Raven Rebellion

by K Hanson

  “And that’s fine. I don’t expect you to be. If I wanted a polite lady who would stay quiet, I would bring one.”

  “When is this ball happening?”

  “Five days from now. It isn’t far, so we can leave that afternoon and arrive in time for the event in the evening. I have arranged to stay at Volkan’s place that night, since I don’t know how late it will go. Limbani will also be with us as security.”

  “Sounds good. Who knows, it can always be fun to mess with nobles.”

  “Remember, though,” he said in a chastising tone, “these nobles are our allies.”

  “I’ll try not to make you regret bringing me, but no promises.”

  “Great. Now we need to set you up with something to wear.”

  “Isn’t this good enough?” She waved at the clothes she had on.

  He raised his eyebrows and laughed. “I’m afraid that walking in dressed like a pirate might put them off a bit. I’ll have the tailor bring in something more traditional for you to wear. This is their first time meeting you. Don’t want to scare them off just yet.”

  Nereyda sighed. “Fine, I’ll see what you can get for me.”

  “Great, I’ll have my friend Zeki find something for you.”

  In a spare office that had been turned into a dressing room, Devrim stood next to a small mousy man. A rack of clothes lined the wall, near a three-paneled full-length mirror. “Nereyda, this is Zeki. He’s been my tailor and armorer for years. He’ll help you pick out something fashionable to wear to the ball.”

  “Oh good, an afternoon of trying on frilly dresses.”

  “I’m sure he’ll help you find something that you’ll like. I’ll leave you to it.” Devrim closed the door behind him, leaving her with Zeki.

  “So, where do we start?” asked Nereyda.

  “First,” said the tailor, “I need to take your measurements. If you could undress, please.”

  “Excuse me? I’m not shy, but at least get me a drink first.”

  The man turned red. “Just down to your undergarments is fine. I don’t need to see everything.”

  “Okay, then.” Nereyda pulled off her clothes down to her underwear, and tossed them onto a chair in the corner.

  Zeki pulled out a tape measure and spent the next several minutes holding it up to her limbs and wrapping it around her hips, waist, bust, and shoulders, taking notes on a piece of paper as he went. “Very good,” he said as he finished and put away the tape. “I think I have something that you might like.” He scratched his chin with one hand as he rummaged through the rack with the other. His hand paused on something and he pulled it out, then handed what seemed like a pile of purple fabric to Nereyda. “This should fit you. Step behind the screen and try it on.”

  She took the dress and stepped behind a divider in one corner of the room and spent several minutes pulling the dress on. When she finished, she felt like she was wearing a mountain of silk. The large billowing skirt reached all the way to the floor, and loose ruffles covered her torso. She shuffled out from behind the screen, trying not to trip on her skirt. “What the hell am I wearing?” Nereyda asked.

  “This is what all of the noble ladies wear to formal events. Keep in mind, you’ll be wearing a corset underneath it, so it might fit a bit differently when you wear it for real.”

  “What’s the point of a corset? Not like you’ll be able to tell under all these ruffles.”

  The tailor shrugged. “That is the style lately. While you may see some more risqué outfits among the lower classes, the nobility is still quite conservative.”

  Nereyda tried to practice some fencing footwork, but the skirt proved cumbersome. “How is someone supposed to fight in this?”

  Zeki chuckled. “And why would you need to fight in your dress?”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the middle of a little rebellion. Who knows what could happen at this ball? If anyone finds out about it, it could be an easy target.”

  “I think you are perhaps a bit paranoid, miss.”

  “Maybe, but I’d rather be ready.”

  “As a lady, you will not be expected to fight in the event of such an attack.”

  “But I will fight nonetheless.” She held her skirt up and shuffled her way toward him. “Tell me, Zeki, don’t you ever get tired of making the same style of dresses, without being able to do something truly creative?”

  He shrugged. “It’s what the lords and ladies order. I don’t get a lot of room for creativity.”

