Chosen, Chapter 31: Lace and Collars

AidanThe RealmsUnknown DateEveningStarchaser village, Mistvale Highlands

Brighid led Aidan to a wooden building along the western edge of the village and pushed her way through the leather straps serving as a door. Inside was a wide but shallow room filled with bolts of fabric, shirts, blankets, and other things made of cloth in various stages of completion. An actual wooden door sealed off a separate room further in. A petite young centaur woman with short blonde hair and reddish-yellow fur rose from a cushion as the pair entered. Aidan wasn't sure how long centaurs lived, so it was difficult to judge her age accurately, but she had the smooth skin and youthful exuberance of a college freshman. She and Brighid embraced warmly, then Brighid introduced her friend. "Aidan, this is my friend Siwan. Siwan, this is Aidan, the one I was telling you about earlier."

Siwan smiled at Aidan and hugged him as well. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Aidan. I hope you do not intend to take our Brighid away from us again any time soon?"

He hugged the smaller centaur back and shook his head. "It is ultimately up to the Council, but at the moment, I have no reason to leave and an excellent incentive to stay." Siwan smirked, but didn't interrupt. "I know the path will not be easy, but the good things in life come for those who fight for them. I intend to fight to make a life here with the tribe. Although, maybe not literally fight for it; I'm pretty sure that any of you could stomp me flat, present company included!"

Siwan laughed merrily. "Fortunately, you have Brighid here to handle that for you! Just point her at an enemy and give her rump a slap to get her charging off, hey?"

"I don't know..." Aidan drawled, smirking at Brighid. "She might misinterpret that. Probably wiser to tell her what I want her to do; she takes direction well."

The blonde centaur looked confused for a moment, looking back and forth between the lovers. Then her eyes dropped to Brighid's neck, and realization dawned along with a broad grin. Blushing brightly, Brighid attempted to redirect the conversation. "Did you have a chance to make some clothes for Aidan? I know I did not give you much time, but we are pressed for time, ourselves."

"Of course, Brighid! You know I love a challenge, and I have never made clothes for a human before." Turning to Aidan, she continued, "The shirts were easy enough, so I have several for you, but all I had to work with for your leggings was guesswork and the measurements Brighid gave me, which were not much better." She grinned at her friend, who had the grace to look embarrassed. "Anyway, if they fit well, I can make you some more in other styles." Her eyes cut to Brighid, and the corners of her lips twitch upward. "Maybe even make the pair of you a matching set of clothes?"

Siwan laughed brightly at Brighid's blush, then hugged her again. "Do not look so surprised. You have not exactly made a secret about it; you both still smell a little of each other, and then there is this." She reached out and brushed her fingertip across the hickey on Brighid's neck. "Oh, do not worry, Brighid, I think your friends will notice how happy you are, and if they see you with Aidan here looking as satisfied as he is, they may guess at the reason. I doubt anyone who does not know you well would see beyond their own prejudice, though. And, besides, if anyone makes a fuss about it, you can tell them they can repair their own damned shirts and blankets if they do not like it, because I will not. I am glad you finally met your match. Now," she whirled back to Aidan like a tiny effervescent tornado, "get rid of that blanket and step over here. I need to see the clothes on you before I can make the final adjustments. Come on now, time is wasting!"

Bemused, Aidan let the young woman march him, naked, into the center of her workshop. She made him put on a series of shirts, turn in a circle for her (and Brighid, who watched with her hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles) to inspect the fit, then had him step into a pair of long pants made out of soft, supple leather. They fit well, but were tight across the groin—especially after Brighid lifted her shirt and shook her breasts at Aidan while Siwan's back was turned. She gave him a wink and blew him a kiss, then went back to watching her friend boss him around.

Siwan collected the clothes and quickly made the alterations she deemed necessary before delivering them with a smile. Aidan pulled the pants back on; to his chagrin, Siwan did not loosen the pants any. Brighid handed him a black linen shirt with full-length sleeves and a formal cut, including a bit of lace at the throat, which he obediently wore. The seamstress turned to Aidan. "Will there be anything else?"

