Linda managed to pick up the dress with some difficulties, since initially she thought that she would have to act as a gray mouse in front of the king. No tailor would agree to sew a formal dress for her in just one day.
"Listen, my lady" The third tailor urged: "It will take me two or three days to finish one. And you also need to pick up stones and sew petticoats. It's just impossible in one day!"
"Let's go to another tailor" Helena suggested: "If nothing works out, you still need to order a dress, because you will need it. And it's also worth thinking about casual outfits, otherwise you'll only have one dress, like a beggar".
In the last workshop, there was a good opportunity to purchase an amazing silk dress that had already been made.
"I don't have enough time to sew what you want in a day, madam" The master explained to Helena: "But I have one thing available that can satisfy you. It's not a formal dress, but it looks very elegant. Ordinary formal dresses are made stiff and decorated with a lot of stones. It turns out to be very expensive, and it is inconvenient to wear such an outfit. I want to offer you a ball gown that is suitable for appearing in an audience with your Majesty. Magnificent Malian silk in various shades of pink, luxurious decoration with gold embroidery and fine lace. If you decorate your daughter with jewelry, it will be no worse than the front one, but much more convenient. Visually, your daughter has the same figure as the customer for whom the dress was made, but if it is a little too big, we will quickly adjust it. In your presence, of course".
"And why didn't the customer want to?" Linda asked.
"She didn't say anything, but I think she had money problems" The master replied politely: "It was obvious that she really liked the dress, and the rejection of it upset her more than me. Anyway, I'll sell it - it turned out so well. Do you want to try it on?"
Linda was helped to change by two maids, after which she looked at herself in a huge mirror made of polished bronze and thought that she would not be able to leave without this dress.
"How it fits on her!" The master exclaimed, walking around the girl: "Look at her breasts. A very thin cloth was used there! Can you see? Every detail is visible, including the nipples!"
Linda looked down at her chest, and the joy faded a little. Indeed, the fabric was very thin and hid almost nothing. In good light, it should have shone through everything.
"Damn it!" She thought: "When we get back to reality, I'll definitely buy a bra and everything will be fine".
"Do you like it?" Helena asked: "I think it looks great. We're buying".
They also ordered two dresses for each day from this tailor.
"Just use a normal breast cloth" Linda asked, blushing.
"The customer's desire is the most important thing for me" The tailor replied, closing his eyes.
And who did he decide to deceive - the master?
"It's very inconsiderate to think about me in the way you just did, and even say it out loud" Linda said irritably: "Maybe I should burn down your workshop along with your guts, or will you make a discount for me?"
There was an emotion of anxiety, which quickly showed the joker who he wanted to play with now. As a result, after a lot of apologies, he really gave them a good discount.
"Well done!" Helena praised as they sat down in the carriage: "You always need to save money, no matter how much. And he had the most ordinary thoughts that any man can have after seeing a beautiful woman like you. If they are burned at the stake for this..."
By the time they returned home, Hasd had completed Helena's assignments.
"Look at how handsome they are!" The Marquise admired the stallions: "It's a pity that I'm not old enough to race them anymore. And you should try a free ride. You'll feel what it's like to ride a thoroughbred stallion, and maybe get used to it. It's not your old horse. Gasd said that the groceries had arrived. Make sure they don't rot, and then you need to sort things out. Do it with Dina".
Gasd appeared in the house near Linda.
"Madam, you stopped studying because of the road. It won't do. I found a spacious room in the house, which the previous owners did not use. If we buy carpets and spread them on the floor, we will get a wonderful training room. You need to start training to be good with a sword".
Linda and Dinah had to do a lot of work for the rest of the day, and Helena had to send Gasd shopping twice, but the next morning they didn't need anything. Everything necessary for a good life was arranged the way they were used to at home. They had to pick up books and some things from the castle, but they decided to do it after a visit to the king. Shortly after breakfast, an officer of the royal guard arrived at the mansion, who informed him that an audience with the king was scheduled for noon.
