#also considering matching brocade pants. we will see how it goes.

[dragqueenpentheus]

STARTING ON MY LITTLE BROCADE VEST OHOHO

[cryptid-jack]

Court of Bones

Chapter Rating: SFW Word Count: 2,310 Story Summary: Getting married to a king you’ve never met for the sake of bringing about lasting peace between your two countries is hard enough without the fact that he’s not even human. Finding out that your new husband is also a seven and a half foot tall skeleton is something you’re not sure you’re ready to contend with. Will you ever be able to find happiness in your new home, let alone love with your equally new husband?

< Back to chapter 3

Chapter Four

After your first few days in your new home, you had reached out to the castle steward and requested a tutor to catch you up on Wyvernwald’s history, culture, and current political climate. You hadn’t been in the country long before realizing that your education regarding all these things had been… somewhat biased. Considering how everyone you’ve met has been at the very least polite, if not outright kind, you dread offending someone with casual ignorance on your part.

Plus, you really do want to be of more use to the country that you are now queen of as more than a provider of heirs. This has always been your intent, even before you knew who your husband was to be, and you see no reason why that should change now.

Still, as you make your way back to your chambers, you do find yourself wishing you weren’t to start your lessons today of all days. After your conversation with Ghalig at the breakfast table, you feel scattered and vaguely nervous in anticipation of the evening. On the other hand, at least you’ll have something to distract yourself with so the hours pass more quickly until the agreed time.

Your tutor, much to your surprise, proves to be a fairy woman no taller than your hip with glittering, gossamer wings that immediately put you in mind of diamonds. For all that she is the size of a child, however, Daelari is very much an adult with no patience at all for neglectful students. Any worry you’d had about your mind drifting goes immediately out the window as your new teacher quickly commands your attention and proves quite adept at holding it.

As you feared, your education on Wyvish culture and history is even more biased than you’d thought, so after the first few horrified looks your teacher gave you when you answered a question, you both came to the mutual decision that she should simply lecture while you listened attentively and took notes. Luckily, the fairy accepted your profuse apologies without seeming to hold your ignorance against you, but you’re still left wondering that you never considered how wrong your own teachers might have been back home.

Luckily, Daelari has a knack for making even the dullest history lesson interesting, so the day practically flies by with only a short break for lunch. Before you know it, it’s time for dinner, and you’re shocked to see how dark it is outside the window when your tutor calls it a day and suggests you both get something to eat.

“Thank you so much again for putting up with me,” you say as you walk the fairy to your chamber door once Liandra appears, clearly ready to help you change for dinner.

The fairy hovering along at your side gives you a hard to interpret smile before saying, “Not at all, Your Majesty, it’s my pleasure.” She hesitates a moment as you pull open the door for her, then continues, “It’s good to see you taking an interest.”

You’re not sure what to say to that, but luckily, Daelari doesn’t wait for an answer, simply drops a curtsy then flits out the door, leaving you alone with your servant who hurries you back into the bedroom to change.

Ghalig doesn’t make an appearance at dinner, unfortunately, but you’re not terribly surprised. All you can do is hope that he remembers your appointment, and that he’s only skipping dinner in anticipation of that meeting.

Back in your (his) chambers, you send a servant for tea, and after it arrives, force yourself to sit on the settee to keep from pacing nervously around the room. You’re in the middle of pouring yourself a cup when the door opens and Ghalig enters, nearly making you slosh the hot drink in your surprise.

“Ghalig!” you exclaim and move to stand and greet him properly, but he waves for you to remain seated, so you do. “Good evening,” you continue after putting the teapot back down on the tray before you can burn yourself.

Feeling unaccountably shy, you look up at your husband as he towers just inside the door and get a good look at him. He’s wearing a dark green brocade jacket with black pants and leather boots, and a matching belt around his waist. The look is simple but refined, and once again you find yourself approving of Wyvish fashion. The more tailored look is definitely superior to the simpler tunics Norlandic men tend to favor, at least in your mind.

“Sorry I’m late,” he says as he finally stops hovering in the doorway and crosses the room towards you.

