Eri let out a grunt as a strap was tightened on her back. Yet, despite the uncomfortable pressure she was feeling, she was rather excited. Her new dress, the one she would be wearing for her marriage and coronation, was beautiful.

There was only one slight problem, however.

It exposed more of her skin than she was used to. That did not mean she didn't love it, but it did make her worry about what everyone else would think. Especially Felix…

The most eye-catching part of the dress was her stomach. It was exposed, supposedly to symbolize that she was already carrying the next heir to the throne.

She rolled her eyes at the thought. Yeah right. I don't have a baby bump yet and, let's face it, Haldria made this dress. She has a certain…taste.

But, she had to give the leatherworker credit. Despite how risque the concept sounded, the execution was flawless. It was something a dwarven mastercrafter would be proud of…

"There we go!" Haldria shouted, clapping her hands together with glee. "I think that is the last adjustment!"

Several women stepped away from Eri, most of whom she did not know. There were two exceptions, three if you counted Haldria. The first was Chief Mari and the other was Niri, with the kobold having proved to be the most useful out of the bunch while the Chief merely watched from the sides like a sentry.

The 'fitting' of the dress itself had started out simple enough. Eri had to strip completely for the dress to fit properly. There were no men present within the tent they used, but she still felt embarrassed. This was a first for her, though, having never been assisted with dressing.

But that's when the fun started.

Haldria was a perfectionist. Every small and minor detail that was wrong meant Eri had to take off the dress only for the leatherworker to make adjustments. Then, once satisfied, the dress went back on.

This cycle repeated over the course of the morning and into mid-afternoon, taking up a good chunk of Eri's day. A day that had already started out interestingly enough…

I wonder how things went with Oralyn? Unfortunately, she had been so busy and distracted, she hadn't gotten a chance to check in with Felix.

"Your Majesty, if you would like to step up to the mirror and see for yourself," Haldria suggested, breaking Eri from her thoughts.

I'll just have to find out in a little bit… She was quickly guided over to a large, perfectly crafted mirror. It was a gift from the dwarves, something only they could have made. Though, in fairness, the manor does have mirrors similar to this– Oh my!

Her thought was interrupted as she came to a stop before the mirror, her image reflecting every detail. She gave a slight turn for inspection, not believing what she was seeing.

The dress itself started off a deep, rich blue. It matched her eyes and heavily contrasted her red hair. It shouldn't have worked but somehow it did. Like fire and water coexisting together…

However, the deep blue became lighter and lighter as it progressed down the dress, until it reached her feet. There, it became almost white, giving off the impression that she were walking upon the clouds themselves.

Pulling her eyes back up, Eri noted the other details. The dress was sleeveless, exposing her shoulders. The upper part of her chest was left exposed as well and showed off her cleavage.

That part hadn't concerned her much, she was used to that. However, her face reddened as she saw her exposed stomach. And, while her 'normal' clothes tended to expose more of her skin than what some would consider proper, she found them useful.

For most of her life she had spent her time traveling, first in search of Aluin and then with him. She traveled light, and her clothing had reflected that. She wore nothing that would slow her down or snag upon brush.

This… This dress however? Her exposed stomach? That didn't serve a function. It was a statement, one that shouted: "Look at me!"

In an ironic twist, she suddenly felt indecent. Too embarrassed to even look at herself anymore, she whipped around and gave Haldria a pleading look.

"Do… Do you think you can do something about this?" she asked, trying not to let her embarrassment show. It didn't work.

Haldria frowned. "What's wrong? You think your exposed stomach is too much?" There was a slight hint of disappointment in the woman's voice.

Eri gave a hesitant nod. "This…is meant for my wedding and coronation…"

"But, I think you look good in it." The dejection was much more noticeable this time.

She turned her gaze onto Mari. "W-what do you think?"

The Chief frowned, but before she could say anything the leatherworker interrupted, her excitement returning. "I know! Why not bring in Felix?! I'm sure he will love it!"

That's what I'm afraid of… I'm worried about what he might say. Eri bit her lip. She had wanted Felix to see the dress, to get his opinion, but this was pushing it.

Everything alright? the man in question whispered into her mind. Apparently, her emotions were leaking out through the bond.

Might as well get this over with, she thought to herself before releasing a sigh. She turned her mind to him. Yeah, I'll have someone come and get you in just a few moments.

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She brought her attention back to Haldria. "Alright, fine… Chief Mari?"

The Chief suddenly appeared at her side, a hand subtly resting on the hilt of one of her knives. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Please go and fetch Felix for me. He should be waiting just outside the tent."

Mari's hand fell away from the knife before she gave a bow. "As you wish…" In the blink of an eye, she was gone.

She suddenly felt someone pat her on the shoulder. It was Haldria and she was back to looking completely confident.

