89

“I’ll take this one.” I point at a midnight blue dress that is off the shoulder but covers my back. The dress has crushed diamonds sewn into it, and it shimmers with every movement. Inspecting my roots in the full-length mirror, I add, “I’ll also have to dye my hair.”

“Will you grow it long again?”

Cedric’s question has me looking over at him. “Would you like me to?”

He walks over and gently grabs a fistful of my hair in his hand. He meets my gaze in the mirror, his expression dead serious. “I don’t get a good grip with this length.”

My eyes widen, my face growing a deep read. “Cedric!”

Harriet is shaking her head, and the two designers and their assistants are trying to hide their giggles. It’s more than obvious to everyone what he means.

I bat his hand away. “Stop it.”

My mate gives me a hurt look. “But—”

“We’ll discuss this in private!” I hiss at him, mortified.

However, he’s equally stubborn. “Harriet, how long will it take for her to grow her hair out?”

“If she stops cutting it, perhaps two months. Of course, it depends on how long you want it.”

“You mean, how long I want it.” I glare at my mate, who grabs a fistful of it again, as if to show me what he means.

“For the love of the Goddess, Cedric—” I begin, and Harriet clears her throat.

“King Cedric, perhaps you should let the queen pick out her accessories now.”

But one of the designers chooses this moment to jump in. “If Her Majesty desires, I have an excellent hairstylist who will be more than happy to give you extensions.”

“No,” I reply shortly. Cedric sits down with a heavy sigh, and I roll my eyes at him. “Get over it. If you don’t like my hair—”

“I like your hair,” he cuts me off. “I’d just like it more a little bit longer.”

“I’ll think about it,” I inform him before beginning the process of selecting jewelry and shoes. It takes me a whole day to get fully outfitted, and Cedric doesn’t leave my side for even a minute.

Once we’re alone, Harriet has our dinner served to us. Finn is already in bed, bored with the dresses. I tried to include him, but he was more interested in going outside and playing with Derrick.

I finally broach the subject as the grilled meat and potatoes are set before us. “I’m willing to change my hair, Cedric, but I don’t want it to be as long as before.”

My mate looks surprised. “I don’t need it to be the same length. Just a little longer than it is now.”

Cedric isn’t one to make requests like this, so I’m willing to humor him. “I can change the color back to—”

“No,” he says quickly. “I like the color.”

I smile at him. “Really?”

He cuts the meat on his plate and exchanges it for the one in front of me. “I want you to remain the way you are now. And if you don’t want to grow your hair out, you don’t have to.”

I’m about to thank him when I recall how it feels when his fingers wind in my hair during sex. Lowering my gaze to my plate, I try to keep my voice even. “I’ll grow it out.”

After all, some things have to be for both of us.

As we eat, I notice how distracted Cedric is. The ball is in two days, and we have taken up residence in the royal suite at the palace. The event itself is only for one night, but attendees typically stay for a week. Things are moving faster than I anticipated, but it’s probably for the best because I want to be near Finn.

I have a lot of things on my mind, but what I’m most concerned about is Vivian being here at the palace. I understand Erik’s logic, though. If we take the direct, cut-throat approach, the North will be thrown into turmoil. Cedric has launched a hardcore investigation into his parents’ murders in the East, and Vivian cannot be dealt with before it is complete.

But what if she tries to harm Finn? What if the elders go after him? Harriet, along with Cedric’s most trusted people, will be guarding Finn at all times, but I can’t help but worry. We have made a lot of progress in the investigation, but as the day of this ball draws closer, a strange anxiety is building up within me. All the players will be in one room. Something is bound to happen.

My gut is screaming at me.

“Leanna.”

I look up when I hear my mate’s voice.

He is watching me steadily. “There’s no point in overthinking this. Just leave it all to me and Erik.”

“I don’t want to be shielded from anything.”

“I know. But when the time comes, your voice will be meaningless in the mix. It is Erik and I who have the influence to force this change. You will face off against Vivian, but when it comes to establishing your title…”

He’s right, I realize. Even if I don’t like it, it is true. I have to depend on Cedric for this.

My mate misunderstands the meaning behind my expression. “Leanna, I know you’re used to doing everything for yourself, but we are mates. You don’t have to fight every battle by yourself anymore.”

“I know.” I frown at my plate, gripping my fork and knife. “I know what you mean. It’s something I have to unlearn.” I lift my head. “But in this situation, I understand that I can’t do anything. I’m not upset about it. I’m just worried about Finn. We have people guarding him, but what if Vivian gets to him somehow? What if she decides to take revenge? You don’t understand how much she hates me. The idea of me having a child with a man she thinks belongs to her—” I lean back in my seat, shuddering. “You’ve never seen her throw a tantrum before. She doesn’t think of the consequences.”

“If you truly think that the danger is too great, we can move Finn elsewhere. However, the safest place is going to be the palace. I can ask Erik to assign more guards, if that will help you feel better.”

I set down my utensils and run my hands over my face. “I’m just being paranoid. Even if she wants to do something, how is she going to take on your strongest men? And we won’t be far from him. I need to stop obsessing about this. But what are you going to do if the elders refuse to recognize me or him?”