  “Devrim said you’re an armorer, too, right?”

  “That’s right, though only for leather armor.”

  “Perfect. I want to place an order for something a bit different than what you’re used to making. Something that I can fight in. We’re fighting a rebellion, so why not start a bit of a fashion revolution at the same time?”

  Zeki smiled. “I think I’d welcome the chance for something new. What do you have in mind?”

  Nereyda spent the next several minutes describing what she wanted as the tailor took notes and sketched out a rough drawing to visualize the design. As they went, his eyes lit up, and his writing became faster and more animated.

  “How long will it take to make this? Can you get it done in time for the ball?”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll make it happen. This is the most excited I’ve been to make a dress in a long time. I’ll get started as soon as I get back to my shop. I’ll deliver it myself the day of the ball.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Erhan stewed in the back corner of a shady tavern in Trabizan. He took a large swig of his ale, finishing his second mug of the evening. He had received a message from an unknown sender to meet at the tavern. Erhan knew that it could only be one person. After nearly getting stabbed at the previous meeting, he had considered skipping this one. However, if his contact could find him so easily, he doubted he could run far.

  A familiar figure in a cloak swept into the tavern and glided across the floor toward Erhan’s booth, helping himself to a seat.

  “Hello, Commander.” An unsettling smile crept across the man’s face, though the shadow from his hood obscured his eyes. “I see you got my message.”

  “Why do you want to meet? To chastise me for missing Nereyda? I got here just after she left following the rebel attack. I’m lucky that nobody recognized me. Otherwise, I doubt they’d have let me wander into town.”

  “No, I am not here to express any sort of disappointment.” Somehow, the friendly tone came across as creepier than any chastisement might have. “Quite the contrary, in fact. Since we last spoke, you’ve managed to start an Inquisition, and you’ve made this town scared of our pirate friend.”

  “The only thing I did was hang up some posters with her face on it.”

  “Yes,” he said with a hiss. “And then she walked into town and fried a man with lightning, confirming the horror your posters warned them about. I’d say that’s quite a good start.”

  “But a start is all it is. This Inquisition is a joke so far. The church priests have been encouraging with their words, but they’ve barely given me any resources aside from some paper and ink to print posters.”

  The man pointed at Erhan with a long, spindly finger. “Don’t talk yourself into being frustrated. My employer has a lead that might help you in your search. That’s why I wanted to meet you as soon as possible. This may be the best opportunity yet to catch our target unaware.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “There are reports that Lord Volkan is holding a ball for potential rebel supporters, and the rebel leader is going to be in attendance to try to secure allies. We believe that Nereyda will be there with him. Following this ball, the next logical target of the rebels is Goremia. You are to apprehend our person of interest while she is on the road.”

  “Why is Volkan willing to help the rebels? Hasn’t he been one of the Emperor’s strongest servants in the west?”

  “We can only guess as to what the good lord’s mot
ivations are.”

  “He’s not your employer, is he?”

  The man’s lips stretched like two worms across his face as he smiled. “He might be. Or he might not be. Even if you did guess correctly, I couldn’t possibly tell you. You’re welcome to keep guessing, though. It’s endlessly entertaining.”

  Erhan furrowed his brow. “Why can’t I go to this party and capture Nereyda there?”

  “Because my employer does not want you to interfere with this event. The Inquisition cannot be an organization that invades the homes of the nobility on a whim. And if you do so and are caught, that will drive the nobles toward the rebellion and away from us. You will take her on the road as instructed.”

  Erhan did not care about that. It would be far easier to catch Nereyda at a party than on the road when she would be surrounded by the rebel army. Still, the man seemed adamant, so Erhan would play along for the moment. “Very well, I’ll set a trap to catch her on the road.”

  The man clasped his dexterous hands and rubbed them together. “Good. My employer will be pleased.”

  He rose and started toward the door. Erhan slid out of his seat, rushed behind the cloaked man, and pressed his dagger to his back. With his other hand, Erhan caught the man’s hand before he could grab his dagger.

