Page 34 of Night's Fall
He nodded again, this time more than once, “Yearof theDragon, thirteen twenty-four.Artwas interesting then, most of it rough, due to the rudimentary implements and materials they had to use.Inever noticed it, butIcan imagine the artists didn’t tend to spend a good deal of time documenting what people were wearing.”
“No,Ican get a sense of that,”Itold him. “It’sthe troll skin that’s throwing me.”
As my work had wont to do, and since we were talking about it,Igot into it.Iset my schooner on the table and reached for some swatchesI’dbeen trying, and failing to make work.
I fanned out the leathery, scaly, spiky pieces in my fingers and flapped them at him.
“I’ve seen you and your brothers wearing the troll skins, but only in pics.Thehero appears in one in the final scene, the big climax that shares he was victorious, and he has the skin to prove it.Notto mention, theSFXpeople need a direction to go with building the creatures.Iwant to get it right, butIcan’t get the feel of it.Ijust know none of these are it.”
I tossed the swatches onto the table and kept blathering.
“Troll skin is so valuable, none of it’s on display.I’vebeen to theMuséedeVêtementsIdon’t know how many times.Millions?”Iasked with maybe a slight exaggeration, butIdidn’t expect him to answer.
I was on a roll.
“They have garments from the thirteen hundreds, even before.I’ma member, and friend of a few of the curators.Theyallow me to get close, touch, examine, look at the stitching, the fabric weaving, the fastenings, etcetera.Butthe limited troll skin they have is kept under lock and key.Theynever take it out.I’vemagnified some of the pics of you and your brothers wearing them, but, it might sound weird,Ineed to see it up close.Feelit, not only to feel the designI’mgoing to make, but howI’mgoing to create the textile to make it.”
“Laura.”
My name was not only human, but old-fashioned.I’dnever really liked it.Ithought it was feminine, but plain.
Sliding alongPrinceAleksei’ssilk to my ears, it was the most beautiful nameIever heard.
I looked from the swatches to him.
He said nothing.
I said nothing.
He tipped his head to the side, but still said nothing.
“What?”Iasked.
“I know someone who could not only allow you access to a troll skin, but also allow you to touch it.”
Was he…?
HolyHecate!
“Would you…you woulddo that?”
His beautiful full lips curved upward. “Ofcourse.”
“That would be…it’d be…Ican’t…”Pullyourself together,Laura! “Thatwould be amazing, your, uh…highness.Iwould sign something if you need me to.Iwon’t take pics, obviously.Iwould never do anything to harm?—”
“Aleksei.”
“Sorry?”
“My name isAleksei,Laura.”
Why was he telling me that?
“I know.”
“You called me your highness.”
“Yes, because you’re that too.”
