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I was not lucky, however, when it cae After I’d nixed a second dress for being too low-cut, I thought Eeance with an eyelash curler, but she just nodded to the third gar," she told h that I could alth, with a fitted bodice and flowing skirt I eyed the neckline

"Here" Eer and ordered own, then fastened it up the back I glanced down atit tucked firth mirror

The sheen off the sapphire fabric athers at my waist, and the botto out around htly as I turned The bodice fit perfectly, clinging to every hint of a curve ht the light just so

"Well?" E at my reflection "This ork"

Emilia stepped in front of me and exae a tendril nearthe question

Eave me a look I couldn’t quite read "Asher’s the nice twin He’s the one people like" She paused "I’s done" She handed me a tube of lipstick I stared at it like she’d handed me a snake

"In case you need to reapply," she said briskly Clearly, she’d shared asto share The doorbell rang downstairs I took a deep breath

On my way out the door, E on, would you tell ht," she said, averting her eyes "Don’t worry about it Asher’s the one people confide in, too" The doorbell rang again, and E," she told ed to walk down the stairs without killing ht shoes, so we’d borrowed a pair of Ivy’s Luckily, my sister seemed to have a fairly elaborate collection

When I reached the front door, Asher opened it for me A man in a navy suit stood there He held out a card to me

"Special delivery," he said "Courtesy of Vice President Hayden"

The invitation was engraved on white linen paper At the top, there was a gold seal, an eagle surrounded with stars, so intricate in detail that it looked as if it had been painted on by hand Below that, black-inked calligraphy declared, The President and Mrs Nolan request the pleasure of the company of Theresa Kendrick at a dinner in honor of Her Royal Highness, Queen

I stopped reading when I reached the word Queen

The estured toward the car he’d driven here "Miss Hayden also thought you lanced back at Asher and E an arm over his sister’s shoulder, "i in heels while wearing a ball goas, as it turned out,an invitation to a state dinner I made it past White House security without incident but had to fight to keep rindthe arrival of the president’s guests, ainst the oished lightly aroundhall lined with th of Ivy’s house separatedoverhead

No pain, I thought, no gain

I walked the length of the carpet, one step after another, my eyes on the prize When I stepped into the expansive receiving roouests marked my entrance--but one who did went ramrod stiff