“You’re right on time, actually,” you reassure him with a smile. “Tea only just arrived; would you like some?” Recalling that he hadn’t been at dinner, you ask, “Or did you want to send for some proper food?”

“No,” he answers quickly and takes a seat on the other end of the settee from you. “I ate over paperwork,” he muses wryly at his own habits, then says, “Tea sounds excellent, though.”

Without thinking, you move to reach for the teapot, intending to pour for him, only to find that he has reached for it as well. Your fingers brush his and you both pull back sharply at the contact and laugh nervously. It’s ridiculous, you know, but somehow the brief contact makes your heart feel like it’s about to leap out of your chest.

“I can-” he begins.

“No, please, allow me,” you say, cheeks flushed red as you reach out again and take charge of the teapot and pour him a cup while he watches. You’re inordinately pleased when your hands prove steady and you don’t spill a drop. You do, however, allow Ghalig to add his own cream and sugar since you’re unfamiliar with how much he takes.

“Thank you,” he says, and you wonder if he would be blushing too if he had the skin to pull it off. You think he would be if the way his gaze keeps darting to and from your own is any indication.

Somehow, that makes you feel a little more at ease as you sit back and sip your tea.

You’re still relieved when Ghalig breaks the silence first, though, and asks, “How was your day?”

A simple, even mundane question, but you’re glad for it. It’s easy, and you need easy right now, apparently.

“Quite educational, actually,” you admit with a little smile over the rim of your cup. He crooks a brow in silent question, clearly not having anticipated such an answer, so you continue, “Just the other day, before you returned, I inquired with the steward about procuring a tutor for myself.”

“Oh?” Ghaligh asks curiously, head canted slightly to one side as he considers what you would need one for.

He doesn’t seem to come up with anything, though, so you spare him the guessing and say, “I… well, after my first few days here it occurred to me that my education on all things Wyvish might have been a little… biased. My teachers were, in any case,” you admit with an embarrassed grimace.

“Oh,” he says, then with more emphasis as the full import of your words registers, he repeats, “Oh. Yes, I… well, it’s not surprising, I suppose.” He’s quiet for a moment, a frown crossing his angular features as he remarks aloud, “Though now I wonder if maybe my own education hasn’t suffered similarly.”

You smile and suggest, “Shall we make a game of it?”

He laughs. “What? See whose education was more xenophobic? That’s awfully grim.”

“Sometimes, when you realize something awful, all you can do is laugh and learn from it,” you point out with a helpless shrug.

Ghalig seems intrigued by the suggestion, and after a moment he flashes you a smile and says, “Alright, you’re on.”

The ‘game’ is an utter mess, and it’s a good thing that both of you resolved to laugh at the horrors, because it turns out that you’re not the only one who wholeheartedly believed more than one cruel untruth about the people you now rule over. Ghalig’s understanding of day-to-day life in Norland is certainly negatively slanted, and if it weren’t for your own misconceptions, you might have been offended.

Still, it helps the evening pass and gives you new insight into your husband. He has a sharp wit, but a kind heart, and a low, rolling laugh that makes your heart flutter alarmingly in your chest.

Over the next week, as your daytime lessons with Daelari continue, so too do your evening conversations with Ghalig. After that first night and a half you leave your ‘game’ behind and move on to other lines of conversation that allow you an insight into one another that brings you closer by degrees.

You learn that he’s not fond of the cold, despite his relative immunity to all but the most intense temperatures. Both of you love to ride horseback, and you’re elated when he promises to take you one day soon when the weather is more amenable. Ghalig is delighted to learn that you’re a more than competent archer; the only weapon your father had let you learn while your brothers had gone through their training after you swore you’d scream and never stop if he didn’t allow it. You had been tired of being denied the things your brothers were handed, and really had screamed yourself hoarse. The ensuing wheezing had so distressed your nursemaid and the other servants that your father had finally relented.

On learning this fact, Ghalig laughs so hard you suspect he’d be crying if he had the tear ducts for it, and the reaction makes you grin from ear to ear, pleased.