"Actually, yes, I think so," Aidan said, thinking quickly. "How much time is there before the Council, love?" He asked Brighid.

"Um, we should be there in a little less than an hour." She replied, caught off-guard by the question.

Aidan returned his attention to Siwan. "I would definitely like some more clothes. I will need some heavier clothes eventually for when the weather turns colder. I'll also need some additional pairs of pants. These fit well, if a bit tight at the groin—"

"Intentional and appreciated!" Quipped Brighid.

"—but if you could make me some which are a little less restrictive, more suitable to wear under armor while fighting, that would be useful. Also, I'm sure it never occurred to either of you since you centaurs get to walk around in just a shirt all day, but things tend to get sweaty and sticky down there. It's cleaner and more sanitary to have some under-clothes. If you could make me some shorter, lighter pants that I could wear under these, that would be wonderful. Finally, there's a special request I want to make, in private. Stay here and browse or something, Brighid; don't try to listen in."

Brighid's eyes widened, but she just said, "Yes, Sir," and walked over to look at some shirts on a rack in the corner of the small shop.

Aidan went over to the opposite corner, then turned to Siwan. "First, thank you for not making a fuss about Brighid and me. I can tell you two are close friends, and your acceptance is important to her."

The blonde responded with surprising fierceness. "If I thought for even a second that you were mistreating her, you would find out whether present company could stomp you flat, I assure you. But I can tell that you make her happy, and as long as that continues to be true, you will have no problems from me. Besides," she continued with a giggle, "it is fun to see her on the back hoof for once!"

Aidan shared a grin with her, then said, "Thank you, I do appreciate that, all of it. The other reason I wanted to talk to you in private is that I want to commission something for Brighid, but I don't want her to know about it until it's done. I don't know if it's something you can or would do, though, so please forgive my presumption if I overstep myself. What I would like is a strap of leather or thick cloth, about two finger-widths wide and just long enough to wrap around her throat. It should fit snugly but without restricting her breathing, even in combat. It would need a clasp to keep it on, obviously, but I would also like a metal ring at the front." At Siwan's puzzled expression, he explained. "As I know you noticed, Brighid trusts me enough to be somewhat ... deferential to me in specific ways. Where I'm from, what I'm asking you to make is a symbol of that sort of relationship. I plan to present it to her along with a charm I'll make myself. It will be entirely her choice if and when to wear it. I understand if you aren't willing to be quite this involved, though."

Siwan shook her head and hugged him again. "No, no, I think it is a lovely idea. Like I said, you are making her happy, and that makes me happy. I can make what you are asking for. Do you have any particular color or pattern in mind?"

"You're the seamstress here, not me," laughed Aidan, hugging her back. "By all means, use your own judgment. I'm sure whatever you come up with will be perfect. Can we discuss price while we're over here? It's a bit of a sensitive subject for me since my Skills are a bit ... lacking, but because this is a gift for Brighid, I don't feel right having her pay for it. I'd offer to pay for my clothes as well, but I'm already unsure how I'll pay for this. Unless you need something burned? I'm good at that!" He asked with a wry smile.

Siwan tapped her chin thoughtfully. "No, I am afraid the only thing that gets burned around me regularly is my food, and I do not need any help with that. I will propose this, however: I think I know some others who might be interested in this sort of thing. I will make the collar as a gift to Brighid if you allow me to—discreetly, I assure you—make some others and offer them to some of my other customers. If this turns out as I think it will, I will have something I can provide that my competition does not even know they are missing out on, and you will have a secret little club of like-minded folks to ease your transition into the village. All three of us win. All I would need is the length around her neck; that isn't a measurement I have for her. Brighid has never liked high-collared shirts."

