“Where is the top?” Tanda asked, getting up and going over to him as he pulled up on the tights that were apparently bigger than the pants.
“I was having too much trouble with all those buttons. I don’t even know if I have these things on right, and they are killing my business,” Derek explained, reaching down and trying to adjust himself.
“Well you most certainly cannot do that in front of those where we are going,” Tanda said, slapping his hand.
“I know just how he feels,” Sydney complained, coming in behind Derek in an outfit much like his, only blue. “I think my toe just broke through. Do we really have to wear the leg things?”
“It was the style of the dignitaries in the days of old, and yes, you have to wear them,” Tanda scolded him, taking control of inspecting the fit, as much as she did passing out the clothing. “I’ll find you another pair.” Then she began re-buttoning his shirt.
“I’ll let you deal with these two and go try on my dress,” I said, grabbing the gown she laid out for me and the silly wig that was much bigger than the one the boys had to wear, and quite frankly, I had no idea how I was going to keep it on my head.
I nearly dropped the things in my hands when Tammy and Cates came out of their room when I was going down the hall to mine. Cates wasn’t able to find any clothes that fit, so he had no choice but to go as Tammy’s eunuch slave. I twisted my mouth at the tight black tights and matching vest that only fit his upper chest. Had the legs been billowy, he would have looked like Isa’s servant. Cates had no shoes on and his hair was pulled back with a long black ribbon. “I’ll put his face paint on before we go to the gala,” Tammy winked as we passed. She looked amazing in her hoop skirt that brushed the wall as they walked down the hall. Her large breasts were pushed up so high, that I think the only thing that kept them from spilling out was the extremely tight way the dress fit around the bottom of them. The dress was gold in color with black lace around the waist and over the mounds of her breasts. I turned to look back at them and saw a large, black bow at her back that draped all the way to the bottom of the gown. Cates didn’t turn his head as I walked by, but I did see his arm leave Tammy’s to pull at the intruding material at his backside.
I bit my lower lip to keep from laughing out, and hurried into my and Martin’s room to change. “Back to cause me more pain?” he smiled, bringing back the color to my cheeks that I had temporarily forgotten about. I explained to him what was going on and then went in the bathroom to change. My dress was pale burgundy trimmed in black lace like Tammy’s, down to the bow in the back. My problem wasn’t the tights, but getting the dress buttoned up in the back. The short sleeves, that weren’t much to call sleeves, kept falling off my shoulders as I worked to get the hooks fastened. I must have been cursing louder than I thought because Martin called out to me.
“I’m fine, I just can’t get this stupid thing hooked,” I called back.
“Come in here, so I can see,” he called back to me, causing me to roll my eyes.
“Fine,” I grabbed up the huge bottom and pushed my way past the door.
“You look breathtaking.”
“My hair is everywhere and I don’t even have the dress on good yet,” I stopped to look over at him.
“It is the way your hair falls over the dress that makes you look so beautiful. May I be so bold as to say that I would have you no other way in the gown. Come, let me see if I can help.”
“No, I better get Tammy or someone to help me, Martin. I don’t want you to hurt yourself again,” I replied, not able to make eye contact.
“Come,” he patted the side of the bed. “Hooking the back will not cause me pain, taking the gown off of you might.”
“You just had to say that didn’t you?”
“I could not help myself, now come,” he repeated, smiling so wide I could see the white shine of his fangs.
“How do you feel?” I asked, sitting down with my back to him. “You look better every time I come in the room.”
“We heal fast,” he said, running his fingers across my back, causing me to close my eyes. “Would you mind pulling your hair to the side?”
“Oh sure,” I said catching my breath, reaching up and baring my back by pulling my hair to the side.
“And your feet?” I was saying anything to keep my mind off of the feel of his hands grazing the flesh on my back as he hooked the dress.
“I fear it will be some time before I am able to use them again. But the rest should be fine before you need to put this gown on again,” he replied, with his voice so soft the impact made me swallow loudly. “There, now stand and let me see how you look.”
I took in a deep breath and let it out as I got to my feet. I threw my hair back as I turned around and frowned as he shook his head. “What? Should I find another one?” He just smiled and shook his head. “Well, say something. Does it fit right?” I asked, looking down at myself. I glanced to my right seeing myself in the mirror and began trying to unhook the back. “I’ll find another one. It’s too tight anyway.”
“You will wear that one. I have never seen you look so exquisite.”
“Are you sure? You don’t think it’s too tight across my chest?”
“I do not mean to embarrass you, but you need take your hand and reach in and pull your breasts up, or if you would like, I can do it for you?” he lifted one side of his mouth and reached out with one hand.
“I think I can handle that,” I replied, turning my back to him and reached in until I had them situated correctly, then turned back around for his approval.
“Perfection.”
The way he said that one word made me look back in the mirror. My breasts were small but stood mounded over the top curve of the neck line, reminding me of the dress that Yvette had put me in the night she fooled me into thinking I was her special guest, only to find out that I was being placed on the auction block to be sold to the highest bidder.
“Why such a long look on your face, my love?” he asked, holding his hand out to me. I walked over and sat down on the bed, trying not to remember, but the thought kept flooding my mind with the horror that happened.
“I wish you could read my mind, than I wouldn’t have to ever talk about what happened in Cuba,” I replied unable to look at him.
“You never have to talk about anything that you wish not to,” he said, lifting my chin. “We have all of eternity, time enough for the worst of all memories to fade.”
“You have to understand that I could and will die fighting to stop this, Martin.”
“Will you not come to my home in France after you and your people have dealt with London?”
“How can I? The elders have these assassins after us and until we stop them, your home or no other home will be safe.”
“You are so brave. Had I had your strength this may have been different many years ago.”
“There is something you could do for me, something more important than my own life.”
“I would walk the sun for you, Renee. You need but ask, and I will bow at your feet,” he replied, picking up my hand and kissing the back, then bringing the palm to his cheek. “I will even fight at you side.”
“I want you to take Johnny and Shyanna back to France with you until this is all over with…”
“But…”
“Please, hear me out. I will come to you after we put the elders down, Martin. We can live as a family. We can raise Johnny as our own and deal with his age when it happens. I need you to do this for me.” I leaned down on his chest, looking him right in the eyes. “Your legs may never heal the way you need them to, to fight, and I won’t see you go through this again, ever. I need to know my family is safe so I can do what I do best.”