Chapter 78 – The special debut

Three days passed.

Three full days in which Matt slept, ate, recovered and avoided talking more than necessary with the queen.

Finally, his body felt like his own again.

Or almost his own.

Because it was still the body the queen had forced him to have. White hair. Red eyes. Features too fine. A girl's body he hadn't asked for and that everyone in the castle seemed happy to accept for him.

Matt was at a hundred percent.

And of course, the queen decided to ruin that with a banquet.

Not a small one. No. A grand banquet.

All the houses would attend. House Ardent. House Azura. House Noctra. House Grisel. The minor branches of House Nivea. Also several noblewomen of the kingdom, women with money, influence and enough power not to belong to the main houses, but enough to be treated carefully.

All of them were going to be there.

All of them were going to watch.

All of them were going to listen.

All of them were going to meet Matt.

Matt stared at his reflection in the full-length mirror and felt the urge to smash it.

He didn't.

The mirror probably cost more than all his human furniture combined.

And smashing it wouldn't do anything. Well, it would help him feel better for three seconds. But then a maid would come to clean up, the queen would smile and someone would say it was normal for a princess to be nervous about her debut.

Matt breathed in deeply and looked at himself again.

The outfit wasn't a dress. That was the one good thing.

He was wearing a formal black suit, with a fitted jacket, white shirt and a dark red brooch at the collar.

It was a boy's outfit. Or as close as Elyra had allowed without starting a diplomatic war against his wardrobe.

The problem was that his body wasn't helping.

The jacket fit him well. Too well. It cinched his waist, set his shoulders and made the silhouette look elegant in a way that bothered him.

Matt frowned and adjusted the brooch.

"This is a crime," Matt muttered.

Nobody answered. He was alone. Finally.

The room was enormous. Too enormous for someone who only needed a bed, a table, a chair and a place to pretend the world didn't exist.

There were dark curtains, red carpets, a black wood desk, several pieces of furniture, a huge wardrobe, and a bed so big Matt was sure he could sleep without touching the edges even if he rolled from side to side for an hour.

Matt took the comb and worked on his short hair in front of the mirror.

The white still bothered him. A lot.

He had tried to ask for dye. The maid had opened her eyes with such obvious terror that Matt understood immediately that the request would reach Elyra's ears before the ink dried on any report. So he didn't push it.

Matt ran his fingers through his hair, trying to smooth it down a bit.

Some strands obeyed. Others didn't.

Matt glared at them.

The door opened behind him.

CLACK!

Matt didn't turn around. He only raised his gaze to the mirror.

Iris walked in without asking permission.

Iris was wearing a black dress with red details, more elegant than usual, and her white hair was well arranged over her shoulders. At her waist was Eleonora, in the form of a sword, inside a black sheath with purple details.

Matt saw her through the reflection and his expression didn't change.

Iris closed the door calmly and walked toward the center of the room.

"Congratulations," Iris greeted, looking at him through the mirror. "Today is your special debut."

Matt kept fixing his hair.

"Thanks," Matt answered in a dry voice. "I feel very grateful that the temporary queen came in person to congratulate a mere heir."

Iris smiled.

"Temporary queen?"

"Aren't you?"

Iris tilted her head a little.

"That depends on who's asking."

"I'm asking."

"Then no."

Matt set the comb on the table.

"How convenient."

Iris stepped a little further and stopped behind him, watching him through the mirror. Not too close. But close enough to annoy him.

Matt looked at her through the reflection.

"What do you want?"

"To see you."

"Gross."

Iris let out a small laugh. Then her gaze went down.

Not in a vulgar way. Not exactly. More like she was assessing.

She looked at the outfit. The posture. The hair. The face. And then went back to Matt's eyes.

"Why are you a girl again?" Iris asked seriously.

Matt went still. Then he raised an eyebrow.

"Because I love it," Matt answered without emotion.

Iris didn't smile.

That made the answer feel more uncomfortable.

"Well," Iris let out. "How people change with time."

Matt looked at her.

