Chapter 83: Lurker
"Yes, Princess, I’ll have them sent over to the palace in the morning itself," the florist, Jennifer promised, and a relieved sigh escaped Soleia’s lips.
Finally, the negotiations had concluded in her favor. While Jennifer had initially been terrified of upsetting Soleia with her earlier insensitive comments, that soon faded while they began to discuss floral arrangements.
The sheer scope of the proceedings made Soleia’s head hurt. The florist kept pushing for her most expensive blooms, and Soleia had to dig her heels in and stop her from getting her way. Her father and Orion had not given her an actual budget to work with, but Soleia would be damned if the royal family spent an arm and a leg to pay for this wedding.
This wasn’t even her wedding! This was a wedding for a concubine who got pregnant before marriage!
Perhaps Soleia was just the tiniest bit bitter. Who wouldn’t be?
Eventually, they finally agreed on an arrangement that was tasteful, elegant, and didn’t cause Soleia to convulse from the money wasted. Soleia turned around to leave the store, only to pause when she realized there was no one outside the entrance.
Did Reitan get so tired of waiting that he had Sir Ralph escort him back to the palace? Soleia frowned in disappointment; she hoped that she could spend more quality time with her younger brother and show him there was a bigger world outside of the palace, away from their father’s controlling thumb.
But Sir Ralph should have let her know before he left. She pursed her lips and shook her head, deciding to continue the rest of her tasks on her own. She made her way to the next stop, the most populous fabric store in town for decorations.
After all, it wasn’t as though the palace had enough new fabric to line their church and halls. Elowyn was too precious to use second-hand fabric on. A derisive scowl crossed Soleia’s face as she squeezed into the crowded store. It seemed like every woman of marriageable age was here, frantically reaching for the fabrics on display.