Chapter Two: The Mistress

“You look beautiful, your majesty”

I looked down at the pale pink dress, staring back at my reflection with a blank expression.

The boutique was quiet except for the soft rustle of fabric and the distant clink of metal hangers.

Behind me, my headmaid, Mona adjusted the fabric at my waist carefully, her lips resting in an uneasy smile.

It was indeed beautiful, complementing my grey eyes and brown hair. The pink was a good contrast to my tanned skin, softening my features elegantly. But it didn’t matter how beautiful it looked, because Leon wouldn’t be looking at me. Especially not at an event that was meant to welcome his new mistress.

Ever since he made the announcement, I haven’t gotten the chance to speak to him. But instead, I received a compulsory invitation to attend Nyra’s debut ceremony.

I would have laughed if it were funny. And it now looked like he was making a conscious effort to belittle me.

So here I was, getting fitted to attend another humiliation ritual.

“Your majesty?” Mona’s voice pulled me from my train of thought. “I know it’s not my place to say…” she trailed off, her expression turning solemn. “But do you really have to attend the ceremony?”

My lips spread into a bittersweet smile.

At least one person was worried about me. The rest of the palace was eagerly making preparations, almost as if they’d been anticipating this moment. Mona was a sweet girl, and I took her as my little sister, so her reaction to everything was no surprise.

“I understand what you mean,” I started, facing my reflection. “But not going is as good as admitting defeat. The last thing I want is to be reduced to a laughing stock.”

“My queen….” Tears glistened in her eyes, and I took her hand in mine, comforting her despite the ache lodged painfully inside my own chest.

“It’ll be alright,” The lie rolled off my tongue easily.

Mona looked like she wanted to argue, but before she could say anything else, the bell above the boutique entrance chimed lightly, announcing the arrival of a new customer.

The atmosphere in the room shifted, and I noticed how the attendants straightened, sharing glances while whispering among themselves.

“Welcome Lady Nyra,” One said, and Mona stiffened, throwing me a concerned glance.

I smiled again, silently reassuring her.

Soft steps clicked against the marble floors, inching closer with each passing second.

Schooling my expression, I slowly lifted my gaze toward the mirror in front of me, watching her appear behind mine.

“Your Majesty,” she greeted softly, bowing her head. “I didn’t realize you were here.”

Nyra straightened up, her golden hair resting neatly over one shoulder. She looked almost ethereal beneath the afternoon light pouring through the windows, and for a brief moment, I understood exactly why the entire kingdom had become obsessed with her so quickly.

She was beautiful in a way that drew attention effortlessly. But beauty was not what unsettled me.

It was the smile on her face.

Sweet and gentle. Innocent enough to fool anyone who didn’t look carefully enough.

“I could say the same,” I replied calmly.

Her gaze shifted to assess my gown, and something flickered in her eyes at that moment, but it was gone before I could tell what it was.

“The dress really suits you," she said,“You look lovely.”

I acknowledged the compliment with a small nod. Nothing more.

Nyra stepped closer, laughing under her breath as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. If I didn’t know any better, I would say she was nervous, but it felt too rehearsed to be genuine.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you,” she continued, twisting her fingers together. “Everything here feels so unfamiliar to me.”

I didn’t want to indulge her, but we were in public, and with people watching, it was very easy to spin the narrative and spread rumours based on that.

“It must be hard being far from your hometown,” I replied. “But I’m sure you’ll adjust quickly.”

She beamed at this, flashing me a blinding grin. “I hope so.”

A beat of silence passed, and I waited for her to leave, but then her eyes met mine through the mirror again.

“I was worried you might hate me,” she admitted softly. “After all… I know my arrival has complicated things for you.”

Mona scoffed beside me, but I kept a straight face, slightly amused by her audacity.

Complicated, she said. What a perfect way to describe my heart being torn apart piece by piece. As though my pain was merely a minor inconvenience in her newfound fairytale.

“I have no reason to hate you,” I told her, and that was the plain truth. She was simply Leon’s mate and I was not, a situation created by fate and no fault of hers.

Nyra studied my face carefully, and it seemed like she was not entirely satisfied with my answer.

“I’m relieved to hear that,” she murmured. “The last thing I would ever want is to come between you and His Majesty.”

The words stuck harder than they should have.

Mona’s lips parted in disbelief, her wary gaze flickering between Nyra and me. The whole room held its breath, waiting for an explosion that simmered beneath the surface.

Still, I forced a smile, my chest burning with irritation.

“There’s no need to be worried about things like that,” I said carefully, keeping my tone measured. “At the end of the day, I’m the queen…and you are the mistress.”

Gasps rippled through the space, and Nyra’s smile faltered, a shadow crossing over her features. Then she blinked before letting out a soft laugh, as though I had made a harmless joke.

“I should finish my own fitting before the ceremony begins,” Nyra stepped back, bowing once again. “I’ll see you tonight.”

And just like that, she turned sharply on her heels, disappearing deeper into the boutique with attendants trailing after her.

The moment she was gone, Mona exhaled shakily.

“I don’t trust her,”

I nodded. “Neither do I.”

But we just had to wait and see, if she was truly as harmless as she pretended to be.