(14) Corset Fitting

Morgana gasped for air feeling her ribs draw closer together. She held onto the chair before her tightly as her vision cut in and out with every pull. Her mother was behind her, tightening a new corset design and being very thorough about it.

"I think I'm going to faint if you make it any tighter," Morgana nearly laughed trying to focus on small short breaths as her mother instructed.

Nadine smiled, "You would struggle in the pageant world."

"Is this really what they're wearing?" Morgana asked as her mother pulled at the strings behind her.

"Unfortunately corsets are still a fashion trend in Stormwind currently," she replied coming around the front. "Hopefully someday soon, someone will change the trend."

Nadine studied the shape of her newly made corset making sure it was hitting in all the right places.

"It nips in the waist," Nadine started then smirked as she glanced up at her daughter.

She turned Morgana to face the mirror letting her daughter see exactly what she was talking about.

"And lifts the bustline," Nadine finished.

Morgana's face grew more uncomfortable as she too looked over the corset and all it's doing. Her waistline appeared extremely small which was why Morgana thought her lower ribs were nearly touching each other. Her hips were greatly exaggerated causing an even more defined hourglass shape she inherited from her mother. But Morgana's bust line was nearly nightmare fuel.

An ample amount of cleavage that was escaping from the corset was overwhelming. It nearly reached up to her collarbone making it difficult for even Morgana to look anywhere else. To think this is what was fashionable in Stormwind was beyond Morgana.

"I look…" Morgana started now looking more disgusted than uncomfortable. "Gross."

Nadine chuckled letting her only child soak in an important moment in womanhood.

"This is how some ladies have to get his attention," Nadine explained, still smirking.

"Who's he?" Morgana exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "This looks like a better fear inducer than alluring attraction."

Nadine drew close, whispering in her daughter's ear, keeping her eyes locked on Morgana through the mirror, "All the women pining for Anduin's attention."

Morgana's eyes went wide for a moment, "How can you say his name so casually?"

"I dunno," Nadine answered coyly. "How can you wrap your legs around him so-"

"Mother!" Morgana yelped immediately going red in the face.

Nadine took a step back chuckling to herself.

"I didn't do it with that kind of intention!" Morgana stated getting defensive as her mother started writing notes. "Bandits were chasing us and I dropped my gun so I had to use my bow and-"

Morgana stopped realizing she was talking to her mother the way she would to her father. She was trying to explain a situation to defend an "excuse" as to why she failed. Morgana didn't necessarily fail that situation though; the only thing that went wrong was losing the gun. The Prince was safe from harm, the outlaws were disposed of, and hardly any casualties happened.

Nadine glanced over at Morgana waiting for her to finish.

"Wait," Morgana thought, turning over to her mother. "How do you know what I did?"

Nadine's smile dimmed, knowing what this situation would do to Morgana, "Word travels fast in Stormwind."

Morgana shoulders dropped, "Everyone knows?"

"It seems one green with envy Amalia B'nargin saw something she didn't like," Nadine explained guiding her daughter back to the chair to take the corset off.

Morgana hung her head and sighed as deep as she could with the corset still mostly intact. With everything she was working towards it was in her best interest for the public to like her as much as they could. One false or even true rumor about her overstepping boundaries could destroy all she had been working towards. It might be a small harmless rumor to other ladies of the court in the Prince's waiting room but to Morgana it could be sending her to the brothel.

"Great," Morgana breathed now with her arms on the chair bent over staring down at the floor. "Just like that, and it's slipping from me."

Nadine placed a comforting hand on Morgana's shoulder, "You'll get through this. It's a minor hiccup."

Morgana groaned, "I would literally have to dismantle the entire Horde on my own at this point to redeem myself to them."

"I don't think many care that much."

"How can they not? He's the Prince and I'm..." Morgana exclaimed standing up again. "I'm the definition of scum to Amalia; she said it to my face."

Nadine was quiet letting her daughter be emotional.

"When was the last time you saw scum trying to court with royalty?" Morgana asked feeling her eyes start to burn.

"I didn't want it to hurt you this much," Nadine spoke gently. "I just wanted you to be aware of it."

Morgana stood waiting at the chair now silent. Nadine continued removing the corset feeling a bit responsible for hurting her daughter as much as she did. She knew Morgana was emotional, she got that from herself, but Farron had always been suppressing her emotional responses. Nadine thought it was healthy and encouraged Morgana to be as emotional as needed until she returned to Farron.

"Would you say you and the Prince are friends?" Nadine asked treading lightly. "Maybe he wasn't bothered by it if you were doing what you needed to for safety?"

Morgana chuckled lightly, "I can't be friends with someone that outranks me by so much, mother."

"You really do believe you can't be close to anyone because of what you are, don't you?" Nadine asked, now feeling the burn in her own eyes.

"Prove me wrong," Morgana challenged.

"Well…" she started.

Nadine smiled knowing a perfect counter to her daughter's challenge.

"I was close with… Varian once," she finished.

Morgana turned quickly, "You knew the King?"

Nadine laughed at her daughter's reactions, "Yes, I did."

The look of shock and confusion on Morgana's face was priceless.

"How?" Morgana urged.

"Tiffin was my number one competitor back in my pageant days," Nadine explained. "I ran into her nearly every month and as she and Varian grew closer due to their arranged marriage I also talked with him on occasion."

Morgana's jaw dropped, "You know royalty?"

Nadine sighed with a smile, "I doubt he remembers me. It's been a while."

Morgana slowly turned back still collecting her thoughts, "You knew both the future Queen and the King."

"Is it really that impressive to you?" she asked coyly again. "You technically know the future King."

Morgana's lips pursed as she thought, "I'm not sure I would say that I know him; we just-"

"Talk on occasion?" Nadine finished. "But somehow he knows your name and your face."

Morgana was quiet, still filtering through her thoughts.

"It's good to have friends in high and low places, Morgana," Nadine said comfortingly knowing her daughter was struggling with the bonding connection.

"How could I offer that?" she asked. "How can I be friends with royalty?"

"Simple," Nadine answered quickly. "You give him what the other girls can not."

Morgana turned to her mother with a blank expression.

"Companionship," she answered holding back a smile.

And that's where it all starts.