Naamah's Kiss - Jacqueline Carey [145]
Over and over.
And bit by bit, her body eased.
I felt her slide from wakefulness into sleep and kissed the back of her neck. Jehanne made a soft noise in her sleep. I thought about the effigy in the Temple of Naamah for which my great-great-grandmother had posed—the first royal companion. Unfit though I might be on the face of things, I was following in her footsteps and doing it well.
She would be proud, I thought.
My father would be proud.
And my diadh-anam was silent. I wished it weren't. I remembered the sorrow and regret in the eyes of the Maghuin Dhonn Herself as She turned away from me. I had a destiny to find and follow.
"Not yet," I whispered. "Please, not yet."
Preparations for the Longest Night continued apace. With Jehanne's blessing, I met with Benoit Vallon of Atelier Favrielle to design my gown for the masqued ball. I'd expected her to take issue with the notion given her standing quarrel with them, but she surprised me.
"I think they're on the verge of relenting," she said. "My forbearance is a gesture of goodwill in keeping with your effort to make a kinder, wiser ruler of me." She smiled and stroked my cheek. "Besides, I've no objection to you looking as stunning as possible now that you're mine, Moirin."
The gown promised to be stunning indeed.
I understood that costumes for the Longest Night were usually intended to depict recognizable mythological or historical figures or themes. Benoit Vallon sniffed and dismissed the idea as pedestrian.
"You're a myth unto yourself, my dear." He made a bracket of his hands, framing my face. "I see ravens taking flight amid the pines, red holly berries against the white snow. A bit savage, a bit elegant. That's what we'll capture."
And somehow, he did. Like his other work, the gown was sophisticated in its simplicity. It was made of a shimmering black silk that clung to my body and left my arms bare, with a narrow, plunging decolletage. In the back, it flowed into a train that swished pleasantly when I walked. There was an ornate headpiece with gilded branches and garnet berries, and a black velvet domino mask that flared into wings. At the first fitting, Benoit kissed his fingertips and proclaimed himself a genius.
At the second fitting he was more subdued, for Jehanne decided to attend.
It made me smile to see the flurry it caused. Atelier Favrielle could refuse to dress the Queen of Terre d'Ange, but they very well couldn't refuse her entry. Benoit and his assistants were harried fitting me into the gown and awaited Jehanne's reaction nervously. She looked at me without speaking for a long, long time.
"Is her majesty pleased?" he asked at last.
Jehanne smiled sweetly at him. "Her majesty is considering dismissing every last one of you to see if the gown comes off as beautifully as it goes on," she said in her most silken purr.
Two of the attendants gave shocked titters. Me, I laughed aloud. Jehanne's gaze flicked back to me and I could see the genuine amusement and affection in it.
Benoit Vallon relaxed visibly and bowed. "Your praise is music to my ears." He hesitated. "Rumor has it that Amelie Sourisse is designing a variant on the traditional Snow Queen theme for her majesty this year?"
"Oh, indeed?" Jehanne raised her brows.
He pursed his lips. "Mayhap next year, her majesty would be interested in discussing something less traditional. More innovative."
Her eyelids flickered and I could feel her mood shift at the implied insult the sought-after offer contained. The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Benoit winced, realizing he'd overstepped.
"My lady." I touched Jehanne's arm.
She glanced at me sidelong, deciding whether or not to accept my silent reminder. The room held its collective breath. She summoned another charming smile. "Thank you, messire. That's very kind."
The room exhaled in collective relief.
Very much to my surprise, I received an offer from Prince Thierry to escort me to the Midwinter Masque on the Longest Night. He sought me out in my chambers to deliver it in person.
"Why?" I asked simply.
Thierry didn't answer