  The man went rigid. “What are you doing?” he said with a snarl.

  “I’m tired of being played like a pawn. How can I get into that party?”

  “You’ve made a terrible mistake. My employer will not stand for this.”

  “And you won’t stand at all if you don’t help me.” Erhan pressed the point into the man’s back.

  He tried to pull away, but couldn’t. “Fine. You need an invitation.”

  “Who would have one?”

  “A lot of people.”

  Erhan shoved him down into the booth and pointed the dagger at his throat. “Make a list and I’ll find one of them.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Nereyda paced back and forth as she waited for the tailor to arrive with her outfit. Devrim had no idea that she had arranged a special order with Zeki. She couldn’t wait to see his face when she revealed the rather unorthodox dress she had helped design.

  A knock came at the door to her room at the rebel headquarters in Antalia, and she hurried to open it. When she pulled the door inward, Zeki stood outside, holding a large garment bag with a hanger sticking out the top. “Here it is. This has been the most fun I’ve ever had making a custom dress.” He handed the bag to Nereyda.

  “Thank you, Zeki. I can’t believe I’m actually excited to wear a dress.”

  He drew himself up with pride. “My dresses do have that effect on people.”

  “I don’t doubt it. Let me put this on, then you can see your work in action.”

  “You should be able to put it on yourself, but if you need any assistance, I’ll be standing just out here.”

  First, she put on the black leather corset, with laces on the front so she could dress without help. The steel ribbing proved stiff as she laced it up, but she yanked it tight enough to provide the support she needed while leaving it loose enough for her to breathe. She pulled sheer black stockings over her legs. Next, she pulled on the long purple dress and laced up the front. The skirt extended down to just above her ankles so she wouldn’t trip over it. A slit on each side of the dress ran from hip to hem, revealing the sides of her legs. The upper portion of the dress had long sleeves with laced forearms. The neckline was open and low-cut. Finally, she pulled on the bodice, which featured an interior of black leather and an exterior of dark violet silk. It hugged her waist and came to a point at the top of her skirt. An open diamond from the bottom of her bust to a clasp on her neck revealed a hint of cleavage above the dress fabric. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she pulled on black, low-heeled boots that reached the middle of her calves.

  Standing up, she took a look at herself in the mirror, turning to catch every angle that she could. She smiled to herself. It was exactly what she had imagined. The form flattered her figure, the color matched her eyes, and she felt as if she could actually fight in it. She practiced a lunging thrust and was thrilled when her legs didn’t get caught. “Zeki,” she called through the door, “come on in and see how you did.”

  The tailor entered and looked her up and down, making her spin around as he examined every inch of his outfit. He beamed. “It fits perfectly.”

  “It feels great.”

  “You’ll be the biggest scandal at the ball,” he said with a devilish smile.

  “Oh, I hope so,” she replied, winking at him.

  “Do you want to do anything with your hair? If so, I can go grab a hairdresser.”

  “No, I’m all right. I’ll leave it loose. I like it this way.”

  “You do look lovely. You’ll turn some heads tonight, I think.”

  “You didn’t tell Devrim about this special project, did you?”

  “Of course not. It’ll be a surprise to him.”

  “Then let’s go see how far his jaw drops.”

  She instinctively grabbed her sword belt and had begun to fit it around her waist when Zeki cleared his throat, and she realized what she was doing. “This isn’t going to work, is it? I’m making enough of a statement without carrying a sword.”

  “It would likely get in the way of dancing, miss.”

  Nereyda pulled the belt off and wrapped it around the sheath. “I guess I’ll give this to Limbani to hold on to.”

  She left her room with the tailor behind her, and glided down the stairs with a sway in her hips to the foyer of the building. Near the main double doors, Devrim leaned against the wall, reading a note in the light from a sconce next to him. “I was beginning to think you might be standing me up, pirate. Our carriage is waiting just outside.”

