I wandered into the dressing room and watched as Anna unpacked my gown for this evening. She placed it onto a dress form to allow the non-existent wrinkles to smooth out, spreading the slight train out behind. Marsden had told me all Pythias in the past several centuries had worn white at their inauguration ceremony, and my dress was no exception. Well, it started out as white, anyway. There were a myriad of tiny designs in rose gold threads worked into the sheer white fabric of the top layer, giving the dress an ethereal look that was quite stunning. Augustine had outdone himself. I surveyed the assortment of items on the dressing room counter. There were several hairbrushes, ribbons, curling implements both old and modern, make up, and several flat leather boxes.
"What are those?" I asked.
"Lord Mircea has provided several items of jewelry that he would like you to choose from." She opened the nearest box and displayed a collar necklace in finely worked gold filigree. She opened another box and showed me a set of wide bracelets that matched the necklace. It was too much.
"Is there anything less…um…just less?" I asked.
Anna quickly opened all the boxes and waved her hand at them. "Do you see anything you like?" she asked. Everything was too much. There were various matched sets of necklace, earrings, and bracelets. There was a set in pale pearls, a set featuring gems in a blue that matched my eyes, a set in pale pink cameos, and more gold. I picked up a strangely shaped item made from pulled strands of rose gold and shaped into a pattern of vines and flowers, attached to three half-circles in the same delicate vine pattern. I did not recognize the final shape of the item. There were two delicate matching bracelets.
"What is this?"
"That is used to keep hair contained." She demonstrated by opening the latch on the piece and showing me how a chignon of hair was gently scooped into the basket and held in place. The attached three half-circles were placed onto my head so that it looked like a very delicate 3-piece hairband. I recalled seeing pictures of Greek women from ancient times wearing similar head pieces. It matched my strawberry blond curls so well it was barely discernable. I loved it.
"I think just the bracelets and this headpiece will do," I told her. She nodded and started putting the other items away.
All my luggage had been unpacked, and the only items left were Pritkin's uniform and Jeannie's dress. I steered the luggage cart across the hall and knocked on Pritkin's door. There was no answer, so I entered his room and pulled the cart in. I removed the uniform from the protective carrier and arranged it on the rack. I lifted out the leather boots and stood them on the floor, then laid the holsters, potion belts and sheaths on a nearby coffee table. I unwrapped Jeannie's dress as well and let it hang next to the uniform. Her little pink satin shoes went next to the leather boots. Satisfied, I stepped back and left the room.
A luncheon cart was just then being wheeled into my suite. I watched as a single place was set and a single chair was pulled up to the table. So Mircea was going to be a no-show again. This was getting old. I looked under the lid at a beautifully arranged plate of food that did not whet my appetite one bit. I sighed. I had a lifetime of official dinners coming up where I would be served similar plates…couldn't I just get a burger? I headed out the door and almost ran straight into Pritkin coming down the hall, holding a limp Jeannie sprawled against his shoulder.
"This child still sleeps quite often," he remarked quietly as he headed towards his suite. I nodded a smile at him and continued up the hall. I suddenly didn't want to be around when he found the uniform. I was beginning to think he did not like my arranging things for him. I really did not know what his reaction was going to be.
"Kitchen?" I asked the vampire guard who fell into step with me as soon as I exited the private area of the house. He nodded and led me to a prep table in the large, modern kitchen. A gargoyle with the head of a camel set a cup of cappuccino in front of me and tilted his head to one side, looking at me quizzically.
"Burger and fries?" I asked hopefully. He nodded and hopped away to fill my order. The cappuccino was perfect, down to the small dot of espresso in the foam. I sipped as I waited, watching the activity around me.
Marsden walked in, accompanied by a young man clad in a long leather coat who looked familiar. Where had I seen him?
"Cassie, you remember Peter Tremaine?" Marsden lifted lids and poked into produce bags as he waved his hand in the general direction of the young man. Now I remembered. The young mage from the holding cells deep in MAGIC before it fell; the young mage who went straight to Marsden upon his escape and put into motion a coup that toppled the previous Lord Protector.
"The polite war mage," I smiled. Peter blushed and bowed towards me.
"Lady Cassandra, I am honored to serve you," the young mage told me formally.
"Cassie, meet the newest member of the Pythian Guard. Pritkin recruited him," commented Marsden. "Where the devil is he? I'm trying to finalize the presentation of the Corps and I need to know if he will be presented to you as a representative of the officers, or as a representative of the Pythian Guard."
"Does it matter?"
"I expect it will matter to him," Marsden said with a grimace. "John never wanted to be an officer, but those three Order of Merlin medals made it impossible to not promote him. His rank sticks in the craw of the more senior members of the Circle…they still do not consider him a full member of the Circle."
"He's in his room," I told him as my burger arrived, accompanied by a satisfying pile of crisp french fries. "The fact that he is staying near my room and not out at the ranch with the other war mages should tell you something," I commented right before I bit into my wonderfully hot and juicy burger. Maybe I could get some of Miranda's cooks to come work at the Pythian Court, I mused as I chewed with bliss.
"Do tell him I want to know his preference, will you?"
I nodded as I tucked into the fries. Marsden and Peter left to check on the final preparations. Just a few more hours, I thought.
The vampire guard escorted me to the ballroom so I could peek in at the final arrangements. There was a raised dais in the center of the far side, with what looked like a backless stone chair with carved stone arms formed from the curve of the stone. I wasn't close to it, but it gave me the feeling it was very old.
"Is that the throne?" I asked the vampire guard as I pointed to the stone chair. He nodded.
