“Thank you,” I replied sheepishly, scratching the back of my head. It was true, the looking-more-womanly part. Compared to last year, my hips had widened, and my chest had grown.
We headed out, strolling toward Linora Park, arguably one of the prettier areas of the Outer Ring. It was a large, open field of grass, save for the decent-sized pond on the outer edge that had a wooden bridge crossing over it. It was forbidden to fish, but I knew plenty of fish swam beneath. Most days, the park was filled with residents having picnics, children running through the field playing games, or local musicians trying to earn some copper for their talent.
Now, the park was packed like sardines, chattering voices filling the air. The number of people crammed here made me feel uneasy, but it was incontestably the happiest the people down here got. My lips couldn’t help but turn upward at that fact.
“Shh, she’s coming!”
Various voices began whispering and gushing at each other as trumpets and drums began playing in the distance in a beautiful and powerful melody.
It was too mobbed for me to push to the front. Mother, on the other hand, had gotten a pretty decent spot. I pulled myself up on a lamp post, and the added height its stone base gave me provided a perfect view of the incoming Queen over the crowd.
The music began to crescendo as Queen Ryia’s guard marched down, her float behind them glistening in the morning sun. Gems dazzled along the outsides, a rainbow of color. I fought the urge to roll my eyes but couldn’t help but slightly gawk.
I could never imagine having wealth, even a fraction of that.
The Queen was now around forty feet away from me, give or take. Her obsidian, satin gown, a perfect match to the kingdom’s gothic castle, hugged her body in all the right places before spilling delicately on the floor beneath her. Her shoulders were bare, showcasing her sand-colored skin, and her hair was pulled into a sleek updo, its color almost the same shade as her dress.
In short, she was stunning.
She waved at the crowd, giving a genuine smile. She never threw gold; it would quickly turn into a fight. So, after her greeting, she would shop at local businesses, spending a generous amount at each one. We were to head back to our stand after this, the market commencing again on any day royalty appeared.
She continued to wave when her gaze landed on me. She stopped in her tracks, her hand frozen in mid-air.
I gulped, my smile disappearing.
Was she looking at…me?
A moment later, she resumed her waving, yet her eye contact remained on me,mewithout a doubt.
And then she continued looking at everyone else once more. Perhaps she found it improper, a person just holding on to a lamp post while royalty was present. I nervously lowered myself and decided to head to our stand early.
When Mother met me back at our stand, after plenty of citizens had streamed into the market, she gushed over the Queen, just like she had in the past. After that, she gave me a raised brow.
“Why did you leave early?”
“I…I just wanted to get a head start on setting up.” Indeed, my early arrival allowed me to get our stand looking extra clean and welcoming. I wasn’t about to tell her of my strange interaction with the Queen.
The market was soon bursting with energy, and local musicians played their tunes in all different areas. People sold a wide variety of goods, from food to clothing to jewelry, perfume, and so much more.
Before we knew it, the Queen was gracefully walking through the market, guards surrounding her in a square. She made her way around, both Mother and I trembling with nerves. In previous years, she hadn’t made it to our stand, as there was a total of ninety vendors. She probably went to half during her time here, which took up nearly the entire day. But then, once again, the Queen’s gaze turned to me, her electric blue eyes meeting mine, and I realized I had never seen her this close before. She spoke something to her guards and walked up to us, them trailing behind her.
I could hear Mother suck in a breath, and I stiffened.
“Welcome, Your Majesty,” Mother breathed while bowing. I matched her a beat later. “We are known for our baked goods and our elixirs,” she stated as she raised her head.
“So, I’ve heard,” Ryia mused. “Word has spread in the Inner Ring of your business.”
Mother and I exchanged wide eyes, somehow surprised that the Queen knew such insignificant matters regarding the Inner Ring.
“I’ll take everything you have in stock,” she continued. “I would love to try some, along with my staff.”
I thought Mother would faint as she processed the information.
“Oh, that is so kind, Your Majesty!”
We counted the price of everything as quickly as possible.
Twenty-three, thirty-one, thirty—shoot.
