Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliassotti Page B

it a reward for saving Viera yesterday?”
    â€œWho? Oh, no; well, not exactly.” She remembered the morning’s rush and blushed. “Exalted Octavus sent me an invitation to a party, so my friend Cassi and I took the day off to find an appropriate dress.”
    â€œOf course. Viera wouldn’t have remembered that some people don’t have a wardrobe full of formal clothes. Do you … do you want me to say something to her?”
    â€œNo!” Taya recoiled. “Don’t do that! What would she think of me?”
    â€œShe could send you something to save you the expense—”
    â€œNo, please, I’m fine,” Taya protested, turning red. “I have an excellent dressmaker.” I hope.
    That morning, Cassi had taken her to her nephew, who had just finished his apprenticeship.
    â€œBut I can’t afford a custom-made dress,” Taya had protested.
    â€œDon’t be silly,” Cassi had scoffed. “Jayce should pay you to wear one of his dresses to the party.”
    Her nephew had rented a hole-in-the-wall shop in a respectable part of Secundus. As soon as she explained Taya’s predicament, he canceled all of his appointments. At first Taya had questioned the wisdom of putting herself into the hands of a baby-faced twenty-year-old dedicate, but after an hour of gazing at his designs and listening to his rapid-fire orders, she’d surrendered to his artistic vision and meekly let him do whatever he wanted.
    Jayce had run a strip of measuring tape around her breasts and Taya flinched. “Straighten up. You do not want your dress to sag here.”
    Taya stiffened her back.
    â€œI can’t believe you icarii,” he grumbled. “You’re thin enough, but none of you have any breasts. And your legs are too short. And your arms! We’ll have to hide your shoulders.”
    â€œWhat’s wrong with my shoulders?” Taya protested. “I mean, aside from the cut?”
    â€œYou’re cut? How badly?” Before she could argue, he’d pulled up her shirt and groaned. “Not even bandaged. I don’t believe this— do you want a scar? Fine, fine, no problem. I can work around it. It’s too cold for bare shoulders, anyway. Especially shoulders like yours.”
    â€œWhat’s wrong with my shoulders?” she insisted.
    â€œMuscles aren’t ladylike.” He scowled, his pencil flying over a sheet of paper. “I feel like I’m dressing a boy. Fortunately, I’ve made dresses for Cassi before, so I know a few tricks.”
    â€œI’m not a boy. And my breasts are just fine, thank you very much.”
    â€œThey’re fine for a flier. They don’t give a designer much to work with.” He chewed on the end of his pencil, then started scribbling again. “I’d sell my soul for perfect breasts.”
    â€œYou and me both.” Taya had grimaced and sat, sneaking a glance down at her chest. Nobody had ever told her before that her breasts were too small. Great. Now she had something else to worry about.
    The memory made her blush, and she averted her eyes from the exalted. She hoped he hadn’t noticed her … deficiency.
    â€œWell, if you’re certain you have something appropriate,” Cristof said. He sounded offended. “I was only trying to help.”
    â€œI’m certain.” She stood to prevent any further objection. “And I’m also certain that I’ve taken up enough of your time. Thank you for lunch, Exalted.”
    â€œYou don’t— are you going up to your eyrie?” He got to his feet, facing her across the cluttered table.
    â€œYes, I think I should.” She checked one of the many clocks ticking around them. “It’s a long walk, and I want to check on my armature before the smithy closes.”
    â€œWill it be all right?”
    â€œI think so. It didn’t give me any problems on my flight back from the