Too late

Dress her up

Haley's pov

"That one is perfect!" Alishia exclaimed.

I agreed. "We are not leaving without it!"

Rufus groaned and leaned back on the chair he had found while I was in the dressing room. To my surprise, he did come personally to help me shop. I told him he could have just sent me off with Alishia and a credit card, but apparently he "had seen Princess Daray's definition of appropriate dresses", and thought he better see to it himself. He regretted that decision quickly.

"It is skimpy," he noted grumpily.

Alishia gasped outraged, as she completely disagreed. "It is fabulous! Besides I have seen royal women in worse - including your wife!" She scolded to which he just sighed.

"It is not the dress: It is her figure. I don't mean to discriminate, but a fairy's chest wouldn't show that kind of cleavage." Faries generally had small, petite figures. They were very pixie and not very developed in the sense of curves. Most had apple shape or inverted triangles, whereas dhampirs often inherited our human mother's figure, and more often than not, they were stunners.

Alishia scoffed. "That is what is so brilliant about it! Look how it hugs her curves! She looks like a goddess!"

I laughed and felt myself blush a little as I gazed back at myself in the mirror. It was a black tight-fitting dress. It reminded me of one I had seen my mother wear in one of the old pictures that sat on my father's desk as it had the same style in the neckline, but it cut off midthigh where a layer of thick lace-covered down to my knee. Most perfectly was that it had a slit up to my upper thigh giving me room to move. I looked back at Rufus. "As I said – we are not leaving without it," I told him sternly, and he sighed and pulled out his card in defeat. Alishia cheered happily and I rolled my eyes and chuckled under my breath as I pulled the curtain back, and changed back into the black tank top and the wrap skirt that she had insisted on lending me, as it would be easier to get on and off during the many fittings of the day. Turns out she was right, not that I would admit it.

"So where to?" I asked Alishia, as we stepped out with yet another collection of bags. We had been to all my favorite shops, and most of hers, and I was lost for new ideas.

Apparently, so was she, because she actually looked at Rufus for help. "I think we have covered the basics and most of the party clothes?"

Rufus just chuckled and shook his head. "We still need dresses. The ones we have bought are fine for normal parties, but she will need more formal ones."

"I am right here guys!" I pointed with as much hand-gesture, as I could due to the excessive amount of bags.

Rufus just looked at me. "You will need more formal dresses," he stated bluntly and I rolled my eyes.

"So- where to?" I repeated, but he didn't answer. Instead, he speeded up his walk, indicating for us to follow. He led us to an expensive-looking dress shop, one of those with ten different designer brands that could be altered if you had the money. A saleswoman greeted us with a huge smile that I was pretty sure widened when she saw the amount of bags we were already carrying. Alishia had suggested letting the guards carry some of them, but I had declined. They were here as security, not as our servants. So, we each had our arms full, including Rufus, much to his dismay.

"Hello, how can I help you?" She asked, looking between us trying to figure out where to put her main attention.

Rufus stepped forward and held his arm out towards me. "This young woman needs dresses, lots of them. I am sure that is something you can help with?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yes of course! How many are we looking at?" She asked looking at Rufus who was clearly holding the wallet.

He shrugged. "Ten to Twenty? Just show us what you can do."

She nodded eagerly and turned to me. "If you follow me to the dressing room, I'll get you some dresses to try on. You can leave your bags here," she instructed and held out her hand towards a small group of chairs and a sofa, which Alishia and Rufus dumped down on exhausted.

I put my bags down and followed her to the dressing room. She gave me a silk robe and told me to sit on the chair. "So, do you have any preferences in colors or shapes?"

I considered briefly. "Nothing pink, or orange, or lime, and I need to be able to move, so nothing tight-fitting either." She nodded seriously and skipped off to collect something for me to try while I changed. She came back in with ten different dresses, all long and heavy looking. I didn't tell her, but they were all a no: I couldn't fight in any of them.

Which was what I told Rufus when I showed them the first one. "Do I need to point it out, or can you see it?" They both looked at me completely oblivious. I sighed and pulled at the material.

