Naturally, the garments and jewelry were heavy. The gown alone had enough fabric to outfit several ordinary women, and the weight of the ornaments around her neck and on her head would have been exhausting for someone unused to wearing them. Lina, however, felt surprisingly comfortable. She suspected she could have run ten laps around the palace grounds without being particularly inconvenienced.
So much for the idea that women are naturally delicate, she thought with a trace of amusement.
Still, she couldn't deny the foolish pleasure she felt at seeing herself dressed so magnificently. The rational part of her knew that the gown would not make her any wiser, stronger, or more capable of ruling an empire. The diamonds would not protect her from assassination, and the sapphire would not help her read the documents that everyone kept placing in front of her. Yet the sight in the mirror was undeniably beautiful, and she found it difficult to suppress her satisfaction.
