“Wish me luck,” Her partner remarked, his white grin almost blinding her even under the lights that ran along the edges of the ceiling. Sitting up on the couch, his legs swung from the armrest opposite to him, meaning they very carefully avoided landing on Elyza’s thighs. She looked up from the book she had forced him to carry in his shadow, ever since they left his house, for the sole reason that it was full of interesting information and tales about the heroes of old. Ever since they were waiting for the end of the week, and since they had arrived before dusk at the shop, she had been scouring for an illustration that matched the sketch of the foreign general. Something in her brain recognised who the man was, but it still needed something to recall what she knew in its entirety.
As Alex stood on his feet, forced to stretch every muscle in his body. Most of them had been rendered unused since he had laid down on the couch three hours ago, waiting for Kurven to finish the final touches on their outfits for the evening’s event. Turning towards her, he unhooked the two emblems that attached his cloak to his leather chestplate. Swirling the light consuming fabric across his shoulders, letting it flutter in the air as he did, he handled it with more care than she had ever seen from him, folding it slowly, ensuring no creases could survive. He bent down on one knee as he handed it to her, his face faking his heartbreak as he said, “Make sure she lives a good life without me.”
“It will just be a few moments, Alex…” Kurven replied from behind the cloth screen that divided the room in half, rubbing his head as he chuckled.
Receiving his cloak as respectfully as she could, she reminded her partner, “Do not be so dramatic, and even if you get kidnapped again, I am sure it will find its way back to you again.”
Grinning, he pulled his armour over his head, which had patches staining the brown surface, the stitches in the fabric leading to the edges of the material disintegrating into an orange powder, revealing the metal mesh that reinforced it. He threw it to the side without any remorse. It was time for him to replace it, something he planned to do the next day, but other than the natural flow of time, it was relatively untouched. Thankfully, they had both had a rigorous bath to cleanse, according to her partner, the stench of the commoners.
So, while sweat had collected underneath him, no stench wafted from him, only making the white fabric of the shirt semi-transparent, and she caught a glimpse of the scarred body beneath. She had never thought of him as healthy or well-built. The months she had spent with him, witnessing him putting all manners of things in his mouth, had made more of an impact than the little physical feats he performed. Before her mind had any more time to linger on what it saw, her partner pulled on the shirt, letting it puff so that some air would flow through.
Shifting her focus back to meet his gaze wasn’t quick enough, Alex’s eyes narrowing with glee as his grin turned wider. He turned away, which gave her time to stew a bit in embarrassment before the inevitable comment came as he was about to duck behind the screen, “Make sure my partner doesn’t exploit me by peeking through the curtain.”
Embarrassment and annoyance melded into one, and the book went flying, aimed squarely at his head. She made sure to throw it with as little rotation as possible, to ensure that the pages didn’t flutter and make it lose momentum, but it was never going to be enough. Her partner clapped in front of his face, catching the book in between it, twirling it on a finger before letting it drop into his shadow. Before he followed the tailor behind the sheets, his head in the process of disappearing behind the cloth, he stated, “Page number 247, Ears.”
Sighing, Elyza lied down on the couch, noting the number in her mind for later, letting her body rest for a moment. Her eyes occupied the free time by glancing across the various mannequins that showcased Kurven’s various outfits. She had never been in this part of the house before, and the only stuff of his she had seen before were the ones down on the ground floor. Those were woven specifically for adventurers, meant to be long-lasting and protective, but the top of the building was filled with the finest fruits of his labour. Of the mannequins, except the first, who donned the replacement clothes for her dear partner, the rest of them displayed outfits she could easily imagine emperors and empresses donning during their daily lives. There were some outfits for brides, as far as she could tell, inspired from both dwarven, and bakaneko’s cultures, with hints of elven. Some of them were night gowns of both sorts, those that revealed as much as possible while leaving the important things to the imagination, and a standard pair of pyjamas, for both men and women.