"I can't fight in this! I need pants or at least a short dress!"

"You can't wear pants or short dresses! There is a certain etiquette!" Rufus insisted, and I crossed my arms over my chest, looking at him challengingly.

"Well unless etiquette is to let you get killed, then I am voting 'veto'." Just then the saleswoman came back with another load of dresses.

"Is there a problem?" she asked wearily.

I sighed and turned to her. "I can't move in these. I need to be able to jump a fence or make a round-house-kick without warning."

She looked at me weirdly, but then looked at my dress thoughtfully. I think she just concluded it was another weird customer request. "I have some dresses that can be altered, so the skirt is removable," she informed me thoughtfully, starting to walk around me for a better look at the dress I was wearing. At last, she just turned around and motioned with a finger for me to follow. I pulled up the skirt and went after.

She did actually have some dresses that fit the criteria. They were all with a form-fitting bodice and a long skirt that started at the waist. "We can alter it, so the skirt is a wrap skirt, and you would be able to tear it off in a moment. Then, with some spandex pants underneath, you would be ready to go," she told me, as she showed me how to do it in the mirror. I looked at the collection of dresses she had brought. They were nice, different clear colors of blue, green, red and a few black ones. Most of them had a corset bodice, which wasn't ideal, but it was better than a long, unremovable skirt.

We were almost through, with only one left. It was a Bordeaux red dress with a full skirt. Beautiful, and impossible to move in. "That one, that is your dress!" Rufus actually stood up and applauded.

I wrinkled my nose and pulled at the fabric. "I doubt it can be made with a removable skirt." I looked at the saleswoman, who shook her head. I turned back to Rufus and raised both eyebrows. "It is out," I stated, pulling up the fabric to go back in, but Alishia stopped me.

"Oh no, you are getting that!"

I crossed my arm above my chest. "Lisa, it is not even a discussion. I can't fight: I am not buying it."

She pouted, but gave in and let me pass. I quickly changed back into my own clothes and went out to see Rufus signing off some papers. "So, I guess we will just need to visit a sports store for some spandex pants, and an accessory store, and then we should be done," I announced, feeling rather worn out after two hours of trying on expensive dresses.

"Actually, I took the liberty of picking out jewelry while you were changing. They will be delivered along with your dresses next week," Rufus informed me while swiping his card.

"Oh," was all I could say as I shot Alishia a worried look. Don't worry she seemed to try and communicate to me, which calmed my nerves a little. "Well, then I guess it is just the spandex pants." Rufus nodded, but I could see how exhausted he was. "We can just pick something my size, I don't need to try them," I tried to comfort him but Alishia cut in.

"Uhm, I might have sent a guard to do that while you tried on dresses. Five pairs are enough, right?" I nodded, stunned that they had already planned ahead. It usually wasn't royals' strong side.

"Well, then let's get home," I stated, but Rufus shook his head.

"No, now we eat, then we head back," he grumbled, and I felt like some of his exhaustion might be hunger. So, we found the best thing in the mall, which was Omally's, and got burgers before heading back. I sat with Alishia in the back with one of her guards while Rufus sat in the front with another guard that we had borrowed for the day so that I could try clothes. Mr. Richard had insisted on appointing two extra guards, as I was traveling with both a princess and a lord, and they were behind us in another car with Alishia's other guard.

"I feel like we got some good stuff today," Alishia yawned, as she leaned on my shoulder. I ran my fingers over her hair and tried to sense her mood. She seemed at ease. Our small amounts of quality time had eased her concerns about our friendship. If she was anything like me, she was thinking back to the last time it had been like this. The last time was at the academy right before we graduated. We had just been silly naïve teenagers then. Now we were grownups, with real jobs and responsibility. But sitting there in the backseat, off duty, with her hair spilling all over my jacket, it was so easy to forget. I zoned in to hear the conversation the driver had with the guard at the gate.

"Okay, so I just need you to sign in. I think something went wrong when you- oh hey Haley!"

