You Are Mine (27 page)

“
Hah!” Waverly
says.

“
Envadi servants aren't
like the ones from here.” Bethany's quiet voice sounds for the
first time.

We all look at Waverly who blushes.
“Sorry.”

Everyone bursts out laughing, except
Waverly, but she quickly joins. The topic drifts back to the ball.
The girls soon have lost me with the details. So many things to
plan, but I can't manage to keep track of them.

“
Serena?”

I glance up at Katherine. “I'm sorry,
what was that?”

“
I said I've finished
altering a gown if you'd like to take it home. You're welcome to
try it on.”

“
You work fast. I'm sure
it will fit fine.”

“
Try it on,” Bethany says.
“I'd love to see what another one is like.”

“
Why don't you?” Zade
asks. I stare at him and he grins at me. “I'd like to see it as
well.”

That's as good as an order, yet I know
I'm blushing because of it. Asserting himself is coming a little
too naturally. But that must mean he does want to see me in it. “I
suppose I could.”

“
Please make yourselves
comfortable, Chancellor, girls. Let Mavis know if you need
anything,” Katherine says. “Waverly and I'll have Serena back
soon.”

She leads Waverly and me back to the
changing room. Katherine hands me a gown.

“
You can change in there,”
she points to a curtained off section of the room,

The dressing area has a small chair
and a place to hang my current dress. I change, still amazed at how
quickly I can manage, and by myself. I step out.

Waverly claps her hands.
“Wonderful.”

“
Yes, the fit is better. I
added holes in all your right pockets so you could get your
gun.”

“
My gun? I don't have
one.” I put my hand in my right pocket, and sure enough there's a
hole big enough to pull out a gun.

”
Chancellor Zade's
orders.” He must have been more serious than I thought about making
me learn. I lock my jaw as Katherine continues. “There's a mirror
you can use.” She points to a full length mirror to the side,
standing on a black frame. Anxious to see, I step to it.

“
It does look good.” The
maroon material hugs me, but gives with my movements until my waist
where it flares and flows to the floor. “I should go show my
sisters.”

“
And the Chancellor,”
Katherine says.

What will Zade think of me? I don't
move from in front of the mirror.

Katherine says, “I know you don't want
to marry, but you can't change it now.” She comes closer to me and
adjusts my sleeve, whispering, “Unless there's something you want
me to help you with?”

She did offer to help me escape. But
the offer seems even less appealing than it did before, if it would
actually even work. “No.”

A mischievous grin transforms her
face. “What if you tried to make him fall in love with
you?”

The memory of his lips on mine, makes
my hands shake. “What do you mean?”

“
You're dressed nice. We
could do your hair a little fancier and give you some face paint.
If you did that more often and then spent some time with him, try
to find something you have in common.”

I play with the hem of my
sleeve.

“
Maybe love is too strong
of a word. But you could at least be friends.”

Friends. With a warlock?

“
Do you really not want to
marry him?”

Whatever I say, Waverly could tell
him. Yet, he said I could trust her. Even if she does tell, it
won't change anything. She's been oddly silent during the whole
exchange. I watch her from the corner of my eye. She's paying very
close attention.

“
No. I don't want to be
married at all. Whether to him or someone else. It's not what I
would choose for myself or my sisters. Not that women really have a
choice. The thing is...”

“
Go on,” Katherine says.
They both look so concerned, like they really want to
know.

I stare at the dress in the mirror. It
laces across the front, allowing me to dress myself. Giving me the
freedom, unless someone catches me breaking rules. Deep inside, my
feelings burst. “You're right, Katherine, I don't want to be
married, but things are different than I expected. He's never hurt
me, at least not intentionally. Zade's rather kind. He's given me a
lot of space and freedom.”

And how I feel around him. I don't
want to think what that means. I pick up my skirt. “And apparently
helped pay for clothes that I didn't need, but wanted. The freedom
is wonderful, but it feels sort of false. He still owns me. Nothing
will change that. How can I be friends with someone who owns
me?”

I force a laugh. “Listen to me
complain when I don't even have to work. I'm sorry. If I could
change things for the two of you, I would.”

“
Oh posh,” Katherine says.
“I'm as free as I can be and you've already helped me more than you
think.”

“
And I wanted to be here,”
Waverly says. “The laws aren't what I'd like. My mother almost
fainted when I told her, but it was my choice.”

Does that mean the laws are different
in Envado?

“
See,” Katherine says.
“You're only telling us what we asked for. Now, we can't do
anything about him owning you, but we can make him glad he does,
which should make things better for you. The closer you get to him,
the less you'll be a possession.”

“
We shouldn't make her if
she doesn't want to,” Waverly says.

Katherine catches my gaze in the
mirror. “What do you say, Serena?”

I lick my lips. “I suppose it wouldn't
hurt.”

A grin spreads across her face.
“Waverly, will you redo her hair? I've seen some of the things
Envadi do with hair. Don't let her get away with this severe bun
thing anymore. I'll grab some face paint.”

Chapter
Twenty-Five

F
ifteen minutes later, my hair is braided and twisted around
the back of my head, with a few wisps left by my face. Not a style
seen in Chardonia. My face paint is subtle, but makes my eyes look
bigger, my mouth a little redder, and my cheeks as if I'm blushing.
It looks good.

“
Why don't you go out so
you can see his face when she comes out?” Waverly
suggests.

“
Yes, all right,”
Katherine says. “You can do this, Serena. Don't forget to
smile.”

