The Custodian Chronicles: The Rising (Finished)

Chapter 41: Coronation

"Arylana, stop."

"Just a little more..."

"Arylana." Cedrick glared at her.

"But your collar is just..." She stopped at her brother's expression. "Fine. Elphacena will do it."

"Whatever." Cedrick said annoyed. He pulled his collar back up. He hated his formal uniform. The collar alone was annoying enough, the odd hooks holding up his socks, the annoyingly tight suspenders and, of course, the two million buttons on the jacket were torture. "The old one wasn't this bad." Cedrick grumbled.

"Well, they weren't formal. These are fancier." Arylana played with the newest badge on Cedrick's jacket.

Cedrick slapped her hand. "Would you stop it? What are you, my mother?"

"Well, someone has to do it." Arylana said, now fixing his cufflink. Cedrick rolled his eyes.

"You should go change. Don't worry about me." Cedrick fixed the other cufflink himself.

Arylana gave him a look. "Oh really?" She raised an eyebrow. "You think you have it?"

"I'm a grown man. I can dress myself." Cedrick snapped.

"If that's so, then what's wrong with your boot?" Arylana asked.

Cedrick looked down to see his pant leg wasn't inside of it properly. The pant leg was slowly creeping back out.

Cedrick groaned. "Why do they have to make everything so tight?" Cedrick removed the boot, reattached the clip and put the boot back on. "We could never really fight in this."

"You're not supposed to." Arylana said. "Just look intimidating. The tight clothing shows off muscle. It can make it look like muscle is there when it isn't, if it's padded right."

"How would you know that?" Cedrick asked.

"Look at Dickerson, it's the only way he could have anything in that scrawny chest." Arylana fixed another badge on Cedrick's chest.

"Sis, really? Stop." Cedrick slapped her hand. "You have your own dress to get into."

Arylana exhaled and examined him. "Fine, I guess you're smart enough."

Cedrick rolled his eyes. "Get out of here."

Arylana gave him a teasing look. "Just... don't die." She left the room.

Cedrick sighed. He tried to resist the urge to throw off the jacket and burn it. It was so uncomfortable. He felt as if his shoulders were being held back by a stiff force and his chest as if it was being squeezed into a small pipe. At least it was only his upper body. Well, apart from the horrible metal clip pressing into his leg.

The door opened as Cedrick strained to find a way to make the jacket less tight. He looked up and stopped. "Woah." He said, "You look... wow."

Elphacena flushed. Her hair was down; which it hadn't been in a long time. She wore a simple headband with greenish jewels embedded into it. Her dress was also green with a delicate leaf pattern on the skirt and sleeves. The sleeves went to just above her elbow. Her bodice was secured in the back with straps, though were mostly hidden by her hair.

"Oh please." Elphacena said, still pink. "It's nothing. You should see your sister. You don't look bad either." She smiled. She came over and adjusted the shoulder line of his jacket. "Not bad at all, though I think this should be undone." She touched something on the back of Cedrick's shoulder. She pulled on something then pinched. Instantly, the tightness lessened.