City of Fire

Chapter Thirty-Six

"Ilona"

The water was warm and Ilona sank down into it, relishing the feeling of the water against her skin. Her bruises and scrapes had healed but had left welts and long stretches of blue and purple flesh on her skin. She was sore, but she was whole. She sighed, sinking down till the water reached the bottom of her chin.

This was heaven...

There came a light rap on her door and she frowned.

"Yes?" She called and a servant poked her head in. She had blonde hair piled atop her head in a bun with a pleasing face and blue eyes.

"I am to help you get dressed, Dominus." She murmured while stepping in and curtsying. "My name is Anne," she kept her head bowed and Ilona was puzzled. She didn't look like a Fire Dweller; her aura didn't have that same fire to it.

"Hello, Anne, call me Ilona." She didn't want to step out of the tub for fear of her seeing Ilona's bruised flesh. The girl seemed to sense her reluctance to get out and turned her back. Ilona stood, the water sliding down her skin as she grabbed a bath robe. She donned it, trying the sash around her waist. "May I ask as to why you have to help me?" Anne looked hesitantly over her shoulder, checking to see if Ilona was covered and when she was she turned farther back to face her.

"I was told that you were to travel to the main castle today," she looked about the room and spying the large wooden wardrobe in the corner, crossed to it. "You were to wear the gown provided for you." She opened the wooden doors and reached inside. Ilona blinked, momentarily shocked.

"A dress?" She didn't like the things and her tone must have shown it for the girl gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Yes, but they are more comfortable than the ones on Earth," she withdrew a dark blue leather dress. Ilona halted, staring at it. It looked like it was made for fighting, not whatever she was about to do. "I see by your expression you like it," Anne smiled and crossed the room to set the dress on the bed.

"It's just not what I expected," Ilona ran her fingers over the leather dress, expecting it to be stiff and hard, but it was surprisingly soft and smooth.

"The Fire Dwellers are fine craftsmen," Anne mused as she ran her eyes over Ilona. "The seams should fit fine," she reached up, tugging at the robe and Ilona jumped, drawing away.

"I can get it on by myself," she didn't want her seeing the bruises, suddenly embarrassed, and the girl sighed.

"Despite its plain appearance, the dress is quite complicated." She placed her hands in front of her, "Are you embarrassed of your body? Please don't be you are very beautiful." Her words made Ilona's eyes widen in shock. She choked on her next words and had to take a second before she replied.

"I just...I'm not used to..." she snorted out a breath, "They're pretty nasty." She mumbled but Anne wasn't affected. "Fine," Ilona sighed while crossing the room and pulling on her bra and underwear. Finally dropping the robe she stood there, refusing to meet Anne's eyes but when she did she wasn't surprised to find that they'd widened slightly.

"Oh my," she breathed and Ilona bit the inside of her cheek.

"So are you gonna help me with this or not?" She picked up the dress and Anne quickly nodded.

"Yes, Dominus." She stepped around and helped her step into the dress. It was snug and surprisingly soft against her tender flesh. The dress was like a corset, only backwards. The blue leather was the main part, the black like an underlay. It covered her body, almost like another layer of skin while the blue came down like a regular dress, only it was split up each leg, allowing her to move freely. The blue came to her shoulders, the black coming to her wrists and she gave a silent relieved sigh. Her bruises would be covered up and she wouldn't have people staring at them.