Chapter 377: Dress to Impress

The next day was a whirlwind of activity, as it was finally the time for the ball that Eir’s parents had arranged in Jadis’ honor.

Since she knew that the time spent with a great number of nobles was going to be immensely frustrating for her, Jadis used the early morning hours to let off some pre-ball steam by fighting Steingrimur in the training ring. She may have been a little more aggressive than was warranted, but the half-bear man handled the pummeling pretty well. Once she was done exercising off some nerves, Jadis hurried to the new headquarters so she could get as much construction done as possible before being forced back into the temple fitting rooms. Now that she had a clearly defined goal, she didn’t want to waste any time if she could help it. Plus, working helped keep her mind off of all the ways she could potentially screw up during the ball.

Jadis didn’t really care too much what the various nobles thought of her, but she would be meeting Eir’s parents for the first time and she wanted to make a good first impression.

While she was at her mercenary company base, a few visitors showed up. Violetta and her elven mother, as well as the three older boys from the group of children with one or two of their parents each. Kerr’s prediction that the parents wouldn’t want to let their kids anywhere near where a Demon resided turned out to be only partially true. The parents were, in fact, very concerned about the idea of Alex being near their children, but they had consulted with their local priest, Herman, and he had whole heartedly endorsed Jadis’s company as an excellent opportunity for the young ones. He’d even gone the extra mile to assure them that Alex had been vetted and vouched for by the high priests. That had been enough to get the parents to at least come and talk the employment opportunity over. It also helped when they spoke with Roy, who also assured them that Alex wasn’t a threat.

When Jadis explained how much she was willing to pay the apprentices, the deal was pretty much sealed.

The oldest of the three boys was Chace, and he was an orc. For fourteen years old, he was big and broad-shouldered and looked like he was closer to Violetta’s age. He was still pretty lanky, though, and probably needed another few years to fill out. He was exceptionally eager to work, even before hearing about the pay, and from what Jadis could tell the boy had dreams of becoming a mercenary one day. Getting into a mercenary company as an apprentice was a stroke of luck for him, one that he probably would have forgone all pay to take part in. Not that Jadis would even consider not paying any of the children. As far as she was concerned, people who worked had to be paid for their time and effort.

The other two boys were named Dexter and Lon. They were brothers and twins, though fraternal, not identical. Dexter was several inches taller than his brother Lon, and he had brighter hair while Lon had darker hair and bright green eyes. They were thirteen years old and very much looked like it, with gangly limbs and teenage awkwardness. But they were both polite and attentive and seemed eager to earn a wage.

Jadis made it clear to Sabina that she didn’t want Chace, Dexter, or Lon to overwork themselves. Violetta was basically full grown and only months away from unlocking her primary class, but the boys were still very much growing children. Jadis didn’t want their growth to be stunted by being overworked and underfed, so she made sure Sabina understood what an acceptable amount of work was the young boys.

Acting on a flash of inspiration, Jadis told the parents of her newly hired apprentices that since they were her employees, any of their meals would be covered by Fortune’s Favored. They’d be at the local temple learning their letters and numbers most mornings, but at the very least they’d be able to have a midday meal on the company’s expense, if not dinner as well. Jadis even told them that the other kids in the neighborhood could join them for the midday meal if they wanted to, offering it as a sort of “friends and family” bonus.

The generous offer seemed to help boost the parents’ opinion of Jadis. She didn’t know how many of the kids would take her up on the offer, but she figured that if even only a couple of kids came, that was still a couple of kids fed who needed the meal. Besides, the offer could help her public image with the locals, which was a nice side bonus.

With the new hires left in the capable hands of Gunnar, the company “manager” of sorts, Jadis spent a few more hours working on the various refurbishment projects that needed doing around the base before heading back to Lyssandria’s temple. She and her companions didn’t need to be at Trummelton’s until six, but Aurea had insisted that Jadis be back at the temple with at least two hours lead time so she could be properly dressed in her new ballroom attire.

It was a good thing the high priestess had insisted, because the outfits were a lot more than just nice shirts and fancy pants.

While the formal tunic and dress pants had been acceptable for other events, Aurea had made it clear that for her first public ball, Jadis needed to make a grander impression. Thus, she had pulled strings and had set multiple tailors to the task of making some truly glorious dresses. Each of the three nearly identical gowns were white with violet accents that matched the color of Jadis’ eyes. Form fitting and elegant, they were sleeveless but came with matching gloves that stretched up beyond the elbow. The only minute differences between them were shades of purple and violet, with Dys’ dress being the darkest and Syd’s being the lightest, creating a purposeful gradient when all three of her selves stood next to each other. The artists who had crafted the dresses had apparently taken inspiration from the delicate flower pendants Jadis had been gifted by the jeweler couple, as the skirts of the dress were designed to look like the twisting petals of a half-open flower. While wearing both the pendants and the gowns, Jadis had to admit she presented quite the elegant visage.

“I feel like a giant lily,” Dys huffed as she looked at her other selves.

“That makes sense. You look like a giant lily,” Aila said playfully as she entered the room.

Jadis would have shot back a witty retort, but her breath caught in her throat as she saw her redheaded lover for the first time since she’d been whisked away by a trio of priestesses to be helped into her own gown. The gorgeous blue ensemble matched Aila’s eyes perfect, and a daring slit on one side of the dress showed tantalizing glimpses of Aila’s long and sexy legs. While Jadis’ hair, now more than shoulder length, had been done up in stylized buns, Aila’s glorious red mane had been wound into a thick braid that trailed down her back. The look was decidedly femme fatale and it took every ounce of willpower in Jadis not to rush over and utterly ruin the beautiful image by ripping off her own silly dress and showing Aila just how much she loved her in a very carnal way.

