Chapter 6

Feyre’s POV

I let Garrick lead me out of the throne room unseeingly, tears blinding my gaze and sliding quietly down my cheeks. After a few minutes, I pulled away from him and wiped them off with the back of my hand, preferring to follow on my own. He glanced at me but said nothing, taking his arms off me once I tried to shrug him off and striding so he was firmly in front.

We went through the halls of the castle and I could barely notice the surrounding decor, defeated as I was by the proceedings of the meeting I’d just left.

Xaden had let me go. Something I hadn’t thought possible. His disinterest had actually worked in my favor. I could have been on my way home by now. I could have had a chance to figure out what to do with my life, even if I was no longer welcome in my pack. I could have been spared this but instead, I was here, being led further and further into the castle that was to be my new prison. And it was all because my father hated me. Hated me for being a disappointment again. Hated my wolfless nature for once more bringing him shame. Hated the thought of taking me back to his house and pack for any given period. Hated it so much that he was willing to let me suffer or even die at the hands of Xaden Whitewood.

This was to be his final punishment for my lifelong transgression of being born.

I couldn’t help but feel like it was a tad unfair.

I was taken to another wing entirely, different from where I’d been before. We passed guards at every door, patrolling every hall.

By the time Garrick stopped outside one of the doors at the end of the hallway we were on, I was well and truly defeated. Escape, at first glance, seemed neigh impossible.

There was a guard in front who let him in immediately.

Once we were through, I felt like I’d crossed into another section of the palace entirely. The room was large, and intimately decorated; red lights washing the space in a seductive glow. Victorian furnishings, from ornately carved side tables to velvet divans. A desk stood off to the side, beside another door and a young girl sat behind it. She rose when Garrick approached her and did a small curtsy.

“My Lord.”

“Is Mrs. Esmeda in?”

“Yes, Lord Garrick.”

“Tell her I need to see her.” He gave me a sideways glance “I’ve brought a new girl.”

She nodded and came out from behind the desk, disappearing into the door beside her.

We waited in silence, nerves pinching through my skin like needles.

Moments later, the girl reappeared, a severe-looking older woman in tow. Her gray hair was fluffed into a coif, adorned in a black dress that covered her from neck to ankles. She paused before us and nodded to Garrick.

“My Lord.”

“Esmeda. I have someone for you. This is Feyre.” He gestured to me and her black, beady eyes slid to my face.

“I need her housed and trained as a courtesan. Her bags will be up shortly and you can decide which of the things she can keep and which need replacing.”

I was startled at that but knew better than to open my mouth in protest. “You’re to make sure she has everything she needs to serve as quickly as possible.”

Her brows raised “New, pretty girl like this, I thought he’d want to play with her a little first. How come she isn’t in the royal wing with His Majesty’s other special girls?”

Garrick hesitated, glancing at me again. I tried to remain unfazed but my cheek colored with embarrassment as I waited for yet another person to be informed of my wolfless status.

To my surprise, he only shrugged. “Who are we to question his majesty? We can only do as told. Can we not?” He said suddenly pinning her with a look that had her shifting somewhat uncomfortable. It was my turn to glance at him, but he didn’t look at me.

“Of course not my Lord. It was only speculation.”

“It is not your place to speculate on the King’s motives for his orders. Only to execute them.”

She bowed her apology “Of course. Forgive my mistake.” She begged but he ignored it.

“Have her groomed and prepared like all the other girls. You know what he likes. And like I said, be quick about it. I suspect he may request her soon.”

My hackles rose at the sound of that and I said a quick prayer that Xaden Whitewood forgot about me as soon as possible. Barely five minutes in his presence and I’d nearly been choked to death. I couldn’t imagine anything more.

She bowed again to show her assent while I did my best to hold my tongue, unhappier with every word I heard.

“It will be done according to His Majesty’s exact wishes.” She rose and snapped her fingers at the girl beside her. “Check which of the rooms have a free bed. Quickly.” She added with a hiss when the girl didn’t move as fast as she expected.