Iris continued:

"From what I remember about you, you never liked being a girl."

"You don't say."

"You didn't like dressing like one either."

"What an impressive memory."

Iris didn't look away.

"And now here you are."

Matt lowered his gaze to his suit.

"I'm wearing men's clothes."

Iris looked at the suit. Then the body. Then the mirror.

"It suits you pretty well."

Matt closed his eyes for a second and then opened them again.

"People change with time," Matt said sarcastically.

Iris kept looking at him. Then she nodded slowly.

"I guess you have a point."

Matt frowned.

"I didn't expect you to accept that."

"When I had my first reunion with you at that maid café, you were still a man."

Matt felt his soul take damage.

Iris smiled faintly.

"And you were still wearing that funny girl's outfit."

Matt turned slowly toward her.

"No."

Iris tilted her head.

"No what?"

"Don't bring that up here."

"Why?"

"Because I'm still trying to bury that memory."

"It was hard to forget."

"Iris."

"The lace was eye-catching."

Matt pointed at her with a finger.

"I swear if you say one more word about that uniform, I'm going to be late to the banquet because I'll be busy tossing you out a window."

Iris looked toward the tall windows of the room.

"They're reinforced."

"Then you'll go through with more style."

Iris let out a soft laugh.

Matt looked at the mirror again, picked up the comb and set it down again because he didn't want to give his hand an excuse to throw it.

"The temporary queen has a lot of free time," Matt said. "Did you really come all the way here to annoy a mere heir?"

Iris smiled more slowly.

"Do you really consider yourself the queen's heir?"

Matt stayed quiet a second. Then he shrugged.

"According to the old queen, yes."

"And you accept that?"

"I didn't say that."

"But you used it."

"I can also use a knife to cut bread and that doesn't mean I want to marry the knife."

Iris watched him.

"What a horrible comparison."

"I'm under pressure."

"That explains a lot of things."

"It doesn't explain why you're still in my room."

Iris didn't answer. Instead, she walked toward Matt's bed.

Matt followed her with his gaze through the mirror.

Iris stopped by the edge. First she unhooked Eleonora's sheath from her waist.

Matt tensed. Not much. But enough.

Iris noticed. Of course she noticed. She didn't say anything. She just placed the sword carefully on the bed. The black sheath rested on the pale sheet.

Matt looked at Eleonora.

There was no vibration. No voice. Nothing.

Iris, after setting down the sword, sat on the edge of the bed.

Then she let herself fall backward.

FUMP!

Matt looked at her with an empty expression.

Iris lay there, arms spread and white hair spilled across the sheet.

"What are you doing?" Matt asked.

Iris raised a leg and started taking off a shoe.

"Making myself comfortable."

"This is my bed."

"I know."

"Then get up."

"No."

Matt looked at her for several seconds.

Iris let one shoe drop to the floor. Then she started on the other.

Matt closed his eyes.

'Breathe.'

The second shoe fell to the floor. Iris moved her feet over the sheet with an annoying calm.

Matt opened his eyes.

"Don't put your feet on my bed."

"They're clean."

"That doesn't address the problem."

"Yes it does."

"No."

Iris turned a little to the side and rested her head on one hand. The sword stayed at her side, still.

Matt looked at Eleonora again. Then at Iris.

"Did you really come just to take up space?"

Iris smiled.

"No."

"Then talk."

Iris watched him in silence. Her expression shifted just slightly. The mockery didn't disappear completely, but it thinned out. Turned more careful.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?" Iris asked.

Matt blinked.

"No."

Iris raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"You're going to be presented to the whole kingdom today."

"Thanks for reminding me of the disaster."

"The houses will be there."

"I know."

"The noblewomen too."

"I know that too."

"Mother is going to announce you as heiress."

Matt looked at her.

Iris corrected herself without him saying anything.

"Heir."

Matt held her gaze for a second. Then went back to the mirror.

"You learn fast."

"I'm practicing."

"How touching."

Iris propped herself up a little on an elbow.

"Seriously. Do you have nothing to say to me?"