The discovery that you both lost your mothers at a young age brings you closer yet, and on night five you turn and find yourself nose to nose with Ghalig. The sudden nearness of him startles you, but as you glance up at him uncertainly, all you can think of is what it might feel like to kiss him. For a moment he seems to waver, and you wonder if you’re about to find out… but then he pulls away and starts into a story about the time his mother had convinced him babies came from cabbages. Apparently he’d spent hours tending and watering the cabbages in the castle greenhouse in hopes of growing a little sister after that.

She’d been a great one for pranks, his mother.

By the end of night seven you’re practically dying to kiss him, and it hits you how absurd it is that you’ve never even kissed your own husband. Ghalig seems to keep coming so close to finally making the first move and closing that distance between you, but never quite manages. So, that night when he leaves after another near-miss at the door, your frustration peaks and you resolve to take matters into your own hands.

You then proceed to chicken out on night eight and things go on as normal.

Night nine, however, you muster every bit of your courage and instruct Liandra to dress you in one of your finer gowns for dinner that evening. Luckily, there are a few visiting dignitaries dining with you, so the shift in attire won’t raise any eyebrows.

Once your handmaiden finishes squeezing you into the thing, you turn and look at yourself in the mirror. What you see there immediately makes you flush with embarrassment, though you also can’t help but feel a little smug as well. The gown is all in peacock blues and greens with an empire waist and a rich flowing skirt that hints at the curve of your hips and legs when you walk. The sleeves are long and trailing, but it’s the daringly low cut of the bodice that immediately catches the eye, lifting and accentuating your natural endowments. The addition of a simple, but glittering pendant that falls just between the swell of your breasts really caps off the whole look, and you know that if this doesn’t work, nothing will.

Well, this and your gambit for once you’ve got Ghalig alone this evening.

Over your shoulder in the mirror, you and Liandra share a smile.

You find Ghalig waiting for you outside the main door to the great hall so you can proceed in together, and his reaction on seeing you is everything you could have wished for. A small, strangled noise escapes him before he manages to disguise it by clearing his throat while you put on your best, most innocent smile.

“I didn’t keep you waiting, did I?” you ask as you reach his side and turn your gaze up to meet his.

As you’d known it would, your husband’s height grants him a perfect view of your cleavage, though you can’t help but notice the way his eye lights trace the shift of your skirts around your hips as you walk, too.

For a moment, the skeleton simply stares, then gives a start as he realizes he’s been blatantly ogling you. Ghalig pointedly averts his gaze then offers you his arm and says, “Uh, no. Not at all.”

You take it, barely managing to suppress another smug smile, and allow your fingers to gently squeeze his arm, then brush along the length of his sleeve. He adjusts its angle for your comfort, allowing you to feel the shift of bone beneath your palm as he does. You smile up at him from under your lashes and say, “Oh, good. Shall we go then?”

He’s staring at you again, expression difficult to read, but after a moment he nods and motions to the servants who are both pointedly looking anywhere but at their monarchs. They open the doors, and you go in to dinner.

[ On to Chapter Five > ]

((Author’s Note: Thanks so much for reading everyone! Thanks especially to everyone that reblogged and/or left a comment last time too! You guys are awesome and really make my day! Let me know what your favorite part of this chapter was in a comment/ask/reblog too, I love reading them!

Next chapter (ch 5) is the ‘final‘ chapter, by the way (and includes NSFW content, so be warned)! I have more planned of course, but it’ll be a bit, and I might actually do some writing on a different reader/monster couple before coming back to Ghalig and his Queen just for a little variety. Gotta update a fanfic or two first, though >o> ;; ))

[ladystylestores]

12 Designers Giving Decluttering Tips – WWD

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With the confinement still on in many countries and recreational activities spanning from do-it-yourself tutorials, Zoom video calls and digital book clubs to online workouts — expansively documented on social media during the lockdown — there’s one entry many may still have to tackle: Reorganizing their wardrobes.

The moment to face one’s best — and worst — fashion choices of the recent past might have been postponed, but as the fashion industry is stepping into new territories and sustainability is set to dictate future shopping behavior, there’s no better time to get rid of the old and embrace changes.

