George and Daine burst into peals of laughter as Numair sat speechless.
"Is something the matter?" asked Alanna sweetly. "Don't tell me that the famous mage is afraid after all."
She joined in the laughter as he blushed and began babbling incoherently. "You don't have to worry yet," she told him. "I don't have my dresses here. We'll have to wait until we get to Pirate's Swoop."
George chuckled and clapped Numair on the shoulder. "How convenient. There are so many more people at Pirate's Swoop."
"Lavender? It's got plenty of frills."
Alanna pulled a face. "I never liked that one – Myles ordered it for me for a ball because I was called away. Never ever let a man go shopping alone for anything important."
Daine laughed. They were sitting on Alanna's bed at Pirate's Swoop, surrounded by piles of Alanna's dresses.
"I can't believe how many dresses you have," exclaimed Daine as she trailed her fingers over a green silk gown. "What about this one?"
"You should have a look at Thayet's dresses – there's a whole room at the palace full of them. They must be worth a fortune. This one's too elaborate, I won't be able to magic a replica in time." Alanna rose and held the dress against herself, a hint of a smile on her face as she watched her reflection in the mirror. "This is what I wore at the ball when George and I officially announced our engagement."
"It's beautiful."
"I think people were more shocked at the sight of me in a dress than the fact that I was getting married."
Daine smiled. "Can I see your wedding dress?"
Alanna pulled out a small gilded chest from under the bed, and opened it, carefully lifting out the dress. Daine's eyes widened as she saw it. The dress was a stunning white silk, with full, flowing sleeves and a fitted bodice covered in intricate beading. The floor-length skirts opened out, showing layers and layers of the fine white silk that were designed as a train. "Pull out the rest," she ordered. Daine pulled out a white veil, also covered in fine beading, and a small violet velvet box. Smiling impishly, she leaned over and placed the veil on Alanna's head so that she could open the box.
"I warn you - if I didn't have my hands full…" the woman was cut off by Daine's gasp. Inside the box lay a necklace with one of the largest gemstones she had ever seen.
"It's amethyst," she explained before Daine could ask.
Daine looked back at the box, and noticed two matching earbobs. "They're exactly the same colour as your eyes!" she exclaimed. "I just have to see what they look like on you." Before Alanna could protest, Daine was already fastening the necklace around her neck.
She scowled. "Why is it that I always get taken advantage of whenever I have my hands full?"
Daine laughed, knowing she wasn't really annoyed. "Who else is smart enough to wait until you can't reach your sword?"
A smile played on Alanna's lips. "George."
"I'm not surprised, after so many years of marriage. He knows you well," she teased.
Alanna laughed. "Actually, he worked it out way before we were married. The first time he did it was when he first kissed me."
Daine giggled. "Well I'm sure that was…romantic."
"Not in the least – she was trembling all over and threatened to stab me," said a voice from behind them. Daine turned to see George standing in the doorway.
"I was young and scared – what do you expect? How long were you standing there?" she demanded.
He laughed. "Long enough, lass."He added to Daine "She doesn't mind it so much now though," before crossing the room and taking her in his arms to prove his point.
"I wouldn't be so sure of yourself, laddybuck," his wife laughed when he pulled away. "If you had stood on the dress I might have pulled out my knife."
George looked at the dress, a distant look spreading over his face. Daine smiled and began putting the earbobs in Alanna's ears. "Look at him - he's picturing how you looked in the dress on your wedding day. You could put it on and show the both of us," she hinted.
Alanna let out a very unknightly giggle at the look on her husband's face. "No, he's picturing how I looked without the dress on the wedding night," she informed Daine, who promptly blushed.
"No I wasn't," protested George, also turning slightly red. Alanna raised an eyebrow. "Um, I was picturing how the dress looked on the floor on the wedding night?" he tried.
Alanna laughed and kissed him. "Nice try, laddybuck."
"I agree with Daine, you should put it on," he told her, not-so-subtly changing the subject.
She shook her head. "It takes too long to get into, and I don't want to risk damaging it. Daine and I are busy."
"Not that busy, and I want to see what it looks like on you" retorted Daine.
George stood behind his wife and rested his hands on her waist. "Please?"
Alanna scowled. George grinned, knowing that the scowl meant she was about to give in. Slowly he moved his hands down to settle on her hips and hold her firmly. He began to move his thumbs gently in little circles to stroke her skin through her shirt and pressed a kiss on the back of her head.
"Oh, fine." She wriggled out of his grasp and stomped over behind the screen.
Daine raised her eyebrows. "You've got it down to an art," she whispered admiringly.
He chuckled. "Believe me youngling, I've had plenty of practice."
After much cursing, Alanna eventually emerged from behind the screen. "You have no idea how hard this thing is to – what?"
George and Daine both stared, speechless.
