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"And Nalph made a miracle happen," Amerlee decided, heading over to show what she had in her hands. "You wanted gold chains? Jamik and Irila found everything we have. What's the plan?"
"I need something white as well," I admitted.
Amerlee just reached her arm back and snapped. "Anver, run back there and tell Shalsa that you need the flower hair clips. At least ten, but twenty is better."
"On it," Anver promised.
Amerlee just chuckled. "Clearly, I need a spare guardian for when I have these moments." But she gestured for me to head to my makeup mirror. "Ok. You start on your face, and I'm going to handle your hair. We'll fit the chains anywhere we can, but you tell me if it pulls, ok?"
"Promise," I said, pausing to grab her hand. "Thanks, Mom."
She just stepped in and hugged me. "Always, Nari. They're looking for a reason to dismiss you. Let's give them every reason to never forget you instead."
So I sat down and started working on my cosmetics. Behind me, Talin began picking up the dresses I wouldn't be using. Amerlee grabbed a brush and focused on my hair. Somewhere in the middle of that, Ela walked in to grab his suit. Seeing Amerlee bent over my hair, he smiled, then kept going into the bedroom and shut the door behind him.
Wraythe came in through the opposite door a moment later. "I like that," he said. "And where's my ward?"
"Bedroom," Talin told him.
Wraythe was halfway across the room when our front door opened again. "I was overruled," Anver called out.
"Because I have options," Shalsa said as she hurried in - and then stopped hard at the door. "Fuck me, Amerlee. Our girl's stunning."
"She needs something in white," Amerlee said. "I'm guessing it's to match her date?"
"The Baron of Inspiration's younger brother," Talin explained as he gathered up one of the white dresses. "He's sending a carriage here for both Ela and Nari, so we can all arrive together. He's also sleeping with my brother."
"Knew that," Shalsa teased. "And Zayr sounds like a good guy, Nari. The kind type."
"I like him already," Amerlee joked as she fussed with my hair.
"Give me that," Shalsa said as she moved Amerlee out of the way. "And hang some of those chains off her hips and down her back. Anywhere there's skin showing, add one so it's clear that the black lace is underneath."
"We need some of the white on her dress," Amerlee told her partner.
"I have a pin for the center of her neckline," Shalsa promised. "I thought we could pin it into her hair, but after seeing what my dress turned into? This will work better." Then she tapped my shoulder. "Dark eyes, Nari. Do your lips in red, then wipe off as much as you can to leave the blush."
Surprisingly, they didn't jostle me as I obeyed. Then again, these two had probably helped each other get ready countless times. Still, watching them work together in my mirror was nice in a way I hadn't expected. I caught when Amerlee gave Shalsa a loving look. I couldn't miss how Shalsa reached down to touch Amerlee's hand. That was the kind of love I hoped I had with my guys in a decade. The type that made the difference between friend, lover, andfamily.
I was darkening my lashes when the bedroom door opened again. Ela stepped through and held out his arms for Talin's inspection. "Think I'll do for your brother?"
"Are you aware that your cravat and pocket square match your partner?" Talin asked.
"Complete coincidence," Ela promised, "but I'm also not upset by it. Are you aware that Nari's choker matches my shirt? No? Well, I am." Then he smiled and turned his eyes on me. "You could make a queer man drool in that dress, Nari. It might be over the accents and details, but he'd still be drooling."
I caught his eyes in the reflection. "Oh, are you drooling?"
"I will be taking that dress off you tonight," he pointed out.
"Over my dead body," Wraythe grumbled. "And we don't talk about that in front of Amerlee."
Which made both of my mothers giggle, and once again I got to catch those adoring looks they gave each other.
"Pretty sure that's mostly Jamik," Amerlee promised. "I'm well aware of what she'll be doing tonight. Both at her session and once she gets back. You boys just make sure you're kind to Anver, ok?"
"They are," Anver promised from the inside of the closet where he'd snuck in to help Talin it seemed. "And guys?" He walked out holding two holsters with black powder pistols in them. "Tonight is when you carry these."
"There are small reload packs in there as well," Talin told him. "Palm-sized boxes."
