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Visha drags me behind a changing screen and starts pulling at my clothing, attempting to strip me.
I pull back from her, covering myself. “I think I can manage by myself.”
She places her hands on her hips with a sigh. “So be it, but be quick. We have many others to try on before tonight.” She movesaround the screen and mumbles something to Isolde. It’s too low to hear, but I’m more focused on her words Ididhear.
Many… I wince. It’s going to be a long day.
The blue tulle dress is beautiful, but I can’t move in it. And if I can’t move in it, I definitely can’t fight in it.
I don’t tell either woman my reason for not choosing it, but they don’t question my decision and easily move on to the next.
A tight cream wrap dress that gives me far too much movement but even less coverage is the next one I try on. It looks more like a cloth of soft bandages than a dress. The slit goes right up past my thigh, and the top wrap barely covers my modest cleavage.
“It is beautiful,” Isolde says, standing back to admire it.
“Yes, but where is the rest of it?” I ask, wide-eyed and in shock that anyone would wear something like this. There is no place to hide any weapons; everywhere is on reveal.
Visha chuckles at my expression before telling Isolde to pass me the next one.
This one isn’t too bad. The color is a dusty pink, and the simple fitted bodice has built-in underwire but is extremely comfortable. The skirt has enough volume without it being too big, and the slit and length reveal my leg without being too provocative.
I turn, ready to tell them this one is fine, when I find Visha standing in front of me, a dress in hand.
“I can see that you may be set on that one, but for an old woman, I beg you to try this last one.” Visha hands me the dress and chuckles quietly at the expression I give her. She must know now that I can’t deny her my trying it on. Not when she’s been so kind to help me and let me borrow one for the meeting with the royals.
But the minute I slip the dress on, I know that it is the one. A glittering white fabric with strings of black lines woveninto a tight bodice that drips down the skirt like black rain. A juxtaposition of my Sidus light and Caligo shadows.
The bodice conforms to my body shape, giving my cleavage some support while also not being too revealing. The skirt is floaty and light enough that I can fight in it should I need to. Though with how beautiful it is, I would hate for anything to ruin it.
The slit climbs up my leg, stopping mid-thigh, and gives me room to hide a small dagger.
“This. This is the one,” Isolde says as she claps her hands, and I have to agree with her. It’s stunning.
“It’s perfect,” I tell them both.
“The black could be the Caligo shadows and the white glittering fabric, your Sidus. It will help let the Caligo know that you accept their side as well as your own,” Isolde says.
“Yes.” Visha nods. “It is good to show them you are willing to bend to some of their rules. But remember never to bend so much that your shape, your being, molds into something different from what you are, because what you are is perfect. And anyone that tells you otherwise is wrong.” Visha steps forward and cups my cheek as I try to get my foolish emotions under control.
Clearing my throat, I glance down at the dress to see what Isolde sees. The black lines and shimmering white, each a representation of the Sidus and Caligo but also, what I am.
I am both Sidus and Caligo. Both light and dark. That is what this dress represents to me. My secret. And even though I will never truly fit in on either side, tonight it will be on display for all to see.
“Now sit down and I’ll do your hair,” Isolde says with a warm smile.
The minute I sit down, Isolde gets to work, detangling my knots and leaving it silky soft with whatever creams she uses.She then curls my hair, leaving it down and sweeping the right side up, pinning it with a hairpiece that matches the dress.
She moves on to my face next, using other creams to make it look like it’s glowing, dark dyes to define my brows and lashes, and a brush of brown powder on my eyelids to make my sea green eyes stand out. And lastly, a shimmering pink lip cream to finish off the look, only making my lips seem fuller than they are.
“Are you a witch?” I ask her, only half in jest. Surely some of her creams are actual potions crafted through spells and witchery.
Isolde chuckles at me. “I doubt any of the Caligo will be thinking about what you are after seeing you tonight. Neither male nor female will be able to resist you like this.”
“And the finishing touch.” Visha sets down a pair of shoes in front of me. They are completely see-through, as if made from glass. Drops of rare white gems sit neatly all over the front, back, and outside of them, with even smaller gems crawling up the sides.
They are the most beautiful pair of shoes I have ever seen, but my eyes immediately fall on the heel and how high it is. High enough to break my ankle should I fall, but sharp enough to use should I be without a weapon.
I look to Visha, not knowing whether to thank her or ask her if I’ve insulted her somehow that she now wants me injured.
