“Bes! Do not say such things. She may think us rather strange as well, but she isn’t pointing it out.”
I smiled at Sorka then held out my hands for Bes.
“You can look at them if you want. The skin there is very soft but tough.”
“Why do you have it?” she asked.
“Some say it is part of our heritage from our ancestor, the sea goddess Nemia. We have it on our toes too. It does help us to swim. I am a very fast swimmer,” I bragged with a wink.
Bes’s eyes widened. “I don’t know how to swim. Would you teach me?”
“Sweetheart, you know very well we cannot swim in the winter,” chided her mother.
“But in the summer, she can teach me. When we return to Vanglosa.”
Sorka and I shared a knowing look. I would be gone by summer.
“It will fit better without your undergarment,” Sorka suggested, nodding to the chemise I still wore.
After I pulled it off over my head, now naked except for my boots, Sorka held the dress open for me lower to the ground.
“You can step into it and I’ll tie the lacings at the back. We’ll see if I need to adjust it.
I slipped into the dress, sighing at the luxurious feel of the lining against my skin. “Your wool is so soft. It's not rough at all.”
“Thank you. We take great care to create fabrics that are durable yet comfortable.”
Yet again, I had to chastise myself. Though I’d never given much thought to the beast fae who lived so far away from Morodon, when I’d been found by Redvyr, I wondered about this clan of his. When I saw that they lived in tents, I assumed they might live without any luxuries at all. I was wrong. Here I was standing in perhaps the most beautiful, well-made gown I’d ever worn. There was even a delicate stitching of ivy along the neckline, enhancing the beauty of the design.
“I don’t think there will need to be any adjustments at all,” she said as she tied the lacings in the back. “Does it feel too tight?”
“No. It’s snug, but very comfortable.” I gazed down at it, noting that my bosom pushed up a bit at the rounded neck, but no more than it did in the bodice I wore before. “It’s so beautiful.”
When I turned to look at Sorka, Bes gasped.
“It is so pretty on you. Mama, it’s like you made it for her.”
“Indeed.” Sorka smiled. “It seems Ivenzel guided my hand for you, Jessamine.”
Smoothing my hands over my hips, I asked, “Who is Ivenzel?”
“She is our goddess of the hearth. A dark fae goddess. You have not heard of her?”
I shook my head. “I’m afraid my father only allowed us to be taught about the gods of the sea and waters. He was very strict and made sure our tutors kept to a limited study of only our part of the world.”
Sorka’s lips thinned as she gave me a sympathetic look. “I see. Well, while you are here, I am happy to teach you anything you’d like to know.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” I told her sincerely. “You’ve been more than kind and welcoming.”
“Lord Redvyr would be upset if I wasn’t,” she said. “But I am happy to make you feel at home while you are here. Let’s get your hands measured for the gloves, and I’d like to measure your feet as well. Those boots appear well-made, but they are likely not lined properly for warmth.”
“You are right. I thought my toes were going to fall off when I…when Wolf first found me.”
I sat on a stool, liking the way the ankle-length dress hugged my body, the lining making me feel warm and snug. Yet it wasn’t constricting, the skirt draping out for movement. My dress I’d bought in the Borderlands wasn’t nearly as comfortable.
“I’ll need to hold onto my old clothes for the end of winter,” I said while shoving off my boots and the thin stockings beneath.
“Of course. I’ll have them washed and set aside for you.”
