Bloody thorns
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
One deep breath at a time is what I keep telling myself as I feel the burn with each passing breath. In, hold for a few seconds to feel the stretch, and out. Pain strikes me and makes my lungs throb as I inhale but then it becomes a pleasant burn as I continue this sweet torture. My scarred hands cover up the lush red leather on my person that is decorated with black lace and metal fixings by being placed on my chest and diaphragm. The pinch between my shoulders lets my whole body know that the laces haven't loosened one bit. I open my eyes and take in the scene around me with slowly adjusting eyes.
A grumpy gus watches me from the corner of the room that seemed to have been clean at one point many moons ago but was no longer. A cat that is black, save for the paws, is sleeping on what has become my makeshift desk while I rummage around this clutter for my real desk. Clothing is scattered all over the floor and weapons are thrown into the mix with a deadly promise for lost limbs and random wounds with no explanation of how they came to be. Blades litter the floor with different reasons for being a part of the chaos. Some need to be polished. Others need to be sharpened. Many are blades not yet made but are designs put on parchment that are filled with demands hoped to be met by the creators.
A single candle was the only source of warmth and light save for the two beings along with myself in the dangerously cluttered room. The windows seemed to be blocked to keep me and my comrade from telling the time of the day but that held no real importance to me. Neither of us worked on our trade during the day anyways. We may make business calls and meet with customers during the day but we do not do what we know to do best during the day. We keep our work to ourselves. We also like to do it during the night because no one bothers us. They know better than that after how long we have been here doing what we do.
Once I have mapped out the whole room again the grump gets up from the corner and redirects my attention to the mirror that had been hanging from a hook we put in the wall for this very reason and purpose. More light slowly filled the room as well as an aroma due to more candles being lit and placed on the desk and any other free flat spaces in the room. A dirty and smudged face is soon on display for all to see. Sharp hazel eyes travel over the smudges presented on the pale skin and ignore them in favour of finding a small nose thats bridge is slender yet scarred and more dirty. Down farther is a set of pouty lips that are turned down in a frown as the hazel eyes travel back up to lock onto a set of bright green eyes. Long black lashes frame these eyes that glow like emeralds in the candlelight.
"You know, I do not understand why you insist on wearing this while we are working. It makes your breathing laboured and it leaves your body looking pinched. It is not normal. You are not supposed to tempt men and women with what we do but prove to them that we are the best at what you do my dear. " A soft, husky voice breathed into my ear in a defeated tone while long, black, shaggy locks fell down onto my exposed shoulder and laid against my arm. The contrast between my pale skin and their ebony locks was so apparent it made me look almost white.
After letting my eyes close a sigh left my lips as I deliberated on what they had said into my ear with such a sad tone. I let my hazel gaze open again to take in the mirror's image of myself with a steady gaze. I had short, messy locks that could be pulled back with a strip of cloth but it was not long enough to be pulled up with a band. In contrast to the person behind me, I had a firm jaw and set lips that were not pouty in any way. My lips were straight with a firm resolve but were still soft and full. My nose bridge was a touch wider and had more scars but less grime and dirt on it at this very moment. With my comrade now resting their head on my shoulder I had my head tilted to the side as I stare at my reflection. Pale yet strong arms were branded with scars, cuts,and burns. My neck was bare for anyone to touch and it felt naked without its usual collar or kerchief keeping it from wandering eyes.
My eyes wandered further down and took in the beautiful red leather that adorned my body. The red was a deep wine shade that contrasted even more with my skin. I followed over the black lace that had more purpose than met the eye. It was intricate and smooth in how it transitioned along the leather but it was also firm and strong in its form. I had to turn ever so slightly to see the small gaps along the sides that were meant for something sharp, lethal, and quiet. There were six gaps along the left side and seven in total along the right side. I wanted to test the gaps but at the moment I was too transfixed with how I looked wearing the garment I was wearing to even consider testing its actual purpose.
