Bound By Honour (Book 1)

Chapter 33

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She hurries to her room and finds an exquisite deep blue dress laid across the bed. She is gently feeling the soft, luxurious fabric when she realises that she isn't alone. Her head jerks up and she sees Zara emerge from the adjoining bathroom. She looks incredible. She wears a pale grey dress that hugs her waist then loosely falls down, skimming her hips. Her striking red hair has been manipulated into large chunky braids secured around her head. Her eyes are wide and Sparrow then notices the nerves portrayed in those large orbs.

Zara lets out a breath she did not know she had been holding. "Sparrow." Her eyes flit over her before she purses her lips. "You are not yet ready." Sparrow cannot help the smile that jumps to her lips when Zara frowns at her. She cannot be more than 5ft4 but she strides up to Sparrow and lifts up the blue dress. Zara's frown lifts. "At least we know what you are wearing. It is simply stunning."

Zara takes Sparrow's arm and guides her to a vanity table and prods her to sit down. Sparrow's eyes flit back to the dress. The colour reminds her of something but she cannot quite put her finger on what. Then she realises what Zara intends to do. She pushes Zara's hands away from her hair and turns to her. "I will put on the dress; then we can go."

Zara giggles and rolls her eyes. "Absolutely not, you are portraying Iceni here tonight. Wolfe may accept you as you come but you must wear your armour when confronted with the Ricells and others."

"My armour is at the stables and..."

"Not that armour." Zara laughs and presses her small hands down on Sparrow's shoulders. Sparrow turns back to face the mirror, finding too much resistance in trying to face Zara. Their eyes meet in the mirror. "Just trust me, if only for tonight."

"If I must." Zara's smile is bright and Sparrow sees that some of the nervousness starts to drain away from her. She needs a distraction, at least for a little while.

With expert hands, Zara brushes out Sparrow's long golden hair, tutting every now and again about how tangled it is. She then starts to braid parts of her hair, guiding the free locks to frame Sparrow's face, softening her features. Then she moves on to the makeup and applies a light powder to her face. Sparrow closes her eyes, unwilling to watch as Zara applies something to give her lips colour, and something to highlight her eyes. Something is applied to her eyelashes and Sparrow barely avoids grimacing at the heavy, strange feeling.

Her sisters, of course, had attempted to make Sparrow wear such cosmetics as these on special dinners or balls but she had always refused. Face paint would not make her a better warrior and she saw no use in attracting men. She always thought, as well, that it did not remarkably change how any of her sisters looked. If a man did not find them beautiful or entrancing without this make up then why did they want him when they had it on? It is something Sparrow has never understood and yet, now she finds herself sitting and patiently letting it be applied.

"Keep your eyes closed." Zara orders and she fights the urge to disobey. Why now? She most certainly wanted to avoid seeing what Zara had done. But now Zara told her not to, now she needed to see. Her eyelids twitch. "Closed." Zara takes Sparrow's hand and guides her off the seat and around it. Once she is faced the opposite way to the vanity mirror Zara tells her, "Now you may open them."

Her eyes spring open and she cringes at the foreign feeling to her eyes. Zara seems very happy and impressed with her work. "I am guessing that you would prefer if I did not turn to look in the mirror."

"Not until you have gotten into your dress." Zara replies with a huge grin. Sparrow is grateful that her sister, Starling, is nowhere to be seen. She would most certainly enjoy seeing Sparrow being ordered around, especially over being correctly attired for a dinner.