” Gracelin and Violet are waiting there when we arrive, and I heave out a sigh of relief at the bottles of champagne they each hold in their hands.
“Yes, yes, yes.” I snatch one from Violet, and the four of us kick off our shoes and jump onto my bed, making ourselves comfortable. I don’t even bother with a glass and just pop the top and guzzle it down. The bubbles tickle my nose, and it’s a little tart for my sweet tooth, but if it does the trick of blurring my mind, then I am here for it.
“Ugh, I need to get out of this dress,” Gretchin grumbles, climbing off the bed, and I wave at my wardrobe.
“Help yourself,” I tell her, and it takes barely a second for all three of them to strip off their ballgowns and replace them some of the mountain of loungewear I have.
“That sucked,” I say, flopping back on my bed, careful not to spill my champagne. “Did you hear them all talking about the mate thing?”
“Almost as much as I heard your lack of power mentioned,” Violet grumbles and takes the bottle of champagne out of my hand. “Come on, get out of your dress. You will feel better.”
“It wasn’t all of them. Some of the people there tonight were lovely, but it’s the assholes who are always the loudest,” Gracelin says, and I see her sending a message on her phone. “Snacks are on their way.” She jumps back on the bed with her own bottle of champagne in hand.
I put mine to the side and let Violet yank me up. I struggle with the little black buttons down the front, holding my dress together. “This was much easier at the beginning of the night,” I mutter as the champagne takes effect.
“Here, let me.” Violet pushes my hands out of the way and makes quick work of them. She shoves the dress off my shoulders, leaving me in only my bra. I shimmy out of the rest of the dress and toss it off to the side before spinning and going in search of my own loungewear.
“Colbie, what is that?” I hear Violet ask, and she grabs my shoulder, halting my movements.
“What? I can’t see.” I turn my head as she pokes at something in the middle of my spine.
“Have you always had this tattoo?” she asks, tracing something on my back.
“Tattoo? What tattoo?” I feel so confused. Gretchin and Gracelin approach me to see what Violet is talking about.
“Oh my god!” Gracelin squeals as Gretchin mutters, “Holy fuck.”
“What?” I ask, getting annoyed. Violet takes my hand, drags me into the bathroom, and turns me around. My hair is up, so when I look backward into the mirror, I can see exactly what the hell she is talking about. It’s a tattoo of a tree with a heart on the trunk and six branches curled up and outward.
My stomach is in my throat as I blink to make sure it’s really there. I recognize it. I traced my finger over its exact replica not more than a few days ago. It’s the same tattoo that was on Nox’s chest.
“That’s not just any tattoo. I think we just solved the reason why none of your mates have appeared yet.” Gretchin crosses her arms and grins at me in the mirror.
“What do you mean?” I brace myself for whatever she has to say, because I am so fucking confused.
“That mark is the same mark shared by a bond group. You’ve been given a formed bond group as your mates instead of selecting them yourself. True mates!” Gracelin sounds dreamy.
Does that mean Nox is actually a shifter and was lying to me? I think about the pendant around my neck and the matching one he wore, and it all falls into place. Of course he fucking is. I can’t believe he didn’t tell me, especially after he knew my secret.
Violet obviously can’t stand the wait, so she asks the question I’m too scared to. “Which bond group?”
Gretchin smirks and starts laughing. “Watch Team One. You are my brother’s bond group’s mate.”