**** Chapter Thirty Four: NIVIS AND THE WHITE GOWN

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Chapter Thirty Four: NIVIS AND THE WHITE GOWN

"I thought I heard some voices." His eyes quickly scanned the room behind me looking for intruders.

“Oh, that was me. I fell so I was swearing. Clumsy me!" I smiled widely to mask my breathless voice.

“You speak Akina?”

“A little.” I felt nervous. “Yago fen! See?”

“Yee-esss,” he said awkwardly. “You’re fully dressed.” “Of course I’m dressed! What do you mean?” Creep! “You said you were putting your clothes back on.” He pushed the door further to barge in. I noticed he was holding a black bag on a hanger. So – the Queen’s advisor also carried around the Queen’s laundry. “Why would you take your clothes off?” he asked.

“Oh that!” I forced a laugh. “Yeah well I do that sometimes. When I hate what I’m wearing. It’s not…comfortable.” I frowned and stepped away from him. “Uhm – you are here why exactly?”

“I came to invite you to the ball.” He smiled and I couldn't help notice his eyes had suddenly picked up a sparkle I found very unpleasant to look at. He was probably imagining me without clothes.

“A ball?”

“Yes. In honor of His Royal Highness Isaac Leon the King of Richesse. The Army of Richesse will be there too. They are here to persuade the Queen to let the Ducimus army train their soldiers. We are the strongest in the region you see and they are, well, the worst.”

“Oh, that’s very nice but –”

“And here’s your gown.” He said handing me the bag and then drew a little closer. “I know it will fit.” He gave me a silky smile. “If you need any help with the dress or hairdo I can spare a few Ducimas or – I can assist you myself if you like.”

I thought I would puke on him. “No I think I’ll manage.”

Suddenly his attention seemed diverted and his smile vanished. His eyes darted toward the balcony and as I followed his gaze, I saw a hint of a shadow there.

"Nivis!” I called him just as he was stepping towards the balcony. “I was actually going to call you because I have made my decision and I think your Queen will be happy with it.”

He stopped abruptly and looked at me, all suspicion disappearing from his face.

“Ah, Queen Arela will be delighted to hear that. You must prepare, then, and attend the banquet to announce it there." He was all smiles as he exited the room and I stayed close behind him to make sure he wouldn’t turn back. By the door he stopped and took my hand. "I shall wait for you. Please call me when you are ready." He kissed my hand and then walked away into the dark corridor.

I slammed the door shut and leaned against it to heave a huge sigh of relief. Then I frowned at my hand and scrubbed it on my thigh. “Ew! Why are men so horny?”

“I’m sorry but have you looked at yourself?” Azure’s voice startled me. “Your attire for one and the thought of you sitting naked in this room – I’m sure that must’ve given him puh-lenty of ideas!”

“Okay first off! These aren’t my clothes!” I protested. “And yeah I shouldn’t have said that. Secondly, please don't sneak up on me like that again. It’s enough I have

Demon doing it to me all the time!”

“Sorry. My bad.” He smiled and raised his hands in the air.

“Nivis even heard Demon and asked if I spoke Akina!” I frowned. “I freaked out!”

“What did you do?”

“Nothing, I just repeated the last thing Demon had said in Akina.”

“Yago fen? You said yago fen?” Azure began to choke with laughter.

“What’s so funny? What does it mean?”

“Well – it sort of means – uhm – the F word only it’s worse than merely doing just that. I do not blame poor Iceman for his interest in the new gal!” He was gasping for breath between chuckles. “Oh man! She can talk dirty! Woohoo!”

I sighed. “I should’ve known. Demon is such a – where is he?”

“I don't know, he disappeared as soon as we went outside.” Azure looked at the bag in my hands. “So. A ball, eh?”

“Would you believe that?” I frowned as I tossed the dress away on the bed. “I’m not going.”

“Of course you are! The party is in the house!” He reached for the bag. “Let’s unveil the garment shall we?”

“I hate to dress up!”

“Come on. You don't go, they’ll get suspicious and what not. Don’t make a mess.

Oh, wow! This is lovely!” He pulled a silken long dress from the wrap.

“It’s white.” I couldn't believe my eyes. “I hate white.”

“Oh just feel it. So buttery!” Azure laid the fabric delicately against his cheek. “And look at the frills and bows and ooh, strings – it’s a corset dress.”

“It’s white!”

“And strapless. Oh no wait! Tiny sleeves but not much of a bodice here. Aoife, I think you’ll kill someone tonight!”

