Chapter 490: The Council Awaits

(Adelaide)

Adelaide lowered herself slowly into the warm water, watching the petals drift away from her skin. The irony was almost enough to make her laugh.

She had escaped that fate only to find herself here instead.

Different women. Different kingdom. Different purpose.

Yet once again she found herself being washed, dressed and adorned before being presented to people whose expectations rested squarely upon her shoulders.

Only this time she wasn't being offered to a monster. She was being offered to a people she had never known were waiting for their Queen.

The attendants moved with practised efficiency, never hurried, never clumsy, every motion carrying the effortless confidence of women who had performed the same ritual hundreds of times before.

The warm water eased the lingering ache from Adelaide's shoulders almost immediately.

One carefully washed her hair while another tended to the healing cuts scattered across her arms, replacing worn bandages with fresh ones where necessary. They spoke little beyond asking whether the water was too warm or whether any of her injuries caused discomfort, their quiet professionalism allowing the peaceful silence to settle once more around the room.

Afterwards came the gown.

The younger attendant carefully unfolded the chosen garment across the bed so Adelaide could admire it before they helped her into it.

It was breathtaking.

Soft white fabric flowed from shoulders to floor in graceful layers that seemed almost weightless whenever they moved, while rich crimson panels swept elegantly through the skirts like tongues of living flame. Gold embroidery climbed delicately across the bodice and sleeves, curling through the fabric in intricate patterns that reminded Adelaide of fire climbing skyward before dissolving into glowing embers.

It was magnificent. Regal. Beautiful.

Yet as she caught sight of herself in the mirror while they fastened the final hidden ties, another dress unexpectedly surfaced in her memory. The impossibly sheer red gown Apollo had somehow conjured after their battle training. It had flowed around her like a shield of flame, impossibly delicate, impossibly beautiful, as though woven from magic instead of cloth. She had never discovered how he'd done it.

The memory arrived so unexpectedly that it stole a small smile from her before quietly disappearing again.

This dress was different. Not softer. Stronger. Made to be seen from across a throne room instead of by a single demon.

The attendants turned their attention to her hair. Freshly washed, it tumbled almost to her waist before skilful fingers began weaving and pinning sections together, lifting some away from her face while allowing the rest to cascade freely down her back in loose, carefully arranged waves.

When they finally stepped aside, Adelaide almost failed to recognise the woman reflected in the mirror.

The crimson had spread again. Far more than she'd realised. The rich colour now threaded boldly through her hair, no longer hiding amongst the brown but overtaking it in broad, vibrant ribbons that gleamed like molten fire beneath the lantern light.

"It grows more beautiful every day," the youngest attendant whispered.

The eldest smiled knowingly. "It remembers."

Adelaide wasn't entirely certain what that meant. Before she could ask, the third attendant returned carrying one of the polished wooden boxes. Inside lay a necklace unlike anything Adelaide had ever seen. Dozens of clear gemstones caught the light with impossible brilliance, each stone linked together by delicate strands of gold until they rested against her collarbones like frozen droplets of starlight.

The matching circlet followed.

Rather than a solid band, slender golden branches rose gently around its edge, each tipped with another sparkling gemstone until the entire crown resembled dancing flames captured in precious metal.

The eldest carefully settled it amongst Adelaide's newly styled hair.

"There."

Silence settled over the room. All three women smiled with quiet satisfaction.

Adelaide slowly lifted her eyes towards the mirror. Her breath caught. For a long moment... She just stared.

The woman looking back at her no longer resembled the frightened, wild-eyed girl who had been dragged unconscious into Hell. She barely resembled Adelaide at all.

The flowing white and crimson gown. The crown. The jewels. The hair that had become more crimson than brown.

She had seen this woman before. Not in a mirror. In the portraits lining the palace. In the memories hidden within the crystal cavern. In the stories scattered throughout the library.

Aurelia.

Not exactly. But close enough that the resemblance made something uneasy twist beneath her ribs. She didn't feel beautiful. She felt... Disguised. As though she had stepped into someone else's life and wrapped herself in someone else's skin. Like a little girl wearing clothes far too large for her, desperately hoping nobody noticed she didn't truly belong inside them.

A firm knock interrupted the silence.

"My Queen?" Tomathican's voice called through the closed door.

The eldest attendant opened the doors.

The commander bowed deeply.

"The guests have assembled."

His dark eyes lifted briefly before widening almost imperceptibly as he took in her appearance. For the first time since she'd met him, even Tomathican seemed momentarily at a loss for words.

He lowered his gaze once more.

"The council awaits."

Adelaide drew one slow breath before smoothing her hands over the unfamiliar skirts.

"I suppose they do."

Tomathican stepped aside, extending one arm towards the open corridor beyond.

"Whenever you are ready, Your Majesty."

With one final glance towards the stranger waiting for her in the mirror, Adelaide turned away and followed him out into the palace.

The doors closed quietly behind them.