Alanna crossed her arms in front of herself. "It's rude to stare," she told them.
George gently moved her arms back to her sides and carefully placed a kiss on her lips. "We were both dazzled by your beauty," he told her.
She snorted in a most unladylike way. "Don't you go treating me like I'm delicate just because I'm in a dress," she warned him.
"Not at all." He leaned down and murmured in her ear "Now I have to admit that I'm having very bad thoughts about our wedding night."
She grinned and punched him lightly. "I'll punish you later," she teased. "Now that you two are done gawking like idiots, Daine and I have things to do."
"You mean plotting to torture an innocent mage," he corrected. "Speaking of which, I know the perfect dress."
Alanna raised her eyebrows in question.
George grinned and winked at her, before turning to leave. "You know which one it is. Don't ruin it, mind – it's my favourite."
Daine turned back to the piles of dresses on the bed. "Which one did he mean?" she asked.
"It's not there," Alanna answered. She walked to the dresser, and opened the bottom drawer, pulling out a pale pink dress and handing it to Daine.
"It's pink!" exclaimed Daine in shock. "And it's covered in lace and frills. I thought you hated all of those things."
"I do, but George gave it to me. I only ever wear it when we're alone."
Daine held it up against herself, and blushed when she realised that it was tightly fitted and very low cut. "Oh."
Alanna laughed at the look on her face. "Just you wait until Numair starts giving you gifts like that," she told her, causing the girl to blush even more. "But don't worry, I'll adjust the replica to make it more…modest. After all, I have a reputation to maintain."
"Numair, just the man we were looking for!" exclaimed Alanna in a falsely bright voice as the door swung open. "We're here to dress you up for dinner."
Numair paled and then caught sight of the dress she held. "It-it's PINK."
Daine laughed. "Very observant, Numair."
"What's wrong with it?" asked Alanna sweetly. "I adore pink."
Numair gave them both a dark look as they swept past him into his suite.
"Out," he ordered, snatching the pink monstrosity from Alanna's hands. "I want to get this over with."
"You won't be able to put it on by yourself," informed Alanna. "And we can't leave you alone with it, not after I worked so hard all afternoon."
"I can manage fine by myself, thank you," he haughtily replied, although he eyed the clasps and buttons on the dress doubtfully.
"Don't be silly, I'm married and I'm a healer, you haven't got anything I haven't seen before."
"You- you're not going to-"
"It's not like you have to take your loincloth off or anything."
Numair spluttered unintelligibly.
"I could-"began Daine.
"I'm not supposed to know about a certain secret, remember?" muttered Alanna.
"Oh…well what about George?"
Alanna grinned. "He would be just as hopeless as Numair – he's only good at getting me out of that particular dress."
Daine turned scarlet and headed for the door.
Alanna chuckled as she turned back to Numair. I'm getting to know a thing or two about this manipulation thing, she thought.
Daine was soon joined in the hallway by a grinning George. "I wouldn't miss this for the world," he told her. "Where's Alanna?"
He was answered by a string of curses coming from behind the door. "For Mithros' sake, I'm a healer, just take them off!...Don't even think about threatening me – I'm nearly as powerful as you are, and I've got my sword right here...Well if you keep on moving like that of course you're going to get poked by the pins!"
George chuckled. "You're going to have to soothe a much wounded pride and dignity later on," he informed her.
She looked at him sharply and he winked.
Daine blinked back tears as a wave of anger and betrayal washed over her. "Alanna said she wouldn't tell anyone!"
"Don't worry, she didn't - finding out secrets is my job." He saw the look on her face. "Relax youngster – keeping some of those secrets secret is also part of my job. Besides, that man needs a sensible woman to keep him in order."
They were interrupted by the door swinging open. "You can come in," Alanna informed them, an evil grin on her face.
Daine burst into laughter as soon as she caught sight of Numair. He was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, a glare on his face that would rival one of Alanna's best. Alanna had witched the dress to fit his height perfectly, although it still hung too loose in certain areas. He was wearing dainty matching pale pink slippers, and Alanna had woven flowers into a braid through his hair before pinning it up.
"You only said a dress," accused Numair. "You never said anything about all this other…stuff."
"Did I ever mention how uncomfortable women's undergarments are?" commented Alanna.
Numair wisely shut up.
Daine choked as she walked closer. "Is that perfume?" she asked, as she attempted to cover her nose and mouth. "What's in it?"
"Some sort of flower – you really don't want to know," answered Alanna. She grinned in a most wolf-like manner. "Come on Numair – time for dinner."
Daine watched her follow her husband out the door, before turning back to Numair.
"Have I mentioned how becoming that particular shade of pink is?" she asked.
He glared and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, she pressed her lips to his.
"Be good," she whispered, before grabbing his hand and towing him after the Coopers.