"Try to arrive on time, my lady" He warned at the end: "And it's best to arrive a little earlier".
They followed his advice. Helena gave Linda a necklace with rubies and an exquisite gold bracelet, also decorated with the same stones, and she put on a beautiful blue dress that Linda had not seen her wearing before, and new shoes that she bought on Earth. It took them about twenty minutes to get to the place. At the palace gates, the carriage was inspected by guards, and Helena presented a paper with an invitation to a meeting.
The Royal Palace turned out to be a disappointment. Linda imagined something like the Louvre, depicted in French films starring Jean Marais, or the royal palaces in St. Petersburg, but the royal castle was not surprised by any architectural sophistication or special splendor. It was a little more interesting inside, but still the palace seemed to her to be an overly enlarged image of the same house as theirs.
"Listen, why are there absolutely no paintings or sculptures visible here?" Linda wondered as they followed the servant up the stairs to the third floor, which was covered with rich carpets, where guests were always received.
It turns out that in this world, instead of paintings, only portraits were always painted, which were hung in specially designated rooms, and never hung just for beauty.
"Most likely, the blame for this lies with our ancestors, who never made anything out of stone" Helena replied thoughtfully: "At the very beginning, our ancestors had a lot of worries and sculptures were not interested in them at that time. In general, what could be useful in some sculptures? Maybe they can be traded with other countries?
"Why are you always looking for some kind of benefit?" Asked Linda in surprise: "They are designed to make others wonder and rejoice when looking at them. What else is possible to get from beautiful products?"
"My Lady, we are already there" The servant cut into their conversation: "His Majesty King Vadish the Third is waiting to meet you!"
After these words, he opened one half of the doors and stepped aside so that the guests could go ahead. The two women entered an almost empty room, where low chairs with elegantly curved legs and bright crimson upholstery stood along both walls. There were carpets on the floor, the predominant colors of which were red, as well as curtains on the windows. Linda, for some unknown reason, suddenly had a smile on her face.
"It's like the whole room is covered in blood" She whispered to her mentor.
"Stop talking nonsense" Helena whispered back: "A lot will depend on this visit for us. If the king has a bad impression of you from the very beginning, then you will suffer for a long time to fix everything".
A small door opened in the opposite corner of the room, and a stout man of small stature, whose clothes were decorated with rich gold embroidery, came out of it. After glancing at the women, he turned around and whispered something through the open door, then turning back to the guests, he smiled warmly and walked towards them.
"The Marquise and the Baroness! You can't imagine how happy I am to see you as my guest! Allow me to report, I hold the position of secretary to our king, Dar Gamiy. The King will come out to you now!"
Linda was curious about the sincerity with which he was glad to meet them, but when she tried to check the thoughts of this fat man, she was faced with a powerful defense. Of course, he couldn't be a magician, which made it clear that he had some kind of amulet with him.
The secretary escorted the women to the door and politely opened it for them, just as the servant had done before him. A room decorated in blue and green tones opened behind the door. The room was furnished with upholstered furniture on low legs and the same low tables with vases that filled the air with the smell of pleasant vanilla, as well as jugs with glasses. The king himself, who was sitting on one of the sofas waiting for their arrival, stood up, looking at his guests with interest.
"I was very glad to learn that you, Marchioness, voluntarily ended your seclusion and responded to my offer to come to visit me, thereby leaving both yourself and your very beautiful daughter to the world!" The king said with pathos, giving them a friendly smile.
"I am very grateful to you, Your Majesty, for such friendly words" Helena replied, slightly tilting her head: "However, I want to correct you that my seclusion was by no means voluntary".
Women in this world did not use a greeting similar to a curtsy, they usually expressed their respect with a simple nod of their head.
"Do you have any complaints about my father?" The king asked, hiding his smile.
