Captain Sayla stood shouting at a short, round woman who kept throwing her hands in the air and then shoving them onto her hips. She barely came to the middle of the captain’s chest but managed to make up for her lack of height with her voice. The woman threw her hands into the air with a shout, and Captain Sayla took a half step back.
Rose cleared her throat softly, hoping to stall whatever may come from the murderous look in the captain’s eyes. “Excuse me.”
“Wha—?” Meredith turned sharply toward her. “Who are you?”
Rose took a small step so she was in the room. She opened her mouth to introduce herself but was interrupted by the short, angry woman.
“Are you the girl she,” she jabbed a finger at Captain Sayla, “is trying to talk me into giving up a dress for?”
Rose looked at Captain Sayla who was staring daggers into the woman Rose was assuming was the head seamstress. “I suppose I am.”
The seamstress barked a laugh and turned back to the captain.
“I will not give up a perfectly fine gown for nothing, and certainly not for one of your officers.”
“Fine then,” Captain Sayla spoke cold and calculating. “I will just inform the Quartermaster of a mistake in last month’s logs.”
The seamstress narrowed her eyes at the captain. “So?”
“The logs I exaggerated to get you that extra material since you had gone over your own budget.”
The little woman drew a breath that turned into a hiss. “I would have to return all that cloth; cloth that is being worn by several people right now. Woman, I am trying to dress a ball!”
Captain Sayla just clasped her hands behind her back and watched with a satisfied smile.
“Shit,” the seamstress swore. “I’ll loan the whelp a dress.”
“Thank you, Meredith.”
Meredith ignored the captain and turned to Rose. “Well, come on then. Let’s get this over with.” Meredith hobbled past Rose into the hall. Rose followed her down the hallway and down another. As she wandered down the hallways, the other workers scurried out of Meredith’s way.
“Out of my way, you fumbling oaf!” Meredith shouted at a young girl who hadn’t moved quickly enough.
Finally, the angry woman turned into another room and threw the tape measure that hung over her neck to a woman bent over some stitching.
“Measure her,” she ordered the woman. “Do that while I get some gowns for her to try.”
Rose stood still in the room and watched Meredith storm out. The other woman in the room giggled and Rose blinked at her.
“This must be the first time you’ve met Seamstress Meredith.” She spoke as she started taking measurements. She drew the tape across Rose’s shoulders, down her arms, around her waist.
“Um . . .” Rose awkwardly stood there as the woman continued to take more and more measurements. “Yes.”
“Ha! I could see it on your face. She has that effect on people. I’m Sasha, one of Meredith’s assistants.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Sasha started rolling the tape up around her hand. She stood there watching Rose and Rose’s eyes started to dart around the room as she avoided Sasha’s eyes.
“So, what is the occasion that an officer needs such a gown? Do you not have a formal uniform?”
“I’m not an officer.”
“What are you two standing around for, hmm?” Meredith growled from the door.
“I have your measurements,” Sasha was still watching Rose through the mirror, unfazed by Meredith’s tone.
“About time. Put these on.” Meredith threw an arm full of gowns at Rose.
She caught them awkwardly and looked for some place to change. Finding nothing obvious, she turned to Sasha, who pointed to a small decorated partition in the far corner. Rose heaved the dresses over the top of the partition and started to change. Eventually Sasha had to help her do up the back of the complex gowns. Rose walked shyly forward for Meredith’s evaluation.
Meredith looked her up and down once and proclaimed, “Too brown. Next.”
Rose slipped out of the gown, with Sasha’s help, and tried a large, red floral gown next. The embroidered flowers were intricate and looping. Rose ran her fingers over the gold stitching. The high collar itched and she pulled it away from her throat. Again, she stepped out for Meredith’s approval. “Not flattering,” she dismissed with barely a look.
Four more times the gowns were rejected until Rose stood with no more options. Sasha silently collected the misfits and Rose stood under Meredith’s critical gaze.
“Perhaps the cream dress—”
“Don’t be absurd,” Meredith interrupted. “That one is going to a Mantar Countess for the ball.”
“There is the order for the merchant woman, whatever the clan is.”
Meredith waved away the suggestion. “We haven’t even started that order yet.” The short woman stared at Rose and drummed her fingers against her pursed lips. Without a word, Meredith turned to a small chest hidden away in a corner. She dug through and threw its contents on the floor until she finally straightened with a blue bundle.
“Try this.” She threw it at Rose and pushed her behind the partition.
Rose sighed and did as told. When she emerged, Meredith let a small smile slip through.
“Yes . . . yes this will do,” Meredith spoke as she walked in an appraising circle.
Rose turned to a mirror and she made a small gasp when she saw the full gown.
It was an aqua blue color with light green flower embroidering, small and delicate. The sleeves were long and tight fitting and stopped just past her wrists. The bodice was tighter and form fitting, with a square-cut neckline, while the skirt was flowing and loose to the floor. It was not the traditional fit of ballgown skirts, and Rose found she liked the ethereal look they gave her.
