Empire of Shadows by Forster Miriam

Author:Forster, Miriam [Forster, Miriam]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Love & Romance, Action & Adventure, General
ISBN: 9780062121356
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: 2014-11-04T08:00:00+00:00

Well, amazing is one word for it, Mara thought, staring at her reflection in the mirror later.

She’d been wrapped and pinned into the asar until Revathi had pronounced her perfect. The pink silk glowed against her brown skin, and the loose end dangled over her shoulder, leaving her arms bare. Mara had flatly refused to wear any jewelry, so Revathi had pinned a tiny cluster of jasmine into her hair. She’d also put dark lines around Mara’s eyes that made them look impossibly huge, like a baby animal’s.

Revathi adjusted the loose end of Mara’s asar, pinning it so it wouldn’t slip. “You look beautiful,” she said, stepping back. “What do you think?”

“It’s uncomfortable,” Mara said honestly. The cream-colored, short-sleeved undershirt was tighter than she was used to, and the delicate sandals left her feet exposed and cold.

“It’s only for one evening,” Revathi said. She went to her shelf and pulled out a carved box. “You can change as soon as we get back to the palace, I promise.”

Mara scowled at her reflection. She didn’t want to look harmless. She liked her short hair messy, her clothes loose. She liked being able to move easily and fight without fabric getting in the way. But it couldn’t be helped. Mara turned to watch Revathi finish getting ready.

Revathi’s asar was a dark, shimmering silver, woven in a pattern of green and brown vines. Tiny mirrors were sewn into the fabric, scattering light as she moved. She had put up her heavy black hair and rubbed a deep red stain on her lips. A ruby hair ornament in the shape of a hibiscus flower glistened against the dark waves like a single drop of blood.

“You don’t look harmless,” Mara said.

Revathi adjusted a wayward strand of hair. She pulled a thick silver chain from the jewelry box and fastened it round the high neck of her dress. “I don’t need to look harmless, because I’m not dangerous. At least not physically. The Great Game is all about subtlety, about strategy, about communicating on many different levels and trying to outmaneuver each other.”

Revathi gestured to her asar. “Silver is a color of power,” she explained. “It’s used often to mark those who speak for the Emperor and will serve as a reminder to Lord u’Gra of my family’s position. The design is of malati vines. They sometimes stand for love offered, but these aren’t blooming. I’m trying to remind Lord u’Gra that I don’t belong to him or his son. Yet.” She slid a silver cuff on her wrist, covering her noble’s tattoo. Her fingers tugged at the long sleeves of her undershirt and straightened the high collar.

“It’s unusual, going in such dark colors to a social dinner. If I’m lucky, Lord u’Gra will read it as me being unhappy, and that will make him tread carefully. He cares very much about this alliance.”

Revathi picked up a silver-painted fan. “Come on,” she said, tapping Mara with it. “We’re going to be late.”

Mara sat down and pulled up the hem of her asar.

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