Chapter 25 Sienna Rybak
SOMA
Jade pauses, eyes darting between the princess and me. She nods, giving me one last worried look before leaving the bathroom. My attention shifts to the figure by the door, and I sink lower to keep my breasts hidden. The bath remains warm, but the air grows colder.
Sienna Rybak, princess of Shadowspire pack. It’s hard to miss the striking resemblance between her and the three princes. But with her bouncy red hair, she looks more like Kade.
“Well, well, well,” Sienna mocks.
If my guess is right, I’m older than her, but she exudes the aura of a true princess, nothing like me, who is still waiting to be told my new life is a prank. My nudity doesn’t bother her as she slows to a stop beside the tub and narrows those amber eyes at me. As intense as her gaze is, I can’t look away. She’s a force, and I don’t think I want to be on the wrong side.
“If it isn’t the newest addition to the royal family tree.”
“Hi,” I say, waving.
Sienna laughs. “Unbelievable.”
She’s already dressed for the day in skintight pants, a black tank, and a leather jacket. As she circles the tub, her red hair falls in shiny ringlets down her back. She sizes me up, perhaps wondering why the Moon Goddess chose me.
“Honestly? I’m surprised you’re still here.”
“Thanks?”
“It’s not a compliment,” she says with a laugh. But she looks amused. She crouches by the tub, splashing water onto my face. When I don’t react, she smirks. “Your cousins must be furious. Maeve won’t pick up my calls.”
“Maybe she’s busy.”
Rising to her feet, she hands me a washcloth. With her here, it’s nearly impossible to wash, but I manage. If she’s not concerned about my nakedness, maybe I shouldn’t be.
“Maeve has never been too busy for me. Not when she’s seeking favors. That one is a little more than a dog. She’ll do whatever I say.” Her grin widens as she asks, “Hope you don’t mind me calling your dear cousin a dog?”
Her confession has my mouth closing without a word. Maeve let someone else order her around? What about Sheila? How high does she jump when the princess asks? Yet they always bully me and call me names.
Sienna continues, unbothered as I rinse off. “Kade was right about you. You’re a quiet, lousy thing.” She hands me a towel, and I nod in thanks, curling it around my body as I rise. The water must have hidden my scars, or she doesn’t care to remind me how scary my body is. “Makes me wonder how you’ll survive in a place like this. Don’t get me started on the academy.”
“The what?” I squeak out.
“You didn’t know?” she asks. My ignorance brings a tilt to her lips. “This is fun. We resume on Monday. If you’re in first year too, we might even be classmates.”
“What?”
Flashing me a mischievous smile, she adds, “I see the priestess hasn’t had time to update you. No worries. You’re welcome.”
Sienna stalks out of the bathroom, and I’m not sure why I follow her. Jade is nowhere in sight, but the bed has been made and everything is in place. She sashays to my closet and pulls it open. Empty hangers stare back at her.
“If you’re going to make any sort of impression at the academy, I suggest you begin your shopping ASAP. Clothes, shoes, tiaras, makeup, and jewelry.” She spins to face me, listing items off on her fingers. Who will pay for that? Besides, if I’m truly going to attend the academy, why do I need any of those? I ignore her and change into the dress laid out on the bed. Jade will have to forgive me for doing so without her help. “While you’re at it, you might want to do something about your hair. It’s awful. A total mess.”
“Uh, thanks,” I say.
Sienna waves a manicured hand in dismissal, but I can’t help smiling. I had expected our first interaction to be as traumatizing as it was with her brothers. But she’s chatty, the most talkative person I’ve met since I entered the palace. It endears her to me. I want to be her friend. As she chats on about how boring her day is, I understand why my cousins are obsessed with her, why they strive too hard to maintain their relationship.
“See you around, Soma.” She retreats toward the door, her hips swaying with each step. As her hand closes around the handle, she throws one look over her shoulder. “Be sure to spare no expense on your shopping spree. I wouldn’t want Father calling me a spendthrift because you’re too stingy with the money. By the way, you’ll be eaten alive on Monday. Might as well look good while at it.”
The door shuts after her, and I sink onto the bed. Relief and exhaustion hit at once. I’m glad and overwhelmed by her visit. What shopping is she talking about? Academy? I know what it took Aunt Helen to get Sheila into SRA. The princess must be mistaken.
A moment later, the door opens, and Jade walks in.
“She’s gone,” Jade says. On a second look at me, she frowns. “My lady, you’re dressed.”
“I had no choice, but you can help with my hair. Make it less awful.” She smiles, and I go to sit in the chair by the vanity. My stomach grumbles, and I mutter, “Ignore that.”
“Not a chance, my lady. I’ll be right back.”
Before I can protest, she’s out of the room. She comes back with a large food tray, which she sets down on the vanity.
“Breakfast is usually served at the dining table,” she tells me. “But we can make an exception for you today.”
The food tray makes my mouth water. There’s toast, eggs, a pitcher of juice, fruit salad, and a steaming mug of chocolate. It’s more food than I’ve ever had. She pulls a low table closer to me and lowers an empty plate onto it.
“Have you eaten?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Not yet.”
“Join me,” I tell her.
Her face pales. “That’s inappropriate, my lady.”
“No one’s here, and this is too much food for one person. Come on, sit.” I pick up the plate, setting it down on the vanity so she can sit. She does so with a soft sigh. “The priestess said I’ll have a hectic day today. And Princess Sienna talked about shopping. Is that correct?”
“Yes.” She waits until I grab a toast before doing the same. “Shopping comes after you’ve eaten. We’ll need to prepare you for life in the palace and the royal academy.”
Sienna mentioned the academy, but I assumed she was teasing me. Lilith told me only about the princess lessons.
“Academy?”
“Yes, my lady. You’re a royal now. You must attend it.”
“Can I talk to Lilith first? Can you take me to her?”
“The priestess spends most of her morning with his majesty. But if it’s urgent, I can have a message sent to her study.”
“That would be nice. You can go after eating.”
We settle into comfortable silence, and I hide a smile when she stuffs more food into her mouth. I’m curious about her history, but for now, I’ll save my questions for another day.