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"Alec." There's Richard's voice, with just the right touch of concern, half of it for Alec and half of it for the man he must have passed in the hallway. "What did you do? Your tailor looks traumatized."
"He probably is," Alec says, his voice light and lofty. It sounds arrogant even to himself. He sets the pen down on the desk, turns to look at Richard. "But you'll find out, in due time."
"Due time?" Richard asks, moving in. His hands are light on Alec's shoulders, like he thinks he can rub the tension out of them. Alec knows better, but so should Richard, so he won't correct him.
"When he's done making it, of course."
"Of course," Richard says, and Alec lets him prod him out of his chair, goes with Richard to the bedroom. Explanations can wait, will wait. Richard doesn't care anyway, not about Alec's politicking, not about this sort of plan.
Alec sees the tailor twice more, once to pick out the cloth -- apparently no one was selling anything the color of the camellias in the garden this season -- and once to provide his consultation of what he wants his measurements to be. "Corsets are quite common," the man says, eyeing Alec in his half-unbuttoned shirt.
"I should think I'm thin enough as it is," Alec replies, and leans back a little, as if the man had been admiring him, instead of looking critical. "And you won't find anything to push up."
"It's not about the measurements, it's about the shape of them," the tailor says, and he sounds so very earnest. He's had a chance to think about how much Alec has offered him for this, then. Good. "We could do some padding..."
"Do it," Alec says. "Nothing unreasonable, I'd prefer subtle."
He can see the tailor on the edge of a laugh, so Alec stares him down until he nods, wary. "As you wish."
Alec knows his smile is sharp, and he chooses not to soften it. "Exactly."
Alec knows that he doesn't make a very pretty man -- too many sharp edges and too awkward in his own body -- and he doesn't imagine that he looks any better as a woman. Likely worse: too tall and his hair had simply refused to take the curls he'd tried to put into it. Still, the tailor had done a good job, giving Alec the impression of hips, stuffed the top with enough material to make it look as though he might have breasts, and the awkwardness was all in Alec, rather than the dress.
The black velvet draped over pink satin is a little bright for Alec's usual tastes, but this isn't really about him. It's about making a point and making sure that that those who won't listen to his words won't really be able to ignore his looks.
"Can you breathe in that?" is all Richard says when Alec comes tromping down the stairs, feeling the skirts swishing elegantly around him even despite his own lack of grace. Alec hopes he doesn't trip. He can't imagine how some women do this on a regular basis.
"Yes," Alec says, and then, "But it's not all the way on yet. I could use some help with the laces."
Richard sighs, but when Alec joins him at the bottom of the stairs he lifts his hands to help. He's a little too careful for Alec's taste, but the point isn't to make Alec beautiful -- he's sure enough that nothing will do that -- but to make him look passable at the first glance, and the laces are tied, which is what matters in this.
"Come," Alec says. "I think there's a party I was invited to."
"I doubt I was."
Alec waves an elegant invitation in front of Richard's face. "It says 'to the Duchess Tremontaine and Escort'," he proclaims, making a show of batting his eyelashes at the swordsman. "Won't you be my companion?"
Richard makes a face, but he nods. Alec lets himself smile, because he hadn't been entirely sure of Richard's response, couldn't be. "I'm sure it's likely to be an interesting event," he promises. He's not sure that that impresses Richard, but something does, because he nods. "I'll get ready, then."
"I can't imagine that that will take very long," Alec replies, "Your sword's already on you."
Richard picks up easily what's expected of him when they get to the lord's house, hovering next to Alec and reaching for his sword with a question of, "Are you insulting my lady's honor?" every time someone moves to sneer or responds particularly badly to a remark Alec makes. Alec's sure that that spreads some of the ridicule Alec's receiving onto Richard himself, but he doesn't seem to mind so much, even if he's twice asked Alec if they can go home.
"That's no lady," someone eventually says, the stagger in his step from having drunk too much.
Alec swishes his skirts a little, amused at the way they feel against his ankles. "Are you certain?" Alec asks. He makes no attempts to disguise his voice.
Richard stays next to him, posture not shifting at all, and Alec knows he's only standing ready for when it gets worse.
The man stares at him, in what Alec is fairly certain is shock and anger, as Alec lays a hand upon what might be termed his bosom. "I knew you would make a mockery of us all if you came," he says.
Alec wonders if this is supposed to be his host, the Lord Rilemak. "I assumed there wouldn't be any invitations coming for a woman who has been dead almost eighteen months," he says.
The man's cheeks redden in further anger and perhaps a hint of embarrassment, and Alec relaxes a little. He'll get to go home soon, then, get Richard to help him take this off. Maybe get Richard to help with some other things too. "You should have assumed that there weren't any invitations coming for you at all," Rilemak says.
"I could have." Alec feels like a cat, all self-contentment and sharp points. "But I couldn't imagine why they'd come to my house, then. I was a little unsure if it would work at first -- I have to admit that I felt a little intimidated at all the pieces the tailor said go into a woman's wardrobe, I had no idea it was so complicated -- but I think it all came together."
Rilemak turns a couple more colors before he stalks away.
"I think he likes the way it makes me look," Alec says.
Richard doesn't respond.
After, Richard helps with the complications of that wardbrobe. "I'd almost think you have experience undressing noble ladies," Alec says.
Richard just snorts and lets the corset fall to the ground, leaning in to nip lightly at Alec's now-exposed collarbone.