There were many symbols engraved in the designs, and the stitching was flawless to her eyes, some even holding covert pockets, and all being shown with the recommended accessorization. “He’s good, isn’t he?” Her partner’s voice entered his mind, and she would’ve doubted if the words came from within if his face hadn’t popped into her peripheral vision the second before.
She shifted her body so she could match his gaze while her head lay flat, getting to see him with hair that was actually tied back for once. “I merely did not know the extent of his skills,” She admitted, as she stared at his now gleaming face, freshly washed, with some amount of makeup on his cheeks and nose, and added, “Is the suit to your liking?”
“Comfiest thing I’ve ever touched, though it's a bit tight in certain places,” He remarked, touching certain strands of hair so that they escaped from the clutches of the hair tie, forming a strand that rested just above his right eye. She couldn’t tell why, but seeing him clean for once actually generated happiness within, feelings that were quickly expanded upon as he yelped.
“I apologise, I did not account for extra gain since I last measured you,” Kurven’s voice remarked, clearly having stabbed her partner with a pin, as Alex’s hands raised to touch the impacted area, rubbing through new black gloves he was wearing.
“How dare you call me fat! Don’t you know that’s considered rude?” He retorted with a smile on his face.
“We both know that the mass was gained around your arms, and that line only works if a woman says it,” the orc replied, standing up before adding, “How’s that?”
Her partner’s head dipped below the curtain line, and back up again before he answered, “Perfectly cromulent, though I’m surprised you know what women talk about.”
Kurven’s hand snapped at Alex’s head, knocking enough force into him that he had to step down from whatever platform he was standing on, following the smack with a chuckle, “Pick a pair of shoes, unless you’re planning to walk in the presence of the king with bare feet.”
She saw his head move around, parroting through the screen, bending down for a moment before pulling out a pair of boots. As he wore them, he reminded, “About to be your turn, Ears, be ready, and try not to faint in my awe. It is truly a sight one can appreciate the first time they gaze upon it.”
The curtains parted, the hulking body of Kurven obscuring her partner for a moment before he stepped aside while his hands shook to add flair, which she knew Alex had told him to do. It took her eyes a moment to recognise who stood in front of her, even though she knew who he was. A dark grey trench coat caught her eyes first, a mix between a tuxedo and an aristocrat's coat, akin to the timekeeper’s for the dragon riders. However, while those were seldom unfastened, no buttons connected the two halves, instead, giving way to a black tie that almost appeared to be an unending chasm floating amongst the barren and cold sky. The shoulders were pronounced, the sleeves loose but still hugging his arms, perfect for hiding an entire manner of blades, but the splash of light blue emerging for the coat’s end was almost welcoming. The cloth stopped an inch before they covered his wrist, showcasing a scar that ran up to his thumb to meet the calluses that had formed, perfectly formed to ensure any weapon could not escape his grip.
While the coat’s fringes ended just below his waist, there was a drape of fabric that flared out after it, as if they were the petals of a wilted flower. It fell just before his knees, reminiscent of his cloak, the fabric sharing the lucidity of what she was holding onto, but unlike the fabric in her hands, it was set in her sight, barely moving in the air. The pants were similar to the coat, the same colour and fabric, but they had a softer texture to them, stretching down his legs. Hanging off his muscles, the cloth straightened as it fell, loosening to barely obscure his boots, which appeared to be the shoes that even nobles would shy away from donning. The black leather was moulded to mimic the poshest brogues she could ever imagine, glimmering under the light, a complete opposite to the rest of the subtle outfit. As a whole, it would function to make him appear as part of the elite while still being relegated into the background.
It was perfect for the role Alex was meant to play, but he appeared to be one with the entire look. Elyza had only seen him as a flowy figure before, someone who you could never trust at a first glance. His personality matched what he wanted people to see of him; fast-talking, unserious, and a danger to go against because you could never guess what he would do, his normal look completely crafted to compliment his methods. But now, her partner exuded total calmness, the outfit crafted to showcase the danger he possessed, his muscles clearly defined even under the cloth. She was at awe at how fit he actually was, her mind apparently forgetting the archery he loved to practice.
