Goddess of the Rose (Goddess Summoning #4)(45)

"Whatever you wish, Empousa. It is an honor to be chosen to serve you."

The young woman's exuberance made Mikki feel a lot less nervous about not knowing what the hell she was doing. She was where she belonged. Everything else would fall into place. She nodded at Gii's laden arms. "I was going to say I needed you to help me find something to wear, but it looks like you already have that taken care of." Mentally Mikki crossed her fingers that today's outfit would cover both of her br**sts.

"Naturally, Empousa. I knew you would be eager to oversee your gardens. When you summoned me I made certain that I was prepared."

Gii began helping Mikki out of her nightdress, and with the words your gardens echoing delightfully in her imagination, Mikki shrugged her way out of her clothes and held very still as the handmaiden took the long, rectangular length of gold fabric and wrapped it once around her body. With gold pins that appeared from the voluminous folds of her own robe, Gii fastened it at the shoulders. Thankfully, it formed a full bodice, covering both of her br**sts. Then she unwound one of the elaborately braided belts from around her own waist and hung it low on Mikki's hips.

"Gii, I don't mean to complain, and I think this" - she hesitated, trying to think of the right word for the rectangle that had become a flowing, toga-like garment - "this dress is flattering and very feminine, but don't you have something else that's better suited to working in the garden?"

Gii straightened and gave Mikki a confused smile. "How could any garment be better suited than a chiton?"

"Well, it's an awful lot of material. Won't this" - she pointed at the length of golden fabric that hung gracefully to her feet - "just get in the way?"

"Not if you tuck it here and here." Gii demonstrated tucking her own lovely mint-colored chiton up into her belt so her long, strong legs were left mostly bare. The Earth Elemental held out her arms. "Our arms are not hindered by cumbersome sleeves, but if you feel chilled, you can easily wrap your palla around your shoulders."

"Palla?"

Gii wrinkled her forehead at her High Priestess. "Empousa, have you never before worn a chiton with a palla?"

With an effort, Mikki didn't shriek her frustration. "Gii, I explained to you last night that my old world is totally different. There I didn't know about priestesses or goddesses, and we don't dress anything like this. If I was going to work in the garden I would wear jeans" - here she mimicked stepping into a pair of pants - "and a short T-shirt that I'd pull over my head, and it would cover the top half of my body."

Gii looked horrified. "I do not mean to speak ill of your old world, Priestess, but it sounds barbaric! Why would a priestess, or any woman, choose to dress in such an unflattering, uncomfortable manner?"

Mikki meant to say that she'd never thought of jeans as unflattering or uncomfortable, but her eyes were caught by her reflection in the full-length mirror and the words stopped before she could form them. She looked like a queen from an ancient world. She walked slowly forward, studying herself carefully. The fabric was soft and unbinding, feminine and alluring. She had nothing on under it to crawl up her butt or to bite into her shoulders and leave red marks at the end of the day. Compared to this outfit, a bra, panties, jeans and a T-shirt were barbaric and uncomfortable.

"Teach me about this, Gii. You called it a chiton?"

"Yes, Empousa. It can swathe the female form in almost endless ways, especially when you add a palla or various other types of mantles." Taking a wide, soft brush from the vanity dresser, Gii fussed with Mikki's hair as she spoke, brushing it back and then tying it in place with a gold thread. "We believe our clothing should idealize a woman's body, rather than attempting to conceal its natural shape. Or bind it unnecessarily."

"There's no doubt that it's beautiful, but can I work in it?"

"Shall we see, Empousa?"

Mikki took the amber-colored palla from where it lay like a spilled treasure across the end of her bed and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Absolutely."

MIKKI knew something was wrong as soon as she approached the rose bed that had been planted so close to the stairs that led from her balcony that the roses brushed against the marble railing. It was the same sick feeling she'd had the night before, only this morning it was far stronger. Her stomach clenched, and she had to fight a bizarre impulse to be sick. The smile that had lit her face when she recognized the Old Garden Rose, Blush Noisette, faded along with the color in her cheeks. The bed was large and the plants well spaced, but the closer she got to them, the more obvious it was that they were not as healthy as they had appeared to be from above. She hurried down the rest of the steps. She ignored the sick feeling that had hit her as soon as she approached the roses and left the marble path, ploughing directly into the bed, muttering under her breath while she touched leaves and lifted canes to get a better look at the heart of the plants.

"Empousa?"

"They look terrible!" Mikki said without pausing in her inspection. "The leaves are yellow and limp. The canes are spindly. The blossoms, which seem fine from a distance, are really undersized and several don't look like they're going to open at all. When's the last time they were fertilized?"

Mikki didn't look up from the roses until she realized that Gii wasn't answering her. The handmaiden was staring uncomfortably at her tightly clasped hands.