"Of course not, Your Majesty" Helena replied, now smiling back at herself: "If I thought badly of your father, I would not have come here to meet you and would not have brought my daughter with me. I already realized that he was acting under pressure. What's the point of me blaming him now? But I wouldn't be sincere if I said I forgave him. Would you make any claims yourself for the death of your family and your own ruined life?"
"Then what are you going to do?"
"Wisely, Your Majesty, I do not plan to commit acts of destruction of the Mashun Temple. I will only retain the right to remind them of what happened earlier if necessary".
"This is a reasonable decision!" The king replied with satisfaction: "I also do not feel condescension towards the priests of this god, and I have sufficient grounds for this. However, I cannot afford to start a conflict at the moment. My situation is desperate. It was with the help of these priests that father scattered the masters to neighboring kingdoms, but they, just like you, have not forgotten anything and are not going to forgive anything. Can you guess which side they will take in the event of a conflict?"
"But surely such a conflict is possible?"
"I am rather inclined to the affirmative answer. Our last conflict is long gone. Since our society has been enriched and the population has increased significantly. However, there is one exceptional situation - your homeland, Baroness. She faced a serious threat from Vardia. The dark King Darkh the Second, in violation of all agreements, placed the Boers in the mountains, and did not destroy them on his territory. It should be noted that these bloodsucking boers are a danger because they raise livestock and are in close proximity to residents. I would ignore this fact, but the existence of such settlements remains a secret.
And now I've found out that the son of Darkh the Third is forming his own guard of these boers! Do not forget that when we tried to destroy them, we needed up to five experienced warriors per boer! And this at a time when they had no combat training and were poorly armed. They were defeated only thanks to the masters. Now do you understand how serious this is? And if the masters refuse to exterminate them and even side with the Boers, what will be our chances of survival? Darh risks playing with fire, but today's times are incomparable to those that used to be: we are divided, and no one will be able to convey this problem".
"I wonder if Vardia's population will continue to have a high birth rate?" Helena asked thoughtfully.
"Let's look at the gist of the matter, my lady. The Boers are gaining strength and over time, the restrictions that the King of Vardia laid down will become too tight for them. Maybe it's time for this change. Currently, it is still beneficial for them to be under the rule of the king, but how much longer will it last? Won't Darkh use his fanged allies against us?" The king replied, asking a question instead of an answer.
"Do you think it's possible to put the brakes on all this?"
"But do we always think about the future?" The king asked, remembering his father.
"Your Majesty, could you explain to me why the actions of the priests of Mashun were initiated? I don't understand their purpose" Helena asked, expressing her embarrassment.
"Magical power and, obviously, the desire to rule. Their goal is to subjugate all the magic in our kingdom. The destruction of the masters was intended to get rid of rivals and seize their knowledge, and robbery was secondary. The priests partially succeeded in achieving their goal. That's why I can't come into open conflict with them right now. They are the only ones who can become a threat to the creatures and the army in which the Boers will serve. You need to be extremely careful. The priests will certainly notice your appearance and I cannot predict what they might do in the future. The influence of the temple and its order is not as strong as before, but their capabilities are still great".
"And what do you expect from us?"
"When my father died, I ordered an end to the persecution of the masters, however, despite promises of generous compensation, none of them has yet responded to my call. Currently, my options are limited, and I cannot take away your property from the new owners, mainly related to the priesthood. The only way out for me is to recruit talented children capable of magic, grow them into my own magicians and hope that I will be given enough time to do this. I want your priorities to be focused on that too. Of course, do not forget to fulfill the current orders of the yard. Do you mind?"