Garrick turned to me.

“Go with them and do as they say.” That was all he offered before he started to leave.

“No! Wait!” I impulsively gripped his arm to hold him in place, snatching my hand away when he glanced pointedly at it.

“W… What’s going to happen to me?”

He raised a brow. “I would have thought that question of yours would’ve been understood after the meeting you just witnessed.”

I flushed and tried to be more specific. I knew I would remain here in the King’s harem or whatever this place was. But since he had made it clear he wanted little to do with me, what would be my role here?

Garrick waved me into the Madame’s hand.

“Just go with Mrs. Esmeda. She’s the one who runs this place. She’ll let you know what you need to do.”

With that, he turned and left me there with the austere woman.

She looked me up and down before turning to the door she’d materialized out of.

“Come with me.” She grunted and then she was striding off, her no-nonsense shoes making soft clicks against the tiled floor.

I was led into a long hallway, one with several doors on either side. Some opened as we passed, girls poking their heads out of their rooms to get a glimpse of whatever went on.

She turned at a corner, into a shorter hallway and reached for one of the doors.

“Willa, with me. The rest of you, out.” She snapped immediately she walked inside. Several girls grumbled, standing up from chairs and backing away from dressers.

They filed out of the room, clearly unhappy with the sudden dismissal but none said a word against it. One girl, probably Willa, remained behind, a tiny blonde who gave me a bored look before turning to her madame.

“Call the bus boys and find out who has the new girl’s bag. The moment it gets here, I want it brought straight to my office for careful selection. Let my assistant know there’s a new girl to put through the paces. Book her a session with all our consultants. From the stylists to the sex therapist.”

Though she was done with her instructions, she didn’t dismiss the girl immediately, lowering herself into one of the many armchairs that littered the dressing room. Her black tiny eyes honed on me.

“Clothes. Off. Now.” She snapped. I stared, unable to move my limbs to obey. Anger flashed across her features.

“That sort of attitude will have you punished quicker than you can blink girl. And punishments around here ain’t anything to laugh at. When I or anyone else in authority over you in the palace gives you an order, you follow. You are not a person who gets to think or make any silly little things like choices or decisions. You are His Majesty’s latest pet. He has horses more valuable than you.”

She wasn’t saying anything I didn’t already know, but each word left a mark on my soul that made me flinch.

“I’ll take it easy on you because it’s your first day. But don’t let me repeat myself again. Now strip.”

I swallowed and did as she asked, first working the zipper down, then peeling my dress slowly off my body.

It pooled around my legs on the floor. I’d opted to not repeat my underwear, so I was completely nude underneath. I couldn’t stop myself from putting an arm around my breast and covering the triangle between my legs with the other.

She snorted. “There ain’t nothing on you I haven’t seen before girlie. Mine may not be as firm, but I got it too. Drop your arms, back straight.”

I took a deep breath and did as told, letting her look me over to her heart’s content.

“Hm. You’ll be quite the favorite in here when I’m done with you.”

Somehow, I didn’t look forward to being anybody’s favorite in here. I had a feeling it would come with an attention I wasn’t going to like.

She gestured at my abandoned dress.

“Willa. Pick that up and burn it. You can go run the rest of my errands.”

Before I could protest the destruction of my favorite dress, the girl did as told, taking my clothes and leaving me alone with Mrs. Esmeda.

“Go behind there, to the stalls, and take a shower.”

I didn’t argue. I did exactly as told and when I came back out, there was another dress and some flimsy lace underwear that made me blush, laid out for my use.

She watched me put them on and it was only when I was fully dressed that she spoke.

“Well, I don’t know what you did to tick his majesty off. New girls usually get to stay in the luxury apartments in his wing for at least a few weeks.”

She smiled slyly at my confusion “That’s where he keeps his special girls. The ones only he is allowed to sleep with.”

My stomach dropped to the floor, horror abounding as the implication of her words dawned on me.

“And the girl’s kept here. Who are they for?” I asked her shakily.

“Every single one of his high-ranking officials who wishes.”