Chapter 56: Preparations for the Banquet
Soltair waited outside, accompanied by several maids. He still wore his armor, but the battle-stained steel had been polished to a gleam and a brilliant white cape hung from his pauldrons. I didn’t have to look to know the Sun God’s crest emblazoned on the back. I looked at him, waiting for him to speak, and he looked at the ground. His gauntleted hands trembled slightly, but he looked more nervous than upset.
"Oh my! Look at you," one of the maids exclaimed, pushing into the room, and I realized this one was actually a priestess, not a maid. "This won’t do at all."
Uncomfortably, I folded my arms as she did a quick circle around me, prodding me from several angles and making noises of disapproval. I faintly recognized her from somewhere, but it wasn’t until she beckoned the other maids forward that I recalled her name. Revera. The same who first cared for me and prepared the slave crest after I arrived at the Divine Throne.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, my eyes not leaving Soltair.
"We’ve come to prepare you for the banquet, of course! But where did you even get this scrap of a dress? And your hair! It’s grown out so long, yet it’s more tangled than a rat’s nest." I winced as she pinched the tip of my horn. "If only you didn’t have these horrible things, it would be so beautiful."
The doting words slipped out of her lips like a waterfall, taking me by surprise. Revera had been so strict and stern before, but this was a side of her I’d never seen. Was she putting on an act for something?
"Revera," Soltair said, finally breaking his silence. His voice was soft but heavy. "Would you leave us alone for a moment?"
"Of course, my Lord," she said, motioning the maids away, "But remember we cannot afford to be late." She slipped out, casting a final look behind and shutting the door softly.
"Are you willing to talk now?" I asked when we were alone, the words sounding sharper than I intended. He sagged and moved to sit on the bed, but glanced at his armor and stopped.
"Xiviyah, I need to apologize. It’s been on my chest ever since we came back, but there hasn’t been time," he said, finally raising his head to look me in the eye. "You didn’t have to listen to Trishe, you know. You could have come with us."
He seemed serious, and I wanted to forgive him, but the words lodged in my throat. "Did you know?" I managed to whisper. "How could I have without your approval?"