The first dress I try is a deep sapphire blue that makes my eyes look a deeper purple in the soft lighting. The silk clings in all the right places. The attendant appears as if summoned, holding out a golden cord.
"For the waist," she explains, helping me cinch it properly. "It's all the fashion in the capital right now. The Queen herself favors this style."
"Thank you," I murmur, studying my reflection as I fasten the cord around my waist. I look... regal. Like I belong in a palace instead of running through wastelands with a pack of dangerous alphas.
"And this," the shopkeeper adds, offering me a piece of thin, sheer fabric in a shade of icy blue. It's so featherlight and smooth as it lands in my palms, it feels in danger of slipping right through my fingers. She helps me fasten it, the fabric sheer enough as it covers the lower half of my face that I can still see the curve of my lips through it.
The attendant beams. "It's perfect on you! Shall I set these aside?"
I agree and thank her, already reaching for the next option, complete with the matching cord and veil she's procured for every outfit I selected. This one is emerald green, with intricate gold embroidery along the neckline and sleeves, and a matching veil with slightly more opaque fabric that will be perfect for concealing my identity until we get into the palace. I'm just adjusting the drape when I hear a collective intake of breath behind me.
I turn to find all four of the alphas crowded in the doorway of the fitting area, their eyes fixed on me. Nikolai lets out a low wolf whistle that earns him an elbow from Raven.
"Fucking hell," Geo mutters, his gaze roaming over me in a way that makes heat creep up my neck.
"You look absolutely divine," Raven breathes.
Knight just stares at me like I've hung the moon. Or like Iamthe moon, and the stars, too.
"Aren't you supposed to be shopping?" I ask, trying to ignore the way their attention makes my skin prickle.
Geo shrugs, not even pretending to look apologetic. "We finished. Pants, tunics—or whatever they call these glorified man dresses—and we're good."
"Speak for yourself," Raven protests. "But I wasn't going to miss the show."
I huff, doing a little turn so they can see the full effect of the dress. "Well? What do you think?"
"I prefer you in an open bathrobe," Nikolai says with a leer that should probably annoy me more than it does. "But the dress is nice too."
I roll my eyes, but I can't help the small smile that tugs at my lips as they fuss over me. Each dress I try on gets the same treatment. Excessive compliments, heated looks, and Nikolai making increasingly inappropriate comments that Raven keeps trying to shush.
As I slip into a stunning white-and-gold number that makes me look like some kind of celestial being, I catch myself wondering what Azarel would think if he saw me like this.
Would his breath catch the way theirs does?
Would his eyes darken with that same hungry appreciation?
Probably not. I'm sure he'd be annoyed that I'm here at all, in his precious homeland that he clearly never had any intention of bringing me to. The thought threatens to sour my mood, but I push it aside.
I'm not lettinganythingruin this day.
After what feels like hours of playing dress-up, I change back into my original outfit. As luxurious as it felt before, at least compared to the clothes I've just been in, the robes seem simple and drab. I pause in front of the rack holding my selections and study the colorful silks.
"This is depressing," I mutter, running a silken sleeve through my grasp.
Raven rushes to my side immediately, concern written all over his pretty face. "Why, goddess? What's wrong?"
I gesture at the pile of gorgeous dresses the attendant has been setting aside. "I look amazing in everything. How am I supposed to choose?"
He gives a bright, delighted laugh. "Then we'll simply have to buy it all. Spoiling you is all I've ever wanted, anyway."
"Like hell," Nikolai interjects. "I'm paying."
"Do you even have Surhiiran coin?" Raven scoffs.
While they continue to bicker over who gets the privilege of dropping a small fortune on silk, I drift over toward where Knight is standing. He's watching the argument with what I've learned to recognize as annoyance tinged with amusement, even though his mask makes it impossible to read any of his expression beyond his eyes. But his eyes tell enough.
I give him a little smile and all his annoyance visibly evaporates.