A single finger trailed down my left side and caused my body to shiver without a seconds notice. A soft sigh left my lips as a pair of gentle lips pressed against my shoulder and soon one finger became a whole had caressing my side and then it became two hands on my sides. Those hands then gripped my waist and pulled me flush against a firm yet supple body that radiated warmth and comfort. The very same lips that had just been against my shoulder pressed against my throat before skirting up to my ear and let out a gentle whispering of words.
" You do understand that this was not just made to make your breathing harder and your posture better. This was made to arm you if we were to go out for the night and we were caught in some form of trouble my dear…...my precious Alixzandriana…" The name being purred into my ear made my face flush and my hands clench over where I still had them placed over my chest and diaphragm. The hands at my waist held firm even though I did shiver again and then they had me spinning around to face the owner of such a husky and sensual voice.
" I understand this perfectly well seeing as how I am the one who equipped it with the functionality it has. I made the entire set for that very purpose…..Alixzander." I teased and used a falsetto to mimic the voice without really sounding like its owner. The coy smile that slipped onto my roommate's face was that of a pleased and happy person. My own lips mirrored theirs and I chuckled before leaning forwards to lay my head on their, no her, shoulder. I loved teasing her. Her being my sister. My twin sister to be exact. I loved her more than I loved my cat and that was pretty hard for me to admit because I really loved my cat.
I closed my eyes as I felt my sister's arms wrap around my waist and held me close while she hummed softly into my ear. She started playing with the lacings on my back as I thought about how we had made it here. The thoughts that had once pained me to hear came back without the sting that they held at first.
You see, my sister and I were orphans from the minute we were born. We were known as the Rose Twins because when we were born we were born under this massive rose bush during the spring. Our parents didn't keep us though and left us under that very same rose bush immediately after we were born. We had only been left out for five hours before our screams for love attracted a travelling merchant who took us to the closest orphanage immediately. From the time we were in that orphanage to the time we left we were only ever separated due to sleeping arrangements. Other than that we were always together.
My sister always teased me about how much I loved wearing female clothes when we were younger but after I showed her how much I could hide in my the clothes after a few alterations to the garments she stopped. Instead she asked me to alter her clothing as well so that we could both carry more around with us incase anything were to happen. During our time at the orphanage no one would adopt us because of how identical we were during our younger days but for this very same reason we were taught so many things because we tricked everyone into teaching us.
Alixzandriana took to learning how to handle and wield knives and blades like as if that was her purpose in life. She could handle any blade handed to her with ease and grace after enough time practicing with it whereas I made the many blades she loved to use. I took to crafting and blacksmithing just as she had her blades. It came naturally to me to craft anything as long as I had learned the plans for it before hand but even then I soon mastered being able to create things without a plan or diagram at a young age. We both learned how to tailor and leatherwork though to help out the others in the town when we were bored. I also learned how to make shoes for those times when our shoes would wear out or someone else's shoes wore out and they didn't have enough to go to the cobbler. My sister learned how to tame different animals so she could lure animals into traps for hunting.
As we were growing up though we didn't like to eat the leftover scraps the orphanage left for us so we would go out with hunting parties and catch our own game as well as help the other hunters retrieve their food. We made a good amount of cash that way as kids. Alixzandriana would kill the game and I would go out and find it before any of the other hunters could take our game. The men we tagged along with would usually try to take our game but Alixzandriana had her ways of making them reconsider their greed.
Not many years later we both finished the multiple apprenticeships we had been in for twelve years and moved on with our lives. Those who knew us only in name and not by our faces would usually assume we were a wedded couple until we were about to leave whatever town or village we were in when we would explain to everyone that we were in fact siblings trying to make a living in a different town. Every time we would do this families would provide us with food and supplies to help us on our way. In a way we were conning these people but they never saw it as that. They saw it as a misconception that caused mass embarrassment for everyone who assumed we were married. It was rather entertaining to watch regardless.
