The final preparations for the mask ceremony absorbed the whole morning. Aldine, who had been so excited, was now serene and unflappable in the charged atmosphere around her. It was only after the women left her room that the princess looked suddenly pensive and uncertain.
‘You and Jess,’ reminded Irenya. ‘Don’t forget that. And you trust Elaaron’s judgement.’ She laughed and tapped Aldine’s shoulder with one finger. ‘He wouldn’t dare marry you off to a man who is unworthy of you.’
Aldine was about to reply when they heard a knock on the door. Irenya answered, and she saw for the first time her own costume.
Later, in a wide reception room completely bare of decorations, Irenya stood between a purple-faced parrot, and someone in a costume of greys and browns resembling forest growth. Acc
