"Come in," called Alanna's voice. She had been feeling much better since a certain small mouse had been passing herbs to George to slip into her tea. Daine and Buri opened the wooden door and walked in, shutting it behind them.
"Why do you want…" Daine trailed off as she caught sight of Alanna. She looked towards Buri, who was also staring at their friend, eyes wide with disbelief.
Alanna was standing in front of the mirror, wearing a low-cut deep purple corset with black lacing up the front, which was attached to a very, very short skirt, also purple and edged with black.
"Why didn't you tell us you were changing?" asked Buri, looking more than slightly uncomfortable at Alanna's apparel.
Daine was blushing scarlet. "She thought we were George," whispered Daine, as she grabbed Buri's arm. "Let's go."
Alanna turned from the mirror to face them. "I'm not changing and I knew it was you. I asked you to come here, didn't I?"
"Well can't you put on something a bit more decent?" demanded Buri. "You look like a whore." Daine was determinedly looking everywhere in the room except at Alanna.
"I'm supposed to be wearing this. You heard Jon say he wanted us to wear dresses."
Daine snapped her head around so fast that her neck clicked. Buri gaped at her. "You can't wear that! It doesn't even count as a dress!"
"Well, I'm wearing one of these under my dresses. At least I get some say in what I wear, and I'm rebelling at the same time. It's not fair that we're being forced to wear dresses. Just think how mad Jon would be if he knew!"
Daine found the wolf-like grin on her face nearly as disturbing as her outfit. "We agreed to wear breeches under our dresses, in case there's a need to fight," she pointed out.
"I'll just roll my breeches up under this," answered Alanna smugly. "And it's another layer to keep me warm."
"You're dressed like a whore," began Buri.
"We've established that, Buri. And just imagine the look on Jon's face if he found out!" Daine had to admit to herself that it would be a funny sight. "Besides, haven't we all been called whores for years? For no reason? If I'm going to be called anything, I'd prefer at least to have a reason."
"It's disgusting!" cried Buri. "If you rip your skirt off to fight, everyone will see…well that over your breeches. And if anyone found out-"
"You've got children!" interjected Daine.
Alanna turned back to the mirror. "I know. Three." She turned from side to side, studying her reflection. "I think I look pretty good after having three children."
"I didn't mean-"
"I know what you meant," whispered Buri. "Gods help them if they find out. And do you think we could bribe George to stop telling her she looks good? It's going to her head."
"No," whispered back Daine. Buri opened her mouth. "And I don't think blackmail will work either."
Buri scowled and muttered under her breath.
They were distracted by another knock at the door.
Buri and Daine took a step towards the door. "Don't-"
"Come in!" called Alanna.
George came through the door and grinned, letting his eyes trail slowly over his wife. "Lookin' good, lass."
"You're encouraging her?" asked Buri incredulously.
"Where do you think she got the outfits from?"
"Outfits? There's more than one?"
George looked uncomfortable and changed the subject back. "Besides, I've figured out by now that I can't always persuade her to change her mind. At least with my help, her hare-brained plans become clever schemes."
"I can hear you, you know. I'm right here," Alanna informed him. "And I'll have you know that I happen to like my hare-brained plans."
"I like them too," her husband informed her. "But there's usually less trouble when we make them into clever schemes."
Alanna playfully trailed a finger up his chest. "Sometimes I like trouble," she said, a mischevious gleam in her violet eyes.
"Stop that, lass," George told her hoarsely. "Not when you're dressed like that," he whispered. "Now's not the time for that, and I can't think straight."
She ignored her husband, instead reaching up to kiss him. Evidently, George didn't need much persuasion, and wrapped his arms around her, returning the kiss.
Buri and Daine exchanged embarrassed looks and politely looked away.
After a couple of minutes, Buri started forward. "I'm stopping them before they get too carried away," she told Daine. "They've been known to…forget the presence of others in the room."
Daine hid a smile.
"I think Roald, Kally and Thom were scarred for life," added Buri with a grin. She strode forward and began to extract Alanna from her husband's arms. Once they were parted, she steered George to the door. "You're far too much of a distraction," she told him sternly. "And we're trying to talk her out of this."
George laughed. "You just reminded me…Darlin', you owe me five gold nobles. I told you that you couldn't get them both in their outfits in ten minutes."
"WHAT?" shrieked Buri and Daine in unison.
"Well, if they didn't keep on arguing…" began Alanna.
