Fine Feast

"There!" Constance stepped back and admired her handiwork. Emma's long, golden-brown hair had been trimmed to get rid of the split ends and pulled back into a ponytail, her bangs laying across her brow above her stormy blue eyes.

"W-What is this?" Emma gasped, touching the clothes curiously with her fingertips. Her tunic and breeches were light as gauze, softer than silk, and felt more like she was nude rather than fully clothed. The clothes clung to what little curves she had like a lover, soft and yielding but snug and comforting. Even her knee-high boots felt as if they were barely there. The whole ensemble was colored a red so deep it was almost black.

"You are now the proud owner of one of the rarest suits of armor ever created," Constance chuckled. "It's magically crafted wyvern leather enhanced with a dye called crimson midnight, made from the mors purpea flower, which only blooms once every fifteen years on a mountainside in the far north." Constance snapped an intricate silver bracelet around Emma's right wrist. Emma gaped at the bracelet as it flared with a deep red glow. She felt a tingling sensation on her skin for a second before the light died and the bracelet sat on her wrist, glinting in the light. "If you could sell it, you'd be able to buy a pretty decent-sized mansion with the proceeds."

"W-What?" Emma gasped. "I-I shouldn't have this! This is too precious for someone like me!"

"You have too low an opinion of yourself, sweety," Constance soothed. "Regardless of what you think, though, it's yours now. The bracelet has locked the armor to you. Only you can remove it, and only you can trigger its magic."

"I don't know what you mean…" Emma glanced at the bracelet, then back to Constance in confusion.

"Do you see those two stones in the bracelet?" Constance gestured to the bracelet and Emma nodded, running the tip of her right index finger over the delicate gems, one on top was a deep blood red, the other on the underside a deep black onyx. "Press the black one."

Emma did as she was instructed. A moment later the armor she was wearing flared with what could only be called a light as dark as midnight, and her armor vanished as if it had never been, and she was staring down at her own nude body.

"Oh, Goddess!" she squeaked in surprise and clapped one arm over her small breasts while her hand covered her suddenly exposed sex.

"I'm so sorry!" Constance laughed. "I should have warned you."

"I'm naked!" Emma exclaimed needlessly.

"P-Push the red gem," Constance managed to get out through her gasping laughter. Emma hesitated for a moment before pressing the other gem, and her body was bathed in a deep crimson glow for a moment before the armor reappeared as if it had never gone.

"W-What's going on?" Emma stammered, not daring to move her arms in case the armor vanished again.

"It's one of the things that make the armor so valuable, love," Constance managed through her giggles. "I'm sorry! I should have warned you! I forgot!" Emma glared at her for a moment, doubting her sincerity due to how hard she was laughing. "Once the bracelet is locked and tuned to you, the armor can be summoned and un-summoned using those gems. The bracelet gives it its magical properties. Without it, the armor is simply well-built but utterly average leather armor. With the inclusion of the bracelet, the armor is truly special.

"Special?" Emma, content the armor wasn't simply going to vanish again, relaxed slightly.

"It will guard you from most magic, at least for a time. It will protect against both bullets and blades and help you stay hidden should the need arise," Constance replied. "Obviously, it's not invulnerable, but it'll help keep you alive if the worst happens."

"Why?" Emma stared at herself in the mirror. She looked a far cry from the haunted girl that had been huddled in the desolate alley of the River District, waiting for death.

"That's kind of a broad question." Constance grinned at her. "Oh, good! Your ears are pierced already!"

"Why go to this trouble for worthless street trash?"

"You may be many things, and will definitely be far more than you could ever imagine, but worthless is not one of them." The deep sapphire studs, one in each of Emma's ears shimmered in the light. "In fact, I would go so far as to say you're probably the most valuable person in the Empire at this point in time. You look amazing!"

"I don't understand." Emma shook her head.

"You don't have to, yet," Constance reassured her. "There's plenty of time for all that later."

"Are you sure it's ok I have these things?" Emma asked nervously as Constance played with her bangs.

"Not only is it ok, but I insist!" Constance giggled.

"Are you ready to get some dinner?"

"Yes!" Emma smiled brightly, frightened of getting used to this sort of treatment but determined to enjoy it while it was available.

Emma sat nervously at the table in the main dining hall of Edgemoor as the group of men and women rushed to and fro beneath the candles of the giant chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling. While Kiley was noticeably absent, Constance directed the flow of food and people like an orchestra conductor until the long table was nearly covered in plates and bowls and serving dishes with food. None of which Emma could remember ever having seen before, but all of which made her ravenously hungry.

Eventually, the finishing touches had been put on the meal to Constance's satisfaction and the chairs around the table began to fill. Kiley finally came in from outside and took a seat next to Emma and the meal began in earnest. Soon, Emma's plate began to fill with meat and vegetables. Before long, her plate overflowed with such delectable fare, she had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

The conversation died out quickly, replaced by the clinking of silverware on fine crockery as the food was devoured. Emma wasn't sure where to start, so she simply began by sampling each item on her plate. Everything was delicious, and before she knew it, most of the food on her plate was gone. She leaned back in her chair, fuller than she could ever remember being.

There was, she had to admit, more than a bit of incredulity at the fact any of this was happening. She kept expecting to blink once a bit too long and find herself back on the streets, freezing to death. Or, worse yet, them finding out she was not who they assumed she was and finding herself buried so far in the Empress' dungeons that no one would ever see her again.

"Storm's comin' in," Kiley declared, pushing herself away from the table and leaning back in her chair, a glass of rose-colored wine in her hand.

"Not surprising," Constance answered. "The Witch came early this year. It's going to be a hard winter."

"In more ways than one," Kiley chuckled. Constance cocked an eyebrow at the redhead but said nothing.

"It'll make it harder to patrol." Barrister shook his head ruefully. "Certainly exponentially harder, given how short-handed we are."

"It couldn't be helped." Constance shrugged. "The world doesn't revolve around our schedule. Charlotte can't send any reinforcements. Once Evangeline arrives, we'll have all we're going to get." 

Emma tried to remember where she'd heard the name Charlotte, before suddenly realizing Constance had to be talking about Charlotte Griffin, the spymistress of the Empire. She'd heard stories of the woman on the streets. Few of them ended happily.

"I didn't say we couldn't do it," Barrister pointed out. "I simply said it would be more difficult."

"I'll leave it in your hands, then," she replied.

"How was dinner?" Kiley asked Emma with a grin.

"I've never had anything nearly as good," Emma answered truthfully. "Thank you so much!"

"There's no need t' thank us." Kiley waved her hand dismissively. "Yer our newest member. It's a celebration t' welcome ye properly inta th' fold."

"Member?" Emma cocked her head curiously. "I don't understand."

"Perhaps you shouldn't lead with ridiculous things like that," Constance chastised Kiley. The redhead shrugged and drank her wine down, quickly pouring another glass.

"I think it's story time, Connie," Kiley prompted. "Then Emma here'll be able t' unnerstand the situation a bit better."

"It's Constance." The dark-haired woman scowled. "But you're right. It's time to give our new friend some answers."

"Yer no' gonna do it are ye?" Kiley rolled her eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Constance demanded.

"Yer jus' so dry when you tell things!" Kiley whined.

"This isn't a puppet show in High Town." Constance growled in displeasure. "If we need to bring in the fool, I'll be sure to call you."

"I didna mean 't like tha'!" Kiley desperately tried to backtrack. "An' I'm no' a fool! I'm jus'-" Constance shot Kiley a look, and immediately the redhead quieted.