"My days in this world are coming to an end, they are not measured in years, but only in decades. I'll be gone soon, and you'll only have to deal with my heiress. She has my knowledge and surpasses me in strength. The only thing I have more is experience. Do not look at her young age and make no mistake, taking her for a naive girl. She has already been through a lot, despite her youth. I fell in love with her and gave everything I could: knowledge, wealth and the tiny amount of warmth that I had. She's going to take over my name soon. For you, this girl is valuable not only because she has an assistant in the form of a Beast. Love her, and she will never betray you. People like her are very rare. But just try to do something bad to her, and I'll come back here wherever I am! And don't you dare treat her as your woman, because you can't have children with her. I think it's best if you hear it right away. I have summoned Rinda from another world, and she can return there at any moment. Whether to stay here or leave is up to you".
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
"And Kiwana..."
"It's a fiction" Helena nodded: "But I needed to somehow explain where it came from. And this explanation seemed to me the most appropriate".
"And how long have you been preparing it? Or was she already born with magical abilities?"
"There are no magicians in her world at all, and I've been training her for only a year, even less. It was a very difficult path, most people are not able to follow such a path to magic".
"Isn't there any power in that world that we can use?"
"You should see Rinda about this. I've only been there twice and I didn't understand much. The inhabitants there have great power, but it's not magic. They possess something completely different".
"Can you help me, Rinda?" The King addressed the girl simply by her first name: "I'm ready to do everything I can, because I'm not only asking for myself. Kings are no different from ordinary people, but a good king must first take care of the well-being of his subjects, and only after that of his own. I am afraid that one day I will be able to see my country drenched in blood and fire, to witness the death of people and my helplessness in front of it".
"I will try my best" The girl replied, lowering her eyes to the floor: "And I will think about what else I can do for you".
"I have to arrange everything so that you are safe!" The king announced decisively: "May I continue to address you by your first name? Great. In that case, you can just call me Vadish. Don't you have a large enough mansion? Can you find two unoccupied rooms in it?"
"Do you have any plan?" Helena asked.
"I would like two of my people to stay with you, to whom I will assign the task of protecting your daughter. Magic is fine, but a magician won't always be able to use his power in time".
"And who will it be?"
"They are considered not only my servants, but also good friends. This is a master warrior, he taught me how to handle a sword perfectly and is completely devoted to me, and a drill girl will be with him. I owe her a debt and I can rely on her for everything".
"Do you trust the storm?"
"She helped me save my life, and this has already happened twice. She warned me about Darh's plans and opened up the possibility for me to be magically tested. Of course, you will find it strange to use these words in relation to the Boers, but she is really an amazing person".
"You liked her" Helena remarked: "However, I want to warn you that you will not be able to have children with her, besides, your environment will be against this union!"
"It's unpleasant when you are clearly transparent in front of the interlocutor" Vadish curled his lips: "You feel as if you are stripped naked. But if you're worried about your daughter, then you'll have to accept my offer. Muggle is not just a beautiful girl and has fangs, she is also an experienced, fast and ruthless fighter. If she takes over Rinda's guard along with Fancore, my worries will be reduced".
"Okay" Helena obviously reluctantly agreed: "Of course there will be free rooms, as soon as we get back they will be prepared for our guards".
"Let me introduce you to my Fancore, who will be your companion in the future. He is not demanding, so you will find some place to stay for the night. Tomorrow you will meet with a Muggle, I am sure that the young girls will be friends. I invite you to see our school of magic, get to know our teachers and explore the available books. After that, I invite you to my place for lunch, my man will bring you to school. We'll talk about other things over lunch".
Fancor Varish turned out to be a forty-year-old man of small stature, with powerful shoulders and well-muscled muscles. His hair was combed back into a ponytail, but although not very handsome, his face still aroused sympathy for him.
"Aren't you related to Baron Gesal?" Linda asked.
"Do you know Aden?" Asked Fancore in surprise: "Yes, we are really relatives, although very distant. May I ask you a question, Baroness? Do you know how to handle at least some kind of weapon?"
