A Touch of Death

Chapter 19

"No."

"Yes."

"Absolutely not."

"You don't have a choice."

"You are not getting me into that thing." Aoife stood in the middle of her room, staring at a sparkling, purple ball gown draped over her bed. "You know, I'm not completely sure where all these clothes keep coming from, but I am not putting that on." She looked at the frilly, purple concoction with an expression of sheer distaste. The design had been out of style for many years, but was now beginning to cycle back around in the way fashion tended to do. Low neck, long sleeves, and extremely full skirts supported by a hoop skirt underneath. Court fashion for Enchanters favored lighter, Fae style garments, but Aoife didn't need to know that yet. If she had grace in a dress like this, she could be graceful in a burlap sack.

"Most of them are leftovers from better days," he said sadly, but his tone quickly changed to steely resolve, "but you will wear this. Court events require attending balls, which require dancing, and if you can dance in that, you can dance in anything."

"You're making me learn to dance," Aoife deadpanned.

"Yes."

"I thought we agreed that you weren't going to torture me any longer." She put her hands on her hips, waiting for a response. The Enchanter fought back a smile; at least she had some life in her now.

"Unfortunately, being an apprentice also means that you have to know how to survive at Court, which means you need to know how to dance."

"How am I supposed to dance if I can't actually touch you?" Aoife held up her hands, wiggling her fingers in the air in a ridiculous impression of an Enchanter casting a spell.

"Well, we're staying away from the waltz, first off," he said firmly. That was one thing they definitely could not handle.

"I tripped walking in one of those things the first night here, remember?"

"Yes, it was quite a lovely display," he said sarcastically. "I'd prefer if you had the ability to maintain your poise at Court."

"Why do you care? I'm only here temporarily, anyway!"

" You are here because you are a target, Aoife." The Enchanter looked her head in the eye, hoping that the seriousness of the matter came across. "The more people see you at Court, see you looking strong, the less will bother with trying to cross you or use you for their own gains. A strong power in a weak personality is a weak power."

"You realize that there is no way I can get into that, right? I'd need extra hands." She seemed to have relented at this, turning the dress over and examining it as if it might bite her.

"I've got two," he said with a shrug. Aoife looked caught somewhere between anger and utter disbelief.

"You're kidding."

"Unfortunately, no." There was no one else here, after all, and there was room under the dress for a chemise. It wasn't as though she'd be completely naked. Then again, sometimes his concept of modesty did seem a bit off from human conventions after being raised among the Fae. After growing up there he had no qualms about nudity and very little notion of privacy, though as an older man he'd grown to value both his privacy and his clothing... but she didn't need to know that.

"Get out," she said, pointing at the door.

"Wha—"

"If I have to do this, then I'll manage it myself, now get out!" Aoife shoved him backwards with both hands until he stumbled out the door and into the hallway. He fought back a chuckle, leaning against the wall and resigning himself to waiting.