After she hurries out the door,
Waverly says, “You really don't have to do this if you don't want
to.”

Part of me really wants to and part of
me is shying away. I shrug. “You've already transformed me. If I
don't want to do more than that, I won't.”

Her lips tighten. “Be careful.” She
opens the door and I follow her through the hall. When we reach the
receiving room, she holds up a hand for me to wait and
enters.

“
May I present Serena,
Master Zade.”

Does she know she broke protocol by
announcing my name first? No corrections are forthcoming. At least
not in front of everyone. I try to calm my nerves, but my hands
start shaking. I paste a smile on my face like Katherine said to
and step into the room. My sisters look at me, but I watch Zade.
His expression changes to something I don't recognize. After a few
moments, he scowls. As soon as he does, I want to scowl back, but
decide to pretend like it doesn't bother me. Dressing up feels
good, I don't have to let him ruin it.

Zade's hand bunches into a fist on his
lap. “Have you drank that tea again?”

“
What? No.” Where is this
coming from?

“
Then someone slipped it
to you.”

“
Zade,” Waverly says,
“I've been with her and no one gave her anything. She didn't eat or
drink while we were back there.”

His eyes never leave mine. “Is this
true?”

“
It is.”

“
Then why is your face
paint different, and your hair? Why are you smiling?”

The smile falls from my face. I made
the wrong choice. I knew there was something awry with smiling. And
the hair and face paint. Why did I let them talk me into it?
Waverly hides her face behind her hands and Katherine chuckles.
Them finding humor in the situation makes my muscles
tense.

“
Forgive me,” I say. “I
was pleased with the new dress.”

“
Oh.” His face pinks a bit
and he sits back on the sofa. “Oh.” He stares at nothing and shakes
his head. “You're never like this. The smile, never. And when you
do, it's so rare and quick.” I rarely smile? “I thought...I'm a
complete idiot.”

“
No need to worry about
that, Master Zade,” Waverly says.

For a moment his scowl deepens before
lightening. “It's a nice dress. Your hair is good, too.”

“
Waverly styled it
differently.”

He grins at her. “I like
it.”

I'm still trying to get over him
calling himself an idiot again to think what their banter means,
but a tiny knot forms in my stomach. Maybe he likes Waverly's
styling, but not me trying it.

“
Please, sit,” he says.
“There's no need for everyone to stay on their feet.”

As Waverly and Katherine find their
seats, I take my place back on the couch. I'm still overly aware of
his presence next to me, but now it's charged with my
failings.

“
The dress really is nice,
Miss Katherine,” Zade says. “It's good of you and Waverly to put a
smile on her face. Sorry I was so surprised at it.”

“
Thank you. It was a
pleasure making it for her and Waverly has a hidden talent for
doing hair.”

Waverly shrugs. “It's how we do hair
at home, just what I was asked to do.”

“
Well, it's good.” Zade
leans toward her a moment, then seems to catch himself and leans
back. The knot in my stomach multiplies. “Tell us, Miss Katherine,
where do you get ideas for your dresses? I'm not overly familiar
with women's fashions, but I can tell these are different from
usual Chardonian dresses.”

“
Please do tell,” Cynthia
says. “I love what you've done.”

While she talks, I grab a biscuit and
nibble on it

“
There's not much to tell,
I'm afraid. Most of my ideas come from mixing what the tarnished
have with what the wives wear. More practical, yet still beautiful.
A few things from other countries. Where ever I can find
inspiration.”

“
No one's done it yet,
though,” Cynthia says.

“
A few have tried. Not
exactly like my designs, but similar. None have
succeeded.”

“
I for one hope you do,”
Zade says. “You've done well. We'll have to see what we can do to
get Serena to show the dresses off.”

“
I was thinking of wearing
them while delivering some of the invites,” I say.

“
Splendid idea,” he
responds.

Katherine's face lights up. “That'd be
kind. Thank you.”

“
Do you have any other
designs we haven't seen yet?” Cynthia asks.

“
Mostly variations on
things you've already seen, but there's one other
thing.”

“
What is it?”

“
I'm not sure I should
say.” She eyes Zade.

“
Go ahead. I won't get
after you for having ideas.”

She shifts in her chair. “I've made a
few pairs of female britches.”

My sisters and I all gasp. Waverly
laughs. “We wear those all the time.”

Even if they do it in Envado, it
certainly isn't done here. All of Katherine's ideas have turned out
to be good, but this one I don't think I'll ever like. Besides,
society would never allow it.

“
I had heard Envadi woman
wear them,” she says. “That's why I made some.”

Zade says, “Perhaps you can talk these
three into trying some.”

“
I'll see what I can do.”
Katherine laughs.

“
I think the gardens will
look lovely for the ball,” I say, desperately trying to change to
subject. I can't imagine wearing breeches. Having those things
clinging to my legs all day, I don't think I could stand it. And
such little material? Hardly fitting for a woman.

Talk of the ball resumes. Which girls
we went to class with that we should invite. Who of them is likely
to come. What will they likely wear. The talking continues so long,
the girls soon have me lost with all the details again. I
yawn.

Zade stands, causing the conversation
to halt. “You ladies carry on, I'm going to run some errands while
in town.”

As soon as he finishes, they continue,
but I say, “Yes, Master,” and look him right in the eye, silently
pleading for him to take me with.

“
I told
you
—
”
his expression lightens, before becoming stern, “woman, that you
weren't leaving my side today. Stop being lazy and let's
go.”