“Yeah! Me!” I fumed and plopped in a nearby chair. That one stupid piece of clothing had brought back horrible memories. Nancy. Tush. And all those endless dinners where everyone treated me like a gold trophy to be had for super success! I shook my head. “They couldn't have made this day any worse!”

“Aoife, look at me.” Azure came to stand in front of me. I’d never seen him so serious before. “This is not Killen. This is Ducimus. You are not the meek twenty something orphan left at the mercy of her bitchy stepmom. You are Princess Aoife, heiress to the throne of Enth and last of the clan of Syhla.” Then he smiled. “And you will wear this white dress and you will work it girl!” How could I argue with that?

About five minutes later, I was holding on to the bathroom wall with both my hands and holding my breath as Azure pulled the strings of the corset behind me. The long flimsy dress was right out of the 19th century. It was pure white in color; soft flowing silk with light pink trimmings woven into it. Flaring out at the hips, it would give the skinniest woman curves. Of all the evening gowns I’d ever worn, I admit, I had yet to see anything as delicate and perfectly fitting as this one.

“Now about your hair,” Azure said thoughtfully as he ran his fingers through my untied tresses that cascaded all the way down to my waist.

“Leave it untied.” I said. “Something to cover my shoulders with. I feel cold.”

Azure chuckled and planting me on a stool in front of a wide dressing table and mirror, he frowned at my hair. “Long and unruly right now.”

“Just leave it.” I suggested again, tired. “It’s fine.”

“No, that won’t go with the ball gown imagery.” He frowned, making faces like a real stylist and then snapped his fingers suddenly. “Got it! That should be divine!”

Another twenty minutes or so later, Azure had done my hair. After aggressive brushing, twisting and turning, scrunching and shaping, and finally settling for a central parting, Azure had turned the unruly chestnut mass into a smooth bun that rested at my nape.

There were no hairclips or hairpins or any hair accessory of any kind in the room to help him harness the massive weight of my hair. But Azure was truly a master of making situations work. He had made do with my pearl necklace, using the cord to fasten and hold the hair in place, and positioning the pearl so that it rested on the top center of the bun. My curls had natural layers of varied lengths. Hence, a few wavy strands refused to be tied in neatly and dangled around my face. The final impact: my hairdo looked both bejeweled and expensive.

Other than the pearl I had no jewelry and none was provided with the dress, hence, I wore none. Luckily, Azure was able to find silver sandals tucked away in one corner of the wardrobe. I suppose someone had put them there while I was out visiting with the Queens.

“Look at yourself.” Azure pointed to the full length mirror by the wall.

I looked at it; absolutely not expecting the image I saw.

The short strappy sleeves of the dress fell over my bare shoulders. The corset wasn't as tight as I thought it would be but it made my figure look a lot curvier than it was. It had pushed up certain areas such that when I took a deep breath, even I had difficulty looking away. Where had they come from?

My hair accentuated the shape of my face and neck, making each more delicate and proportionate. My eyes sparkled and my lips seemed more prominently rosy even without the aid of cosmetics.

To put it bluntly, I looked ravishing.

I suppose this newfound beauty had something to do with the pink trimmings of the dress. Or with Azure’s supremely medieval tactics of pinching my cheeks and lips till I thought I’d bleed. I had worn white before on more occasions than I hoped to remember but I’d never looked like this. Perhaps it was nothing but the plain healthful air of the

Realm; or the whole away-ness from Nancy and company that made me pretty. Or was it Demon?

Once more my thoughts had pushed me into a corner and startled me. I looked at my reflection again and couldn't deny the radiance that met my gaze. As they say, love glows – Nonsense! I frowned and looked away – only to see Azure smiling at me.

“Admit it!” Azure said teasingly as he stood beside me, scrutinizing and admiring all his hard work. “You look fine.”

“Well,” I said, not quite ready to own up I liked it, “I look like I should be on the cover of some cheap romance novel.” I wondered what Demon would say.

"You are beautiful, my dear," Azure said kindly.

“Aoibheann is beautiful.” I don't know why I said that. But it felt so right.

Azure gasped. “You did not just compare yourself to that witch!”

“I saw her Azure. She’s breathtaking!”

“Yes, she is. No doubt.” Azure nodded vigorously. “But she is a woman who makes people want to die. You make people want to live!”

It was his meaningful smile at the end of his comment that made me smile too. I didn't know what exactly he meant by it but I just liked the confidence. And so I looked at myself one last time, critically, in the big mirror and smiled at my captivating reflection.

I, Princess Aoife of Enth and the last of the Syhlains, was wearing a white dress and was ready to work it!