"Trust me, I know what men like. He will love it."

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Between what Chief Herrin had revealed to him and now Eri's nervous emotions, Felix found himself in a rather conflicted mood. On one hand he wanted to learn more from the Chief but his soon-to-be wife came first, and she was starting to feel stressed.

So, as Mari made her appearance and led him through the tent's entrance, he couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Your Majesty, I've brought Felix as you requested," the Chief announced with no emotion. It creeped Felix out…

He came to a stop before a group of women, all them blocking his view. But he could sense her, he could feel her closeness. And it worried him as her emotions spiked once more.

He contemplated peering into Eri's mind, but decided against it. She was trying to hide something from him.

"Has something happened?" he whispered to the nearest woman, one he was unfamiliar with.

"Her Majesty is worried about the dress." She let out a sigh. "I feared this would happen…"

Felix raised an eyebrow, from what he knew Eri was rather excited about the dress. What changed?

He soon got his answer.

The crowd of women parted and revealed a stunning sight. There, standing in front of a mirror, was Eri. She was clad in her new leather dress, one that accentuated every part of her body.

It was bold, very bold, especially for someone who would soon be crowned Queen. Yet, the dress worked for her. Perhaps, a little too well…

Felix couldn't help but feel his heart race as his jaw slackened and fell to the floor. He was stunned, smitten by her beauty, and he couldn't help but fall in love with her all over again.

But, his expression and stunned silence only sent the wrong message. Eri slowly faced him, her fear mounting. She quickly clutched her stomach, attempting to hide it.

"I knew it was too much!" she shouted, suddenly turning away.

Too…much? Felix blinked before realizing what he was doing. He shook his head and stepped up to her.

"Eri." He whispered her name, hoping to gain her attention and get her to turn back around.

"You don't have to say anything. I knew the moment I put this on that it was too much, even for me." Her voice sounded strained, like she was on the verge of tears.

That alarmed him, and he feared the stress might cause her to have another episode. He rushed into action, pulling her into a tight embrace and not caring for who was watching.

What's wrong with the dress? he asking calmly.

She tried to break away and he let her. She spun around and dropped her arms. "This!"

Confused, Felix turned his gaze downward, stopping only when he noticed her exposed stomach. Oh.

It hit him then. Eri was worried about how she would be perceived, how showing her stomach might be taken by others. A fear she had not shown once until now…

But something about this didn't sound right to him, it didn't feel like the normal Eri he knew. She's overreacting– No, that isn't fair. She just wants the marriage and coronation to go smoothly. But, her fear is also starting to stress her out…

That thought almost made him frown but he managed to catch himself. He had to be delicate here.

He decided to tell her exactly how he felt.

"Eri, you look stunning." He let his emotions run wild, flooding the bond. Nothing was held back, nor did he try. He wanted her to feel everything. "No matter what dress you wear, or what anyone else thinks, to me you are breathtakingly beautiful."

He continued as she now became stunned by his feelings. "This dress, this statement…" He gestured to her stomach. "…it proves what I already knew."

Felix finished by giving her a warm smile, his arms open and inviting her for another hug.

She stood there silently, her jaw slowly working before her words could come out. "You… You don't think it's too risque?"

"Risque?!" He feigned offense. "Nonsense! Tell me who said that and I will teach them a lesson!" He quickly scanned the room, daring anyone to speak up.

None did. In fact, many of the women in the room appeared quite flustered with one in particular looking ready to faint. Eri came to their defense anyway.

"No one said that! I… I just felt like it exposed too much!"

Good, it's working. Hopefully, she won't notice.

Felix sucked in a deep breath, pretending to calm down. "I see. Then I suppose I should apologize…" He turned to the group of women and gave a deep bow. "I am sorry for causing such a scene."

"O-oh! It's no problem! We completely understand," Haldria said through heavy breathing. He wasn't entirely sure what to think about that, but no one else spoke up and he turned his attention to Eri once more.

"You asked if I thought the dress was too risque? No, no I don't. And, if anyone says otherwise, let me know. I'll feed them to Zira–"

Not if I eat them first! Kyrith's interjection made him realize that both dragons were listening and watching.

"–or Kyrith."

Felix cracked a smile, unable to keep up his act. He beckoned for her to give him a hug. And, after a moment, she obliged. As they embraced, he couldn't help but give her a kiss before speaking to her through the bond.

Eri, the choice is completely up to you. But, if you would like to know my opinion, I think I'd like to test out just how durable that dress is.

Her eyes widened as her cheeks became cherry red. Felix!

What? It's the truth. If you don't like it, that's fine too. I do like it when you're–

Enough! People are watching!

He let out a laugh, much to everyone's curiosity. He continued to ignore them and gave her a wry grin.

That's for last night.

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