I grinned and straightened up in my seat when I saw a familiar face leaning in the window, grinning at me. "Hey, Dawn! I didn't know you were at court?" The last time I had seen him had been in the infirmary, but we didn't get to talk before I checked out.

"Just here a few days on business, I had a meeting with Mr. Richard and Mr. Mecury, and since they didn't need me back at the academy before next week, I am around till then."

"Nice, St. Andrews right?"

He grinned. "Yeah, didn't know you knew."

I shrugged while blinking slowly. "Gotta have an eye on your people, right?"

He shook his head but still wore his grin. "Yes, you gotta. And now I am having an eye on you, going into court. See you around Haley!"

"See you around Dawn!" I laughed, as he pulled away from the car and let us through.

The guard drove us all the way to Rufus' house, and I couldn't help but feel weird as we drove over the brick stone-covered street that usually only carried feet. I jumped out first and helped Alishia out next.

"Kian! Come over here and help!" She exclaimed, having spotted Kian walking towards us before I did. I mentally cursed myself for not being aware, although I wasn't on duty. I should have noticed him first.

"Did you guys buy the entire mall?" He asked snarkily when he saw the bags in the trunk.

"One would think so, but there were in fact things in the stores that Haley didn't try out, believe it or not," Rufus stated monotonously. "I am going to bed - it is late. I trust you to do the same as soon as the things are put away," he said directed at me and I just nodded dutifully and let him skip off. I strongly suspected he was going to see one of his mistresses instead but didn't comment on it. I preferred not to be around, still getting urgent flashbacks to a dark basement anytime I saw people be intimate together, even if it was voluntary. I shook my head, trying to get rid of the mental picture. I saw a guard follow him, and as I assumed they didn't go into the house but went off to somewhere else. Kian helped with the bags and a guard, Miss. Smith, took off as soon as she knew we had everything.

The door to Rufus's house was almost always open. I think it was part of his career, or maybe they just didn't bother locking doors at court, where everyone knew each other. His housekeeper, of course, saw to everyone entering anyway, so I guess he wasn't worried about people breaking in. She looked at us a little blurry-eyed and asked if we wanted tea when we had put the bags away. We kindly rejected the offer, and she looked relieved not to have to do anything and went back to bed. We skipped up the stairs to my room, and I unlocked the door letting them in.

"You can just place the bags in the chair I'll put them away later."

Kian didn't need to be told twice, and practically dumped the bags in the chair then looked around. "You were right – it is a nice room," he commented.

Alishia nodded in agreement, though more interested in the closet than he was. "Has Rufus had female guards before? This closet is designed for big evening gowns," she commented.

I shrugged. "Probably. Maybe it is just a standard thing?" She frowned slightly, and I didn't need to be psychic to know what she was thinking – it was not a standard thing - but then she turned around with a bright smile.

"We should go, let you get some sleep." Kian nodded and turned from the window to go give me a hug. I tried not to show my discomfort at his embrace. I was okay with hugging people, not so much with being hugged. Fortunately, he let go quickly and he and Alishia said their goodbyes before he followed her home, followed closely by her guard Mr. Canavan. I watched them leave from the window, then slumped back on the bed. I felt much safer here than in the guest building. I had received a folder with information on the house when I took up the assignment: Rufus was paranoid, so the house held a ridiculous amount of extra safety measures. An alarm system for when the door was locked and extra timers for certain rooms like his office, along with extra safes and panic rooms, hidden in walls and behind paintings. I strongly suspected there was more than the file showed, but hadn't had time to investigate. Since vampires started breaking through the walls, he had extra sensors put up around his house to make an extra safe zone, along with an escape route from the basement. The place was a fortress. The only thing that could touch me here was the living, and even that was questionable. They had spared away the extra guard for most royals and instead installed a surveillance system, so anyone breaking in would trick a silent alarm, making four on guard guards storm in within a minute, while also setting off my alarm clock, so I would be notified, even if it was in the other end of the house. No one could touch me here, and even if they managed to break in, I would have an escape route easily planned. Even crazy, stalker ex-boyfriends couldn't break through to me here.