"Yua, if you pull that sash any tighter, I am going to pass out before they even serve the appetizers," I wheezed, gripping the wooden frame of the dressing screen.
"I have to pull it tight, My Lady!" Yua argued, bracing her small foot against the floorboards for leverage. "You insisted on wearing northern chainmail under a formal capital gown! Do you know how hard it is to hide iron links beneath Kamakura silk?"
"It's flexible iron mesh," I corrected, patting my chest. It felt solid, heavy, and incredibly reassuring. "Quartermaster Koji had the blacksmiths weave it specifically for me before we left the North. It stops daggers."
"It ruins the silhouette!" Yua cried in despair.
"I would rather have a bulky silhouette than a knife in my ribs," I replied practically.
Yua finally tied off the deep indigo and silver sash. I turned around to look in the bronze mirror.