The KonMari method — assembled by acclaimed Japanese organizer and author Marie Kondo — and its minimalist approach may be a bit drastic for fashion enthusiasts dealing with too many items “sparking joy” during their decluttering process. So, here, WWD asks creatives in Milan, Paris and London to share their tips on what to keep, what to give away and how to keep things organized — or at least try to.

Lorenzo Serafini, creative director of Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini

What to keep: An old denim shirt. It has no seasons but it’s really timeless.

What to give away: The tracksuits or the sweatshirts we wore to stay at home during the lockdown. We need new energy!

What to reinvent and how: Check if some long pants can become a pair of shorts.

Trick to keep your wardrobe organized: I’m not very good at this, I keep spring and fall clothes together!

  Margherita Maccapani Missoni, creative director of M Missoni

What to keep: What inspires me, like a vintage Vivienne Westwood piece, with timeless proportions, which I keep because one day it could take me to new aesthetics.

What to give away: I gift what I feel doesn’t belong to me anymore, clothes I bought when trending or in fashion and thought could be part of my style but now I don’t feel quite myself wearing them.

What to reinvent and how: All the things I didn’t use that much, including a small cardigan I wore over eveningwear but that now I wear over bare skin during the day.

Trick to keep your wardrobe organized: Every time I rearrange my closet I do it according to a different theme — color, category, etc. — so that different pieces stand out each time.

Margherita Missoni’s closet.  Valentina Sommariva/Courtesy Photo

  Giuliano Calza, founder of GCDS

What to keep: I had to proceed as if I were setting up an archive, so I kept the pieces that in 10 years could still be valuable or items linked to important memories. I have a T-shirt of “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” which I used to wear as a dress when I was a child, and now it’s a very skinny shirt but its value increased tenfold.

What to give away: Fast fashion. I had no mercy because my brain kept telling me that my seven closets were already over capacity.

What to reinvent and how: I had different creative moments. I took two XL shirts with different patterns and resewed the two halves, and now it’s one of my favorite shirts. Or with a sewing machine, denim can be padded with tinfoil and turned into oven mitts or place mats.

Trick to keep your wardrobe organized: I have divided my walk-in closet according to colors. That way I can certainly find an item that’s out of place or find similar ones, of the same color. Another secret that has changed my life is to keep on a separate rack all the pieces that are linked to a good memory or give me a good energy. A sort of “VIP rack,” so I can pick one item that makes me happy from there and then match the rest with pieces from the other closets.

  Vivetta Ponti, founder of Vivetta

What to keep: I have a small closet divided into Vivetta clothes and vintage pieces. For this spring, I kept Victorian-style items, such as an oversize man’s shirt I use as a dress; some white clothes from the Sixties, one in white lace and one in brocade with 3-D floral appliqués on the sleeves, and a robe with red marabou details, which I wear as a dress with red lace socks.

What to give away: In general, I don’t give away a lot, I always try to do targeted purchases buying high-quality and timeless pieces.

What to reinvent and how: I take the pieces I don’t think to wear in the current season to Assisi, Italy, where I have an archive for research. Every new season, I always find some item I didn’t wear for a couple of seasons and it’s fun to come up with different occasions to use them, new ideas and ways to match them to create new looks.

Trick to keep your wardrobe organized: I try to keep everything on hangers, considering I mostly have dresses.

Vivetta Ponti’s closet.  Courtesy Photo

  J.J. Martin, founder of La Double J

What to keep: I keep all of the Double J [pieces], so my closet looks like a thumping rainbow. And I keep all of my most precious vintage and designer clothes that had a memory attached to them.

What to give away: I recently moved apartments and before doing so I went through a mountain of clothes and accessories that I had collected over the last 20 years of working in fashion. I was astounded by the quantity and could not wait to clear it away. I am waiting until the virus lifts to hold a sale for all of these items at super-cheap prices so that young girls in Milan can have easy access to high-end fashion. I swept away every single item I hadn’t worn in the last year — there were many!

What to reinvent and how: I am reinventing myself as someone who really doesn’t consume anymore. For the last five years I’ve barely bought any fashion in fact. When you are designing and creating, you don’t really need that input from any other source.

