Daughter of Ice and Fire

Thirty

Lihleih smoothed the front of her dress, luxuriating in its feel along with the unbelievably rich fabric it was made of. Since agreeing to Imril's offer, she had been given entire closets full of high-quality clothes, eaten foods fit for a Noble's table, and slept on a bed so soft she felt like she was drifting in the clouds. It had been a long, long time since she had worn clothes made of anything other than rough-hewn cotton or slept on anything other than a pallet with a straw-filled mattress. Unsurprisingly, she realized she had missed it.

Imril's house was incredible. Richly appointed, it was clear he had excellent taste along with a deep purse. She still had no idea who he was or how he knew her past, but since that night, he had not brought the subject up again and she was content to do as he asked. At least until she was able to keep the promise she had made to herself.

Standing in front of the open jewelry chest, she selected several understated but obviously expensive pieces. A pair of dangling diamond earrings. A necklace with a small pendant of sapphires and diamonds. A simple gold ring set with another diamond.

Milleth made some last-minute touches to her makeup then stood back as Lihleih slowly turned.

"You're beautiful, my lady," Milleth breathed. "Every eye will be on you." Since entering the house, the girl had become Lihleih's personal servant, another luxury Lihleih hadn't had in years.

"I only need one," Lihleih replied, admiring herself in the mirror. Her hair had grown several inches, but she continued to dye it. The silver was just too remarkable. Tonight, it was a very light brown. Milleth had managed to curl it and pin it up, making it appear longer than it really was while also remaining fashionable. She shook her head slightly, making sure the curls remained in place.

"As long as he doesn't touch your head, it should stay," the servant said, making some last-minute adjustments.

"I don't plan on letting him lay a finger on me." Lihleih's mouth flattened and a slight flicker of irritation crossed her face.

"But what of the dancing?" Milleth was now fussing over the drape of the dress. She tugged the bodice down, much to Lihleih's dismay. "Stop complaining," she continued. "Your target this evening prefers his women young. And very, very comely. Your breasts are not as full as he normally likes, so we need to work with what we have. Showing more of what you have will make up for the small size."

Lihleih no longer felt uncomfortable with the conversation. The first time Milleth had plumped her up, she had blushed furiously and whispered she felt like one of the girls who hung around outside the taverns. Milleth had shushed her and pointed out that appealing to the man's lust would go a long way toward getting her the answers she sought. Besides, nothing said she had to let them touch the merchandise.

No stranger to men's desires, Lihleih had nodded slightly and let Milleth continue. But she had felt slightly embarrassed. Until one night. The man she was tasked with getting information from spent most of the night ogling her chest, so distracted by the view he readily answered her without batting an eyelash. Since then, she had gotten more comfortable with dressing to show off her charms to their fullest even though it still made her self-conscious. "Hopefully, I'll have found what Imril wants by then and be gone."

"Even so, be careful. And don't let anyone touch the hair." Milleth gathered up the curling tongs and basket of cosmetics and swept out of the room. Lihleih did one final check, then drew on her cloak and headed downstairs. Warshade raised his head, but she motioned him to stay, and he went back to snoozing in front of the fire.

Imril met her at the front door. He whistled appreciatively, giving her a slight bow. "You look magnificent."

Lihleih nodded. She knew she did. The dress, a stunning turquoise gown heavily embroidered with silver thread, matched her eyes perfectly. It hugged her curves as well as being cut low enough that the top of her breasts were visible, even more so since Milleth had tugged the neckline down. "I still don't understand why you're not going."