CHAPTER XV #4
“Gail,” I smile to the young human girl at the top of the steps, “what has you so happy?”
Her gaze falls to my shoulder, eyes widening at the sight of Storm.
“This is Stormfall,” I reply, grinning when Storm gives a small caw in greeting.
Gail breaks into another large grin and looks at Storm as a friend. “Hello little beast. And hello again to you, Golem,” she turns to the
magical creature next to me.
“We heard court is being called tonight,” she ushers me to follow her into the entry hall, “and I was hoping to catch you before you went.”
“Is everything okay?” I ask, letting her lead me up a jutting black staircase.
“Yes!” she exclaims, “more than okay. I actually have something for you.”
“For me?” I laugh.
“Yes, for you. All the girls keep telling me I’m wasting my time,” she continues, rolling her eyes, “but I don’t care. I knew I had to make it once you left.”
She walks us up another black staircase and down a curving hall, one that has a few paintings on the walls that I instantly recognize.
We’re heading towards the kitchens and her seamstress room on the same floor, my hunch correct when Gail stops in front of the large wooden door and leads us inside.
The space is small and cozy and littered with various black and deep green fabrics, their satin colors shining from the setting sun that’s pushing through a small window.
In one corner sits a working desk, and in another, a massive mirror.
Next to that mirror is a shimmering brown dress that’s pinned to a wooden bodice, its rich fabric instantly calling to me on a whim.
“Gail,” I exclaim in awe, pulling my travel packs off my back and letting them drop to the floor.
“I know,” she breathes, watching my reaction as I walk towards the dress. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen in all my travels within Knowledge and Warrior, and even now, coming up close, I’m not even sure if dress is the proper word to call it. It’s just so different.
The ensemble is two separate pieces constructed of the same shimmering chocolate brown fabric, with the top piece hosting long sleeves that I suspect will fall past someone’s wrists and rest in the middle of their hands.
At the end of that sleeve is an intricate design of gold and black oak leaves that form a circle all the way around the edge.
The black is harsh against the shimmering brown fabric but the gold brightens its counterpart, the colors blending so perfectly together.
The sleeves lead up to the shoulders and then down into a deep cut at the chest, an area that would greatly reveal the curve of a woman’s breasts.
The full of the fabric is cropped just a few inches under where the ribs would rest and then tightens around the upper waist.
“I have no words,” I murmur quietly, glancing down at the second piece of the ensemble.
The hugging skirt sits a few inches below the top, the brown fabric flowing down to the ground in a beautiful shimmer.
The front of the skirt is cut shorter than the back and has a slit so high that it shows off a hefty amount of hip.
There’s more gold and black threading of oak leaves along the hem as well, the whole thing equal parts beautiful, sexy, and modern, and truly unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
“I’m hoping you’ll wear it tonight,” she moves up next to me with a smile.
“Yes, of course. I would be honored,” I nod to the young girl, “your talent is far beyond your years, Gail.”
“I think so, too,” the girl laughs, “though you’re the first person to inspire me to make my own changes. It’s a bit different than what we normally wear in Warrior, but hopefully the court will appreciate the bold change.”
She shrugs and gives a small sideways smile, “we’ll see.”
“Gail,” I look at her with insistency, “I will proudly wear this piece tonight. Everyone will know of your work by the end of the night.”
Stormfall gives a small caw from my shoulder, his yellow gaze landing directly on Gail. I reach into my bag and pull out eight cinerins, nearly depleting the rest of my coin, and hand it to the girl who is worth so much more.
“Not for this,” Gail stops my hand with a smile, “this dress is for me. I’m not ashamed to admit that I created it selfishly, and I ask you to wear it tonight still in selfish desire.”
Too far beyond her years.
Stormfall’s talons grip my shoulder, as if in agreement to my thought.
I bow my head, “honored.”
“Good,” she grins, “then let’s head back to your room and get this on you. There’s a few areas I need to tailor to your body.”
I leave Stormfall and Golem with Gail in the main room of my guest quarters and head to the small bathing chamber to quickly rinse off from our travel. I pin my hair above my head and hastily move into the steaming water, groaning at the lack of time we have before court begins.
“I just thought,” I yell to Gail as I step out, throwing on a deep green robe that was provided in the room, “I don’t have the proper boots to wear with this.”
