The wind swept quietly through the airy bedroom where Wynessa finally woke from the late night of learning she and Cori had had the night before. As she looked around, the soft warm light of mid-morning made her smile as, for the first time in perhaps ever, she felt completely rested and satisfied. Her teacher was highly skilled in many ways, and Wynessa felt blessed by the knowledge that she was Cori's entire focus last night just as she was Wynessa's.
After stretching and pulling on her under dress, a knock made her pause and remember where she was before grabbing one of her daggers and moving towards the door.
"Who is it?" she tried to peer through a small gap in the door frame before the voice on the other side let her release the breath she had been holding in tension.
"Lufoncia, darling. Just letting you know breakfast is ready whenever you want to come down."
Wynessa slid the secondary lock on the door before opening it slightly to see the Madame on the landing in a more conservative dress than she had worn the day before. Though still brightly coloured and patterned, the corseting that cut the beautiful full figure before her was hard to ignore.
"What do you think? It's one of the few outfits I have for going out on the town." She turned and posed, letting Wynessa see the dress from all angles as well as trying to make the younger woman laugh. "Come down when you're ready. Breakfast first, and then you and I are going somewhere special, so don't just wear that frumpy brown dress!"
"But it's all I have."
"Bah! I'll have someone bring you something then, but don't say I didn't warn you." Lufoncia waggled her finger playfully behind her as she descended the stairs and quickly disappeared from view.
Wynessa closed the door, still chuckling softly as she stepped away and made to get ready with her brown dress. After she had put her belt, stockings, and shoes on, she noticed her belongings placed neatly in a corner. While partly tucked out of the way, they were obviously left somewhere she would be able to find easily. She pulled the pack of her things out and knelt to open it, remembering the red dress she had found back in Horseshoe village.
Just as she had hoped, it was a near-perfect fit. The side lacing on the dress above the pocket-holes allowed it to close around her form though her chest was slightly larger than the dress had been intended for so her under dress showed through regardless how she tried to close it. Eventually, content with the even lacing on both sides, she reached into her pocket on the belt under the dress and thumbed the locket she had found.
Cori had a large mirror on the wall by the window, so Wynessa used the reflected image to debate visually if she should wear the necklace. As she held it up to her collarbones, another knock at the door made her jump some.
"Darling, it's just me. May I come in?" The Madame called from the other side of the door. Her voice was very distinctive and made Wynessa smile some.
"Yes, come in." The words were strange since she had always been the one asking for entry rather than allowing it. Lufoncia stepped in and quietly shut the door behind her with her hips as she held a dress in either hand.
"Alright, we have two options. One- Oh my Gods! What is that?! It's so beautiful! Look at you!" The Madame set the dresses aside and began fawning over Wynessa's red dress. "You said you didn't have anything else!"
"I didn't know my things were brought over here. I found this in an abandoned tower, but I don't know. Is it too much?" She stepped away slightly and did an awkward turn, trying to mimic what she had seen Lufoncia do earlier on the landing.
While in the dresser it had seemed one way, actually wearing it Wynessa felt it might be above her station to wear such a garment. The fine stitches had been what she had noticed the first time she had seen it, but now she could see the detailed but subtle pattern that embroidered the fabric, swirls of different shades of deep red almost made the dress look like fire save for the dark blue star-like pattern along the cuffs, hem, and neckline.
"Darling, it suits you so perfectly. Oh my gracious. The only thing you're missing is some kind of jewelry and something done with your hair and I swear you could be a noble woman! Darling, you look stunning." She couldn't help but smile as Lufoncia fussed over her like a mother hen, tears softly welling in the corners of her eyes.
"You don't think it's too much?"
"Oh honey, no. There are never enough opportunities to look good, and you look good, darling. Beyond good! This suits you so well! What else are you hiding? Are you some kind of heiress or something? Goodness, look at you! Alright, come on, breakfast before you spring any more surprises on us, you hear?" The Madame gently took Wynessa's hand and began pulling her towards the door before pausing and glancing to the hand in hers. "What's that?"
In between their palms was the necklace Wynessa had found in the same office, but thinking better of wearing it, she stuffed it into her pocket instead and shook her head.
"Nothing important. Breakfast?"
"Breakfast." Lufoncia raised an eyebrow to the young woman before continuing down the stairs and calling out before they reached the bottom floor.