This story is part of the Wanderer series.
To the south, in the Astraea Royal Palace, Chiara walked down the empty halls. Columns of light crossed her path, shining through the lancet windows. She trailed behind Eldest, who brought her to the armory at the end of the hall.
Chiara squinted as they entered the darker room. The armory was dimly lit from above. Rows of lances lined the walls. In the center, under the hazy sunlight, she saw a table lined with a thick cloth. On this table were several golden pieces of metal that glimmered in the light. They were very similar to the royal military garb Tatiana was wearing, but smaller.
“Yours,” she said.
Chiara eyed the table with some curiosity, but grounded suspicion. “Is this armor?”
“Yes.” Tatiana reached and picked up a piece. “I need you to try them on.”
She held up a chestpiece and beckoned Chiara to come over, which she obeyed. Seeing her sister hold out the piece in front of her, Chiara noticed how strikingly similar the armor was to Tatiana’s.
“Why do we need armor for the conference?” Chiara asked. “Are you expecting a fight?”
“No. It’s for show,” said Eldest as she brought the front piece up to Chiara’s chest. Chiara raised her arms and winced a little as her sister tightly pressed it against her, glancing side to side to assess its fit.
“I don’t get why you like to wear these metal clothes everyday, Sis,” she complained.
“It is duty, Chiara,” Tatiana reminded her. “It won’t do for you to wear your dress in front of the representatives from the other Great Nations.”
“Isn’t my dress fancy enough?”
“It’s not about being fancy,” Tatiana explained. “This is military uniform. It’s to distinguish you from the rest of our holy representatives. To authenticate your royalty and brandish the shape of your feminine body. The symbols of our kingdom.”
As Tatiana fiddled with the lower pieces of the chestpiece, Chiara blankly stared down, only half listening to her sister’s preaching. She found the golden armor to be pretty, for sure, ornate with fine etchings, just as her sister’s. It felt pleasing to dress like her eldest sister, but in the moment, it did not beat how uncomfortable the armor was, wrapping precisely around the shape of her chest. Observing this, she suddenly blushed as her sister’s words registered in her mind.
“I-Is that why you measured my chest a few weeks ago?”
“Yes. We need it to fit, of course.”
Glancing up, Tatiana saw Chiara’s discomfort and misinterpreted it.
“Look, don’t worry, I’m not going to start a fight at a peace conference, okay? I’m not empty headed.”
Tatiana gave the lower pieces a light tug, trying to wrap them around the sides of the torso a little more. Chiara said nothing in response.
“This armor would be impractical for combat anyway,” she continued as she brushed off the shiny surface.
Chiara lowered her gaze to her sister’s face, becoming curious. “Why?”
“Take this piece, for example,” said Tatiana, gesturing towards one top end of the chestpiece. Extending a finger, she traced it along the curve of her chest.
“The shape of the armor… It guides the sword to the heart…”
Chiara could feel the metal piece slightly vibrate as her sister traced her finger inwards, stopping at the center of her chest and giving it a light tap. She gulped at the thought.
“Or at least, near the heart.” Tatiana retracted her finger and threw her hand back, smiling at the technicality.
“I… I see,” Chiara surmised.
“Not to mention the material and the gaps in the armor in the belly and other important regions,” her sister finished as she reached back towards the table. “Now, turn around. Let me see if the back piece will go on.”