The Priestess and the Thief Kindred Tales 30 - Evangeline Anderson Page 0,27

dresses. And of course, when she’d become a Novice priestess, she was only allowed to wear the plain white robes that went with her station. Never had anyone suggested that she wear trousers like a male before!

“Why not?” Roke asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “Why can’t you wear trousers?’

“Well, I mean…it would be wrong,” Elli protested.

“Why?” he asked again.

“Because it’s unladylike,” Elli pointed out.

“So is training zorels, according to you, but you do that well enough,” he remarked.

“Oh yes, but…but I’ve always trained them in skirts,” Elli said.

“Don’t you find the skirts get in the way?” he demanded. “Aren’t you ever afraid one of those big beast’s claws is going to get hooked in the fabric and drag you down?”

“Oh, I’m much too quick and careful for that to happen,” Elli told him.

Roke frowned, his face going dark.

“Be that as it may, little priestess, I’d prefer not to take the chance. My heart was in my throat while I was watching you tame that big brute today—I’d prefer that you were as safe as possible.”

“But—” Elli started to protest again but by then the salesman had come forward.

“I need some trousers which will fit my curvy little friend here,” Roke told him, nodding at Elli. “Can you accommodate us?”

If the salesman was surprised by the big warrior’s request, he didn’t give any indication. He simply took Elli’s measurements with the long tape draped around his neck, gave a short nod, and disappeared into the back room for a moment.

When he came back, he had two pairs of trousers—one made of brown leather and another pair made of soft, black suede.

“Will either of these suit?” he asked Roke.

“I don’t know. Do you have a fitting area where she can try them on?” the big warrior asked.

“But of course. Right this way,” the salesman said.

And that was how Elle found herself trying on trousers for the first time and thinking how extremely strange they felt. They came right up between her legs and the seams rubbed her secret spot in a way that made her wiggle her hips in embarrassment. She wondered how males stood wearing them all the time—especially if the seams rubbed against their shafts the same way. She wondered if Roke was bothered by the tightness of his own trousers—his shaft certainly looked big enough to—

Stop it, Elli! she scolded herself fiercely. Stop it right now—you can’t start thinking about him that way! You need to have only clean and pure thoughts in your head.

But until she was able to take a sip from the cup of Mortem Amore during her Shriving ceremony, it seemed the struggle to keep from thinking immoral thoughts was one she was unfortunately going to keep having.

“How do they feel?” Roke’s deep voice rumbled from the other side of the fitting room curtain.

“All right… I guess.” The salesman had given Elli a man’s shirt—sized small—to put on with the trousers. She tucked the hem of it in, as she’d seen other males wear their shirts. It was too tight across her generous breasts, but other than that it seemed to fit well enough. Taking a deep breath for courage, she came out so the big warrior could see her.

“Mmm…” he growled, nodding approvingly. “Yes. See, now these won’t get caught in a zorel’s foreclaws when you’re training them,” he remarked, nodding at the too-tight trousers. “Much safer than long skirts.”

“But not nearly as ladylike!” Elli protested.

“Too bad. We’ll take them,” he told the salesman. “And anymore you have like them in her size as well. Thank you.”

And that, it seemed, was that.

Fifteen

Elli’s stomach felt like it was full of flutterbyes as she and Roke made their way to the front gates of the Tenebrian palace that evening. She was wearing the gorgeous crimson gown and a pair of little satin slippers that matched it. Roke had insisted on buying her several pairs of shoes and boots to go with the dress and trousers and shirts he had purchased for her.

Roke himself was dressed in his usual black leather trousers and tall black boots, but he had purchased a Tenebrian style frock coat which fell to his mid thighs and cinched tight at the waist. The royal blue velvet seemed to bring out the blue in his eyes and emphasize the width of his broad shoulders. The elegant silver lace at his cuffs and collar made him look like a dashing figure out of a romance vid, Elli thought. She just hoped the two