It almost seemed that he was a prince relegated to be in the supporting cast of a play, someone who would have fangirls pining after if not for his character. His face, however, was at the verge of breaking character, she could see it in his eyes, the failing resistance of trying to be a bit proper for once. The dams finally broke, and crumbled the image of a man ladies would pine for. “I look spectacular, I know,” He remarked immediately, his grin wrapping around his face, hands delving into his coat’s pockets, giving a twirl and ending it with a wink, tugging his tie a bit to loosen it.
Sighing as she got up, a smile crawling across her face, she remarked, “I knew you were about to ruin the moment.”
“You know me too well… I clean up nice, don’t I?” Grinning out as he took his dagger from his shadows and slotted it in a hidden pocket in the inside of his coat.
“Surprisingly,” She admitted, studying him in his entirety, from foot to head.
“Almost forgot,” he remarked, releasing his hair from its prison, a mass of black waves cascading in front of his face before he flipped them back, letting them rest in their natural flow, freshly washed and moisturised.
“How do I look?” Alex asked, knowing that Kurven would only point out the little flaws of the cloth, and while he loved his cousin, Adam had a tendency to please whoever he met.
As his partner took in the rare sight and Alex stared into her emerald eyes, which looked like a pond at the start of the monsoon, a wave of warmth flowed through him. Panic filled his heart, which he squished without any hesitation, allowing himself to feel the emotions running amok through his mind. Thankfully, it allowed him to think, and when the entire building shook slightly, a bellow rising from the basement as it did, he was glad.
Elyza, in contrast, was extremely alarmed, her eyes darting to the floor and back to him, legs spreading in anticipation for another tremor, causing him to chuckle and clear it up, “Adam’s just cleaning the furnace, Ears.”
Her ear tips turned a minute shade of red, gathering her composure as she corrected her posture, and the feelings returned, but this time they were utterly ignored as he responded with a grin. “I’ve seen what he’s designed for you, and it will be interesting to see what masterpiece you’re going to pick.”
He could see his brother-in-law blush at his words, but more importantly he could see the curiosity that had flared within his partner, and Kurven spoke, “If you are ready, Elyza, I will need a bit more time with you, I… uh, got a bit carried away.”
She followed him past the split in the room, and Alex plopped himself down on the couch, making sure not to crush the drape behind him, patting down his cloak that lay beside him to comfort it. But before she ducked past the screen, she glanced back at him as he was brushing a loose thread from his new coat and remarked, “You look very handsome, Alex.”
Her tone was almost genuine, but the words caused him to smile, which he had to force into a grin as he replied, “There was no doubt about it, my dear Ears.”
As the curtain melded back into an unbreachable barrier, if only by societal expectations, and even though he wanted deeply to know her thoughts on the variety of outfits currently being presented to her, he made sure that anything that entered his ears left the same way.
It was boring, having to sit almost perfectly straight in order to ensure he didn’t permanently crease his clothes accidentally. He tried to snap a beat, before his ears got tired, then twirling his dagger between his fingers worked for a while before even that became monotonous. He tried to look for a book in his personal collection, rummaging in his corner of the dimension in his darkness, but none seemed interesting enough.
Finally, as he reserved himself to correct the notes he had written for the past free days, his pencil hovering over the yellow pages of his worn out journal, his mind refused to cooperate. It was too busy contemplating what his partner would choose, too busy trying and failing to imagine her in any clothes that weren’t made to be highly functional. More importantly, his mind refused to comprehend the fact that she would be acting as one of the higher ‘class’, even though he was the one who had taught her how to meld with the silver sucklers.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
You are an idiot.
