A Magic of Dawn

Brie ca’Ostheim

“You wish help dressing, Hirzgin?” Rhianna said. Brie saw Rhianna’s gaze slide quickly to Jan, then just as rapidly return. She didn’t look at Jan again, though Brie felt Jan hanging in the room behind her. “Here, let me get these under-lacings for you…”

Brie turned, allowing Rhianna to reach the laces of the back-closed corset. Jan’s attention was somewhere over Brie’s shoulder, but he seemed to shake himself to find Brie’s eyes. He smiled at her, a bit guiltily, Brie thought, then opened the door of the dressing room. He nodded to Brie as Rhianna tugged on the lacings and closed the door behind him. Brie glanced at the mirror on her dresser, watching Rhianna through the silvered surface. She hadn’t looked up to watch Jan leave; that pleased Brie. Maybe I’m wrong… The girl-no, the young woman-was handsome enough, with strangely muscular arms. Her hair was raven-black and the eyes were such a strange light blue against the hair and olive-complexioned face…

Nearly all of Jan’s affairs had been with dark-haired women, Brie realized. She wondered what he was trying to find in them.

Rhianna was perhaps five or six years older than Elissa. No more.

“There,” Rhianna said behind her. Her voice held the slightest of accents, one Brie couldn’t quite place. “Does that feel comfortable, Hirzgin? I could loosen them a little if they’re too constricting.. .”

“It’s fine,” Brie told her. “Bring me my tashta-there, the one on the bed…” She watched Rhianna pick up the tashta, carefully rolling up the hem in her hands. “So Rance has assigned you to our personal staff?”

“Yes, Hirzgin. I have to admit that I was surprised by that, so soon after being hired, but he said I’d done well in my other duties and there was an unexpected opening.”

“Yes, trust Rance to be ever-vigilant for openings that will benefit the Hirzg,” she said. “It’s one of his better qualities, I’m sure.”

Rhianna looked puzzled, as if she sensed the subtext but didn’t quite know how to respond to it. She brought the tashta to Brie and placed it over her head as Brie lifted her arms. “Here, let me find the sleeves for you, Hirzgin. I’ll be careful of your hair…” She slid the tashta slowly down, and Brie stood to allow the folds to fall over the rest of her body, Rhianna went to her knees to tie the sash at Brie’s waist. “This is lovely cloth, Hirzgin. Such a beautiful pattern and color, and it goes so well with your coloring…”

“Rhianna,” Brie said, “you don’t need to flatter me.”

Rhianna’s face reddened. Brie saw no guile at all in her, only a genuine embarrassment. ‘Hirzgin, I didn’t mean… I was only saying what I was thinking… I’m sorry…”

Brie brought a finger to her own lips, smiling gently. “Shh. You needn’t apologize, dear. I would hope… Well, I would hope that if we’re to be together often, that we could come to trust each other.”

If anything, Rhianna’s blush deepened at that. She hesitated, seeming to search for a response. “Oh, you can trust me, Hirzgin,” she said.

“Then,” Brie said, still smiling, “if, say, the Hirzg were to say something to you that I should know about as his wife, you’d tell me, wouldn’t you?”

The blush darkened even further, which told Brie all she wanted to know. He’s already approached her… “Why, yes, Hirzgin,” Rhianna stammered. “I would. Of course.”

“Good,” Brie told her. She touched the young woman’s cheek. So smooth, so untouched… but then her fingers found a rippled scar along Rhianna’s jawline. A knife stroke? She wondered at that, but she lifted the servant up with her hand. She sat again on the chair before her mirror and opened a jewelry box, lifting out a necklace. “Here,” she said, handing it to Rhianna. “I think this will go well with the tashta. Put it on for me, please…”

As the servant put the necklace around her throat and set the clasp, Brie watched her face, and she wondered.