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“We had to walk like five steps from the curb to the front doors. I expected this place to have heat.”
They could have also dressed for the weather, but she kept that to herself. Lydia arrived at the clinic that afternoon with a dress and tickets to the theater. The dress, sewn by Lydia that day, was a classic wrap dress made of pale, blushing pink silk and crepe. It was gorgeous—just more suited for the summer than winter. Lydia wore a similar dress in a rich indigo. She also informed Lenore that she was taking the night off, and they were to be seen by the best and brightest, wearing a one-of-a-kind creation by the hottest designer at the most exclusive show on the planet. As one does.
Lenore’s first instinct was to decline, claiming she had reading to catch up on when really she didn’t want to miss her nightly stroll in the garden with Baris. However, that afternoon, he sent a message that he was unable to attend. It was fine. Disappointing but understandable. There was probably some function at the palace or an ambassador to wine and dine. Frankly, it was amazing he hadn’t canceled on her earlier.
“It’s a good dress. I don’t mind being a little cold,” Lenore said. Her red cloak went a long way to keeping her warm.
The theater was in that over-the-top Arcosian style of gilded everything. She expected nothing less. Lydia seemed to know everyone—at least, it felt that way. From the moment they entered the lobby, she was a bubbling font of gossip about who’s-who in Arcosian high society, what they wore, and what people were saying about them. Lenore had to admit it was rather fun, like stepping into a historical drama.
She felt eyes on her, taking her in and judging. It was a familiar sensation but in a new setting. For the last month, she’d been judged for being from Earth, a planet popular opinion had determined was technologically backward. No matter how hard she worked to prove herself at the academy, the doctors and students there treated her like a caveman. Oh, look, the primitive human thinks she’s a medic.
Harol didn’t treat her that way, and as her mentor, his was the only opinion worth considering. Still, she’d make those snobs eat their words when she passed the exams.
Tonight, though, the looks were different. Judging, yes, in a way that evaluated creatures in a menagerie. She stood out, short and beige and in her Earth-centric dress. Entertainment. She didn’t appreciate it. Lydia introduced her to lots of faces, some of whom she might recognize if they met again, including Lydia’s boss and the donor of the tickets, Nia Frostwing.
Nia was a tall woman with dark hair that fell in a tumble over one shoulder. She wore a slim-fitted white silk frock coat that cut away from her hips in a cascade of delicate lace. Silver filigree claw caps decorated each finger, attached to her wrist with delicate silver chains. Everything about her was put together and elegant. The soft light of the lanterns sparkled on the gold threads in the lace, making it look like she stepped out of a winter fairytale.
“This must be your friend,” Nia said, taking Lenore’s hands. “She is so pale. You did not tell me she was so pale, Lydia. The colors are all wrong. They wash her out.”
“My color is fine,” Lenore said, pulling away.
Lydia nudged her foot ever so gently.
Right. Be nice.
“I wanted to thank you for the cloak,” she said. “It’s fantastic. I can’t tell you how much I love it.”
Nia waved a hand, as if dismissing the gratitude. “It is nothing. A rejected piece cluttering up my workshop, but it suits you. Do not trouble yourself.”
“I’m excited to experience Arcosian theater. I loved going to the theater back home,” Lydia said, changing the topic.
“And you? Do you enjoy the theater?” Nia kept her gaze fixed on Lenore.
“I’ve never been,” Lenore answered.
Lydia turned to her, shock on her face. “Never?”
“No. One time, my fifth-grade class went to see the Nutcracker.”
“Oh my God, do you have any hobbies at all, or is it all work, work, work?”
Lenore hesitated to answer. Being truthful—that she was indeed all work, work, work—felt like a trap. A sad trap full of sadness because she had no other hobbies or interests.
“I have you, and you’re interested in everything,” she managed to say.
“You’re burying emotional trauma in your work, and that’s not healthy. You need to deal,” Lydia said with the tone of an expert. Lenore gaped in surprise. “What? I took a psych class.”
Nia’s gaze shifted from Lenore to Lydia. “Not everyone is an inquisitive soul.”
That wasn’t true at all. Lenore was plenty curious, just about different things. Lydia had an enthusiasm for new and novel experiences. It was one of the things Lenore liked about her.
Before Lenore could correct Nia’s statement, a bell chimed, and the crowd thinned as people sought their seats. Lydia flashed their tickets, and an usher escorted them to seats on the floor near the stage. Not the best seats, but not the worst.
The audience surrounded the completely round stage. The arrangement reminded Lenore of an amphitheater, just on a smaller scale and indoors. There had to be a proper name for it, but Lenore didn’t know. She wasn’t a theater enthusiast. There were two levels: seats on the ground floor that rose in tiers and a second level of box seats, set apart from the rest of the crowd.
Karu perched on railings and in the rafters. They called to one another, fluffed their down, and fanned tail feathers.
The upper crust filled the box seats, including Baris. He sat alone in the box. A few moments later, Nia joined him. The karu on her shoulder hopped to the back of the chair, then to the railing.