As he stared at the lined paper, Alex realised he was excited to see her choice, his mind humming with possibilities on what would be the best expression of the play they have to perform. His pencil rapped on the book, as his mind was engrossed in whatever combination of tops and bottoms she could choose, considering the requirements. So much so, that even though he saw the cloth shift in the top of his vision, it was considered not worthy enough to shift his attention to, and then Elyza’s voice broke through walls in his mind in an instant.
“Alex, is the Empress giving you a hard time in there?” The words snapped his head upwards, and he had to take a moment to take the sight in.
He almost didn’t recognise her, her brilliant emerald eyes hidden behind a pair of red round rimmed glasses that made the orbs seem like windows into an unending void, flanked by eyelashes that curled up. Her red hair appeared to have been lit ablaze, curled to reduce the length they had but not their volume, darkening and brightening up in a mesmerising manner as they cascaded down her shoulders. Her top was stark white, on the verge of blinding him if not for the flowing drapes adding some texture to it as well as darkening the silk into a creamy colour. She donned a simple silver necklace with a single jewel centred upon it, the metal moulded in order to appear as if the branches of Yggdrasil were holding the fiery ruby captive. The bare skin exposed by the plunging neckline complimented perfectly with the puffed up sleeves that he knew for a fact she had chosen to hide her muscles. The fabric cinched at the ends, to let her pale blue fingernails draw his attention.
As her hands rested just above her stomach, at the edge of where her top and skirt met, it pulled his eyes towards the rest of her outfit. Below her waist was a gown that hugged her legs, leaving a thigh high slit that exposed them, iridescent indigo fabric swirling into a skirt around her, almost making her seem like a mermaid out of water. She stood even more imposing than usual, aided by golden heels, which she was surprisingly looking comfortable in, walking a bit closer and bending down to meet his gaze. His eyes drifted back towards her face, noting the vivid red lipstick that was currently adorning the lips that curled into a slight smile. Her face had a fresh coat of makeup, but her freckles were still visible, which was good, they were his favourite part of her.
“If you dare to make a dumb joke, this heel is going up your nose,” Her voice spoke, a threat underlying the humour.
Suddenly, Alex remembered where he was, and instantly with a thought, his grin appeared, “I hope you aren’t planning to steal away the King, you would be surprised how much of an iron grip the missus has on him.”
She smiled, pushing up her glasses to readjust them, remarking, “I gather that is your way of complimenting me?”
He stood up, grabbing his cloak, barely able to match her gaze, “I think only a blind person could argue that you’re not extremely wealthy, and considering Lati finally gave you your reward for the work you did, you finally look the part. ”
“Hmm…” She hummed, striking a pose which he could see hurt her soul deeply, quickly regaining her normal posture before replying, her tone much more playful than it had been compared to stressing about the day since they made the plan, “Still have not done it.”
“It’s supposed to be cold today, you know?” Alex remarked, dragging the moment further as he approached his partner, swinging his cloak over her head, and letting it rest around her shoulders, clasping it to hide her necklace for the time being. As he did, he let his mana flow into the cloth, letting it regain its formless fluidity, as well as ensuring that she would be kept warm throughout their night.
“You look beautiful, Ears,” he stated, and he swore that she blushed, which made his grin wider, “Don’t ask for what you can’t handle.” The comment earned him a punch in the gut
“Oh…” Kurven remarked, holding a blue fur coat in his hand, “Well… that matches the outfit just as good. Now, let’s get you two on the road, if Adam catches you, you’ll miss the party.”
“What is our means of transport?” Elyza inquired, adjusting the cloak to be more comfortable around her.
“We could just…” Alex began, waving his hand below them, causing their joined shadows to expand into the real world, wisps of darkness curling around their feet, waiting to open up and consume them. “But what’s the fun in that?” He remarked, snapping his fingers to close the gate to the other side, adding, “Booked us a carriage, a real fancy one. Horseless, fully running on mana, cost me about a platinum, but I really wanted to compare the experience with the Northern Isles.”
Her eyes pierced through her rose-tinted glasses, and even though he tried his darnedest, she figured him out, “You did not want to deal with horses today, did you?”