With a relieved smile, Aidan readily agreed to Siwan's proposal, then asked her for her measuring device. She handed him a long, thin cord with a series of knots worked into it at precise intervals. Each small knot was about an inch apart, with every fifth one being larger and every tenth being larger still. Holding the cord, he walked back over to where Brighid was fingering some silken-looking fabric thoughtfully. "Kneel down a moment," Aidan told her. "Siwan needs some measurements, and, for now, I have decided that I will be the only one allowed to touch you without your clothes on. Oh, yes, by the way: shirt off."

Brighid's eyes went wide and she hesitated for a long moment, staring at Siwan like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. Aidan clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "What are you looking at her for? There is no one here who hasn't already seen you naked. Kneel. And. Remove. Your. Shirt." Her eyes snapped back to Aidan, then she bit her lip and sank down onto her belly. A flush of embarrassment and arousal spread down her neck and onto her chest as she pulled her shirt off. "Back straight, chin up," he commanded. "I can't get accurate measurements with you slouching like that. There you go, that's a good girl." Brighid's flush spread further, and she breathed out a quiet moan, but she did as he ordered without any more hesitation.

Aidan took the cord and looped it around Brighid's waist, drawing it taut but not tight. "Waist, twenty-nine and a half knots," he called over his shoulder to Siwan, who was watching everything with keen interest. He loosened the cord, then wrapped it around her chest again just underneath her arms and above her breasts. "Under the arms, 36 knots." He moved the cord again, wrapping it around the fullest part of her breasts. This time, he made a frustrated sound in his throat and shifted the tape repeatedly across her stiff nipples as if he were struggling to find the proper spot to measure from. Brighid took in a deep breath, trying to suppress a moan, but Aidan smacked her flank with a cupped hand and said firmly, "Stop that! Breathe normally. When you puff up like that, it throws the measurements off, and I don't want anything going over these," he grabbed a breast in each hand, squeezing them and rubbing her nipples, drawing a moan from her, "to be nice and snug. No loose shirts for you." Finally, he gave a mock sigh and pulled the cord taut across her areolas. "We'll call it 44 knots over the bust. That might be a tiny bit tight, but you'll just have to deal with it since you couldn't control yourself."

I knew she was stacked, but damn! Aidan thought to himself as he measured Brighid's sleeve length. All these extra measurements are just to tease her and disguise the real reason I'm doing this, but I'd be lying to myself if I didn't admit that it's nice to know that particular measurement. Finally, he got to the actual length he needed. "Reach back and lift up your hair so that I can get all the way around your neck. Good girl." He wrapped the cord around her smooth neck, slipping one finger underneath to make sure it wasn't too tight, then told Siwan, "Right about 15 knots." Aidan looked at Brighid critically, examining her hips. The area was shaped very differently on her centaur's body than it would be on a human. He glanced over at Siwan, who was looking a little flushed herself, and asked, "For a human, I would get hip measurements too, but I do not know how or even if you take that length on a centaur."

She blinked at him a moment, clearly distracted, then shook her head. "No, for our shirts, they either stop at the belly, or we cut them low in back and long in front. That is everything I need for your request."

Aidan nodded at her and handed the measuring string back, then looked down at Brighid. The Paladin remained kneeling in front of him, naked, submissive, and clearly aroused. "You can get up and put your shirt back on." Still blushing, she got her hooves back under her and tugged her shirt back on over her head. Her nipples were evident, forming tented peaks under the soft cloth. "Now, go ahead and figure out the price for my clothes; I'll do what I can to pay you back."

Siwan and Brighid talked for a few minutes. Aidan did his best not to overhear their conversation; he was sure it was about more than just bartering for goods and services. Finally, they broke apart, and Siwan gave Brighid and then Aidan another hug. With her arms around him, she whispered in his ear, "If you want me to make her some clothes like you were teasing her about, come back and talk to me some time. I believe we might be able to come to an arrangement." He looked at her, startled; her eyes were hooded, and her cheeks bore a rosy flush. She gave him a low, predatory grin, and clarified, "Not you, sorry. I like you well enough, but not like that. I would not mind having the upper hand on Brighid for once, though. Just a thought to keep in mind..." She playfully pushed the lovers out the door as he pondered the implications.