“Hm. A very good fit for you. A little long but that is fixable.” Meredith circled Rose again. “You’re such a small girl. The waist will need to come in also. Not too bad over all, I would think.”
Rose looked at herself once again in the mirror. She stared at herself, shocked by what she saw. Her pale skin looked even paler against the deep blue but it brought out the green of her eyes. She’d never worn such a fine gown.
“Sasha, mark this for altering. And do not forget to tell your Captain she owes me for altering this gown for you.” Meredith commanded then left the room.
Rose turned sideways and looked at herself in the mirror.
“You like it, eh?” Sasha spoke to Rose’s reflection.
Rose smiled. “I have never worn anything so beautiful before.”
Sasha smiled at her and started pinning the dress, drawing lines of chalk along seams. “Well, it suits you.”
“Whose gown is this?” Rose asked and Sasha continued to mark the dress.
“No ones,” she mumbled around the pins in her mouth. “It’s an old gown. It was made for . . . some countess, I don’t remember who, and she rejected it.”
“Oh,” Rose murmured and fingered the fine stitching of the bodice. “When you fit this, can you make the bodice looser than normal? To compensate for not wearing a corset?”
Sasha eyed her in the mirror. “Yes, I can. Why would I do that, though?”
Rose dropped her hands. “I’ll pay you for the extra work.”
“And to not ask questions, I’ll wager.” Sasha said. “All right; now change back so I can start.”
Rose changed and was re-braiding her hair when Sasha came up behind her and pulled the hair from Rose’s hands and started working it through her hands.
“So,” Sasha spoke over Rose’s head. “Why such a fancy dress for you, hmm?”
Rose stood awkwardly in front of the taller woman and watched he
r face in the mirror. “A special party I’ve been requested at.”
“My Erik is going to the king’s ball.” Sasha’s head bobbed and she pulled Rose’s hair tighter into the braid. “Is that the party you’ll be wearing this dress to?”
Rose wasn’t sure why she didn’t want Sasha to know, but she didn’t. Maybe it was the secrecy of why she was attending or maybe it was because Rose found she still couldn’t trust people. So, she lied. “Why would I be invited to something as fine as the king’s ball? I’m going to a garden party in town.”
“Why was the captain helping with the gown, then?”
Rose snorted, and the words came easily. “Because she owes me.”
Sasha chuckled softly and gave Rose’s braid one last hard yank before knotting the end. She smiled at Rose in the mirror then gathered the gown and left.
Rose slid her hands into her pockets of her short coat and with one last glance at herself in the mirror, left the noisy hall.
Chapter 24
The door opened without any preamble and Mariah quickly entered, looking haggard. Archie looked up from his desk, even messier than hers, and pushed a steaming pot of tea toward the edge. Mariah sat in his guest chair and helped herself to the tea.
“Ta,” she murmured at her younger brother.
“You look worried.”
Mariah sighed and slumped further down in her chair. “I am.”
“What is the boy doing now?”
“Don’t call him that. He’s your king. Only General Arboh gets away with calling him boy.”
Archie humphed. “Fine. So, what’s he doing?”
“Sending young Shaun Lloyd to Amora and redirecting Officer O’Rayn there as well. He is hesitant in sending more but he wants any possible eyes on the lord.”
Archie sighed and poured himself another cup of tea. “Troubling things are happening in Amora.”
“I’ve already lost Nico to this mission. Rose was gravely injured. I realize we need more spies there, we need more information, but I am so worried for them.”
“If I recall the Light Horse history, in times of war the Light Ride acted as the king’s assassins, spies, took special assignments. Not only message couriers. Maybe it’s time that you revisit your own history.”
“Don’t lecture me, brother. I taught you that history. I can be equally aware of our role and afraid for my officers’ lives.” Mariah snapped.
“You’re right,” Archie raised his hand in apology. “You’re right, I’m sorry. And I’m sorry about Nico. He was a kind sort.”
Mariah sniffed and wouldn’t meet her brother’s eyes.
“Speaking of Amora.” Archie cleared his throat and Mariah quickly wiped her eyes. “I received a letter from Laurie.”
“Oh, and what does your wife have to say? Still mad at you for taking this station?”
Archie chuckled. “Yes, a bit. But that’s not what was in the letter. She’s been seeing a lot of soldiers about. Even more coming in from the sea and heading into the mountains.”
“Soldiers?”
Archie shrugged. “Well, men dressed as sailors and fishermen. But Laurie’s a smart lass. That small sea port has never had this much travel and fishermen don’t leave the port to head into the mountains. And she can read between the lines of what I’m not telling her. She’s worried.”
Mariah rubbed her face. “She should be. This could very easily turn into open war.”
“Do you think it will come to that?” Archie’s thick eyebrows were raised so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline.
“No. I don’t know. We know the assassin will strike during the ball. We have plans in place for that. If we stop that, possibly capture the assassin, we have a chance of throwing their plans into turmoil.”
