74 Dress of Many Layers

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Kyera asked as Mally wrapped her in silks and lace. She tied and adjusted so many things and layers that Kyera wasn't sure how to take the outfit off anymore. It was so much more complex than her shift in the forest. Mally looked at her and offered a smile, the pins she was holding in between her pale, unpainted lips bounced, emphasizing the expression.

"Yes. We have to make sure you have a good cover before you become one of the Rebellion, Kyera. Afterall, you can't expect to live as a tiger all the time. You will chance Beasting." Mally chided, she shivered involuntarily at the mention of beasting. "You are at a greater risk you know, after the last time you fell to it."

It was a illness… or more a total personality shift when a shifter spent too long in its second form. They would begin to lose their humanity. Voice, compassion, comradeship, and anything not natural to their Wild One brethren. Kyera had seen in twice before, and she bit her lip remembering those cold, blank eyes. She had no memory of the days the Beasting had taken place in her body, after her brothers died. She remembered waking up in Verone's arms with him begging her to come back to him.

"Alright, I get it." Kyera conceded but then, she pouted slightly. "but how am i supposed to learn how to dress myself?" she asked, a slight whine in her voice. Mally couldn't help but laugh.

"Later, once this fits you properly ill stitch some of the pieces together to simplify the steps." Mally promised, as if trying to appease a child. She had been here so long, wearing these complicated garments was second nature. Now, whenever she put on her emerald shifting dress from the forest, she felt indecent. She had no delusions that Kyera would learn to be the same, but she knew she could learn to tolerate it.

"Lets go over it again, The Emperor is trusting but if a queen is there you will need to match me perfectly."

"Okay, I am here to visit you and offer my medical skills that i recently learned from our shared Teacher in order to improve your ability." Kyera recited, raising her arms so the fabric was out of the way as Mally checked the seams. The leopard nodded.

"Go on." she said muffled as she pinned a section and began quickly stitching it into place. Kyera's willowy form was so well toned that the dress buckled too much at the waist.

"My objective is to somehow get the Emperor to offer me a place as a Palace Girl or Beauty and dedicate myself to take care of animals and the garden. If nothing else, just get permission to visit frequently to continue your training." Kyera continued, and after running through their back story again Mally nodded approvingly. The leopardess stepped back and circled her, admiring her handiwork. The dress was perfect. They just needed to do Kyera's hair and they would be good as gold.

"Yes, I remember. However. I fail to see how this will help me break this magical noose." Kyera replied touching her waist. Far beneath the layers of fabric, a magic twine twisted through her insides threatening to cause pain the moment she tried to break the contract. The collar that it was attached to was carefully hidden, bucked around her upper arm, out of site in the flowy dress. Mally sighed softly.