Chapter 48: Chapter 48
Chapter 47:
Sanaya’s P.O.V
“Sanaya, stop fidgeting!” Amber scolded in a stern voice. “I’m trying to paint your eyes and you’re going to ruin my masterpiece.”
I sucked in a breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm my nerves. Once I felt a bit more steady, I nodded and sat still, placing my hands on my lap with my eyes still closed as Amber did my eye makeup.
Alina and I had parted after we had finished our bath and Amber had been there to escort me back to my room where she had immediately began working on drying my hair. It had taken half an hour to dry completely and then Amber had begun working on curling my hair. After almost two painful hours of enduring the heat, my hair was in gorgeous loose curls and Amber had also braided a few strands of my hair in such a fashion that it looked like a braided hair band on top of my head. It helped keep my hair out of my face and gave me a neat look. But Amber hadn’t been done. She had then proceeded to clip a stunning hairpin to the left side of my head.
The pin was in the shape of a rose with two leaves on either side of it and the entire pin was made of white diamonds, which I knew were very much real. The design felt vintage or maybe older, I couldn’t exactly tell but it looked very expensive and I was hella nervous of losing it.
“It’s a gift from Acelin.” Amber told me as she was securing the pin. “He wanted you to look so stunning so that it blows everyone’s socks off. His words, not mine. And he also told me that he wanted his daughter to have the best things in the world.”
It had almost made me cry because I missed my biological father and also I couldn’t believe how much Acelin loved me. If his daughter had been alive, he would’ve given this pin to her and if my father was still alive, I might have never met Acelin or Lancelin. It was fate that brought us together and I couldn’t be more thankful for it.
Lancelin had also given me a present, even though it was his coronation ceremony. It was the dress I would be wearing tonight. I wasn’t allowed to see it until it was actually time to wear it and from my earlier experiences, I knew Lance already knew my size perfectly well.
Amber however, had already had the privilege of looking at the dress and she had described it as the most stunning dress she had ever seen in her life. I knew she was joking. Amber had lived for more than five centuries and it would be impossible if she hadn’t seen prettier dresses especially during the medieval era. Not that I was doubting Lance’s choice, but I was doubting myself. What if I couldn’t do justice to the dress? What if I looked fat? What if the colour didn’t suit me?
Oh my God! What if I dropped something on it?
“All done!” Amber announced right at that moment, saving me from having an anxiety attack.
“Wait! Don’t open your eyes yet! Here comes the setting spray!” Amber warned before I felt the droplets of the chemical hit my face. I scrunched my nose at the sudden discomfort but it was over before I knew it and the scent of fresh jasmines filled the air.
“I’m nervous to look.” I told her the truth, keeping my eyes closed even after the setting spray had dried. “It’s Lance’s coronation and he’s the centre of attraction today but why the hell do I feel so nervous? I’m scared!”
“Hey,” Amber lifted my chin lightly and I opened my eyes to meet her sapphire ones. “It’s a big deal for you too. You’re Lance’s lover, his consort. People will be judging you and no doubt there will be a lot of unnecessary jealousy involved. Don’t bother to get their words under your skin; you’re leagues above any woman in attendance today, even Asmara.”
“Asmara’s coming?” I asked in surprise.
“Unfortunately,” Amber sighed and released my chin, adjusting the clip once more before she moved away from me. “She’s a succubus and all high ranking Incubi and Succubae will be in attendance today. Lance will officially become their King today.”
“That is what makes me even more nervous.”
“Then how about a pleasant distraction?” Amber grinned at me. “Let’s go put on the dress Lance chose for you. It’s time.”
I inhaled slowly, held my breath and then let it out with my mouth, calming myself as best as I could. “I’m ready.” I told Amber as soon as I felt a bit calmer.
“Great!” She clapped her hand and went on to the other side of the room where there was a huge curtain dividing the room and pulled it aside to reveal a dress that made my breath catch in my lungs.
