I Am Who? - Book 2

Chapter 35 - Seer's Eyes

*The above picture will give you an idea of what Bree's dress looks like. The quality isn't great, and I changed the design at one point which meant I had to come back and fix the drawing, but hey, y'all are great at using your imaginations, so I'm not too worried about that. I decided to give this drawing a face for some strange reason and got a little carried away with her hair....as you can see ;) I was initially planning to crop the picture down, but then it just looked weirder, so you get a wild haired Bree XD I also had a little more time this week, so I went back and attempted to draw a picture of what Bree's dress would have looked like in chapter 9 of 'I Am Bree'....attempted being the key word lol if you want you can go check it out, but anyway, enough of my rambling!

In the middle of the room, there was a large tub of steaming water, and a shiny, blue dress that looked like it had been pieced together from enormous butterfly wings had been carefully laid out on a chair beside the tub. I drew a deep breath, and the thought flashed through my mind that it was rather cruel of Martimus to expect me to hurry when he'd set up something like this.

As the initial surprise wore off, however, I quickly stripped out of my dirty clothes and climbed into the tub. From here on out, it was going to be mental warfare, and I didn't have time to enjoy myself. Truthfully, the entirety of the conversations we were about to have and the consequences which would follow rested almost totally on my shoulders.

I washed as quickly as I could, but I knew by the cooling temperature of the water that I took longer than Martimus would have liked. Finally climbing onto dry land again, I dried off with the thick, warm towels he'd set out for me as quickly as my hands would allow me to move. Turning to my clothes, I swallowed. A quick knock on the door made me gasp in surprise.

"I know you're enjoying yourself, but please, try to hurry." Martimus's exasperated voice came through the door.

Biting down on my lower lip, I lifted the beautiful dress and pulled it over my head. Delicate blue and black material fell around my ankles fluttered just like dozens of butterfly's wings. A gasp escaped my lips at the dress's masterful design, and I might have stood there staring at it for several moments in complete amazement had realization and embarrassment not struck me full force.

My upper abdomen was covered only by a thin, gossamer-like layer of material, and I could feel that the back of the dress only came up to the bottom of my ribs. Without even fastening the dress in place, I opened the door, ready to fight Martimus, but before a single word could escape my lips, he grabbed my arm and spun me around.

"Finally." He said. "Everyone is already dressed and waiting—we haven't a single moment to waste." His fingers quickly worked at the fastenings.

"This dress—" I started.

"Is the most beautiful thing you've ever worn before—I know. We've already established that I'm a genius when it comes to fashion. Designing things is my forte, and this is the perfect gown to make you look like you don't want to fight but that you won't hesitate if it comes down to it." He said, pushing me into a chair.

His voice filled with haste: a bit of evidence for the pressure he must be feeling in this moment, and with a sigh, I closed my lips. There could be no going back now, but later, I would tell him I wanted to make a more modest appearance in future. If we had the time, I would change now, but I could tell by the sweat beginning to bead on his brow that there was no room for complaints at this point.

His expert fingers quickly separated the bits of the hair above my eyes and wove them in long braids to keep my hair out of my face. He wasted no time applying makeup per usual, but surprisingly, his touch was no less gentle for all his rushing. After a few moments, he stepped back and looked me up and down before snatching a pair of black sandals out of his satchel and placing them beside my bare feet.