The comment elicited a laugh before his brother-in-law covered his mouth. He parroted her, his mouth flapping as he smiled, putting both his hands to his mouth, and blowing. An almost imperceptible whine came from her partner, and the call connected, a hole appeared in the air ahead of them, but the head of the imp didn’t pop out. Instead, two envelopes drifted down from the tear in dimensions, and the first thing that came from her partner was a very reserved, “I do not have a good feeling about this.”
He did not bend down in fear of creasing his clothes, instead using the little shadow they had to lift the parcels up towards him, plucking them from the umbra tentacles, adding, “This better not be another skunkable offence.”
“A what?!” The words just blurted out from her, but Alex waved them aside, opening one of the envelopes and pulling out a plate of metal, almost as thin as paper. With it, emanated the smell of the sea, a mix of salt, as if it had sailed through its depths to reach them. “This is a great fake, especially when compared to Jester’s…” He commented as he handed the invitation to her, and she read the name she had to go by for the night.
“Anna Adler? Appropriate,” She remarked, and an audible sigh escaped his partner, who cracked a grin for some reason, forcing her to ask, “Is the name familiar?”
“Just an attempt to get me into trouble way before I deserve–” He began, but before he could finish, his eyes fell upon his own invitation, and all the humour left his posture. His face hung on the last expression it had, pure anger filling his black eyes, “I’m going to have Red use that little pink pimply prick as her new target for the pocket cannon.”
Kurven seemed to recognise the look on her partner’s face, his voice turning down, “Alex, what’s wrong?”
His mouth opened but nothing came out, only turmoil present on his face as he raised his hands to keep them both quiet, before taking a breath and asking, “If I and Elyza were to switch outfits, entirely hypothetically, how would this suit look on her, would you need to change anything?”
There was a moment as the tailor thought about the concept, remarking, “Would need to choose a new pair of footwear, but it would suit her as wel– Oh, oh no…” He had discerned something, she herself had failed to, but Alex soon passed his invitation to her, so that she could have a look.
“The Cyllenius family would like to invite the recipient of this letter…” She began reading it out loud, trying to spot what was wrong, “…to the engagement party of Lady Cyllenius, and the Second Prince of Luminae. We would be proud if… Ms Joanne House?! Would join the celebration as the chosen escort of Anna Adler.”
The whole room went silent, before Elyza broke it, “I thought you trusted this Vanya?”
Alex sighed, taking a moment, “Unfortunately, this changes nothing.” The words were reassuring, but the tone in which he spoke could only be described as regret, but she had no idea how they would adapt to such a development.
“If you would excuse me,” Kurven began, “Since you know where the shoes are kept, I don’t believe I’m required to be here any more. Alex, it's not as bad as you think…”
“You’re not going to be the one wearing it, are you?” Her partner snapped back as the orc descended the stairs.
Elyza snapped her fingers to catch his attention, commanding, “Explain yourself.”
He could say nothing, silently kicking the shoes off his feet, and handing her his coat, pulling out a scroll the width of his arms from his own shadow. As he began to unravel it, handing the rolled end so that she may help, she noticed the remnants from pencil markings under the black lines painted upon the paper. The more it opened, the more complex the strokes of ink became, the smell of year-old papyrus emanating out into the air along with the stench of dried varnish, till below them lie a magic circle more complex than anything she had seen in person. There were at least a thousand layers to it, half of the half of spells she could recognise were just etched in order to stabilise the magic, but as a whole, she could recognise it as an illusion rune.
The gears in her mind whirled into full efficiency, and her mind could only come up with one reason for a spell of such complexity, but it also argued that there was no way the man in front of her would have a spell pre-prepared for such a situation. “Alex–” She began, and her voice gave away as she was face to face with her partner unbuttoning his shirt, pants already laying flat on the couch behind him, thankfully he wore garments for maximum comfort under them.