The dress was nude colored but the entire dress was embroidered with white thread in a floral pattern. It had a boat neck with full sleeves and the design was relatively simple but stunning at the same time. It would make sure I stood out but not so much that I stole the show. The floral patterns matched my hairpin and the color was perfect for my complexion. There were also tiny gemstones hidden in the details that sometimes reflected the overhead light and sparkled like diamonds. The dress was fit for my figure with a slight flare in the skirt from the knees down. Overall, it was simply stunning.
“What do you think?” Amber asked, excited.
“It’s perfect.” I told her as I got up from my seat and went closer to inspect it. “Absolutely gorgeous.”
“I know right!” Amber seemed more excited than me and her next words told me why. “Lancelin designed it himself with the designer and he made sure everything was perfect. Now, why don’t you put on the dress and I’ll go change real quick and meet you here.
“Okay.”
I waved goodbye to Amber as she rushed off to get ready and I then locked the door and took off my bathrobe so I could put on the dress. It was figure hugging and had an inbuilt bra so I didn’t need to wear any underneath. Just as I’d expected, the dress fit perfectly and looked stunning. The little crystals stood out even more as I finally turned to face the mirror and let the full impact of the makeover hit me.
I was almost unrecognizable.
The woman staring back at me from the mirror was a confident, gorgeous, sensual goddess. I raised my hand to touch my face and was relieved to the mirror reflecting the actions. My makeup was done in nude shades but Amber had highlighted my eyes with a bit darker tones, not a smoky eye but a dark brown tint. My lips were a dusky rose color that went well with my outfit and the hairpin shore like a tiara. I’d never felt or looked so beautiful in my life and it gave me the confidence to proudly stand beside Lancelin as he wore the crown.
A knock on the door distracted me temporarily and I went to open the door straight away.
“I knew you’d come.” I told him as I opened the door wide enough so he could see my face but not enough that he could barge in. He was dressed in a black suit jacket and pants with a red shirt underneath. He looked handsome but also tired.
“Wow! You look beautiful, Sa-”
“Why are you here? To warn me again?” I scoffed. “I thought you’d have some ounce of dignity left in you to not follow Asmara like a blind puppy, but I guess I was wrong.”
“Asmara didn’t send me,” Keith told me, looking at me in the eyes. “I came so I could talk. Humans and Incubi shouldn’t be together. We were never meant to be together.”
“Are you talking about me or yourself, Keith?” I asked him, somewhat understanding where he was coming from. Lancelin had done everything in his power so he could be with me for all eternity but Asmara wasn’t Lancelin; the only person she loved was herself and power. “What other lies has Asmara told you? Or are you trying to delude yourself?”
“I never wanted to fall in love with her, but it happened so fast that I couldn’t control it.” He told me sadly. “We were happy in Los Angeles, but ever since we moved to New York, everything changed…she changed. She began to obsess over Lancelin and wanted to be Queen desperately. I didn’t think it was possible for someone to change overnight but then I realized; she was over a millennium old. Pretending to love a pitiful mortal like me came naturally to her. She had been amusing herself with me and Lancelin was always her real target.”
“I think I know that by now,” I told him sourly. “But what will you do now? Will you leave her?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I don’t think I can. She might not care but I do and I care about you too. So I’ll try to stay with her and keep her from doing something stupid. You take care of yourself.”
“You too.” I told him, and oddly, it felt like saying goodbye.
Closing the door after Keith had left, I put on the diamond stud earrings that my mother had packed for me and put my fingers lightly on my pendant. I’d never taken it off since the day Lance had given it to me and I wasn’t going to do that today either. So I tucked it inside my dress, making sure it wasn’t visible as I straightened my dress one last time.
Another knock sounded a second later and since I had already unlocked the door, I told them to enter as I turned to face them. But this time, it wasn’t Amber who stood by the door.
Instead, it was the man I loved with all my heart, Lancelin Eustis.