Veils of Storm

2. The Wonderous Life of a Socialite

Kat couldn't stand being waited on.

Yes, she was aware she was now a future duchess. She was actually aware that she was, or could be much more than that. A rouge queen. The co-head of a rebellion.

None of that made having a handmaiden any easier. Her entire life, she'd fended for herself, done the lowliest of jobs just to secure enough food for her and her father. Nothing had ever been easy, at least not in recent memory.

And now she was the lady of a palace, a great number of servants at her disposal. And she was supposed to give them tasks, be their leader, an example of good manners and poise.

She was nothing but a lowly peasant girl.

It had seemed so easy, so natural to accept Cage's proposal when it was just the two of them inside the castle, forced into solitude by the curse that turned her betrothed into a killer beast. It was just a fight for survival then. No social implications, no chance for her to have to learn and adjust to the true life of a duchess, outside of books and their pretend balls.

I can't be missing the curse. Resenting people. After all, she had her father and Keliegh with her now. And the people in the castle were to be trusted to keep their secrets. Because if word got out about their curse, about how Cage could actually wield magic, they were all dead.

But no one knew except for the very few people they could truly trust. And there was no need for anyone else to be in on it. After all, their curse didn't show.

And still, as she glanced into her mirror, Kat couldn't help but look for signs of magic. What was she even expecting to see? A glow? A murky aura?

All she could see was herself, draped in a great deal of pastel pink fabric. The color reminded her of fondant.

"It looks good on you," Keleigh noticed from her seat by the door.

Kat only hummed as the seamstress stuck needles in the hem of the dress to toy with the length. She didn't know why she needed a new dress, but it was apparently required of her to be fitted at least once a week.

All that wasted material. She would not be attending royal balls when most of the kingdom believed Cage to be dead. Why all this then? She was sure he had ordered it, but why? To keep her busy? Distracted? Did he really think it would work, that it would divert her from the emptiness inside her chest?

It had begun the day he had left and with every passing day, the smothering sensation inside her seemed to grow. It reminded her of being locked in the dungeon, trapped by iron crossbars that drained her mysterious magic.

Her magic... What did it even do except plant annoying voices inside her head.

You are destined for greatness. To burn this world.

And all of a sudden, the image inside her mirror caught fire. The fabric of her dress, the wallpaper and tapestries... And there she stood, wrapped in flames and laughing.

The image faded in the blink of an eye, leaving Kat's heart pounding, her body drenched in cold sweat. And with reality came a pain so powerful inside her, she couldn't help but double over, clutching at herself for release.

You need him, his magic, his power.

"Kat?" Keleighs voice was like a distant whisper in the wind. "Leave us!"

In a matter of moments, soft hands led her off her stool and on her bed with Keleigh sitting beside her.

"Are you alright?" the other woman asked. "You just turned pale like death."