It was in the way she walked. The way each graceful stride led with the point of her foot beneath the flowing swish of her gauzy silk skirts.
Taric had designed her “shoes” well.
He felt a small smile take shape on his lips as his thoughts flicked back to sketching out that last, stubborn set - but as his glance absently lifted from the last princess’s distinctive strides, he found himself second guessing his assessment.
A second look - and a third - had his brows furrowing as he started worrying that he’d made a mistake in the design after all. The only thing about her that was loose and flowing was her skirts; all of the rest of her was strictly bound up. Her bronze bodice may as well have been a breastplate and her sleeves pauldrons. The gloves on her neatly folded hands were so fitted they must have been sewn onto her fingers. Silk wraps braided tightly from wrist upward until they disappeared beneath her sleeves, and her high collar hugged the entire column of her slim neck. Her hair, the same color and gloss as burnished copper wire, was pulled back into a tight, unforgiving knot. Strangest of all, her pale, waxen face was completely immobile.
Her eyes, though -
Sheer hatred boiled from her acid yellow eyes, affixed unswervingly on Taric.
Iron warrior.
Human.
The First’s mouth curled beneath her mask.
Iron warrior.
Human.
The words echoed in her mind with each slamming beat of her heart.
Iron warrior.
Human.
Human.
Human.
The First was always the last, thus she’d seen the nervous shuffling of the court. Heard the anxious whispers. Seen hushed movements. Furtive glances. Averted faces.
Smelled the scents of fire.
Of metal. Of copper. Of blood.
Of fear.
Iron warrior.
Human.
Humble clothing, but arrogant eyes, looking at the Eldritch King’s daughters as if he had the right. Long sleeves to hide his sins, but the scars on his face spoke just as loudly as any tattoo.
Iron warrior.
Human.
In the Eldritch King’s Hall. Directly before his throne.
Iron warrior.
Human.
Mortal.
The First had to tear her gaze away from him to fasten her eyes on the Second’s back, where her eyes belonged.
Her heart slammed against her ribs. Dismay set fire to her blood.
The First had lost count of her steps. The Second had pulled ahead. More than twelve steps.
A flash of fear caused a hesitation. Hurrying forward would draw the eye of the court. Draw attention to her flaw.
A faery steampunk retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses.
When a fae prince comes to Taric’s door demanding twelve sets of steel dancing shoes, Taric seizes the chance to return Underhill to take back what they stole from him. The king has challenged all comers to solve the mystery of how his daughters escape their cages every night to dance their shoes to pieces. Failure to find the truth before their shoes wear through means death.
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