The Mark of Ilman

Chapter Ten - The Realm: Part 2

*UNEDITED*

As soon as I got out of the bath and was dry, I looked at the clothes that were laid out for me. Four strange garments were laid out before me. The first was a chemise, the next a corset, then two others. I slipped on the chemise and turned back to the bath water. My bra and underwear lay on the cool stone floor. I looked at the corset and decided it would be enough support but then I looked at the clothes before me and wondered if women here wore underwear.

I washed my undergarments in the bathwater with rose scented soap and hung them over the screen to dry. I grabbed the corset and did my best to fasten it. I picked up the next two garments and wondered which one I was suppose to put on first. Since they both seemed pretty plain I just put on the one that looked better.

With a towel, I dried my hair and used the wooden comb on a vanity to brush it out. After that was done, I walked to the door and joined Aran and Neviah in the kitchen.

Just as I entered, Aran was taking a drink of water. He looked over at me and his face suddenly flushed and he started to choke. He coughed and sputtered, ducking his head and looking away from me.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Neviah turned from a large cauldron that was over a fire and her eyes widened. She started laughing and came towards me. "Oh darling, come back with me. You do not want your underwear to be showing."

I blushed as I realized that the outer garment was more of a slip. Neviah placed a hand on my shoulder and guided me back to the room. There, she helped me take off the two outer garments. She looked at the corset and chuckled.

"My, my, my. Things must really be different where you come from. Suck in your stomach."

I breathed in and held my breath as Neviah pulled on the strings and brought the corset tight around me. When she was done, I found it a bit hard to breath. She took the white garment with the long sleeves and brought it over my head. After smoothing it down she took the blue garment with short sleeves, embroidered with gold and slipped that on next.

"There," she said with a smile. "You look lovely."

She brought me to the vanity and brushed my hair and then started to coil it around my head. She placed several gold hair pieces to keep it in place and once that was done she nodded in satisfaction.

"Thank you Neviah," I said shyly.

"You're welcome dear. As you get use to life here, I am sure you will learn how to do this all on your own."

She opened the door and lead me out to the table where Aran sat, his face still a little red. I sat quietly as Neviah brought me a plate. Fried eggs, a piece of meat that assumed was ham, cheese, and bread was my meal. She then brought me a cup and a pot and poured some tea. It smelt wonderful, like roses.

My stomach growled in protest as I delayed eating. I took a bite of the eggs and found my hunger a bit overpowering so I dug in. Neviah ate some of the same food. Aran just sat back as we ate, sipping on his drink and nibbling on some bread. Once I was done, I immediately started asking questions.

"Where exactly am I? I don't understand what I'm doing here. I get that I almost died, but what makes you think I want to stay here?"

Aran looked up at me from where he was reading a letter. "We need you Amarie. I didn't want to pressure you to come but things are getting bad here. The fact that the demons in your world found you means that Morion is looking for you. He knows you're alive and that we have been looking for you. The Demon King, he is has taken over bits of the realm and slowly our kind are falling. We brought you here in hopes you can help us bring a stop to this evil."