“The Duchess’s Dress” is a 3200-word fantasy short story set in a quasi-medieval secondary world. Can Elise, servant of the duchess, save her from the seer? Can the duchess, offended by the seer’s vision, get the queen to sanction the seer?
This story’s an offshoot of a long-abandoned fantasy trilogy written before I’d ever seen anything actually medieval. A couple of years after I fixed that shortcoming in my life, I wrote the first draft of this story.
Excerpt
Last time I checked, I was thirty-fourth in the line of succession.
“I wish you would reconsider wearing this,” I said.
She glared at me and said nothing. I helped her with her undergarments, farthingale, petticoats then, finally, the offending kirtle. After I finished, I stood back, checking each detail. None of the sleeve laces showed, which pleased me.
“How do I look?” she asked, a slight smile on her face.
“Like a pretender to the throne.” My words were harsh, but she hadn’t changed her ways. Appeals to her better nature didn’t work; she didn’t have one.
Cover design element credits can be found here.
For the near future, this is an Amazon exclusive. It’s also available to borrow for free if you’re a Kindle Unlimited member. If you’re not, there’s a free 30-day trial; you can borrow up to ten books at a time.
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