The carriage pulled up to a storefront that was in the heart of the capitol’s marketplace. People were bustling around in every direction like a swirling pattern in the marketplace. Maids had their arms full of packages, trailing behind young noble ladies. Young aristocratic men were checking their pocket watches. A peasant girl wearing plain clothes was selling fresh hand picked flowers to anyone who would pay her the time of day. The smell of spices and seasoning filled the air, along with the scent of baking bread. Back in the empire, Maude had only been able to go to the main marketplace a handful of times, but the Aulbertian one was similar enough that it gave her a pang of homesickness. The Aulbertian marketplace reminded her of meeting up with Silas before the war and eating sandwiches. She felt her heart ache in her chest.
If only my life had been simpler, she thought. I could’ve gotten married to Silas and been pretty happy.
Helena and Jakob stepped out of the carriage before her. She sighed softly, wishing she’d been able to go on a shopping trip like this with a friend or a lover. It had been something Sara had always told her about doing, but she’d never gotten the chance to. Sara had always told her that it was more fun to shop with people that she cared about.
Maude grabbed the hand that was reaching out to her outside the carriage—something she’d only just learned was considered very impolite to not do–and made her way down the steps of the coach.
“Lady Maude,” she heard Duke Rosenberg’s voice say. Her eyes widened, and she looked at the owner of the hand she was holding for assistance.
“Duke Rosenberg!” she exclaimed. She noticed she had been a bit too loud, as people looked over at her and her commotion. “What are you doing here?” she asked forcing her voice to be softer.
“When did I say you were coming alone without me?” he asked.
Maude thought back to the previous afternoon. “I guess you didn’t say you weren’t coming,” she replied. “But you didn’t say you were either.”
He smiled as she let go of his hand. “I can’t let Helena and Jakob have all the fun with you,” he said. “That wouldn’t be fair.” He held his arm out for her to link hers through, and she felt a blush settle into her cheeks. Standing so close to him, she caught a whiff of what smelled like soap, and the smell of trees, a smell she didn’t think she’d ever be able to forget.
He led her down the street, past several shops that were selling curios, luxurious furs, and practical goods. Her eyes widened as they passed a sword shop. She had never seen such beautiful, ornate swords before. Her sword had been crafted specifically for her and was more intricate than a regular sword, but it was not because someone had requested to make it that way for her, but because it was a tradition in the empire to give every sword saint a sword uniquely crafted with that sword saint in mind.
Finally, they came to a dress shop. There were several different types of ball gowns and evening gowns displayed in the windows. They also had everyday dresses, similar to what Maude had been given during her stay at the Rosenberg manor.
The party of four walked in the door, the bell jingling each time one of them touched the door. “Welcome in, welcome in!” a seamstress with a thick rope of black hair tied behind her head said. “How may I assist you today, Duke Rosenberg?” she asked.
“We are looking for some attire for the lady,” he replied, gesturing to Maude. “She needs dresses that are acceptable for several different types of occasions, but for balls and tea parties, primarily.”
“Oh, very nice, very nice,” the seamstress said, gently grabbing Maude’s wrist and tugging her away from the rest of their party. “I should have somethings that will fit her,” she said, after thoroughly eyeballing Maude. “Would you like me to custom make her some gowns as well?”
“That would be excellent,” Duke Rosenberg said, while Maude started to shake her head.
“Absolutely not,” Maude stated, drawing an “x” with her arms in front of her chest.
“And pray tell, why not?” he asked her, looking confused. “If you are going to participate in high society in Aulbert, you need to look the part!”
The seamstress looked up at him, smiling warmly. “His grace is correct, Lady Maude,” she said, her head swiveling back to Maude.
How does she know my name? Maude wondered. Did Jaspar call ahead?
“Let’s start with the ones you already have sewn,” Duke Rosenberg said. “We’d like to see all of them.”
“All of them!” Maude exclaimed, and then quickly clamped her hand over her mouth realizing she’d been too loud again. The seamstress shot her an understanding smile.
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“Of course, of course, Duke Rosenberg!” she exclaimed. She yelled something into the back in a language that Maude didn’t recognize, and Maude saw a young girl, no older than twelve, scurrying around to find the dresses. “My daughter will bring them,” she said, gesturing to Maude to a changing room. She banged her walking stick on the ground and said, “Go ahead and start getting prepared to try them on.” The seamstress nodded at Helena. The maid nodded back.
“Try...them on?” Maude asked.
Is this a normal experience for a dress shop? Maude couldn’t help but wonder. Were noble ladies really allowed to try clothes on before they purchased them this whole time?
Maude remembered how she had struggled to learn how to hand patch some of her clothes when they tore on her from their age, or the growth that she’d experienced, while she had been in the Holloway manor. She’d poked herself with needles so many times, she had sworn she’d be feeling those pokes forever. But it had all been worth it to avoid Zara’s wrath when she needed new clothes. She couldn’t even fathom how many times Zara had purchased Maude clothes that were a size too large...which had always led to more patching and stitches needed on Maude’s part.