Archie sighed and the sound turned into a groan. “Laurie is sending Clara here.”
Mariah also groaned. “The castle is not likely to be the safest place for a seven-year-old.”
“Yes, it’s not, but it’s likely to be safer than Amora.”
Mariah nodded her agreement and sipped her tea.
“I’ll ride out and meet her halfway, bring Clara back here with me. Laurie will finish getting everything settled and then move here. Hopefully before the snow blocks the roads.”
“It’ll be nice,” Mariah said with a small grin, “having your wife and daughter here like you wanted. She was always so stubborn to stay in Amora before now.”
Archie sighed. “Before now our little plot by the sea was a calm and happy place. But yes. I am very happy. It’s been a long time.”
Mariah smiled at her little brother and finished off her tea. “Thank you, for letting me sit here a moment. I needed the break.”
Archie nodded at her. “You’re finished for the night, then?”
“No, I have one last thing to do.”
When Mariah opened the door to her cluttered and stuffy office, Rose was already sitting in the corner chair, her legs sprawled across the floor.
“Thank you for waiting.” Mariah settled herself behind her desk and met the girl’s eyes. “I hope it wasn’t long.”
Rose shrugged one shoulder in that half-hearted, indifferent way of hers. “I didn’t mind.”
Mariah nodded and leaned back, watching the stoic girl. Rose confused her. There were times it seemed she was willing to stay, wanted to stay, and in those moments Mariah saw the relaxed woman she could be. Then there were moments when it seemed the girl was seconds away from bolting.
Mariah guessed she was at war with herself, but she couldn’t figure out why. Something had happened to her and she’d done things she regretted, Mariah had gleamed that much from Rose, but she was no closer to unraveling her secrets. She held herself so aloof from the others, as if she were used to staying someplace only long enough to be easily forgotten when she left.
“I had hoped to avail myself of your services.”
She watched as Rose’s eyes narrowed the tiniest bit, more of a tightening. “Oh?”
“I need someone to secure our winter uniforms. Our merchant suppliers are two towns south, an easy journey. I’m short officers, and as you’re a merchant’s daughter . . . .” Mariah shrugged. “I thought ‘why not.’ You have time before the ball.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie. She was short officers, with so many delivering the invitations for the ball and the rest patrolling the Amoran border, but there were some she could send. Mariah thought she was starting to see in Rose what Nico must’ve seen. She was stubborn, a little arrogant, secretive, but she was also so very, very afraid. Several times, Mariah had caught the whispering tremor in the girl’s mind. And, she thought, Rose was lonely; perhaps giving her this assignment that had nothing to do with her magic would help her see a place for herself here.
Rose blinked at her, in what Mariah was learning was her shocked face, and looked away before speaking. “Where is this town?”
“A farming village called Marrian.”
Rose swallowed, and Mariah heard the tremor of fear leak from Rose. She took a deep breath and the tang of fear disappeared.
“Do you know it?” Mariah asked softly.
Rose hummed a yes before dragging her eyes back to Mariah. “My father used to get his wool there. I’ve been there often to trade.”
Mariah nodded. “Will you go then?”
Rose licked her lips but nodded.
They only know me as a merchant’s daughter. I never took any other job there. It’ll be fine. Rose’s thoughts bounced around in Mariah’s head and she pursed her lips. “I’ll arrange for a payment to be given you upon your return.”
Rose nodded. “I’ll leave tomorrow if everything else is set.”
Mariah pulled a stack of papers from her drawer and reached across her desk to
hand them to Rose. “Here is what we need. The last page has the budget broken down for you. I’ll arrange for the money to be brought to your room before you leave.”
Rose was already flipping through the pages, murmuring to herself. “All right.” She let herself out of the office without another word.
Chapter 25
Rose paused in front of the old door, aged by time and weather. It had been many, many years since she had stood in front of this door. She took a deep breath and knocked. Rose missed the time when she would come here as nothing more than a trader. The spring weather was always nice, the sheared sheep at the edge of town looking strange without their coats. It was such a simpler time.
The door opened to reveal a weatherworn face covered in a thick white beard. Gareth’s eyes widened when he recognized her. He pushed the door wide and smiled at her.
“Little Rosie. It’s been years!”
Rose smiled and shoved her hands in her pockets. “It has.”
“What are you doing here? I would love to catch up with you, but I heard the king’s Light Horse officer is in town and I—”
“That’s me,” Rose interrupted him. “I’m here to negotiate the trade.”
Gareth folded his arms. “Really now, you’re a king’s man? Since when?”
Rose shook her head. “I’m not. I’m just . . . sort of working for the Light Horse on the side.”
Gareth scoffed. “You’re what?”
Rose waved her hands in the air. “It’s complicated. Simply, they’re paying me to facilitate the deal.”
Gareth snorted and stepped aside. “Well you’re better than the clout they usually send. Let’s get started then, hmm?”
Rose followed him inside and made her way to his office in the back of the small home. As she walked she looked around the house and saw how little it had changed. The familiarity made her smile a little.
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