I scowled, not in the mood for the mirror's word games. Normally, I could give as good as I got. But not today.
"Whatever." I set my mug down and moved over to my dressing table. I gasped the moment I saw my reflection.
I hated to admit it, but the mirror was right. It looked as if I hadn't slept in three days. As if seeing it for myself caused it, a wave of tiredness rushed over my body.
The urge to return to bed hit me. I couldn't do that, though, right? I had too many responsibilities to waste my time in bed. But I knew that both of my parents would hate to hear me talking like that. They'd say my own health and mental well-being should come above anything else.
And a nap never hurt anyone. I was going to lie down, and when I woke up, I could try on my Fright Festival costume, then get on with the other things I needed to do with my day. Perhaps when I was done with all of those, I could try and see into the future more. Unless Topher responded to my message first.
I slipped off my dressing gown and got back into bed, pulling the covers tight up to my chin. Before sleep could take me, I thought back through all of the things I'd seen. The people with the golden irises had seemed restless, maybe even nervous. Like they were waiting for something. It was something to do with what was happening in Urbis, I was certain of it, though, I had no idea how or why.
Before I could come to any kind of conclusion, I found myself drifting off into a dreamless sleep.
I was about to leave my room when the garment bag the maid had brought earlier caught my eye, and I remembered how I'd promised myself that I would try it on before I went about my other errands. Now that I was refreshed after my nap, I should do just that. I needed to know what adjustments I'd need before I had my final fitting.
Slowly, I unzipped the bag, nervous about what I'd find inside. The soft green fabric slipped between my fingers. This would be a joy to wear. I pulled each of the pieces from the bag and laid them out on the bed. The leggings and undershirt were made of the same soft green material, while the silver thread and green embroidered tunic was rougher to the touch, but would look amazing. It would glimmer and shine under the various lights of the Fright Festival. The crown sat on a stand in my closet while the staff was propped up in there too. They'd been delivered while I slept. It sounded creepy, but I was used to them coming in and out. The staff had been doing it for as long as I could remember. If I wanted privacy for whatever reason, then all I had to do was tell one of them, and they'd give it to me.
I stripped out of my clothes, letting them fall to the floor. I wouldn't be wearing my costume for long, and then I could put them back on.
The undershirt and leggings went on without any fuss, fitting perfectly to my body. That wasn't a surprise. Even if I didn't use them very much, the seamstresses still had my measurements. They made all of my formal wear, which all had to fit like a glove.
The tunic was a little bit more fiddly. It was a little big, and no matter how I tried to put the belt on, I couldn't seem to get it right. After a few minutes of struggling, I seemed to get it right. Though, I suspected I'd need one of the seamstresses to make a couple of changes when it came to that part of my costume.
Satisfied with that, I pulled the cloak on, using the attached bright green gem to fasten it together. It swished against the floor, making me feel a lot more powerful than any cloak should. I finished by attaching my wand holster, just to see how it all felt together.
And now, for the best part. I lifted the crown from its stand and walked back into my main bedchamber where a full-length mirror was. I took a deep breath, then lowered the crown onto my head. The white metal twisted into elegant peaks with the green gems dripping from it, adding an amazing contrast.
I blinked a couple of times as I stared at myself in the mirror. I looked good. Like a frost queen about to rule her people.
"You look good."
I startled at the sound of the mirror's voice.
"Say that again?" I asked it, not believing what I'd heard.
"I said, you look good," the mirror repeated. "I admit it isn't likely."
I ignored it—kind of. But as I studied my reflection, I couldn't help but agree with its assessment. I did look good. And when it came time for the Fright Festival, I was going to leave an impression.
29th October
I hurried along the corridor, excitement coursing through my veins at the thought of seeing Topher today. He'd finally sent a note back to me last night before I'd headed to bed. He'd been out of the castle researching something but said he'd be around for all of today. And that meant I could go fill him in on everything that had happened. I needed to tell him about the visions, I was sure he'd be able to help me make sense of them.
I'd tried to see the future again once I'd gone to bed, but I hadn't managed to see anything new, just the same underground room, and the same people with the golden eyes doing nothing more than nervously sitting around and waiting for something. It might not be fun for them, but it was even less fun for me. I had no idea what was going
