eclipsed nova (UTM Feysand)

3

The shadows of two young girls appeared a few days later, both in matching flowing white dresses completed with a gold collar and gold cuffs, the sleeves themselves having a slit that allowed the fabric to accentuate their beautiful deep skin tone, fabric billowing underneath their arms as they worked.

At first, I was afraid. They looked like they were submerged in a dark fog, concealing most of their features from my view. But once they'd spoken, I felt the safest I had in weeks. They informed me that I would be attending a ball tonight and needed to be prepared to be presented. I had no doubts that this was nearly certain to be a bad thing. She'd kept me locked away long enough by now that I knew she'd never let me go. Not willingly. Unfortunately, I was also in no position to make a ploy for escape. So, for now, I was trapped with the two shadow women attempting to once again make me look human.

I obliged, allowing the girls to do their jobs and wash my body, scrubbing my skin with cloths until it was angry and red, but finally removing the thick layer of filth I'd acquired in the darkness alone. They clipped and polished my nails, scrubbed and fashioned my hair into a braided crown atop my head, and lacquered my lips. They blushed my cheeks and lengthened m eyelashes, and all together made me unrecognizable to myself.

Once I was clean, they fitted a thin gauzy fabric over my body that hid next to nothing underneath. I could see my nipples through the borderline sheer white fabric, and two slits ran up the sides, stopping just above my hip bones on either side, barely concealing the rest of my body from public view.

"How lovely are you?" A deep voice purred. I gasped, spinning to find Rhysand lingering by the door to the room Nuala and Cerridwen had taken me for preparation. He looked devastating in an all-black suit, sleekly and sharply pressed. Those intense violet eyes shimmered with something that could have resembled possessiveness if I hadn't known better.

"Is this because of you?" I snarled.

"Figured you'd appreciate the chance for a bath," Rhysand shrugged, and my anger bubbled in my chest. He'd barely clothed me and likely now wanted me to service him as he does for his darling Queen. The Queen who had teenage bodies strung along the walls, rotting.

"I am barely fucking clothed," I spit out in a snarl.

"Mmm," he mused. "That you are."

"Find me clothes," I demanded. He was delusional if he thought I was going to tramp about essentially naked with him in front of Tamlin. It was likely a humiliation tactic, to parade me about as though I were a prize to be bought and sold. Or even kept as an amusing pet for Amarantha's whore. It was dehumanizing.

"I have," he smiled. "You're wearing them."

"I'm going to kill you," I spit out, gritting my teeth in frustration. I hated the way he looked at me, eyes leering and seductive. I could feel his gaze like a caress against my skin and I hated the way it made a shiver trickle down my spine. I convinced myself the goosebumps strewn about my skin were from the cold air and lack of clothing, not from his proximity.

"Mm, feisty this evening, are we, Feyre darling?" He said with a cat-like smirk, dragging the tips of his fingers lightly down my entirely exposed arm. "Good. I've been waiting for a chance to play with you."

I growled, stomping my foot down as hard as I could on top of his, but Rhysand didn't even flinch. Which only made me angrier and him all the more amused. I felt an anger bubbling inside of me that had no escape. It threatened to burn me alive if I didn't find a way to expel it from my body.

"I'm not your toy," I said as menacingly as I could, narrowing my eyes at him.

"No?" He asked, distracted as he twirled a loosened strand of hair around his fingers, skillfully clipping it back and replacing it in one of the golden clip adornments the shadows had woven into my hair.