  “Oh, I’m ready. It’s been a while, so I wanted to make sure my dress was on just right.”

  He lowered the note and turned to look at her, his eyes widening. “What are you wearing? Zeki, that’s nothing like the dresses I had you bring for her to try on. Nereyda, what was wrong with those choices?” Despite the exasperation in his voice, his eyes traveled the length of the slits in her dress and stopped at the opening in her bodice before his gaze returned to her face.

  “I wanted something that I could move in.” She put her hand on her hip and flashed him a smile. “Besides, it seems that you enjoy the view. I’m sure you won’t be the only one to look at me like that tonight.”

  “This isn’t a night to attract unnecessary attention.” His eyes kept returning to the more revealing parts of her dress. He caught himself and cleared his throat. “This is not the sort of dress the noble ladies wear. Zeki, do you have anything else that she could use?”

  “I don’t need another dress, but I think we do need to get going. Aren’t we running late?”

  “We can wait for you to change into something . . . more suitable.”

  “It’s not like I’m walking into the ball naked. Besides, you’re the one who wanted to bring me even though I’m not your average lady.” She waved her weapon toward him. “If you want to bring me, that includes what I choose to wear.”

  “And why, exactly, are you bringing your sword?” he asked with a snarl. “Do you plan on killing our host? Challenging the other guests to duels?” He extended his hand and attempted to grab the cutlass from her.

  She yanked it out of reach. “I’m bringing this sword because, in case you had forgotten, we’re in the middle of a rebellion. Do you trust our host to keep us safe? I can fight, so I should be ready to do so. Now, let’s not keep our host waiting any longer than we have to.” Nereyda whirled away from him and strode to the double doors and shoved through them.

  Outside, a dark blue carriage with silver trim along the edges and around the windows and doorframe stood hitched to a pair of horses. Limbani stood at attention next to the carriage. Devrim stomped to the front to talk to the driver who sat above and behind the horses.

&
nbsp; Nereyda shoved her sword belt toward Limbani. “Hey Limbani, can you keep track of this for me tonight?”

  Limbani arched an eyebrow at her, and she tentatively reached out and grabbed the belt. “You’re bringing a sword to the ball?”

  “You’re bringing it, and if I need it, you can toss it to me.”

  The rebel general wrapped the belt around her waist and situated it so that Nereyda’s cutlass hung off the opposite hip as her own saber. “If you say so, though I don’t expect trouble at this thing.”

  “I learned firsthand that wandering into something without being ready can get you into trouble. That’s how I got captured. Twice. I don’t want to take any chances. Besides, you wouldn’t turn down instant backup, would you?”

  “No, at least not after seeing you fight. I like your dress, by the way.”

  “Thanks. I’ve never been into dresses since they’re not practical on a ship, but I could see myself enjoying wearing something like this more often. But Devrim’s not too keen on it. He thinks I’ll stand out too much.” Nereyda leaned toward Limbani and whispered, “I think he likes it, though. He’s definitely been checking me out.”

  Limbani chuckled. “I don’t blame him.”

  Devrim marched over to them and pulled the carriage door open.

  “That’s usually my job, sir,” remarked Limbani.

  “I know. After you, Nereyda.” His words were terse. He tried to keep his glances at her furtive, but he had trouble keeping his eyes away. She couldn’t tell if he was glaring at her or checking her out. Perhaps a bit of both.

  Nereyda smiled as she ducked her head down to climb into the carriage and sat on the rear bench, facing the front of the carriage. Devrim sat across from her, while Limbani closed the door behind them and took a spot next to Devrim.

  “Maybe you missed out on all of the etiquette training since you didn’t grow up as a noble, but aren’t you supposed to compliment your date on how she looks?” asked Nereyda.

  Devrim smiled at her and let out an amused huff. “You do look gorgeous. I’m sorry that I’ve forgotten my manners. You took me by surprise, and I reacted poorly.”