Whether her guardian had intentionally done it or not, she’d made her look like a fucking queen.

“Reniya?”

“Hm?” She grunted, pressing her chest into Vera’s back as she lowered her arms over her head, securing a glittering, silver necklace around her neck. It had a single, thin chain that dropped between her breasts and down the front of her dress.

Vera wasn’t sure when she’d come to enjoy the gruff, female’s presence—she still kind of terrified her—but she found herself hoping she’d say yes to what she was about to ask.

Reniya was feisty and blunt as shit, but she was also funny and loyal. She didn’t owe Vera a single thing, yet she’d shown up every morning to help her even when it wasn’t part of her duties as her guardian.

And she was still willing to do so even after Vera had selfishly blown her off that morning.

Their training sessions certainly weren’t enjoyable, leaving her with more bruises and winces than she’d had in all her twenty years combined, but she enjoyed Reniya’s company and considered her a friend. Her first one since Trey.

The thought circled around her heart and squeezed.

“Will you be attending the dinner with us?”

Reniya’s hands froze in her hair, and she angled her head to meet Vera’s eyes through the mirror. “Do you want me to?”

She shrugged, trying to brush off her nerves. Jaren would be with her, so it wasn’t like she technically needed a second guard just to attend dinner. “I was just wondering.”

“That’s not what I asked, Your Highness. I asked if you want me there.”

A muffled bang sounded from the other room, interrupting her reply, and she frowned, glancing at the door. Jaren had already washed up and shaved while she’d been picking out her dress with Reniya. What on Aleron could he possibly be doing?

Low murmured voices hit her ears before she realized it’d been a knock she heard, not Jaren banging around.

Finished anyway, she twisted toward the door, trying not to trip over the tall, spiked shoes Reniya had crammed onto her feet. But Reniya darted in front of her, exiting first.

Gods, maybe she didn’t want her going after all. Between her and Jaren, there was a good chance they’d cause her to lose her mind by the end of the night.

Entering the main room to see who had come by, she made toward the door only to stop in her tracks when her gaze landed on Jaren. His back was to her, his fitted, black tunic showing off his broad shoulders and trim waist.

She let her eyes consume the sight, lingering on the way his dark trousers pulled at his ass before disappearing into his boots.

She wasn’t sure where, or when, he’d purchased the clothing, but it was the cleanest she’d ever seen him. And if it wasn’t for the second male standing in front of him, she might’ve kicked Reniya out just to rip the clothes right back off him. She sighed, tucking the idea away for later.