INDULGENCE - KILLER X READER (Medieval AU)

CHAPTER SIX: Expected

"Oh my goodness, Your Grace! You look like a literal angel!" 

Both Rebecca and Perona gushed over my form as I looked at myself in the floor-length mirror. 
"You're always beautiful, Your Grace, but this dress? It's incredible!" It certainly was a beautiful dress, I couldn't deny that. A deep, rich red with golden trimming, the colours of my father and his house. 

The only real downside was breathing. It was cinched so impossibly tight that if I so dared to even sigh my corset would crack my ribs. 
"Thank you...but I feel like I should be crawling beneath my bed with the chamber pot..." I murmured, still unrecovered from the ceremony two days prior. 

Luckily, there had been business for each of my suitors to attend to, so I had managed to avoid them until now. Sadly, my luck had run out, as my darling step-mother had invited each bachelor to a garden party to rub shoulders, and hopefully nothing more. 

"Then you would stink of pi...You would stink." Perona censored herself, even though it was hardly necessary. "Just smile, pretend you have interest in each of them, then come back here and tell us how dreadfully simple they all are." Rebecca nodded along with her. She often followed Perona's lead, which was sometimes a good thing. She was definitely coming out of her shell. 

"I have doubts I can even look any one of them in the eyes..." I groaned, trying to duck away from Rebecca as she tried to smooth down my hair. 
"Why not order that pet barbarian of yours to cut them down, Your Grace?" Perona joked, flinching back when I snapped an offended glare in her direction. 

"I certainly will not be risking Killer in such a way, Perona!" I scolded, quickly deflating and pinching the bridge of my nose. "No matter how tempting the thought might be..." Fetching my golden lace shawl from the end of my bed, Perona ushered me towards the door. 
"You really have a soft spot for that guard of yours, Your Grace. Maybe he should be your suitor instead?~" 

Better than what was presented to me... 

"S..Stop with your jests..." I stammered with a forced chuckle, nodding to Rebecca as she opened the door of my quarters for me. Killer was waiting for me outside, adjacent, and Perona rushed to thrust my shawl into his chest. 
"Guard this with your life, big guy. If my princess comes back with a chill I'll be using your hair as kindling to warm her up agai-" 

"Perona! Thank you and goodbye!" Shooing her back into my room, I turned to Killer and heaved a long sigh. "I have a feeling that my apologising on her behalf will become ritual, but I am truly sorry for her behaviour. She's spirited." 

Killer folded the shawl he had been entrusted with so it would fit in only one of his large hands. 
"I'm used to feisty women, Your Grace. She doesn't bother me." He replied, pausing for a moment as he faced me. "You look like a dream...but can you even breathe in that..?" 

A dream..? Why did that make my chest flutter?

Pursing my lips, my hands found their way to the corseted bodess of my dress.
"Hardly, but this was what I have been instructed to present myself in, so..." I laughed flatly before offering a small, genuine smile. "But thank you. You are very kind."

Clearing his throat, Killer motioned for us to head off, and I did as he suggested with him following behind. The trip to the garden was too short for my liking, and the sight of so many people made me feel queasy.

I curtseyed upon presentation, and watched after Killer as he moved to stand a distance away, as per his role. Among so many I wished he could have stayed close, but it just wouldn't have been approved of.

"Your Grace! Why, it's been ten years if it's been a day!" I jolted upon hearing such a booming voice, turning to find Lord Garp approaching me, his small knight in tow. He bowed and took my hand, pressing a closed-lip kiss to my knuckle. "Your beauty never ceases to amaze! I pity for the hundreds your king father rejected in favour of these small few!"