The sky had been light for an hour or so. Painted with washes of gold and pink it was cloudless and so the city was cold. Lilia watched as her breath turned to mist and dissipated as she studied the practice mannequin before her. The night before had been the opening ball of the seasons, and she had agreed to dress as the noble daughter her mother dreamt of.
If her mother saw her now, she would be horrified. Elaborate curled and pinned hair had been replaced with a simple braid that ran down her back. Corsetry and skirts exchanged for a pair of well fitting dark brown leggings, a shirt of dove grey and a warm woollen jerkin of forest green over the top. She also wore a knitted hat of green, pulled over her ears for warmth.
It didn’t matter that frost coated the court yard where she stood