"I'm quite good with a dagger, I was trained in the Aquani family's hand-to-hand combat system and I'm quite good with a crossbow. My teacher is planning to teach me swordsmanship techniques with me, but we haven't started yet. Like all masters, I can use acceleration, but I can't hold it for long enough. During the attack on us by the robbers, I was able to kill only four, after which I was very tired and lost my strength. Now, I think I could have coped with the enemy without weapons, since I gained more strength".
"Very interesting" Commented Fancore with satisfaction: "If you learn to wield a sword, it will be very useful. In some situations, the dagger may be more suitable, but in most cases, the sword provides more opportunities".
The King introduced them to Fancore and left, after which Helena hurried home.
"We have too much to do, and it's getting late. Will you take the carriage?" She asked.
"With your permission, my lady, I would prefer to ride" The warrior replied: "Do you have room for another horse in the stable?"
"Of course we'll find a place for your stallion" Helena replied: "There will be enough space for the boer's horse, but there will be no free space left, even for the donkey. We'll have to increase our groom's salary so that he doesn't leave".
As soon as they arrived at their mansion, the first thing they did was to identify rooms for their new guards. Fancore looked around the small room with furniture offered to him, he said everything suits him and there is nothing else for him to worry about. He immediately became friends with Gasd and the two of them went to the armory to inspect the weapons that were available.
The room for the boer girl was chosen next to Dina's room, but the furniture here was not very suitable for such a girl, and Helena ordered Dina to bring Gasd back here.
"Talk to the guard later" Helena ordered: "Now you'll have to quickly go to the furniture workshop. She can be found in the lower city, I think you can go back before sunset. There it will be necessary to order new furniture for the noble girl. Tell them to make a bed for her, a wardrobe and a writing table. If they have a decent mirror, you can take it too. Write it all down on paper and get an advance for them. You will show this list to the guards so that the new furniture can be delivered here without delay".
"What do you think of our king?" Helena asked Linda when the business was done and they were both sitting in the living room waiting for dinner.
"A handsome man" Linda replied: "But for some reason he seemed very upset about something".
"Ha-ha, no matter how you fall in love with this unfortunate king" Helena laughed: "Of course, there is nothing to envy him, and a lot of what he said is true. However, offspring carry a legacy not only in money, but also in obligations. I can seem to other people as if I forgive the old ruler and his sins are almost negligible. But I really think he's guilty. Kings cannot be subjugated just like that. So he trusted too much those who could not be trusted, and this is not forgiven to the king. And so thousands of people had to pay for his misdeeds - not with money, but with their happiness and even with the lives of their loved ones. I've been through this myself, and I wouldn't wish such a test on anyone. By the way, what were you thinking about, talking about help? Not about your world, I hope?"
"We have an extensive selection of various weapons in our arsenal" Linda replied: "It is difficult to get anything special, and our warriors are not able to wield them, however, in experienced hands, even ordinary weapons can allow ordinary people to master monsters and boers. It is similar to our crossbows, but is capable of firing small bolts over a considerable distance with incredible speed. Besides, it's easy to recharge. With proper time delay, one warrior is able to destroy a large number of enemies. Battles usually take place on an open field, therefore, enemies can be noticed long before the battle. If you start shooting at the enemy from a long distance, you can significantly reduce the size of the army even before the collision. Moreover, it may turn out that the battle will be avoided altogether, and the enemy will flee in fear".
"But monsters and boers move very fast".
"What's the problem? If about a hundred people start shooting at the same time, the ability to move quickly will not help the enemy".
"Are there many such weapons in your world?"
"A huge amount".
"Then what's the delay? Ask the king for gold..."
"Of course there are problems. I will not buy weapons in my country just like that. This can only be obtained from the military. There are, of course, the police, but they have little of it and not of the quality I would like to buy. With the help of magic, I can go to the police station and say that I need a gun, of course they will easily give it away, but then they will be put in jail because the judge will not believe in any magic".
"And if you try it in another country?"
