Rune Knight: Book Two of The Empress Saga

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

    The inn's royal suite could have fit Enfri's home in Sandharbor three times over. The beds were sumptuous, and the enclosed bath had copper pipes that pumped hot, fragrant water up from a boiler on the lower level. The floors were lacquered wood, and the limestone walls were draped with rich tapestries depicting what looked like an adventure at sea. These accommodations were more extravagant than anything she had ever dreamed to experience before.

    After arriving in the wee hours, Enfri had enjoyed the most relaxing bath of her life before sinking into the downy mattress. She awoke late, refreshed and rejuvenated. It was exactly what Enfri had needed after so long roughing it on the road.

    Comforts aside, there was no part of it more satisfying than finally receiving a few moments alone with Jin. Enfri felt her cheeks threatening to blush as she recalled the moment the innkeeper closed the door behind him after showing them to the suite.

Winds and storms, I've never been kissed like that in my life, Enfri thought. Granted, I can count the number of times I've been kissed on one hand before running out of fingers. The point remains.

    Tearing themselves from each other had been supremely difficult, but necessary. Upon reaching Ecclesia, they had learned of a pre-wedding gala being hosted by Princess Pacifica Romov. For the next stage of their quest in Altier Nashal, they'd needed their rest. There were many preparations yet to make, and the daylight was fading.

    Looking into the standing mirror, Enfri saw someone she didn't recognize. It wasn't only her hair, colored black by an alchemical spell, or even her eyes which were now gray. The fine dusting of rouge on her cheeks and penciled lines around her eyes couldn't fully account for it either. More than anything else, it was the gown that turned her reflected image into that of a stranger.

    The teal silk gown's neckline plunged lower than Enfri was strictly comfortable with; Jin assured her that it was believed to be a conservative cut compared to the fashion from Melcia. Her sleeves were long and flowing while the skirt felt tight and constricting. Enfri's slight misgivings aside, she had to admit that she had never thought herself to have a figure like this.

    "How do noble ladies breathe?" she asked. "This corset is blustering stifling."

Pretty, though, Enfri admitted to herself. The black corset cinched around her waist and had three large, silver buckles that ran down her abdomen.

    "They manage," Jin said from behind her. She wore her own gown, cerulean with silver embroidery, and her neckline went much lower than Enfri's. It was difficult not to stare. "Altieri-style corsets are much less constricting than those in Gaulatia. Theirs go above the bosom."

    Enfri decided to be thankful she had gotten off relatively easy. The way Jin had scoured the Artisan Quarter for a suitable gown for Enfri had bordered upon manic. Due to her serious demeanor, it was easy to forget that Jin had a passion for dresses, dancing, and galas.

    "This isn't how I pictured it," Jin said from behind her. She took a lock of Enfri's colored hair in her fingers. "I would have thought a shade of dandelion or a scarlet for your dress. Teal is better suited for darker hair in the early spring, and it is close enough to the Algara colors that you will be easily recognized as my handmaiden."

    Enfri chewed at her lip as she examined herself. "You almost sound disappointed," she observed.

    "Never," Jin replied as her fingers brushed down the side of Enfri's neck. "I would love your hair in any color. It may be my favorite feature of yours, blonde or black. How long will this spell last?"

    "Until the sunrise at the least," Enfri said. "Even locked, the imprints aren't sturdy enough to contain the ether for much longer. Eventually, the spell will unravel itself."