I hoped someone put a cushion on it before I had to sit there. Anna came scurrying up.
"My lady, it is time to dress," she informed me as she bobbed her head. The guard escorted us back to my suite and left us at the door.
"I'll be right in," I told Anna as I crossed the hall to Pritkin's room. The door opened before my raised knuckles could start knocking and a pair of annoyed green eyes stared back at me. Pritkin stepped aside and I entered his room. Pritkin was dressed in a nice pair of slacks and a white dress shirt open at the neck. The uniform was still on the luggage rack although Jeannie's clothes had been moved, presumably into her room.
"Marsden wants to know if you will be presented as part of the officer contingent or as part of the Pythian Guard," I told him quickly, letting him know there was an expectation that he would be in uniform.
"Jonas is not taking no for an answer, is he?" said Pritkin as he rubbed his hands through his hair.
"It's your decision," I told him. "You would look good in this uniform. But I would like you to at least try on the uniform pants. Augustine included some enhancements."
He looked askance at the offending uniform. "Will they cry if they get dirty?" He asked.
I smiled. "I don't think so. Try the pockets," I urged. Intrigued, he pulled the trousers off the rack and put his hands into a pocket. He frowned.
"I don't sense anything special."
"I think you have to be wearing them," I told him. With a tight smile at me, he unzipped his dress slacks and pushed them off, stepping out of them and baring himself to me. No underwear. He pulled on the dark grey uniform trousers and zipped them up. They draped well on him, as expected for a custom fit. He walked across the room and back, turning and bending. He raised one eyebrow and looked at me.
"These fit me perfectly, and I can move in them as a proper Corps uniform should allow," he told me. I handed him one of his ratty potion belts.
"Put this in your pocket." He looked at me skeptically but did as I asked. The potion bandolier disappeared into the pants pocket without a lump or bump showing. I handed him another of his old belts and that disappeared into the same pocket, also without bumps.
"Hand me that holster," he said with his hand out. I gave him his holstered Glock, which also disappeared into the same pocket. He walked across the room again and back.
"I don't feel any extra weight," he told me with surprise. He grinned. "This will come in handy…I can carry extra weapons without anyone suspecting. This is very useful for a bodyguard." He then retrieved the items from the pocket…first a potion belt, then the gun, then another potion belt. "All I do is think of which item I want and that is the one I pull out. How much can I store?" he asked.
"Augustine told me it is unlimited, but that you will have to power the spell after the first use of the uniform. His enchantments only last for a short time. I expect you will need more power for greater amounts of items stored in your pants."
"I'll wear these trousers this evening. Does the tunic do anything?"
"Try it on and see," I told him as I got up to leave. "I have to get dressed. Send Jeannie over later and Anna will arrange her hair for her." He waved at me absently as he inspected the tunic and I let myself out of the room.
Anna was waiting for me in my suite. She proceeded to wash and style my hair, twisting it into a chignon held in place by the rose gold headpiece. She expertly teased out a few artful tendrils and then put the 3-piece headband in place. She then started to skillfully apply my makeup. She wielded the tiny brushes and colors with precision. When she was done, I looked at myself in the mirror with complete surprise. I was still me, but I was pretty! And sophisticated! And mysterious! I felt a little more confident. She then helped me into my dress, after I had changed my bra and panties for a silky white set. The under dress was a sleeveless white sheath layered in chiffon with a simple neckline. The outer layer was a gauzy loose white sheer drape embroidered with tiny intricate rose gold designs. Anna gathered the outer layer at the waist and at the top of the sleeves. The result looked like something an ancient greek goddess would wear, only prettier. I was sure Augustine would get rave reviews for his creation. I stepped into a pair of strappy sandals that matched the rose gold designs in my dress. Anna stepped back to assess me.
"You look lovely, my lady," she told me shyly.
"Thanks to you!" I told her warmly. There was a knock at the door. Anna returned with Jeannie in tow and sat her in the high chair in front of the mirror. Anna quickly combed out her hair and used some of the old curling instruments to add some body to Jeannie's limp hair. She searched through a box of ribbons and found one that matched the pink satin shoes. With the hair ribbon in place, Jeannie was now ready.
"You look lovely," I told her. She smiled timidly. There was another knock at the door. This time Anna returned with Pritkin. She was feeling his hair as he batted her hand away.
"I can fix this," she told him sternly. She pulled him into the chair and draped him from the neck down with a large cloth, protecting his uniform tunic. "Hold very still," she warned him as she picked up a pair of hair scissors. With blinding speed, she trimmed the uneven mess that was Pritkin's hair. She was finished almost as soon as she started. She pulled the cloth away and used a lint brush to remove the few strays the cloth did not catch. Pritkin looked at himself in the mirror and hesitating, thanked Anna. She smiled and waved us all into the sitting room of the suite.
"It's sundown," I said as I opened the drapes to the breathtaking sight beyond. There was a knock at the door as we were looking out the window. Anna opened the door for Mircea, standing there in a full tuxedo. His glossy brown hair shined in the evening light.
"You are enchanting," he told me warmly as he offered me his arm.
"You are quite handsome yourself," I told him, and meant it. He wrapped my arm around his and placed his hand over mine as it rested on his forearm.
"Come, my Cassandra. Let us get you installed as the Pythia." We left the suite and led the way down the hall and out to the vampire guard. We picked up an escort of two masters in front and two bringing up the rear behind Pritkin. Marsden met us as we left the hall and offered me his arm. I walked to the ballroom on the arm of the Vampire Senate's chief negotiator and on the arm of the Silver Circle's Lord Protector, with my war mage bodyguard behind me.