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Chapter 65
Nariana
Ihadn't seen or heard from Zeal since that day in my Word class. Lord Horvat hadn't reached out to me the way Thiemo had with Ela. In the envelope Migard had given me was a very simple, very polite note that told me he would be wearing white and gold, and politely asking me if I could match. Well, I could. The question was which one of my white or gold outfits would be most appropriate.
And time was running out. Lord Horvat's carriage would be here in less than two hours. I had four white dresses and three gold ones thrown around the dressing room, and I hated all of them.
"I can't do this," I decided.
Gentle hands clasped my shoulders from behind me. "Breathe, Nari," Talin whispered beside my ear. "Your date is Thiemo's friend. He won't fuck you over without facing backlash from Thiemo."
"And when Kinen tries to make a fool of me and shames both Zayr and Thiemo in the process?" I asked. "Or what about if someone attacks me in the middle of that and the family of Inspiration's baron gets hurt? What if - "
He spun me around. "Stop." Those blue eyes of his searched my face. "Tonight changes nothing. You will be beautiful. You might even have fun. You will also show every single pompous prick in that room that you don't give a shit whether or not they like you."
"Ok," I agreed, trying - yet not fully - believing him.
So I turned to my gowns. I didn't like the way wearing white made me feel as if I was trying to act innocent. I didn't want to be innocent. I wanted to make it clear that I was Zeal's Chosen, even if my god was too busy for me. I also had a feeling that the man I'd rejected would still be there, and while I had no idea who he was, I was pretty sure that didn't go both ways. He would want to make a fool out of me. His goal would be to make sure I regretted refusing him, or not earning Kinen the money he wanted, or that I paid for the rumors swirling about me. Something!
And I was tired of being scared of it.
So what I needed was armor. Armor could be gold, so I reached for the first dress. The fabric was lovely, but the cut was much too sedate. This was a club for gentlemen, and our session recommendations said that we should dress seductively. Considering that my date was from the Inspiration family, artistic and creative would be more appropriate than "tame."
"Shit," I grumbled. "I need some chains. Do I have any gold necklaces?"
Talin headed over to my paltry jewelry box. "Um, the earrings Anver got you..." He pulled open the top drawer. "The choker Zeal got you..." Then another. "Nothing gold, Nari." And finally, he did the last thing I would've expected. "Anver!"
"Yeah?" Anver called back from the sitting room, but I could hear his feet moving our way. A moment later, he walked in through the bedroom, gaping at the discarded dresses. "What happened in here?"
"Nari's having a minor meltdown," Talin explained. "She needs gold necklaces of some kind."
So Anver looked at me. "What kind?"
On impulse, I headed back into the closet for a dress I knew I owned but had never expected to be wearing before my graduation. It had been Shalsa's. Nalph, our tailor, had adjusted it to be more fitting for me, and the only word I had to describe it was scandalous. It also just happened to be gold.
Grabbing it, I walked out holding it before me. "I need something to go with this."
Anver's eyes ran over the dress as if committing it to memory. "Ok. I know where to start." And then he headed for the other door, not the way he'd come in.
"He does?" I asked Talin.
"Probably," Talin said, flicking a finger at the dress. "Now, what exactly are you wearing under that?"
Pulling off my dressing robe, I let that fall to the floor, then passed Talin the dress. "Nothing. Tonight is not going to be easy. Someone is going to try to tear my dress, make a fool out of me, or something. So, if they want to see what's under here, then let's show them."
"I'm going to need all my blades," he grumbled as he worked the buttons open, then gathered the fabric together.
Together, we slipped the dress on over my head. The golden fabric was made of silk. From the bottom of my ribs down to the top of my hips were large cut-out sections. A slit ran straight up my right leg. The sweetheart neckline led to off-the-shoulder dropped sleeves that were short, ending just above the top of the lace on my arms.
The best part was how the fabric clung to my skin, allowing the outline of my breasts to be seen easily. This was not the sort of gown a woman wore in mixed company, but I'd wanted armor, and I couldn't think of anything more protective than pure temptation. If they wanted me, then they wouldn't dare destroy me.
"Now I need something white," I said, just as our front door closed.
Anver's voice came next. "I brought backup," he yelled, heading our way.
And then both he and Amerlee walked into my dressing room. Amerlee's eyes took in my dress and a proud smile touched her lips. Lifting my arms, I turned, showing off the low-cut back that came all the way down to the crack of my ass.
"This is Shalsa's old dress," I told her.
