Chapter 21 --21
Elara gathered her hair in one fist, pulled it forward over her shoulder, and cut. The blades weren’t meant for hair—they were dull and awkward—but they did the job. Long strands fell to the floor in uneven clumps. She kept cutting until the length stopped at her chest, then dropped the scissors and shook her head. The shorter hair settled around her face, no longer dragging at her neck.
Lisa looked like she might faint. "Your beautiful hair—"
"Was inconvenient," Elara said, running her fingers through the shorter strands to smooth them into something resembling order. "It’ll grow back if I decide I need it."
She turned back to the vanity. A small wooden box sat open, filled with brooches and decorative pins. Most of them were floral—delicate roses, soft lilies, things designed to look harmless and pretty. She pushed them aside until her fingers found one that didn’t match.
A butterfly. Golden wings spread wide, small rubies set along the body and wing edges. Nothing sweet about it. Sharp. Clear. Unmistakable.
She pinned it to the blazer’s lapel and stepped back to look at the full picture.
The woman in the mirror looked nothing like the Fourth Princess who’d collapsed in a hallway three days ago. The hair was shorter, practical. The clothes were modern, professional, designed for function instead of decoration. The stance was straighter, shoulders back, chin level.
She looked like someone who’d walked out of a different world and decided this one needed fixing.
"Good," Elara said. She adjusted the lapels one final time, checked that the blazer sat correctly, and turned toward the door. "The Emperor sent word he wants a report on today’s activities. I’d rather deliver it in person before someone else tells him their version."
Lisa’s face went pale. "You’re going to see His Majesty? Now? Dressed like that?"