Selen had her head in the clouds. She was thinking about the letter she had sent to her family yesterday upon arriving in the capital. In it, she had specified that she would attend the ball at the palace tonight. It was the day of the Empire's foundation, and the entire city was celebrating. She knew it must be chaos at the Ravenhurt household right now, since they had certainly come up with an excuse for her absence at the ball—yet here she was, about to go after all.
"This is the first outfit," the shopkeeper announced as he opened the fitting room curtain. "It is very fashionable among young knights at the moment because it allows them to remain elegant while still keeping their sword."
Selen gave a small smile before standing up and approaching.
"Do you like it?" she asked.
She saw Liam's ears turn red. His face remained neutral, but he clearly didn't realize that his ears were betraying him.
"I do not need all these silks, my lady. I can perfectly escort you in my knight's uniform," he replied, lowering his head.
Selen almost felt like ruffling his hair like a good little dog.
"Where we are going tonight, you cannot be dressed just any way," she said, lifting his head. "You wouldn't want people to mock me because my knight is poorly dressed, would you?"
She saw fear mixed with shame appear on his face.
"Forgive me, my lady. I should not have given my ignorant opinion."
She smoothed the jacket of his outfit.
"It's not a problem, Liam. After all, this is still new for you, so don't worry. Accept this outfit and the rest as well, since they come with your duties as my knight," she told him.
"You have chosen very well, milady," the shopkeeper said as he brought back all the pieces she had previously selected.
"Do you like them?" Selen asked Liam.
He barely glanced at them before turning back to her.
"If you chose them, then they can only suit me, my lady."
Selen gestured for the shopkeeper to wrap everything.
"We will take this one with us, and have the rest delivered to the Ravenhurt manor tomorrow afternoon."
The shopkeeper bowed before leaving to prepare the outfit.
Liam returned to the fitting room to change, and just as he stepped out, the shopkeeper came back with their package.
"Here is the outfit you requested, milady," he said, presenting the box.
Liam took it, and they left the shop.
"Where are we going next, my lady?" he asked as he helped her into the carriage.
"Here," she replied, handing him a paper with the address.
Selen sat comfortably as he gave the address to the coachman. A few minutes later, they were seated facing each other.
"Excuse me, my lady… May I ask you a few questions?" Liam asked, avoiding her gaze.
"I'm listening," she replied, turning toward him.
"This may be presumptuous, but what kind of noble are you? I mean, most nobles are always surrounded by many knights and ladies-in-waiting, so…"
She had almost forgotten to explain her situation to Liam. After all, her return to the capital marked the beginning of many things.
"My family believes I ran away with a knight I fell in love with, and now I am preparing my return. As for my rank, you should know that only the royal family stands above mine," she replied.
He looked surprised by her words.
"You ran away with a knight?…" he repeated, as if he didn't understand. "So Sir Howard, who was with you, is that man?"
Selen smiled. From his words, he clearly still hadn't understood. She moved closer to him until their faces were almost touching.
"My lady, what—"
"The knight I ran away with and the one I love… is you, Sir Liam," she said, still smiling.
Once again, she noticed the red rising to his ears. To her, he was both a devoted knight and her cover in the eyes of her family.
"But why choose me? Sir Howard is far more qualified and stronger…"
Selen leaned back and her expression hardened.
"What do you not understand? The knight I want by my side is you, not him. I don't want to hear you mention anyone else again."
Once again, he lowered his head.
"Forgive me, my lady. It's just that after everything you've done for me, I'm afraid of disappointing you. No one before you and my mother had ever believed in me."
The carriage stopped, and the coachman informed them they had arrived.
"Have confidence in yourself. If I chose you, it's because you are the one I need," she said as he helped her step down.
They entered the shop, and everyone inside turned to look at them. It was the largest and most prestigious fashion house in the Empire. It only accepted the highest nobility or crowned heads, and of course, its owner, Madame Jolie, personally came to greet her as soon as she was informed of her arrival.
"Selen, my dear!" she almost shouted as she pulled her into an embrace.
Madame Jolie was an eccentric noblewoman who had been tacitly given permission to behave familiarly with others. With her, you either adapted or ended up on her blacklist.
"I heard that… hm… you were unwell and resting, so imagine my surprise when I learned that our future empress had returned."
That was typical Madame Jolie. She had spoken loudly enough for all the noblewomen present to hear, even though there was no need. They would not have missed a single word even if she had whispered.
"And yet here I am, fully recovered and accompanied by my personal knight, Sir Liam."
Madame Jolie cast a careful glance at Liam before turning back to her. She noticed the stiffness in his posture. Selen had forgotten to tell him about her future engagement to the crown prince.
"I understand now why that illness lasted two months," Madame Jolie said with a wink.
Clearly, no one believed that story of illness, but since she hadn't been caught in any situation confirming the rumors, she would simply continue pretending.
"Indeed, it was a long ordeal, but my health has greatly improved."
Madame Jolie let out a small laugh before taking her arm.
"As you know, I have been very busy with the outfits for tonight's ball, but if you have a request, I will handle it personally."
"I'm not here to place an order, but to collect one," Selen said.
Madame Jolie looked at her, puzzled.
"No one placed an order under your name, my dear. Unless… there is that order, extremely detailed, matching your measurements perfectly, but…"
Selen smiled, and Madame Jolie's eyes widened.
"You wanted to keep it a secret, you little rascal. I knew I recognized those measurements. And that mysterious client came highly recommended and paid a fortune, so it could only be a great family…"
She continued talking like that, and Selen followed her into a fitting room. She sat down while Liam stood behind her.
"And here it is," Madame Jolie announced as she entered with a mannequin wearing the dress. "How did I not realize it? This dress could only be worn by you."
Selen stood up and went to change into the dress.
"We will need a male opinion," Madame Jolie said, glancing at Liam.
Selen touched the black silk of the dress and admired the fine golden embroidery. The shoulders were bare, and the skirt was long. She took her time trying it on, because in a few hours, this dress would become her only armor against all the looks and whispers she would have to endure.
"And here she is!" Madame Jolie exclaimed. "There is no one else in this kingdom capable of making such a magnificent dress. The corset is not too tight? No… perfect."
Selen managed to escape Madame Jolie's chatter and went to look at herself in the mirror. She only wore black dresses for funerals, since her mother considered the color too gloomy for a young woman meant to marry. But Selen liked black, and that day, as she looked at herself, she decided it was her favorite color.
"Your knight cannot take his eyes off you," Madame Jolie whispered with a mischievous glint.
Selen noticed that Liam was indeed staring at her through the mirror. He kept staring even when he realized she was looking at him, but when she turned toward him, he looked away as if nothing had happened.
He's still a young man, Selen thought.
She walked toward him and looked straight into his eyes.
"Well? What do you think?" she asked.
Liam blinked several times, as if he didn't understand why she was asking.
"Forgive me, my lady. I am not capable of describing how well this dress suits you."
Madame Jolie burst out laughing. Selen would have joined her, didn't Liam realize what he had just said?
"Your return tonight will be extraordinary, Selen. Our queen in every sense of the word, returning after two months of absence. You will be on everyone's lips, and in one of my dresses no less," Madame Jolie exclaimed.
Selen smiled at her words. She would certainly be the subject of gossip for a day or two, but that would not last long, because a far more devastating bomb was about to fall upon the capital—and its impact would shake the Empire forever.