The Crown's Entrapment

"You look wonderful, Dear."

Clara held a smile as she let Shila fix up her appearance for the coming party. In a way it was nostalgic to see herself being dressed up like this. Why, the last time it even happened was years ago, back when she was still… Still a ward of the royal family…

"Clara?"

She blinked away a sentimental tear that she didn't even know she had. Letting off a smile, she reassured, "I'm fine. I just remembered a few things, that's all…"

"What kind of things?" Shila asked. "Assuming that I'm not overstepping my boundaries."

Clara took in a deep breath before she started speaking. "Being fixed up like this… I'm an orphan, and the last person that did this for me was the Queen Mother…"

Shila's hands stilled in between fixing up her hair. But before Clara could turn around, the older woman had already returned to her task.

"I'm fine, my dear," Shila reassured her, her fingers combing through her hair. "Please continue."

"If you're sure…" Clara let out a soft smile. "A-Anyway, that always happened whenever there was an event in the castle. Even though I wasn't really one of them, Da- The King and his family treated me as such. I almost felt like a princess… And at some point, I even thought I would truly become one…"

"Once you married the king," Shila finished the thought for her, having seemingly pieced together her own feelings. "You had feelings for the king, correct?"

"I did," she admitted, not that it was a well-kept secret anyway. "In fact, I know I still do. It only changed when Gilas had something to say to it."

And truly, she was thankful that he had wandered into her life sometimes. She didn't know what she would've done if her feelings for Darius still burned within her even after Queen Xenia had already beaten her for his heart. She would've probably become a vengeful sort, perhaps even going down a dark path if she didn't manage to get over her own unrequited love.

"I'm glad that my son gave you the chance to start anew, Dear," Shila warmly began as she fixed up her dress. "I can see how happy you are with him, and I know for sure that he's just as happy with having you by his side."

Clara kept quiet as she let her mother-in-law talk. "Gilas had been through a lot. In fact, both of you had gone through great lengths to find each other," Shila continued. "I can only be grateful to the Almighty that you two finally found each other to be each other's beacon in your lives."

"I'm glad I did too," Clara warmly smiled.

A few more minutes of comfortable silence passed, and Clara could only gape in amazement as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"There," Shila declared. "All done."

Standing up, Clara gave her dress a small twirl before giving off a nod of approval. "This is amazing, Mother."

"I will do my best," Shila beamed. "Now, shall we go to the party?"

***

Gilas held his breath as he waited by the door of the great hall where the celebrations were going to be held. He didn't want to enter without either of the two women in his life, and he could only sigh in relief once he saw both his mother and Clara walking side by side to greet him.

"I'm sorry if we kept you waiting, my son," Shila chuckled. "I just had to make sure that Clara here can look the best that she could be."

He turned her gaze at Clara, and his jaw immediately dropped to the floor as he took in her amazing dress. She was wearing an off-shoulder ruby red dress, complete with what looked to be a red flower on her hair that just complimented her overall look. Her legs looked like they stretched on for days despite being partly hidden by the slit on the lower half of her dress, but the best part was that the whole ensemble just suited her cool yet fiery personality.

"Is it too much?" Clara weakly asked. "I told Mother that the flower might be a bit too overkill, but-"

"Trust me, Clara. You look stunning."

His mate blushed, and Gilas couldn't help but smile as his eyes refused to leave his mate's body. She just looked so amazing… She was dressed to impress, and the striking color of it almost made him think that she was an evil mastermind masquerading as a good doer.

"Son, you're staring."

"I know," he nonchalantly replied to his mother's teasing tone. "How could I not? She looks even better than the Queen."

"Don't say that," Clara meekly shrank into herself, her usual subtle confidence crumbling against his compliments. "Queen Xenia's a beauty in her own right."

"Which only speaks better for you that I still think that you look better than her," he insisted.

Clara twiddled with her fingers, and Gilas held back his urge to just smother her in his arms right then and there. As much as he wanted to hug her and maybe even tussle her hair, he was pretty sure that his mother wouldn't like for all of her work to be destroyed in seconds.

"So, shall we then?" Shila asked with a slight clap, turning both of their attention towards her. "We still have to pay our respects to the King and Queen along with the rest of the celebrating families."

"She's right," Clara quickly added, her gaze still avoiding his as the blush on her face never faded. "We have a lot of people to greet, and we might as well start before Gideon and Freya get here."

"Very well then," he chuckled. "My ladies?"

With a small gesture, Gilas made space for both of the women in his life on either side of his person. With Clara on his right and his mother on his left, they entered the great hall to attend Gideon and Freya's Ritual of Marking.