Trick to keep your wardrobe organized: I organize my closets by season, by category of item and then by color. I’m a maniac about it. A well-ordered house is reflective of a well-ordered mind.

J.J. Martin’s closet.  Courtesy Photo

  Giuseppe Zanotti

What to keep: I can’t part from my beloved Lanvin jackets and V-neck cashmere sweaters. My advice is to keep everything you have been wearing in the past year, remove all the unnecessary (I often gift what I don’t wear anymore) and move everything else to the “archive” closet. Editing is so important to reset your mind and to let go of some old memories and make room for new ones.

What to give away: Everything useless. No matter how good we think we are, we inevitably make mistakes from time to time and buy things that we never wear. To me, this mostly happens when I travel.

What to reinvent and how: Timeless pieces can be easily matched in new ways.

Trick to keep your wardrobe organized: I organize everything by color, all the black jackets, all the blue, and so on. But I am aware this might be easier for a person like me who mostly wears the same few colors.

Giuseppe Zanotti’s closet.  Courtesy Photo

  Amina Muaddi

What to keep: What has sentimental value.

What to give away: What you never wear.

What to reinvent and how: Vintage pieces that you can transform.

Trick to keep your wardrobe organized: Organic by category first and second by color.

Amina Muaddi’s shoe closet.  Courtesy Photo

  Lutz Huelle

What to keep: I have an extreme relationship with clothes in that, most of the time, I will find a reason to keep something even if that reason is a particularly beautiful moth-eaten hole in a sweater. So I really have to be strict with myself. I also find it very counterproductive to actually hold on to things, so imagine my dilemma! My rule is to keep as little as possible in my closet and make sure that whatever I haven’t worn in the last 12 months goes out. I do keep things that I don’t wear anymore as an “archive” piece if interesting enough, or worth keeping for a detail that could be interesting for work, in which case they go to the office into my “Vintage Research.”

What to give away: Basically anything you haven’t worn for the last 12 months.

What to reinvent and how: The best and most useful things to reinvent are those that we wear constantly anyway. I started cutting into my bomber jacket because I kept wearing it and wanted to have another version, something less strict and that would make it look fresh again. The best way to reinvent something is to put it on and look at what we don’t like about it anymore. Perhaps it’s the length or color or a collar-detail. There are so many ways to change a garment, even without sewing or using any complicated techniques: cutting the sleeves or length, over-dyeing, and there’s something therapeutic about cutting into a garment and seeing what happens. Cutting into an old T-shirt and making a sexy top for people to copy on Instagram was by far the most joy I had during the last two months.

Trick to keeping your wardrobe organized: I only put coats and tailored pieces onto hangers, everything else is in boxes, which makes it much easier for me to find things. It also takes up far less space, and is very satisfying to look at.

  Christian Wijnants

What to keep: Everything! I hate to throw away clothes and usually only do so if they are falling apart. Some of the pieces in my wardrobe are more than 25 years old; I feel an emotional connection to them as they are full of memories. I will never give those pieces away, such as early Raf Simons pieces I bought when I was a student, pieces I received when I was working for Dries Van Noten, a hand-knitted sweater made by my mother when I was a teenager. I prefer to buy less by buying timeless pieces that I know I will cherish for a long time; this is what helps me avoid a cluttered closet. The latest piece I bought is a pink sweatshirt from Hed Mayner and pants from Jan Jan Van Essche.

What to give away: The main reason I will end up giving something away is when they get much too small, which works as I have two nephews I normally give the pieces to.

What to reinvent and how: I usually wear the same things, so I can forget about pieces if they are in a hidden part of my closet. It is a great feeling when you rediscover your own closet by cleaning up and finding those pieces, some of which you might never have worn before. It happens to me quite often.

Trick to keeping your wardrobe organized: I have the luxury of having a large closet with lots of space, which allows me to sort my clothes by color and by outfits. It usually helps me to organize the clothes in groups like I would style them, it helps me get dressed quicker in the morning.

