Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (z-lib.org).mobi

beautiful people in their beautiful clothes. I was still nervous, but I thought it all
might actually be … fun.
I looked at the little clock on the mantel and frowned. A servant was supposed
to be delivering my new silk kefta. If she didn’t arrive soon, I was going to have
to wear my old wool one or borrow something from Marie.
Even as I had the thought, a knock sounded at the door. But it was Genya, her
tall frame swathed in cream silk heavily embroidered in gold, her red hair piled
high on her head to better display the massive diamonds dangling from her ears
and the graceful turn of her neck.
“Well?” she said, turning this way and that.
“I loathe you,” I said with a smile.
“I do look remarkable,” she said, admiring herself in the mirror over the basin.
“You’d look even better with a little humility.”
“I doubt that. Why aren’t you dressed?” she asked, taking a break from
marvelling at her own reflection to notice I was still in my robe.
“My kefta hasn’t arrived.”
“Oh, well, the Fabrikators have been a bit overwhelmed with the Queen’s
requests. I’m sure it will get here. Now, sit down in front of the mirror so I can
do your hair.”
I practically squealed with excitement, but I managed to restrain myself. I’d
been hoping Genya would offer to do my hair, but I hadn’t wanted to ask. “I
thought you would be helping the Queen,” I said as Genya set her clever hands
to work.
She rolled her amber eyes. “I can only do so much. Her Highness has decided
she doesn’t feel up to attending the ball tonight. She has a headache. Ha! I’m the
one who spent an hour removing her crow’s feet.”
“So she’s not going?”
“Of course she’s going! She just wants her ladies to fuss over her so she can
feel even more important. This is the biggest event of the season. She wouldn’t
miss it for the world.”
The biggest event of the season. I let out a shaky breath.
“Nervous?” asked Genya.
“A little. I don’t know why.”
“Maybe because a few hundred nobles are waiting to get their first look at
you.”
“Thanks. That really helps.”
“You’re very welcome,” she said, giving my hair a hard tug. “You should be
used to being gawked at by now.”
“And yet I’m not.”