Iliya’s jaw dropped. “Seriously? Oh my gosh, you are sooooo talented! Please tell me you do commissions!”
My palms began to sweat, and my head felt light—I didn’t think it was just from the spinning. “Yes—yes, I do!”
“I need a gown made!” She turned her attention to Codran. “Buy me a gown, love.”
He laughed, his hand gliding up her side. “Anything for you, darling.”
She grinned in a way that reminded me of Solaris when people bent to her will. They probably would’ve gotten along splendidly. “Can you do pink? I absolutely love pink.”
“I can do pink.” The room started to spin. I gripped Roman’s arm to steady myself.
Iliya rambled about all the details, and I did my best to keep up with her requests when Razvan appeared at our side. “It’s time for the treaty signing, Your Highness.”
“Oh, I’ll send a letter! I can’t wait!” Iliya squealed, bouncing on the balls of her feet as Codran bowed to us both and departed the dance floor.
Roman guided me back to the dais, and I settled onto his knee as he and Alexander took turns signing a document scrawled in neat print. But I wasn’t really there. My eyes were lost in visions of pink bows and scraps of lace.
I had my first customer.
Chapter 21
ESTRELLA
By the time Roman managed to make his exit, it was early morning and most of the party had already dispersed. As his decorative arm candy, I had remained by his side until the very end. When we left the ballroom, he paused to help me out of my heels, and my sore feet were grateful for the relief.
I was still riding the high of the evening. Nothing mattered more than the elation of securing my first customer. Someone was going to pay me to create a dress. Me. An acolyte. I had never held money before—hadn’t even touched the golden coins. I wondered if they were heavy. Surely, they couldn’t weigh more than the burden of slavery.
Roman held the door open and followed me into the Levis Count’s bedroom. I floated on clouds to the bathing chambers, eager to wash away the day before sinking into the gilded bedsheets. Roman remained silent, either exhausted from the festivities or aware that I was currently speechless.
The bathing chambers were as magnificent and gaudy as the rest of the room. A porcelain tub, wide enough for multiple people, rested on golden clawed feet. I turned on the nozzle, and as steaming water filled the tub, I slipped out of my gown and sank into the soothing depths.
The solitude was a rare luxury, but in the quiet, my thoughts began to drift. Was I truly ready for this? I didn’t understand how money worked, and honestly, I hadn’t yet crafted a dress of the grandeur that Iliya would expect. I wasn’t sure I could. Panic crept through my chest, constricting my heart and rising up my throat. I dreaded the thought of rejection if she disliked my work, but if I couldn’t handle this, I didn’t deserve freedom. Freedom meant strength in ways I had never known. It meant trusting myself.
After bathing, I dressed in my immodest nightgown, tugging at the hem as I reentered the main chambers. Roman was seated on a turquoise settee, still fully dressed. His gaze fell on me, and he smirked. “Of all your gowns, that one is my favorite.”
My cheeks flushed. “Pig,” I snapped, though I didn’t retreat as he approached me.
He chuckled softly. “I’ve been called worse. Can I finally congratulate you?”
The blush spread across my entire face. My fingers fidgeted with the hem of my gown. “I’m nervous.”
“It’s good to do things that make you nervous; it means you’re on the right track,” he replied, his fingers tracing over my arm. “I’m proud of you. Truly.”
“What if she doesn’t like it?” My concern was interrupted by a loud thudding sound, followed by muffled moans.
“What was that?” I asked, a frown creasing my brow.
Roman laughed and released my arm. “I think you know what that is. I’m surprised you’re only hearing it now; I’ve been listening to it all night. The downside of having so many vampires in one house—no privacy.”
I should have been more accustomed to the idea of sex; I had spent most of my life preparing for it. Yet the thought of it happening rightnext door made me uncomfortable, especially after our earlier ventures. I was about to voice my discomfort when I realized something he had said. “Vampires have keen hearing.”
Roman’s eyebrows knitted together. “Yes?”
“You can hear nearly everything in this castle. All the time.”
“Yes. Are you alright?”
I hadn’t fully considered the implications of playing the doting acolyte. We had been here for four days, yet every night had been marked only by silence from our chambers. I whispered, “They all know we aren’t having sex. Isn’t that suspicious?”
