I made the chest and bodice extra tight to give support—and cut the skirts so they would resist flaring—in case you need to jump. There are slits for metal vials in each of the cuffs, as well as a ripple in the cloth cut to obscure a dagger strapped around each forearm. I hope you find the alterations suitable.
Feldeu, Dressmaker.
She glanced down, noting the cuffs. They were thick and wide, and the way they pointed at the sides made perfect hiding places. Though the sleeves were tight around the upper arms, the forearms were looser, and she could see where the daggers could be strapped.
“It seems that he has made dresses for Mistborn before,” OreSeur noted.
“Probably,” Vin said. She moved over to her dressing mirror to apply a little makeup, and found that several of her makeup pads had dried out. Guess I haven’t done this for a while either. …
“What time are we leaving, Mistress?” OreSeur asked.
Vin paused. “Actually, OreSeur, I wasn’t planning to bring you. I still intend to keep your cover with the other people in the palace, and I think it would look very suspicious of me to bring my pet dog on this particular trip.”
OreSeur was silent for a moment. “Oh,” he said. “Of course. Good luck, then, Mistress.”
Vin felt only a tiny stab of disappointment; she’d expected him to object more. She pushed the emotion aside. Why should she fault him? He’d been the one to rightly point out the dangers of going into the camp.
OreSeur simply lay down, resting head on paws as he watched her continue applying her makeup.
“But, El,” Ham said, “you should at least let us send you in our own carriage.”
Elend shook his head, straightening his jacket as he looked in the mirror. “That would require sending in a coachman, Ham.”
“Right,” Ham said. “Who would be me.”
“One man won’t make a difference in getting us out of that camp. And, the fewer people I take with me, the fewer people Vin and I have to worry about.”
Ham shook his head. “El, I …”
Elend laid a hand on Ham’s shoulder. “I appreciate the concern, Ham. But, I can do this. If there’s one man in this world I can manipulate, it’s my father. I’ll come out of this with him feeling assured that he has the city in his pocket.”
Ham sighed. “All right.”
“Oh, one other thing,” Elend said hesitantly.
“Yes?”
“Would you mind calling me ‘Elend’ instead of just ‘El’?”
Ham chuckled. “I suppose that one’s easy enough to do.”
Elend smiled thankfully. It’s not what Tindwyl wanted, but it’s a start. We’ll worry about the “Your Majesty”s later.
The door opened, and Dockson walked in. “Elend,” he said. “This just arrived for you.” He held up a sheet of paper.
“From the Assembly?” Elend asked.
Dockson nodded. “They’re not happy about you missing the meeting this evening.”
“Well, I can’t change the appointment with Straff just because they want to meet a day early,” Elend said. “Tell them I’ll try and visit when I get back.”
Dockson nodded, then turned as a rustling sounded from behind him. He stepped to the side, a strange look on his face, as Vin walked up to the doorway.
And she was wearing a dress—a beautiful blue gown that was sleeker than the common courtly fare. Her black hair sparkled with a pair of sapphire barrettes, and she seemed … different. More feminine—or, rather, more confident in her femininity.
How much she’s changed since I first met her, Elend thought, smiling. Almost two years had passed. Then she had been a youth, albeit one with the life experiences of someone far older. Now she was a woman—a very dangerous woman, but one who still looked up at him with eyes that were just a bit uncertain, just a bit insecure.
“Beautiful,” Elend whispered. She smiled.
“Vin!” Ham said, turning. “You’re wearing a dress!”
Vin flushed. “What did you expect, Ham? That I would meet with the king of the Northern Dominance in trousers?”
“Well …” Ham said. “Actually, yes.”
Elend chuckled. “Just because you insist on going about everywhere in casual clothing, Ham, doesn’t mean that everyone does. Honestly, don’t you get tired of those vests?”
Ham shrugged. “They’re easy. And simple.”
“And cold,” Vin said, rubbing her arms. “I’m glad I asked for something with sleeves.”
“Be thankful for the weather,” Ham said. “Every chill you suffer will seem far worse to the men out in those armies.”
Elend nodded. Winter had, technically, started. The weather probably wouldn’t get bad enough to be more than a mild discomfort—they rarely got snow in the Central Dominance—but the chill nights certainly wouldn’t improve morale.
“Well, let’s go,” Vin said. “The sooner we get this over with, the better.”
Elend stepped forward, smiling, taking Vin’s hands. “I appreciate this, Vin,” he said quietly. “And you really do look gorgeous. If we weren’t marching off to near certain doom, I’d be tempted to command a ball be held tonight just for the opportunity to show you off.”
Vin smiled. “Near certain doom is that compelling?”
“Guess I’ve been spending too much time with the crew.” He leaned down to kiss her, but she yelped and jumped back.
“It took me the better part of an hour to get this makeup on right,” she snapped. “No kissing!”
Elend chuckled as Captain Demoux poked his head in the door. “Your Majesty, the carriage has arrived.”
Elend looked at Vin. She nodded.
“Let’s go,” he said.
Sitting inside the carriage Straff had sent for them, Elend could see a solemn group standing on the wall, watching them roll away. The sun was near to setting.
He commands us to come in the evening; we’ll have to leave when the mists are out, Elend thought. A crafty way of pointing out how much power he has over us.
It was his father’s way—a move, in a way, that was similar to the attack on the walls a day before. To Straff, everything was about posturing. Elend had watched his father at court, and had seen him manipulate even obligators. By holding the contract to oversee the Lord Ruler’s atium mine, Straff Venture had played a game even more dangerous than his fellow noblemen. And he had played that game very well. He hadn’t factored in Kelsier throwing chaos into the mix, but who had?
Since the Collapse, Straff had secured the most stable, and most powerful, kingdom in the Final Empire. He was a crafty, careful man who knew how to plan for years to get what he wanted. And this was the man Elend had to manipulate.
“You look worried,” Vin said. She was across from him in the carriage, sitting in a prim, ladylike posture. It was as if donning a dress somehow granted her new habits and mannerisms. Or just a return to old ones—she’d once been able to act like a noblewoman well enough to fool Elend.
“We’ll be all right,” she said. “Straff won’t hurt you—even if things go bad, he won’t dare make a martyr of you.”