Around ten years of doing this though we settled in a town that was the perfect spot for our business to blossom. We started working full time in a blacksmith shop that we built on the edge of town. The area was quiet, simple, and large. I do the hard and harsh work while Alixzandriana goes into town and shows off the work I do while delivering finished blades or talking to customers that were not able to show up at the shop at that time.
Alixzandriana also picked up little jobs for us when I was not busy doing any repairs or making anything for anyone. These kind of jobs are what we like to call outside jobs. These were our normal kinds of jobs though. The kind where a king dies in his sleep. A prince is captured and killed after ransom is given up and the body is sent back to the family. A Viscount is poisoned during a party that he is entertaining and is later found in his room having choked on his own spit. A general collapsing and convulsing to death sometimes gets thrown in there as well. We do sometimes get invited to parties and galas that are held by Lords and Dukes so that we are given our missions and money. That is our sort of normal jobs.
Now though, at the age of thirty four, my sister and I are called the Black Rose Twins to those who are requesting some dirty work be done for them. For those who just want a repair done or an outfit made we are just called the Roses. Our crest for anything and everything we do is always the same but it has one simple detail that separates our dark work from our everyday work. In terms of rose colours everyone sees me as the baby pink roses that blossom around the front of our home. My sister is known as the blood red roses that we grow in the back closer to where we sleep because of their amazing aroma. Back to our crest though, it has a single stem with thorns all over it but one single drop of blood is dripped onto a thorn when on the body of our victims. For normal work I tend to keep the thorns and blood off the stem and instead put leaves with our initials branded into the metal. We will never let others shed our blood. We will always protect one another and we will always take care of each other. This is our bond. Our love. This is our trust.
I pulled away from my sister with a small smile on my lips instead of the coy smile that had reigned over my lips when we first started this hug. She returned the sweet smile before she began to pick at the laces again and then sighed in exasperation. I knew she wanted me to take off my corset but I am enjoying wearing it. I shook my head and stepped away from Alixzandriana with my hands pulling her hands away from my torso only to hold them in my hands gently. My eyes locked on hers even though she was two inches taller than me and I chuckled. "My dear sister, I love you but will you please stop trying to take off my corset? I need to keep this on to make sure that the measurements are just right for my body before I try to make your corset next. Plus I have to finish the set before we are to dine with the King Andaria and his Queen Sophirina."
Reluctantly my sister stepped back with a sigh and stole her hands back from my tender grasp. I was sad to feel and watch them leave but when she held up the box that contained the final element of this corset I nodded and held my arms out so that Alixzandriana had full access to the gaps in the sides of the corset. They lined the back in a way that allowed for the wearer to be able to turn, bend, and stretch without alarming anyone to the fact that the wearer is in fact armed with knives. These knives were very thin and agile while they were also the same black as the lace. This allowed them to blend in with the heavy lace that surrounded my sides and back.
After the corset was approved by me I turn to the mirror and wait for my sister to give me her input. She puts her hands on my sides again and begins to grab and try to pull on the leather to see if it would give in to her pulling but I had each panel pulled tight over the bone casing to allow the bones to sit in the channels with ease to keep the shape I wanted. She grunted in approval as it did not give but did not cause me pain either as she had her eyes on my face as she tugged around the corset. The extra hard tug on the laces did knock the breath out of me and did cause me discomfort though which meant I had the back laced to the proper tightness my body could withstand.
Perhaps the timing was wrong but when she let go of the laces and went to slip the first blade into its sheath my cat started to hiss at the window and knocked over two candles. The flame flickered but before it could set anything ablaze I had bolted over and stomped on the candles to put the flames out. I honestly do not care about the price at candles when my home was at stake. Alixzandriana went over to the window to see what had scared my cat and was met with male glaring at her through the shutters. She whipped around and hissed softly under her breath as she picked up the other blades. She put them all into the corset before I put my shirt on to deal with the unruly gentleman at our window. A sight left my lips but a smile replaced the frown as I felt that burn again. In, hold, out. Perfect.