Matt adjusted one of the cuffs on his shirt.

"No."

"To me."

"No."

"To Eleonora."

Matt went still.

The room got quieter.

Matt looked at the sword on the bed. Eleonora was still not moving.

Iris looked at it too. Then her gaze went back to Matt.

"You don't have to pretend you don't see her," Iris said.

Matt lowered his hand.

"I'm not pretending."

"Yes you are."

Matt turned toward her.

"Iris."

"Matt."

"I have nothing to say."

Iris watched him for a few seconds. Then she let out a sigh.

"You're still just as stubborn."

"And you still invade rooms."

"That's not related."

"It's very related."

Iris ran a hand over the sheet, close to Eleonora's sheath, but without touching it.

"Eleonora hasn't said anything either."

Matt looked at the sword.

"That's rare for her."

"I know."

"Is she asleep?"

"Not exactly."

"Then she's throwing a tantrum."

Iris smiled faintly.

"Probably."

Matt looked at his reflection again.

He didn't want to talk about Eleonora. Not at this moment. Not before standing in front of half the kingdom and pretending he didn't want to get out of there. Not with Iris lying on his bed. Not with the sword silent.

But Eleonora's presence was impossible to ignore. There was something heavy in the room. Something that hadn't been there before Iris came in.

Matt adjusted the brooch again, even though it was already straight.

"Does Elyra know you're here?" Matt asked.

"Yes."

"Great."

"She allowed me to come."

"Worse."

"She wanted to check on your state before the banquet."

Matt let out a dry laugh.

"And she sent you?"

"She didn't send me."

Matt looked at her through the mirror.

Iris smiled calmly.

"I came because I wanted to."

"That's more suspicious."

"I also wanted to see you nervous."

"I'm not nervous."

"You're adjusting the same brooch for the fourth time."

Matt lowered his hand.

Iris smiled a little more.

"I'm not nervous," Matt repeated.

"Sure."

"I'm irritated."

"That too."

"And hungry."

"That's new."

"And I want to leave."

"That's not new."

Matt didn't answer.

Iris sat up on the bed, folding her legs on the sheet.

"Do you know what happens after the announcement?"

"A lot of people are going to look at me and say stupid things."

"That happens during the announcement."

"Then after, the same thing happens, but with food."

Iris laughed under her breath.

"After, the houses will have to acknowledge your position."

Matt looked at her.

"And you?"

Iris went quiet for a moment.

"Me too."

Matt raised an eyebrow.

"That must be so hard."

Iris smiled.

"More than you think."

"I don't care."

"I know."

The answer was too calm.

Matt didn't say anything.

Iris lowered her gaze to Eleonora.

"There's something else."

Matt felt his patience drop a little.

"There's always something else."

Iris rested a hand on the bed, near the sword.

"Mother wants stability."

"What an ugly word."

"She wants the houses to accept you."

"I got that already."

"She wants your position to be beyond dispute."

Matt looked at her tiredly.

"And?"

Iris raised her gaze to him.

"An heir without clear bonds to their ego-weapons can look incomplete."

Matt went still. His expression didn't change. But his fingers closed a little.

Iris saw it.

"There it is," Iris murmured.

"There what is?"

"Your reaction."

"I'm not reacting."

"Yes."

Matt let the air out through his nose.

"Iris, if you're going to say something, say it. If you came to bother me, you already did."

Iris looked at Eleonora. The sword was still silent.

Then she looked at Matt again.

"I'm going to ask you a question."

Matt spread his arms.

"What an honor."

"I want a real answer."

"You started off badly."

"Matt."

Iris's tone changed. Not much. But enough.

Matt stopped joking for a second.

Iris was still sitting on the bed, shoeless, with the sword to one side and her gaze fixed on him. She didn't look like a princess playing around. She didn't look like just a white nuisance with a mouth. She looked serious.

That was worse.

Matt watched her with a furrowed brow.

"Talk," Matt asked.

Iris took a deep breath.

Then she asked:

"Would you like to become one with me and Eleonora?"

Thank you for reading!

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