Page 31 of Under the Lion Star

“Won’t that show off everything underneath?” I argued.

“Gods, Alda,” she sighed. “You don’t wear anything underneath.”

“Anything?” I squeaked.

“Can you relax? You’re a grown woman, and we’re going somewhere that will be full of other women wanting to stand out. How do you hope to attract male attention if you wear something forgettable?”

“I’m not trying to get male attention,” the words came through my clenched jaw. “I’m trying to gorge on enough food that I don’t need to eat for the next month.”

“Then this dress is perfect!” Lina smiled. “The ribbons have more give than a seam, so you can binge yourself into unconsciousness and still look like a lady.”

My hands scrubbed over my face; my mind being driven to madness by the circular argument I had found myself in.

“Alright, get the thing on me, but you’re doing my hair because,” I paused, my brain stuttering as I studied the dress. “Because I’m older, and I said so.”

Lina rolled her eyes but pulled the slip off over my head. Silly me for assuming I would be wearing underwear to a royal function.

Guiding my feet into the gown, Lina moved it up my body. The only mercy that my sisters had allowed was a high neckline. In their defense, there wasn’t much to show off from the front.

I looked over my shoulder at the mirror.

With an ass like this, who needs tits?

Admittedly, the dress was lovely. A blue so dark it appeared nearly black. Pearls had been sewn into the bodice and dispersed down the skirt. I looked like the night sky. The straps tied behind my neck, making me feel that I was wearing a collar and little else.

While the bodice was tight, I pulled at the front to see if Lina’s assurances about the expansion capabilities of the ribbons were true. I cursed under my breath, realizing she had made a gown ideal for overeating.

The skirt was loose but not layered, so I’d be able to fit through doorways. Always a nice touch. Lina’s deft fingers quickly adjusted the ribbons and tied them off in a large bow at the base of my spine.

“Alright,” I groaned. “I love it.”

Lina gave a satisfied smirk but said nothing. I knew I was in good hands with her and Yunia.

“Gods, I’m good,” she hummed, running her eyes over my frame.

“Nima’s dress?” I asked, hoping I wouldn’t be the only member of the Helner clan who was so exposed.

“Similar design but in burgundy. Better for pink hair.”

I nodded. One thing I never had to consider was how different colors looked with my hair. Being a pale white, it rarely clashed with any wardrobe.

“Sit,” Lina waved her hand toward my vanity.

While I preferred to wear my hair down for formal occasions and in a braid down my back at every other time, I knew that Lina had something more elaborate in mind when she pulled out approximately nine million hair pins from the drawer in front of us.

She got to work, creating an intricate braid that started on top of my head and trailed down into a low bun. It looked effortless despite how long it took her to complete.

“Updo so you don’t get food in your hair,” Lina met my eyes in the mirror and winked.

“You’ve thought of everything.”

“It’s hard being this incredible,” she sighed.

The two of us waited in the entry for our sisters to finish getting ready. Nima and I laughed at each other in the foyer, both of us unfamiliar with the amount of skin suddenly exposed. Mom fretted over the two of us, along with the twins, wiping tears from her eyes as if we were achieving some milestone in life. Dad only frowned.

He’d arranged for a carriage to take the five of us to the event, leaving our mother to comfort Mera and Zara, who were still a bit miffed that they weren’t allowed to attend. I slid onto the bench seat next to Nima, holding the slit of the gown that ran to my mid-thigh closed the best that I could.

“Let’s get this over with,” my father sighed as the carriage lurched to a stop outside the castle entrance.

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