“Of course, my Lady,” Helena replied, to Maude’s confusion. “We want to make sure they look nice on you and fit well before we purchase them.”
“Ah, right, of course,” Maude replied, feeling her face flush again. It’s a rare moment when I’m not finding new ways to embarrass myself in front of the duke, she thought.
Helena pulled Maude into the room, closing the curtain behind them. “Don’t worry, Lady Maude, I’ll make sure to help you into the dresses.”
“Are you sure?” Maude asked Helena.
“Most certainly, My Lady,” she replied. “Duke Rosenberg assigned me to assist you.”
“Oh,” Maude replied, feeling her heart drop in her stomach. Can I trust her? She wondered. So far, Helena had been the maid that had been the nicest to her. But Maude hadn’t really interacted with her all that much, or requested her services. Will she start to ignore me when she realizes that I’m inadequate?
The seamstress’s daughter came into the small dressing room, carrying an armful of gowns. There were dresses of every color; hot pink gowns, navy gowns, and emerald gowns. Bows and lace seemed to be covering every inch of the fabric. The daughter carefully hung the dresses on a rack that was in the room with them.
Maude caught sight of herself in the mirror. She was tall for a woman, and lean. Her chestnut hair was tied in a bun on top of her head. She’d always kept it short, but in the weeks since the war had begun, it was starting to grow long. She was wearing a green peasant gown, and looked plain. She wasn’t particularly beautiful, but she’d never been able to try, either.
“Which one would you like to try first?” Helena asked, as the daughter stepped out of the room. Maude looked over the dresses, and pulled out a navy blue one with lace and a few bows on the sleeves.
“How about this one?” Maude asked.
“Of course, my Lady,” Helena said. “I think this one will look really nice on you.” She helped Maude remove the dress she was wearing, and Maude stepped into the silky smooth material.
Why is Duke Rosenberg doing all of this for me? Maude started to wonder. He said that I did a lot of the Kingdom, but I have no idea what he’s talking about. She thought back at all of the things she’d done since she had left the Holloway manor to go to war. As far as she knew, she hadn’t done anything for Aulbert. In fact, all the things she had done, she’d done selfishly, for herself.
Is it because I refused to fight? She wondered. Is the kingdom doing well in the war because I chose not to fight?
Helena pulled the ribbons on the back of the dress. Hard. Maude gasped for breath for a moment, surprised. “Are you alright, my Lady?” Helena asked, sounding confused.
“Ah, yes,” Maude answered. “You just surprised me.”
“This is surprising?” Helena asked, concern in her voice.
“Mm, it’s just that I’ve never gotten to wear anything like this before,” Maude replied. “I’ve never owned such expensive things in my life, or even had my own maid.”
“But you’re a duke’s daughter, my lady,” Helena protested, pulling on the ribbons again. Maude winced.
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Maude replied. There was an awkward pause. Maude wasn’t really sure how much she should tell Helena. Whenever she’d told people in the past about what it had been like to live in her father’s house, it was dismissed as an exaggeration.
“Well,” Helena said, tying the bow behind Maude’s back. “It doesn’t matter now. You get to try these things now.” She patted Maude on the shoulder. Maude glanced at herself in the mirror. The gown was a bit gaudier than what she’d prefer, but nonetheless, Maude looked like a completely different person, even to herself. The dress’s style forced her to stand proudly rather than slouch. She couldn’t help but let out a small smile. It felt like she was playing dress up in her mother’s clothes, but Maude felt like a woman more than she usually did. Even without her hair and makeup done, she looked a little bit like a duke’s daughter.
Helena placed her hands on Maude’s shoulders. Her brown eyes met Maude’s own in the mirror, and Maude could see the warmth shining in them. “My Lady,” she said, a smile creeping onto her face. “You look stunning.”
“Thank you, Helena,” she replied with a small giggle, before looking at the floor.
Helena spun her around gently, “Now, go show the duke how beautiful you are, too!”
Maude gently pulled back the curtain to the dressing room, and stepped into the area of the main store. She took a few steps before she looked around at the people who had been waiting for her.
The seamstress looked as though she was in awe. “So much potential,” Maude thought she heard the seamstress murmur. Jakob’s face had cracked into a smile, something Maude had never seen him do. And then there was Jaspar’s face, who seemed to be wearing a look of a mixture between amusement and reverence.
“You look beautiful,” Jaspar said, sounding as though he was choking on his words. “We’ll definitely take this one.”
“Of course,” the seamstress replied with a bright grin on her face.
Maude felt her face flush as she turned away from the group of people inspecting her. So this is why noble ladies love to shop and dress up, she thought as she walked back into the room with Helena. I understand now.