There was a pause before Gratia laughed. “It will take longer than that. You should have seen what they wore five hundred years ago. Not that I did. The description was enough.”
“What was it?”
“Less than a loincloth.”
I squinted. “They were naked?”
“No, they wore clothes. But less than a loincloth.”
I didn’t even want to know. “Well, we’re on the up and up then. Next stop, underwear. Where is the place where clothes are made?”
“You want to see the tailors?” Gratia said uncertainly. “I believed you were jesting. Anything that mocks the kingdom, mocks my brother. He will be displeased.”
I fixed her with a look, and she grinned.
“Right this way.” Gratia took the lead, and for the first time in all my years spent in the fortress, I left the top level. Of course, I’d known about these doors that fitted seamlessly into the stone walls or behind tapestries, but only servants had ever used them.
Only servants dwelled underneath.
I’d expected the tailors would live outside the royal fortress, and that perhaps the kitchens and laundry rooms were hidden somewhere.
I descended the spiral staircase after Gratia, calmed by the dark shadows there. The stairs ended at an identical stone hallto the one we’d just left. Minus any splendor. Servants bustled here and there with platters or drinks or baskets of clothing and supplies. They curtsied deeply to us before carrying on. While my presence was unusual, I could tell that Gratia’s was not.
She strode down the hall, and I peeked into the rooms that we passed. Bed chambers, tiny. Washrooms. Laundry rooms. The kitchen was enormous and occupied the entire heart of this level as Carmine’s personal rooms did on the level above. There were storerooms and multiple sculleries and pantries.
Conversation died off as we passed a hall where demons of yellow and orange scales were relaxing.
A crimson exited a hidden stone door ahead. Had she come from the upper levels? The stone door was much like the one we’d walked through. There had to be doors on this level that descended to the dungeon.
My sister could be on the other side of that door.
The crimson met my gaze, and I held her stare until she smirked and looked away. Her name was Steth. She was one of the most powerful crimsons and a favorite of Carmine’s mother.
Gratia entered a room, and I hurried after her. We’d entered an enormous chamber. Rolls of fabric covered an entire wall. Tables were arranged beside mannequins. Threads of every color covered a smaller section of wall.
Wow.This place was a designer’s version of a weapon room.
Silence had fallen, and when I noticed it, I also noticed that Gratia had backed away to leave me to handle our sudden entrance.
I scanned the room. “I seek the designer who made me the dress with the sleeveless bodice and tulip skirt.
Demons blinked back at me.What the fuck is a tulip?they seemed to be asking.
I opened a small portal and shot a hand through to grab the dress. After closing the portal, I held the dress up. “Who designed this?”
I made sure to inject some fury into my voice, as though I intended to murder the person. Other demons—strongerdemons—would be quick to claim the work if they believed I’d liked it.
But if they believe the opposite…
Around forty hands rose and pointed to the middle of the room. Two demons sat at a table, one woman with blue scales, and one woman with purple scales. Unusual to find a purple in here. They weren’t common in the royal fortress because they did very well for themselves out in the larger realm and worked closely with the reds out there.
I joined the two demons in the middle and held up the dress. “This is a beautiful dress. The best I have ever worn in this realm. Who made it?”
The purple paused to smirk her victory at the onlookers, then answered, “Yiti designed it, and I made it.”
Was that normal? I opened my mouth to ask, then caught the size of Yiti’s hands. They finished in stumps instead of hands. She would have healed from that unless someone had also used iron to ensure the injury was permanent.Whoa,that was a new level of twisted.
“I see,” I replied. “What’s your name, demon?”