“I have that covered, too,” she yells back, “don’t be upset, but I took measurements of your feet the last time I was with you.”
I laugh at the girl and walk to the bed, “why would I be upset?”
Gail grins and pulls out a set of thigh-high black suede boots that make my eyes go wide. The heel is tall, taller than I’ve ever worn, and will end up arching my foot into a slender curve.
“Where did you get an idea like this, Gail?”
The girl huffs and waves her hands down her body, “do you see me, Lady Alexis? A girl like me has to think of ways to make herself taller.”
“By making herself uncomfortable?” I arch a brow, “Gail, you’re prefect the way you are.”
“They’re not that bad,” she crosses her arms in defiance, “you’ll need to break them in, but once you get used to the height of the heel you’ll feel like a thousand cinerin.”
“You’re amazing,” I shake my head with a chuckle, “though probably putting too much trust in me to not stumble in your dress.”
“You’ll get used to them, I promise. Plus, these heeled boots will sell,” she grins mischievously, “and you’re going to sell them for me.”
“Damn straight I will,” I laugh, walking over to my travel packs to pull out a pair of long socks.
The boots slide over my legs and grip my thighs just above my knees, the feeling similar to the boots I bought from the Palisades but far more tight.
The high heel beneath me is awkward when I stand, and I nearly trip when I lean down to strap my blades, but I find my footing by leaning on the bed and secure them both against my lower thighs.
“Just walk back and forth a few times so you can get used to the arch,” Gail beckons, “it’ll be uncomfortable at first but I really do promise you’ll get used to them. I made myself a pair a few months back. They’ll grow on you.”
My first few steps are uncomfortable, and I swear I look like a baby fawn trying to walk for the first time. Gail has to suppress her laughter behind her hand when she watches me.
“Hair?” I ask the young girl, letting her vision take precedent.
“Down and straight,” she nods quickly.
We both share a knowing smile.
“And I brought a small stick of coal for your eyes…”
“I am yours to create.”
“Good,” she smiles and reaches for a needle, “then let’s get this on you.”
I turn to look at Golem and see him already moving to the balcony and averting his gaze.
Storm is still sitting on top of the bedpost with his yellow gaze staring directly at me, the glance he sends telling me he has no intention of moving them.
I narrow my own gaze on his and then drop my robe to the floor, watching as his eyes flash a vibrant gold.
Hirovale.
I send the Ancient an unsavory hand gesture before turning back to Gail. There’s nothing I can do to stop him from seeing me naked, but I do give him my back with a glare. He can stare at my ass for all I care.
Gail starts with the bottom piece first, kneeling on the ground as I place my hand on her shoulder and step into the fabric.
The waistband rests high above my hips and dips low to stop just over my belly button, the skirt hugging my curves and ass perfectly before it flows down in the shimmering brown.
I angle my body to the side and see the slit expose my hip and the full of my thigh, a sexy compliment to the high boots.
“This looks good,” Gail nods in thought, “do you feel as if it will fall down? Maybe you should take a few more steps so we can see.”
I walk across the room and notice that the boots are already feeling more comfortable.
“Everything feels great.”
“Okay,” Gail reaches for the top, “the next piece then.”
I lift my hands over my head and feel the piece hug my shoulders and arms. The fabric is silky smooth and both covers and reveals skin in all the right places.
The deep vees in the front and back accentuate the swells of my breasts and the small muscles of my shoulders, while the bottom of it wraps tightly under my breasts and leaves the perfect amount of skin between it and the skirt. I feel damn good.
Gail takes a step back and looks at the full ensemble on my body. I watch as a sparkle flashes behind her eyes, her smile creeping wide from cheek to cheek.
“Good?” I ask nervously.
“Stunning,” she grins, stepping aside so that I can see myself in the mirror.
Stunning doesn’t even do this outfit justice. It is awe-inspiring. Immaculate. I feel sexy and classy at the same time. I brush my hands down the skirt and note that the ends of the sleeves do indeed reach past my wrists, the black and gold oak leaves circling around my palms in hidden sharpness.
The full outfit is equal measures of strong, suggestive and beautiful, and I feel my shoulders push back even straighter with pride as I look at myself.
Surprisingly, the small gash near my eye and cheek add another nice compliment to the overall look, something that Gail eyes with me with an agreeing nod.
“Let me just tighten this area really quick.”