George saw the looks on the other women's faces. "Time to go," he remarked, and vanished out the door.
Five minutes later, Buri and Daine stood wearing matching corsets with skirts. Buri's was red and Daine's was a deep green, and both were lined with black like Alanna's. Although she still didn't agree with the principle of the outfit, Daine had to admire the built-in slots and pouches where they could hide weapons.
"This is disgusting," moaned Buri, eyeing herself in the mirror with distaste. "And I can't breathe."
"You're having no trouble talking," retorted Alanna as she helped Daine lace her corset. "Breathe in."
Daine obeyed, and winced as Alanna pulled the laces as tight as she could. Why did I have to have a knight lace me up?, she thought. I don't think she realises her own strength.
"You're all done," announced Alanna.
Buri whistled. "I'll have you know, I don't agree with any of this, but youngster, you actually look pretty good. Maybe you should go and show that mage of yours."
Daine blushed. "You know too?"
Buri grinned. "I've seen the way he looks at you."
Alanna grinned too, and gave Daine a push towards the mirror. "Have a look."
Daine gulped and faced her reflection in the mirror. She gasped. I knew it was short and cut low, I just didn't realise how much. She tried to pull the corset up, but only succeeded in pulling the skirt up with it. 'Sarra's bastard.''A chit who spreads her legs for any passing man.' The voices rang inside her head. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and faced her reflection in the mirror again. After the initial shock wore off, she didn't look too bad. The skirt made her legs look longer, and the corset gave her body more of a figure.
A sharp intake of breath sounded from behind them all. All three women whirled around to find Numair staring at them.
"I…I-I," he stuttered, at a loss for words. "Faithful said to come straight in, that you were expecting me."
"Shut the door, I don't want the whole ship seeing," snapped Buri, as she hauled him in. "And you better keep your eyes on my face."
Numair blushed as he looked at Daine again, who was frozen in place, eyes wide with shock and embarrassment. Numair was having a hard time keeping his own eyes from straying downwards. Daine's head suddenly cleared, and she let out a squeak, jumping behind Alanna to hide.
Alanna burst out laughing. "You know, Daine, if you're going to hide behind someone, it helps if they're bigger than you." She grabbed her cloak and threw one to Buri, before turning to Numair. "We're off," she announced. "I'm sure you have important teachings to discuss with Daine. We'll be in Buri's room."
They left, leaving Daine alone with Numair.
Alanna shut the door behind her, and stepped onto the deck. Catching sight of Faithful, she grinned. "Perfect timing."
"Sweet, why were you all dressed like that? You look like a-"
"I know," she said hurriedly, squirming with embarrassment. "It was Alanna's idea. It's her way of rebelling against the King, because he's making us wear dresses."
Numair ran his eyes over her again, causing her to blush further. "Daine, there is no way you are going anywhere dressed like that!"
"We're wearing proper dresses on top! Anyhow, the only reason I'm going along with it is because she'll find out a way of getting me into it anyway, and it's got good places to hide weapons in it." Feeling slightly dizzy, she pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Are you all right?" he asked concerned.
"I'm fine, Numair," she answered. "It's just quite hot in here."
"Hot? Magelet, you're barely wearing a thing."
Daine's sight blurred, and her vision blacked out. Numair caught her before she hit the ground.
Daine opened her eyes to see Numair fumbling with the laces on her corset. "Numair!" she gasped in shock, and sat bolt upright, cracking her head against his.
"Ow, Magelet," he complained, rubbing his forehead tenderly. "You passed out from lack of air – I was only loosening this so you could breathe. I've got a few things to say to that knight, and right now, none of them are 'Goddess bless'." He looked back at her. "You didn't think I was…you know, trying to take advantage of you?"
Daine touched her own head gingerly and winced. "Sorry Numair, you just startled me is all." She looked down at herself. "And now I have to get out of this." She changed herself to mouse form, and scurried out from the folds of the skirt. Changing herself back to human, she stood and wrapped herself in the cloak that Numair held out for her. "I'm decent," she told him, and he opened his eyes.
"Are you sure you're all right, sweet?" he asked her as he gathered her into his arms.
She smiled up at him. "Apart from my head, but you're the same. You're growing a nice red lump."
He grinned. "I'm sure it looks most becoming. Well magelet, I can do something to fix yours at least." He pressed gentle kisses to her forehead, before moving down her nose to nibble her lip.
She sighed happily in his arms. "I'm feeling better already," she told him, and kissed him back.