Chapter 2-1
1059 Words
2
The beige silk slip was light, almost weightless. That, and the fact it was way too pajama-like, made me feel rather uncomfortable in the big changing room, as seamstresses bustled around me, taking this or that measurement.
"Why do I have to get a corset, again?" I asked Yllana, my friend, who was sitting on the sofa, paging through a magazine, while I stood there, in the middle of the room.
"Because you need one," she said and patted herself. "I wear one. Everybody wears one. While you might prefer bras, you can't wear fashionable dresses without a corset. They just won't look good on you."
"But I don't want to be squeezed like a sausage," I complained. "Or have problems breathing. I want to run if I need to."
With all the problems I had, I needed the mobility.
"Wearing a corset shouldn't mean tight lacing," Yllana said, shrugging. "You won't have problems breathing, that is, if you don't squeeze yourself like some people do. It will just remove all the creases and folds. And besides, if you have problems running, it won't be because of the corset. It will be because of the heels or wide skirts. Those are a bigger problem for running than corsets."
"I don't want to wear those, either," I said.
"I understand," Yllana said, nodding. "But choose one. You can only get away with ignoring one of those items. If running is a priority, I recommend ditching the heels. It's not like you need them, as tall as you are."
At 5'5'' I wasn't very tall, but not petite, either. Not on Earth, not in Marn. I was exactly average. Yllana, on the other hand, was on the smaller side. Which is why she thought I was tall.
"I've ignored two so far," I said, "and it's been fine. I didn't wear heels to the ball, nor a corset."
"You just came to Marn, you were just introduced as a member of the Morad family," Yllana said. "They could forgive you the eccentricity since you didn't know better. Now, though, you have to dress like the rest of us."
Wearing heels, as bad as it is, sounded better than wearing a corset. I prefer discomfort in my feet to an inability to breathe. Besides, I can always ditch the shoes if I need to run. Ditching the corset would be harder. That's what I told Yllana.
"For goodness' sake, Amy, just try it," she said, setting the magazine aside, exasperated. I had probably rattled her too much today, with my constant complaints. "Your entire idea of corsets seems to come from rumors and fear-mongering. Corsets aren't that bad. Many women live just fine with them. Besides, yours will be custom made, with the lightest material, molded to your figure. You'll see it's much more comfortable than it seems. You can always change your opinion after you get one made."
Yllana was my first (and so far, only) friend in Marn. She was also my guide to the local culture, helping me get used to it all. And I was being a total jerk to her.
"I'm sorry, Yllana," I said, sitting by her side, adjusting my slip so the skirt wouldn't leave my thighs too exposed. "I'm just uncomfortable. And worried. There are so many things on my mind right now. It's hard."
"I have things on my mind, too," Yllana said.
"About the new semester?" I asked.
She nodded.
Yllana was attending the distance department in the magical academy, in her ethereal form, while her body slept. This was the only format available to scholarship students. Her family could afford the payment, but they weren't too happy with her learning magic. She was so far managing to keep it secret from them, although her brother was getting suspicious of her.
"We're starting on Monday," she said. "And my family is looking for a husband for me."
"I thought it wasn't so easy for higher mages," I said. "And you needed to pass a compatibility test."
"Sure," Yllana said, nodding. "But most people don't just go out and kiss a guy to see if he's compatible. It doesn't work like that. Before we do that, they perform many calculations to find suitable candidates, and then we meet to see how it works. Only after a long enough period of courtship do we test for compatibility. Your situation with Martinus is highly unusual."
"But you will still come to the classes, right?" I asked. "Since they're at night for you, you can still come?"
Yllana lived in a different time zone.
"Yes," Yllana said. "But it will be much harder to study. I won't be able to sneak in some study time."
"Why don't you just tell them you want to study?" I asked. "If money is the problem…"
She shook her head.
"No," she said. "Money isn't the problem. But my family has enough influence to kick me out of the academy."
"Your brother didn't seem so bad," I said.
She nodded with a faint smile.
"If it was only Teyo I had to deal with, I could convince him," she said. "But my parents are a tougher nut to c***k. They're very conservative. They wouldn't understand why I want to work when they can offer me this safe, worry-free life."
I extended my hand to hers, trying to console her.
"I can't help you with that," I said. "Since I never had issues with my mother. But if you ever need my help, I'm here for you. I'm sorry I've been a lousy friend lately. I had so much on my mind, I forgot about your problems."
"Oh, don't worry about that," Yllana said, waving her hand dismissively. "You are already helping me a lot. My mother thinks you're a good influence, being engaged so quickly and all that. She hopes you might rub it on me. Being able to go out for a bit is already helpful enough."
She straightened, squaring her shoulders, and smiled.
"Now, I don't think just one model will be enough," she said, and pulled me up, examining me again. "We should order several, so you can give it a fair shot." She called one seamstress with a gesture, and opened the catalog, pointing at several models. "How about this one for daily wear?"
I grumbled, but Yllana was implacable. In the end, I folded, allowing her to dress me as she wished.
With all the money I now had, I could afford to buy stuff I wouldn't use to please a friend.
- Writer
