17 Pink

Elya had no idea how Great Aunt Natalia managed to bring a pink dress cut to her exact size. Designed in the fashion that was most popular in the Capital, it exposed the shoulders and dipped dangerously low both at the front and back. Elya found herself yanking the top of the dress a few times when no one was looking in fear of it sliding off. Why would other women want to wear clothes that were so impractical? She'd glanced enviously at Alexis dressed in a comfortable tunic and coat, her sword belted to the side. That was another frustrating thing, it was impossible to carry a sword in a dress like this and Aunt Natalia had been very clear on the etiquette of bearing arms in a dress. After wrangling for almost an hour as Suzdal attendants fixed her hair in a twisted braid that rested uncomfortably on her head, Natalia eventually conceded and Elya strapped a stiletto to her thigh nestling two daggers within the voluminous sleeves of the dress. That had earned her a few glares and a few knocks of the old woman's infamous cane.

The wide-eyed stares from the men she passed on the way to the garden fixed a perpetual glower on her face. It wasn't difficult to tell where they were looking, and all her rage filled glares earned her were a few ashamed grins. Being so far removed from the Capital, the people of Konstanz cared little for the decorum expected of the Nobility.

"It's slipping again." Alexis remarked at one point and Elya fumbled at the knots to tighten the dress further but stopped once she caught her friends sly grin. A prank that she vowed to get even for. Her calm, collected nature eroded under leers, quips and the lack of a sword at her side. That bothered her the most, actually. Elya couldn't remember the last time she felt so vulnerable. A flash of light caught her attention, and she glimpsed the Eye of the Great Dragon hovering somewhere over the town.

The Count was experimenting again.

Nikolai had locked himself within the tower for the last few days, claiming there was urgent work to be done and refused all visitors. She grinned at the memory of her exit from the tower leaving him with a dumbstruck expression as she touched his hand. It was uncharacteristic of her to be so forward, but her fiancée was so expressive, she couldn't help but want to make him react. She treasured that moment and already prepared ideas to mess with him again.

"Milady are you thinking about the Count?" Alexis remarked, watching the goofy grin that spread on Elya's face.

"No. Why would you say that?" Elya coughed, feeling heat creep into her neck.

"You look like a love-struck fool." Alexis shook her head at how strange the Captain became now that she spent time with Nikolai.

"We've known each other for a few days. There's no chance of me falling in love."

"Were you thinking about him right now?"

"… yes."

Alexis just looked at her. No words were necessary to get the point across and Elya burned inside with embarrassment. She definitely wasn't in love with the Count, but his enthusiasm towards the engagement and her were infectious. In the face of such an intense personality remaining dispassionate was impossible

"I think we enjoy each other's company, but it's far too early to talk about love. If it comes at all that is. This is a political alliance at the end of the day and I'm sure he understands that as well. He wouldn't be trusted by the Son of Heaven if he wasn't intelligent. 'The Emperor does not surround himself with fools.'"

Alexis nodded at the famous saying. The Son of Heaven's belief in meritocracy allowed people like Nikolai to rise so quickly and let the Empire spread its power and influence with such ferocity, giving the Emperor respect and praise from the populace.

The discussion had dampened her mood, and they walked in silence, strolling towards the garden. The Morales manor was much larger than one would expect, built in a long rectangle, the plot of land extended right up to the waterfront.

Elya had taken a trip the day before to look at the port and watched the stream of ships coming and going, a sign of the budding prosperity that Volhiniya gained with the Peace. It was astonishing how quickly the Count was able to bring the merchant princes and trade alliances along this route and she became determined to discover how it was possible. She'd caught sight of several Knights moving with a company of guards as they searched the vessels for contraband.

One the Count's order filtered down, the guards had enthusiastically joined with the Knights of Chernigov in their daily activities. Alexis had quipped that it was because they lacked female companionship, but they had quickly discovered that the Volhiniyan guard had plenty of women in their ranks. A little digging into the situation and Alexis returned with the conclusion that due to the heavy influence of the Dragon Lords, many woman joined the military. In thee eyes of the Dragon Lords they would rather have another body on the field than worry exactly what gender that soldier was. Whatever the reason, there had been few incidents of conflict and their enquiries into the criminal underworld of Konstanz were well underway.

What they had discovered so far was grim as gangs from all across the Empire tried to spread their influence into a town that showed large signs of turning into a major port. The varied factions weren't the only problem as the Houses covertly dipped their fingers into the troubled waters with all sorts of motivations. There had been hints from Suzdal informants on plans for everything ranging from assassinations to extortion and even one enterprising little House aiming to control one of the major gangs.

Elya sighed at the thoughts of the problems facing Konstanz and considered the letter she would have to prepare for the Knight-Commander. The cohort had been dispatched for the sake of her honour and now Elya would have to persuade the cranky old soldier that she needed to hold on to them to protect her marriage. Even if she phrased the request for the greater good of the Empire, the greatest beneficiaries would be Elya and her fiancée. The old woman wouldn't ignore that.

"She'll agree." Alexis said.

"Would you stop doing that?"

"I can't help it if you're easy to read."

"Only you say that. Most people say that I'm cold." Elya deflated a little at her own comment. She always aimed to be professional but somehow the impression she gave people was different.

"Alright, I've accompanied you to the garden as promised, but now I have work to do." Alexis waved and left in a rush.

"Bring me back some skewers as well!" Elya called after her. Alexis spent a lot of time at the retired bard's cart and nothing would dissuade her efforts, but the old man seemed to take her advances in stride and happily filled his wallet at her expense.

Elya adjusted her dress once more, trying to cover more of her chest and checked the weapons she'd concealed in preparation. Taking a deep breath, she entered the garden to have tea with her future mother-in-law.