The Monster's Stratagem (Lesbian Story)

55: Pit of Vipers

"At first, I did not consider him as anything more than a Monstra ruler who showed me hospitality." She uttered, staring at her hands which were cradled in her lap. "However, Zyire has been nothing but kind. It's obvious he considers me his daughter and heir despite meeting me not that long ago. He told me as much."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"I suppose." She shrugged, unsure of her feelings. Everything was muddled recently, and she would kill for a shred of clarity within herself. "I've never had any parental figure, so I'm not used to having someone there. I don't know how I feel."

"You have all of us now, anyway." Gaige smiled at her in the mirror as he applied the finishing touches to his masterpiece. "There, all done."

Dawn stared at the updo, at the intricate braids that gathered at the back. Gaige had purposefully loosened some strands, twisting them to frame her face much like she was prone to doing whenever she had styled her own sisters' hair. Touching it gently, she stared at it with abject fascination. The style was truly singular, and she saw that the boy had weaved threads of gold throughout.

"I think for makeup I'll just apply some black to line your eyes, some gold to dust your eyelids and cheeks, and then tint your lips." He mumbled to himself as he gathered the supplies, motioning for Dawn to face him. "You don't need much, you're already striking."

Dawn quickly glanced at herself again in the mirror, wondering what about her face constituted such a description. "I am?"

"Have you not realised before?" Gaige sounded rather perplexed, steady hands lining her eyes. "Please tell me you are not that oblivious, or humble."

"I suppose I never had much of a chance to look at my appearance while in Kings Grave. We were too focused on surviving to think about beauty."

"That's understandable, however you are objectively beautiful." He answered honestly, almost as if he could not believe that Dawn had a mirror before her and was still oblivious. "Perhaps the most in the entire kingdom."

Dawn laughed in her surprise. Every Monstra she had seen had an air of ethereal grace and charm. A pair of diamond eyes flashed in her mind, and she knew she was incomparable. "I very much doubt that."

"It's true! Ask the next person you meet, I can guarantee that they would agree."

Dawn, unmoved by Gaige's assurance, did not care much for her appearance. She looked the way she looked and, with her upbringing, believed that she had greater worries than if the people around her found her features agreeable. Even with that mentality, it was nice to hear the compliments all the same. It also wasn't as if she was completely ignorant of beauty; Syrena, for example, was in a class of her own.

"Do you feel ready?" Gaige asked as he began picking the jewellery to go with Dawn's frightening gown. As the gown had a high neckline, he selected a necklace that seemed to be a few chains joined together, adding to the armour of the dress.

"Not remotely." She answered honestly, wondering if Gaige enjoyed dressing people up. He looked as if there was nothing in the world he would rather be doing.

"I believe you'll be fine." He said confidently, quickly glancing at his own flawless appearance before continuing with Dawn. Gaige was certainly dressed for the occasion, not one to be underdressed for such a formal setting; she wasn't sure whether Gaige knew what the word underdressed meant. Even his jewellery appeared to be of the finest make, and she wondered just how handsomely he was paid for his services to Dawn by Zyire. Not that she had any concept of Monstra money, or how much things cost. She supposed that would come with time. "I haven't seen you act before, but you seem like the type of person who is good at that sort of thing."