“Don’t make fun of me, and don’t gawk at my calves,” he said without even stopping, not even fazed that he was standing half-naked in front of her, stepping into the focus of the circle below, but he didn’t take off his remaining clothes.
There was contemplation within her on whether to view what was to happen, or to deflect her gaze in respect of her partner’s privacy. Though, the fact that he was so unwilling to do whatever he was planning stoked her curiosity to an extent that the argument soon reached a unanimous consensus. She had to see it happen. “Continue,” She spoke, taking a few steps back in order to ensure her mana didn’t accidentally turn him into a tree.
Taking in a deep breath, Alex closed his eyes, adjusting his footing to ensure the papyrus didn’t flutter and break the spell. The paper below gave way to a brilliant blue blaze, the lines of ink sparking up into strokes of pure arcane mana, the circles within the circle spooling up as they emerged. They stopped, turned, stopped and spun again, almost as if they were performing an intricate dance, calculating as they prepared to be unleashed. Mist collected upon her partner’s skin, dripping down as it grew in size, his mana forming a pool beneath him, vaporising when they touched the spell awakening beneath. The smell of ozone spread as a screen of vapour started to swirl around him, shadows shooting up from the edges of the papyrus in order to aid them in their formation. The tentacles gave way to tendrils, emerging from within the lines of magic, wrapping around her partner.
They brought with them the particles whirling around him, weaving them into her partner’s skin, covering him in a layer of pure umbra. The darkness was unstable, morphing as it sought to bend to his vision, the man in the centre, fully obscured from her sight, but she could tell he looked down at her chest for a moment as the spell ramped up. The pull of the churning mana grew exponentially, lighting up the room with flashes as if lightning was being restrained within it, and with a snap, it collapsed into her partner.
As the mist cleared, the little that remained, instinctively, she called upon her halberd as soon as she saw the face staring back at her. There, where her partner once stood, was the maw of the Empress, with her red eyes calmly meeting her gaze. “God, could you shut the fuck up,” the individual spoke, looking at the ceiling as they did, causing their shirt to get perilously close to revealing their breast.
But the voice broke Elyza out of her stance, it wasn’t as dangerously honeyed like it had been before, but as feminine as it sounded, she could tell it was Alex’s. She took a moment to study the face of the woman, and found it a mash of the woman Elina had pretended to be, and the Empress herself, except the elfishness of the features had been exaggerated.
“Sorry, Ears, the hag was trying to be smart,” Alex spoke, the sight jarring as the voice came from the woman’s lips, but she knew it to be him.
As her halberd returned to a ring, the woman buttoned her shirt up, already in the process of wearing the pants, Alex remarked, “What? No comments?”
“It… is impressive,” She remarked, and the words rang true, her partner’s mannerisms were slightly off to match the new body, “But… what is it?”
Alex took a second, as he straightened his shirt, fixing his tie to be a bit tighter around his neck, “At its… simplest, the spell could just be a bodysuit over my skin, but this. This, if I may, is worse. The spell takes a month to draw up, can last for over a week, and perfectly mimics a woman's body, externally of course. It can resist any magic that wishes to dispel it, and anything that wishes to know its true nature.”
Elyza was confused, as far as she could tell, his spell could be considered a national treasure by researchers and the most guarded secret by the army. He saw the confusion on her face, and started his explanation, “It's a perfect covering, nothing can get in, and nothing can get out. Do you know the feeling of being drenched in your own sweat for hours on end, having to adjust every single habit you have in order to match the new proportions of your body? For it to work, I have to resist being myself both physically and mentally, to an extent that I would not have to if I was merely pretending to be another for an hour or two.”
“That seems cumbersome,” Elyza admitted, smiling at the evening ahead of them, handing him his jacket back.
Swinging it over his shoulders, her partner stated once again, “How do I look?”
She didn’t try to resist, “Like the prettiest princess in the world.”
Her partner grinned as he swiped a pair of flats from a cupboard, simply retorting, “Just admitted I look better than you no matter the gender, dear Ears.”