So You Might be Soulless

36|| Dress

Diya felt soft, repeated pressure on the side of her stomach.

She bolted upright, fashioning a sword of darkness and slashing it down. It collided with a wooden shield that splintered clean in two upon impact, breaking away to reveal a petrified Healer.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" Diya's words were sluggish and she raised her hands, the shadows backing away at her will. In a slight daze, she realised there were thick, white bandages covering her arms.

"You may go." Doctor Khasia nodded to her junior who scampered away like a frightened puppy. She turned to Diya with a raised brow and grin. "Back so soon?"

Diya threw her a lazy grin. "This place has a charm- certainly beats the stuffy palace." She brushed a curl behind her ear and sucked in a sharp breath, feeling a pointed edge instead of a curve. She pulled her hair over her ears and tucked her knees to her chest with a wary gaze.

"It's okay, I won't tell anyone. Your coverings are on the table- I readjusted them so they could fit your ears better. The old ones were much too tight."

"Yeah." Diya chuckled bitterly as she slotted them on. "The Elshers, my adoptive parents, did that on purpose so I would always be reminded of my... abnormality."

Doctor Khasia scowled as she checked Diya's vitals. "Some people simply do not deserve to have children. But I am sure that justice will prevail today."

"Yes, I do hope– wait, what do you mean by today? How long have I been unconscious for?"

"About six days. You were brought in by the Crown Prince who saved your life. It was honestly quite exhausting having to deal with him– and where do you think you're going?" Doctor Khasia placed her hands on her hips and glowered.

Diya tried to push past her. "The trial! I have to- I have to go now!"

"It is not starting for another three hours, so rest."

She shook her head, pulling her dark hair into a ponytail with a ribbon. "No, you don't understand Doctor. The Elshers wouldn't go down without a fight, and I have to meet up with Sebastian to tell him something."

"Well, you can't go like that!" Doctor Khasia gestured to the rumpled hospital gown with a disapproving glare.

But Diya brushed off her worries. "It's okay, I'll wear my bodyguard uniform–"

"You cannot. You are not attending this trial under the Imperial Family's crest, but as a young woman seeking retribution." Doctor Khasia shrugged and added, "Plus we had to burn your clothes due to the smell."

Diya sighed in frustration and pressed a hand to her head to ward off a headache. "The only formal dress I have is the one I wore for the banquet."

A devilish glint lit her eyes. "I have an idea..."

**

Sebastian fiddled with his cuffs, staring at the ticking hands of the wooden clock. He then tapped his pen on the desk in time to the disappearing seconds, mind far away from the documents he really should be focused on.

I hope Diya's okay. He thought, rereading the note that said she had woken up and was preparing for the trial. Although he knew his parents had gathered all the evidence they could- enough to exile the Duke and Duchess for child abuse and treason- he couldn't quell the uneasy feeling twisting in his gut.

The door burst open and he looked up, already reaching for his sword. A wide smile stretched across his face, and he held back a laugh.

"You look good." He managed to choke out, covering his mouth with his hand.

"I feel uncomfortable." Diya scowled, pulling up the loose shoulders of her dress. It was a deep blue that brushed just above her knees, the edges crusted with glittering false jewels. "This is too big for me, but we're running out of time."

"What's going on?" Sebastian didn't like the seriousness in her tone.

Diya crossed the room and flopped down in the chair, crossing her right leg over her left one. "I think the Elshers are planning something."

"There's nothing they can do right now. The evidence is too damning." So damning that I don't know why we didn't investigate the Elshers before.

Sebastian thought back to his lessons about the various Nobles. The Duke and Duchess Elsher were the most powerful and, at the time, virtuous couple. They were ethical and morally clear, and society was in awe of their generosity- especially after they heard they'd adopted a Reject Necromancer.

Now he could see it was all a perfectly curated lie.

A lie that he couldn't wait to see crumble today.

"Hey," he said. "I think you should know that today... Well, you're probably gonna be asked to give a statement. Are you prepared for that?"

Diya smiled. "I've been preparing my statement for a decade and a half. You bet I am."

"There are also going to be many reporters and Nobles as this is a matter of great public interest. The Duke and Duchess have a solid reputation in society, so they will view you as an outcast and try to sully your character–"

"Just an ordinary Friday afternoon then." Diya raised a brow. "C'mon Crown Prince, you know my reputation throughout society. I'm no stranger to being a pariah and, as long as by the end of the day I'm not Diya Elsher, I don't mind a little bad chatter."

Sebastian flinched, but masked it with a practised smile. He didn't understand why he was bothered about the repercussions if she wasn't. "Of course, I understand."

Diya glanced at the clock and smiled. "Ah, Sebastian, I think it's time we go." She rose and clicked her tongue against her teeth in annoyance as the shoulders slipped down. "Damn this!"

"Wait, I have an idea." Sebastian opened the top drawer of his desk and took out two small, silver safety pins.

He motioned for Diya to turn around and and then gathered the ruffles of the straps and pinned them over her shoulders, using the excess material to cover the pins. Smoothing down the creases, Sebastian had the distinct sense that something had shifted in their dynamic- like a large rock constantly being eroded by a single trickle of water.

Diya turned and offered her arm for him to take with a grin and slight twinkle in her eye. "Let's go and win this thing."

**********************

Final chapter coming up!

I hope you guys liked it!

Stay safe and thanks for reading :)