The Fairest of Them All Read Online Free

haunches.
    “Yes,” I said. “I’m fine.”
    “You know I only want to protect you.”
    “Yes.”
    Tears stung my eyes and I turned away. We worked quietly together after that, the way we’d done forever, our hands in the soil. I’d always loved these moments with her,surrounded by vegetables and fruits and flowers, being able to feel a plant’s rootsmoving into the earth, knowing from a touch what it needed to thrive.
    Mathena’s hands were defter than mine would ever be, as she packed the soil with bark.
    While I worked, I imagined him at the ball, watching for me, waiting for me. I touched my dress, feeling for the sachet underneath, filled with the earthand herbs that connected me to him. I kept him around my neck. I did not want to take any chances.

    A few days later I stole into Mathena’s room, when she was out hunting with Brune. I dragged her trunks from below her bed, and opened them until I found the one I was looking for. Inside were gowns in rich colors, corsets, and gems. I breathed out a sigh of relief. She’dcut up many of her old clothes to make curtains and blankets, which decorated the house in fine fabrics—swaths of night-blue damask, crimson taffeta, gold brocade on purple silk—but there were several gowns still stored away. They were covered in dust, but they were finery nonetheless, clothes I could wear to a palace ball. I sifted through until I found a red silk dress that I knew would suit me,with its jewel tone and simple, striking design. Carefully, I spread it on Mathena’s bed and returned the trunks to their places. I draped the gown over my arm and rushed to the tower, terrified that Mathena would discover what I was doing.
    Breathless, I slipped on the gown. It clung to my body perfectly, though now Mathena was rounder and thicker than I. I imagined what she might have been liketwenty years before, when she was my age now. Even as a woman nearing forty shewas stunning. How slender she would have been before, how striking her dark hair must have been against this deep red. And I let down my own hair, and turned to face myself in the mirror. The color made my skin look like the whitest cream, my hair shine like spun gold. If I stood on my toes, I could see the way itswept down to the floor. I trembled as I watched myself, afraid that the image would vanish.

    T he morning of the ball, I woke up full of excitement. I planned to work with Mathena all morning as usual, and then grab my bow and arrow and pretend I was going off to hunt on horseback. Instead, I would ride to the palace, and let Brune help guide me.
    I raced down the stairsthat twisted the length of the tower, and pushed against the great wooden door to get out.
    It did not budge.
    I pushed again.
    At first I thought it was stuck, and I used all my weight to press against it.
    And then to my right, against the wall, I saw wine, bread, and water, enough for several days.
    I screamed with rage. My scream echoed against the walls in the tower, blasted up to my room,into the sky through the only window. Never in my life had I felt the kind of fury I did then.
    She had locked me in.

    I pounded on the door, kicked at it, sobbing with frustration. After some time passed, I called out to Mathena, begging her to let me out, but she did not answer. I tried spells to open the door, tried to fashion a key from air as I knew she could, but mymagic was no match for hers. Finally, I gave up and sulked back up the stairs. I paced furiously around the small room, stood at the window, and stared at the glittering spires, as if I could will myself to them. The hours slipped past. Throughout the day I called out to her, but she did not appear. When evening came, I could feel the king’s palace filling with wine and candles and diamonds, lordsand ladies whirling about, all that life pressed in together; it was torture.
    For hours I seethed and cried and called to her. Finally, I slept. When I woke the next day, I had a new resolve.
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