The Act of Duplicity [General Kirigan]

twenty-four

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 ''No this doesn't feel right. No, this should be shorter and the colour is just – '' a low groan escaped the room with the open door.

    Nataliya peeked inside with an amused smile on her face. She saw Genya standing on a small stool in front of three mirrors, two of the servants in the colour white surrounding her, their hands on her clothes.

    ''Just leave it to me!'' Genya said exasperatedly and raised her hands warningly so the servants left her alone. Nataliya became even more amused when the servants sent Genya nasty looks before they left the fitting room completely.

    ''Look at you.'' Nataliya softly gasped as she stepped forward looking at her sister.

    Genya startled a little as she didn't hear her enter but soon a smile appeared on her lips as she looked at Nataliya through the mirror. She ran her hands over the front of her kefta, feeling the blue embroidery under her touch. Nataliya stepped behind her and removed a couple of dust pieces from her shoulders as she looked proudly at her through the mirror. ''You look beautiful.''

    Genya lowered her eyes, a sheepish smile appearing on her lips. Then she looked up more confident than before. ''I know.'' Both of the Safin sisters chuckled lightly.

    ''It's just this colour,'' Genya let out another sigh. ''Why do Corporalki need to wear red?'' She asked.

    Nataliya smiled sideways. ''Because it hides all the blood that we wipe on our kefta.''

    Genya startled and turned on her little stool to look at her sister with wide eyes. When Nataliya chuckled again, Genya relaxed. She looked one more time down at her new red and blue kefta before taking it off and hanging it on a manikin.

    ''Our hair really doesn't go with it, does it?'' She asked looking back at Nataliya.

    Nataliya shook her head before she took her sister in a hug as she hadn't seen her since the night of the Fete. ''Are you doing okay?''

    Genya nodded as she backed away from the embrace and put back her plain white and gold kefta on.

    ''I came here to tell you that I'll be going on a mission tonight so I'll be gone for a while,'' said Nataliya.

    ''What mission?'' Genya immediately asked, her eyebrows tugging up in curiosity.

    Nataliya sighed and looked behind her at the open door of the fitting room. She stepped over to close it avoiding anyone eavesdropping on their conversation. At first, she didn't even want to tell Genya what has been going on but who was she kidding, she tells her younger sister everything.

    ''We're going to look for Alina.''

    ''Alina's gone?'' asked Genya shock in her voice.