"In another country, it is also not easy to complete such a task, there will definitely be difficulties. It is not so easy to sell a large amount of gold, especially if you play the role of a young girl who can be mistaken for easy prey. There will certainly be those who intend to take away my valuables, and then they will look for ways to extract information about my well-being and a place where they can also enrich themselves. Even if I succeed with the gold exchange, I won't be able to afford to spend the money to buy a lot of weapons. In specialty stores, it is sold piece by piece, and it is not available to minors. The key thing is that, of course, I am not aware of the languages and traditions of this country, which will immediately give me away as a foreigner, and foreigners are not particularly welcome there. Using forced magic requires extreme caution so as not to reveal my true identity, otherwise I will have to leave someone else's territory in a hurry, just not the fact that I will be able to escape easily".
"Well, you do have a plan, don't you?"
"In this case, you will not have to return to your world and spend some time in a shelter for children who have lost their parents. In this place, they learn various skills, including foreign languages. It will be enough for me to master only one language, which is widely used in many countries and which I already know a little. Thanks to your good memory and your decoction, achieving this goal will not be difficult. From this shelter, I will be able to visit you or our castle regularly to get a decoction. And when I master the language, I'll start learning weapons. I won't be able to do much on my own, so I'll be looking for a local assistant. It is best to find someone who is interested in dangerous adventures and is interested in getting a reward in the form of gold. In that case, my magic will only increase his desire. He will be able to sell gold, buy the necessary amount of weapons and train our king's soldiers how to use them. After all, I've never had to fire a combat weapon before".
"Will it be dangerous?"
"I don't think there's a huge danger here if you use magic wisely. I do not know any other ways to help. The king is unlikely to be able to raise his own wizards. And what can I do alone, or even with a Scarecrow, against an entire army that will have real masters of magic? If a battle starts, I will only have to go to my own world, and I would like to keep this world for myself, and a lot of ordinary people may die".
"Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Only if you prepare the tincture so that I don't have to do it myself. I will only be able to return here for a very short time so that no one will discover my absence. Perhaps the king's help may be needed at the end, when we will purchase weapons, but it is better not to mention this yet. After all, right now I can't say how everything will turn out. If the king doesn't skimp on gold, I'll buy a few things for myself. I'm used to comfort that doesn't exist in this world. Okay, so far this is nothing more than just thinking out loud, and not yet a plan. Tomorrow morning we have to go to school. How can we help them?"
"It's hard to say for sure. First, you need to consider the information they have. I have no intention of passing on all my knowledge, and I advise you to do the same. This is especially important for more advanced sections. However, I can tell them the knowledge in the field of general magic. There were undoubtedly many losses after the persecution. Just remember how the magicians reacted to your hallucinations".
"And what will we do with the priests?"
"At the moment, everything is still calm. They will not dare to openly oppose, and we, at the moment, should not start a conflict. However, if we manage to implement the weapons plan, their position in front of the king will be sharply devalued, and your importance will increase on the contrary. You need to assemble your team and equip it with new weapons. Then it won't be easy for the other kings to stand up to you. Eventually, one of them will definitely try to experience it in practice".
"There are so many obstacles and enemy machinations" Linda sighed heavily.
"Life is not just living for days, counting every moment until evening. In order for it to become truly interesting and vibrant, you sometimes need to break the rules, overcome obstacles and get out of your comfort zone. Of course, not everyone will like it, because there are few people in our society who are ready for such experiments. But if you dream of a busy life in which you are the master of your own destiny, and not just a pawn on a chessboard, then you should be ready to step on other people's points of view. And it can be dangerous for smart and careful people. But what about this situation in your world?"
"I used to think that this situation was typical for our country, but now I'm not sure about it anymore".
"Your dinner is ready, my lady, we are all waiting for you" Dina said, looking into the living room.
"We'll be there soon" Helena replied, struggling to get up from the sofa: "Somehow lately I've noticed that I get tired very quickly".