Christian Wijnants’ closet.  Courtesy Photo

  Anine Bing

What to keep: I think it is so important to have all of the essentials covered in your wardrobe, for me this would be a classic white T-shirt, great pair of denim jeans and a blazer. I’ve been living in cozy knit tops while working from home. I still take the time and get dressed every morning — it keeps me motivated and allows me to maintain some sense of normalcy. My current favorite is our new Empowerment sweatshirt, the bold graphic reminds me to stay positive and that we will come out of this experience stronger than before.

What to give away: If you have not worn something for six months, I think it is time to say goodbye. The key is to only keep the things you love and wear and get rid of the clutter. This helps me to simplify the process of getting dressed every day. Whenever I clean out my closet, I always like to donate those pieces to a local charity.

What to reinvent and how: A perfect white T-shirt is great for any occasion. I like to pair a crisp white T-shirt with denim for a more casual look and with a pair of leather trousers for an effortless yet elevated style. They’re great under blazers, too, for a more polished look — so versatile and should be a must-have in everyone’s wardrobe.

Trick to keep your wardrobe organized: I recently moved into a new home so I have been doing a lot of organizing. I color-coordinated my entire closet and made sections for jackets, denim, shoes, handbags. Having an organized and up-to-date wardrobe helps to takes the stress out of getting dressed in the morning.

Anine Bing’s closet.  Anna Maria Zunino Noellert/Courtesy Photo

  Henrietta Rix, cofounder of Rixo

What to keep: Something that you genuinely love, re-wear and can rely on no matter the situation. I wore my Zadie and Donna midi dresses regularly day-to-day pre-lockdown and still do now. I have found that my style hasn’t changed much, as I’ve always dressed for me and focused on what I like rather than trends, whether in lockdown or not. Rixo dresses and separates are honestly as comfortable as pj’s, so I’m lucky I have something unique, yet easy-to-wear and flattering. The thing that’s changed now is the footwear I pair with. Wearing Rixo around the house with cozy socks has become my thing while working from home.

What to give away: Most of my wardrobe is either vintage, charity shop finds or Rixo. I’m quite conscious when buying, so usually I have pieces for a long time and will re-wear a lot because I actually really loved and invested in them right from the beginning. However, sometimes you do feel you can outgrow certain pieces, so I’ve passed some on to my mum, who has the best style (we share everything), or even Orlagh [McCloskey, cofounder of Rixo]. It’s nice to see how people wear and style them in different ways. Then really special purchases I’m saving to one side to pass down to my little nieces for when they grow up and are able to wear.

What to reinvent and how: Old prints you haven’t worn in ages, especially as we are coming into summer. I love pulling out old Rixo prints and mixing them with a vintage element. I’ve pulled out one of our earlier Georgia skirts and I’m wearing it with a tie-dye T that I made in lockdown.

Trick to keep your wardrobe organized: Organizing by type of clothing is a must — from midi skirts to vintage shirts, midi dresses to T-shirts and so on. And also color organized. If I need to quickly throw something on, I know exactly where it is. I’m lucky I have a few prints in some of the same classic shapes I love, so my wardrobe is pretty much organized by Rixo style names at this point.

  Merve Manastir, creative director of Manu Atelier 

What to keep: A pair of blue jeans.

What to give away: Any item which has been bought in a moment of seduction but actually does not reflect you and make you move around in comfort.

What to reinvent and how: Turning old denim pants into new denim shorts, which is one of the best never-go-out-of-style fashion item. And the great thing about cutoffs is you do not have to spend a dime to get a pair. Basically, first you need to make sure that the baggy jeans will become baggy shorts and tight ones will become tight. After you choose the type of shorts you want to get, pre-shrink the jeans and decide what length you want them to be. So put your jeans on, use chalk or a safety pin to mark where you plan to cut them off and align a ruler with the cut-off mark that you made. Now you can cut the shorts.

Trick to keep your wardrobe organized: Using hanger stands in my walk-in closet. They especially make it really easy for me to see clearly what I have in my wardrobe; the coats, jackets, pants, shirts, skirts, dresses, basically everything. Besides, you can style them and create a look on the stand without putting everything on and trying them out.

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