“You look amazing,” was what Dys finally said, a broad grin splitting her face. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”

Aila blushed, a deep crimson blush coloring her cheeks, neck, and even her chest. She took a moment to collect herself, clearing her throat. When she did speak again, her voice was tinged with embarrassment from Dys’ open, earnest compliment.

“Thank you. You look amazing, too. I know you probably think you look too girly, but really. You’re extremely beautiful in that dress.”

“Thanks,” all three of Jadis replied at once. With Aila voicing her approval, Jadis didn’t feel quite so opposed to the gowns anymore.

“I haven’t worn heels in a really long time,” Jay commented as she stepped towards Aila. “Thank Lyssandria they went easy on me and didn’t make them too tall.”

“It’s not as though you need any help in the height department,” Aila smirked up at her.

“Nope. But it makes my butts look good, though. Right?”

Aila leaned to one side, making a quick assessment.

“Yes, they do. Very nice.”

“Glad you approve,” Jay grinned before leaning down to give Aila a kiss that didn’t last anywhere near long enough.

“We should get moving,” Aila said breathlessly as she pulled away from Jay. “The others are waiting. I came to get you.”

“Then let’s get moving,” Syd quipped as she headed for the door. “The sooner we get this ball over with, the sooner I can drag you back to the bedroom and show you my appreciation for that sexy-as-sin dress.”

With her promise made, Jadis exited the bedroom and headed for the open hall where the rest of her companions waited.

The sight that greeted her was almost too much for Jadis to stand. All of her lovers had been dressed up in their own custom-tailored gowns that accentuated their natural charm. To see them all gathered together in one glorious display of scintillating beauty made Jadis’ hearts want to beat out of her chests. It was times like these that she was so very glad that she had multiple pairs of eyes to see from multiple angles.

With earnest attention, Jadis made sure to approach each of her lovely companions and give them a compliment and a kiss. Even though there were eight of them, the process didn’t take long since there were three of Jadis.

“I can’t believe you have me wearing this ridiculous outfit,” Kerr grumbled against Syd’s lips as she pulled back from her kiss. “You know I only put up with this shit because of you.”

“It looks really good on you, though,” Syd replied with a cheeky grin. “Almost as good as when you aren’t wearing anything at all.”

The dress Kerr was wearing really was a work of art. The archer had no more love of wearing traditionally girly attire than Jadis, but the forest green gown the Lyssandria tailors had sewn for her was a nice compromise, with leather belts, tassets, and discs of ornamental copper strategically placed in a way that made the dress feel almost like it was battle-ready. It wasn’t, of course, since it was far too cumbersome and wouldn’t offer any real protection, but look was mouthwateringly sexy on Kerr.

“You don’t look half bad yourself,” Kerr nipped at Syd’s lips with her teeth once before letting her pull away.

Much like Kerr, Bridget had also been dressed in a similarly war-like gown, though it was a mix of orange and blue colors combined with a cut that evoked the imagery of a burning flame. Thea’s dress had been designed with a layered pattern that made the red and white skirt look like scales, while a pattern on her back was designed to look like a kite shield. Sabina’s bright yellow dress was covered in patterns that mimicked the rune shapes she used in her enchantment crafting and someone had even made a necklace for her to wear with a stylized hammer as the pendant. Sorcha’s black and orange dress had been cleverly cut to hide the tracking bracer on her arm was surprisingly sultry on the small woman. Perhaps it was just Jadis’ point of view, but the lowcut bodice did a lot to show of the goblin’s appealing figure.

“Remember, just like last time we were at the restaurant, do not take off any of your clothes,” Dys warned Alex as she pressed another kiss against the Demon’s cheek.

“Of course… Not…” Alex agreed, giving Dys a reproachful look. “Clothes are useless… But I know… What is… Polite…”

“Not completely useless,” Dys rolled her eyes at the Demon’s continued obstinance when it came to the function of everyday clothing. “If nothing else, that dress makes you look ravishing.”

The black and blue gown Alex wore was a daring design with no shoulder straps. Jadis had never seen a dress without shoulder straps on Oros, but the tailor had been forced to get creative due to Demon’s unique form. Jadis had to wonder if the new look might start a trend. She hoped so, though she wasn’t sure if the fact that it was a Demon wearing the new dress design would help or hurt the fashion in the eyes of the nobles.

“I will… Ravish… You… Later…” Alex promised as her neon blue eyes glowed faintly.

“Duly noted,” Dys grinned back at her demonic lover.

Eir’s dress was both extravagant and understated at the same time, which was quite a feat to pull off. Considering her priestly occupation, the red-skinned elf’s dress had been designed to mimic a cleric’s robes, complete with a hood and Lyssandria’s holy symbol. However, the fabric had been made of a pearlescent white silk and highlighted with gold and purple trimmings. While the upper half maintained the illusion of being a robe with long and heavy sleeves, the lower half came across as a pleated dress delicately embroidered designs along the hem.

“I’ve never seen a more beautiful oracle,” Jay whispered to Eir as she held her hands.

“As I have never seen a more beautiful Nephilim,” Eir smiled impishly.

Unable to resist the impulse, Jay dipped down and pressed her lips to Eir again, happily tasting her sweet mouth one more time before reluctantly pulling away.

Still holding one of her elven lover’s hands, Jay turned towards the doors that would lead out of the temple.

“Alright everyone,” Jay said with the confidence of a battlefield commander. “Time to rub shoulders with nobles. D willing, we’ll get through this without making complete fools of ourselves.”

“I’m not sure that’s the right god to be praying to for that particular goal,” Sorcha pointed out, drawing some laughter from the rest of the assembled women.

“Probably not,” Jay agreed. “But he could always make things way worse if feels like it, so let’s hope the prayer strokes his ego enough to let us squeak by without fucking up completely.”

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