"I'll do it," he'd said, and for the next twenty minutes, the "Monster of the North" met his greatest challenge: silk ribbons and hidden stays.
"Alaric, that goes under the lace, not through it!" Salviana laughed, her voice bright and melodic as she batted his large hands away.
"There are too many strings, Salviana. It's a tactical nightmare," he grumbled, though a rare, genuine smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He accidentally looped a ribbon around his own thumb, drawing a squeal of laughter from her as she spun around to face him.
"You can decapitate a beast in the Wyfwood with a single swing, but you're being defeated by a corset?" she teased, her emerald eyes dancing with mischief.
"The beast is predictable," he countered, finally cinching the final tie. He stepped back to survey his handiwork. The dress sat perfectly, the tiers of sage and cream fanning out around her like the petals of an exotic flower.
