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Tindwyl s, child"

"Then why are you so rew up as a pa, he needs a little harsh truth, I think" She paused, glancing down at Vin "I sense that you've had quite enough of that in your life"

The dress theroup with a bent finger "I think your coloring would look particularly good with dark cloth A nice maroon, perhaps?"

"What about a black?" Vin asked

"Heavens, no," Tindwyl said "Absolutely no ray for you, child"

"What about this one, then?" Vin asked, pulling out a royal blue swatch It was nearly the shade she'd worn the first night she'd o

"Ah, yes," the dressht skin and dark hair Hum, yes Noe'll have to pick a style You need this by to, the Terriswoman said?"

Vin nodded

"Ah, then We'll have to modify one of the stock dresses, but I think I have one in this color We'll have to take it in quite a bit, but we can work through the night for a beauty like yourself, can't we, lad? Now, as for the style"

"This is fine, I guess," Vin said, looking down The goas the standard cut of those she'd worn at previous balls

"Well, we're not looking for 'fine,' now, are we?" the dressmaker said with a smile

"What if we re at the sides of Vin's dress "And perhaps raised the hem just a bit, so that she could move more freely?"

Vin paused "You could do that?"

"Of course," the dressmaker said "The lad says thinner skirts arein fashion a bit behind Luthadel" He paused "Though, I don't know that Luthadel even really has a fashion anymore"

"Make cuffs of the sleeves wide," Tindwyl said "And sew a couple of pockets into them for certain personal items"

The old estion

"The chest and waist can be tight," Tindwyl continued, "but not restrictive Lady Vin needs to be able to move freely"

The old man paused "Lady Vin?" he asked He looked a little closer at Vin, squinting, then turned to his assistant The boy nodded quietly

"I see" thejust a little bit ive himself a little more stability "I'mI'm sorry if I offended you, ain Another reason why I shouldn't go shopping "No," she said, reassuring the ht You haven't offended htly, and Vin noticed Spook strolling over

"Looks like we've been found," Spook said, nodding to the front s

Vin glanced past dressing du outside Tindatched Vin with curiosity

Spook shook his head "Why do you get to be so popular?"

"I killed their god," Vin said quietly, ducking around a dressing du eyes

"I helped too," Spook said "I even got my nickname from Kelsier himself! But nobody cares about poor little Spook"

Vin scanned the rooot to be a back door Of course, there ?" Tindwyl asked

"I have to go," Vin said "Get away froo out and talk to them?" Tindwyl asked "They're obviously very interested in seeing you"

Allrianne eown of yellow and blue--and twirled draet Spook's attention

"I' out there," Vin said "Why would I want to do so like that?"

"They need hope," Tindwyl said "Hope you can give thee them to think of me as some object of worship"

"That's not true," Allrianne said suddenly, walking forward, looking out the ithout the least bit of e, and beingreputation If people kne ordinary you were, they wouldn't be so crazy to get a look at you" She paused, then looked back "Iuh, didn't mean that like I think it sounded"

Vin flushed "I'm not Kelsier, Tindwyl I don't want people to worship me I just want to be left alone"

"Some people don't have that choice, child," Tindwyl said "You struck down the Lord Ruler You were trained by the Survivor, and you are the king's consort"

"I' "We're just" Lord, even I don't understand our relationship How am I supposed to explain it?

Tindwyl raised an eyebrow