The Darkness That Binds Us

Chapter 10: The Dress

Ambassadors were getting restless, they wanted to see the sun summoner in action, so The Darkling had taken the executive decision to bring the event forward by a week. I was far from a hundred percent, but seeing as i was unable to access my power, i doubted i'd ever feel truly 'good' again. 

An army of maids came in to wake me at the crack of dawn. I'm not sure what time it was exactly, all i know is the birds hadn't even started singing yet...

They stripped me of all my modesty, bathing me until every inch of my skin was scrubbed raw. Then, they yanked all the knots out of my bed-head and I'm pretty sure they thinned my hair to half its thickness in the process. 

A tailor came in with my breakfast and i sat and nibbled, while they worked their strange tingling magic on my face -no doubt adding rosy bush to my ghostly complexion and plastering over the sleep-deprived hollows under my eyes. 

Like everyone else, they did not speak. They did not gossip like Genya. Once again i found myself longing for the darkling's voice to fill the void.

After, more Corporalki come to finally unpick the stitches that ran all the way across my skull, smoothing over the scar issue. Fabricators entered shortly after with the dress i was to wear. I could hear the pride resonating in their voice's as they present the garment to me. They even asked if i would like it described to me, but i decline. I am already sure what colour the gown is. Black.

Length after Length of luxurious silk billowed out from my waist as Maids crushed a corset so far into my ribcage,  I couldn't think. Some sort of spiky metal head-piece was braided into my hair and then i was left standing, alone in the dark.

An indeterminable time later, the door opened and he stepped smoothly inside, door closing softy behind him.

"You look beautiful."

I snort at the irony, stepping off the platform i am on -and immediately forgetting about the step. I drop.

"Woah!" The darkling has me before i can even stumble, "Alina, you need to be more carefully!  Where's Theodore? Why are you alone? Their should be someone by your side at all times, especially today, this can't happen..." The darkling works himself up into a frenzy.

 I don't want to, but his arms i can help but slump slightly.

"Alina?" Suddenly all his fretting is gone and his tone is entirely focused. 

"I'm fine..." I breathe breathlessly.

"No you're not." He turns me over to my back. "Saints, your corset is tight... Alina can you even breathe?"

"I'm fi..." fine, i try to say but run out off oxygen mid-sentence. 

Before i even know it the darkling is unlacing my back with the efficiency of a kaelish weaver.  

I wanted to object, but i didn't have the air.

"Who did this to you?" He demanded as he went. 

"Mm...?" His hypnotic touch flew down my spine. "I...errm..." I stuttered numbly -like an idiot.  "I don't know..." Finally, air returned to my lungs and i began to think for myself. "It's not exact as if i could see for myself,  could i?" 

The darkling finished re-lacing my corset, "no matter," he said, ignoring the last part of the retort. "I'll have to change the whole rota away, clearly I shouldn't of assigned the old kings servants to you. I'll bring in some more people from my quarters -who i can trust won't try to asphyxiate you..." For once, i am glad i cannot see, i dread to think what the darkling might have done to that poor maid if he knew who they were...

He ties a delicate bow between my shoulder blades, teasing the corset in only gently, then he holds me arms length obliviously now studying me closely for anymore signs of oxygen deprivation.  

"Better?" he prompts.

Much. But i refuse to thank a monster, so i say nothing.