The trip out of the castle was a much longer one, with multiple manned checkpoints. I really hadn’t been a threat to them it seems, I should have been stopped long before reaching the queen last night. Perhaps she knew about me before I even ventured into her kingdom? I would have to ask her when I had the opportunity to be more casual with her.

My train of thought was shifted though when the flickering light of torches gave way to the consistent lighting of the red moon hanging in the sky. It was nearing the apex of the sky it seemed, so I presumed it to be about an hour before noon, if such a concept existed here. Veronica took a moment to notify one of the guards of our departure before waiting for me to exit my befuddled state.

“Why is everything so red?” I asked her, unsure if she would even answer.

“Instead of a sun and moon, our realm has a red and blue moon.” She answered it smoothly, as though it had been said hundreds of times. “If you need an equivalence, our kingdom primarily operates during the red moon. Your daytime if that pleases you miss.”

I gave a nod, which seemed to satisfy the maid who turned around and made her way out of the castle. We walked through a gardened path before reaching another gate, all bathed in a uniform red glow from the moon above. It felt as though the moon itself was hesitant to create shadows. The flowers themselves still held all manner of colors even in the tinted light though, and were arranged in lovely blocks of colors from orange to maroon. I’d have to see how it looked under the blue moon as well, to see if they changed colors with it.

The guards at the final gate opened the way, letting us out into what appeared to be a noble district. There weren’t many people in the streets here, and most seemed to have similar outfits to Veronica. The few people I saw not clearly in a uniform were wearing outfits that would pass as flirty at best, and salacious at worst. No one else was batting an eye at them though. Perhaps it was customary? Or perhaps another job I was unaware of. I had never been the most educated of soldiers.

“Clothing is very different here than in your realm,” the maid mentioned to me. “Whereas you are familiar with people ashamed of their bodies’ details and hiding it, we like to show off any detail we prefer. The kinder weather also allows lighter clothing, allowing the highlighting of those details further.” She turned to see my surprised face at the thought of it. The notion of not being ashamed of the body was a novel idea to me. “Of course, the more details you show, the more refined you are expected to be. If you dress without shame, it would be unbecoming of one to bring shame upon themselves through action after all.”

After catching some stares of my own for what now felt like the clothing of a nun, I realized just how out of place I was here. Those lessons couldn’t come fast enough it would seem. “Where is our first stop in the city?” I tried to steer the conversation away, hoping to not dwell on the stares I was getting for my seeming oddity.

“We will begin by going to the royal tailor. He designs all of the outfits that are worn by her majesty, and will be designing all of your outfits as well. When not needed by the kingdom, he also creates bespoke pieces for those who can afford his services.” She said it in the same, flat tone she had when going over the agenda for the day in my bedroom. I had to stop my eyes from glazing over once more.

“And after that?” The houses were beginning to shrink somewhat in size now. Still looking nice, but clearly no longer just for the nobility.

“We’ll get you some basics to fill out your wardrobe as well as cover you while the royal tailor and his apprentice create your proper attire. After that, I have a couple small errands to attend to before we return to the castle.” We took a turn to the side, veering towards what appeared to be a market district.

As we neared the market district, I was struck by how empty it felt. I was used to the streets of even the classier markets being filled with people. Here, there were maybe a dozen or so people walking the streets. There were, however, far more buildings for stores than market stalls, each with a welcome sign emblazoned by the door. The smells of the usual market were gone too. Instead of the smell of fresh fruits and burning incense, there were perfumes that lingered in the air as we made our way down the lane.

It wasn’t long before we reached a building Veronica walked up to the door of. I looked around for some sort of signage, but there didn’t appear to be any aside from the welcome sign next to the door. How did she know we were in the right place? Was there some subtle difference to the buildings I hadn’t seen?

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Veronica opened the door, gesturing for me to enter before her. On the inside, I noticed all manners of cloth bolts lining one wall. The back of the open plan store was occupied by an older gentleman and another, far less determinate of a person. With their back to the door, I could almost imagine them to be some manner of faceless spirit.

The man’s eyes lit up when he turned to see who had entered. “Ah, Veronica, such a pleasure to see you! I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure since last winter.”

The maid seemed to almost blush at the man’s joviality, before recomposing herself and giving a slow nod. “Her majesty hasn’t been in need of a new piece in quite some time. She’s quite fond of the turquoise piece you did for her last time as well.”

“Oh, I am so glad to hear that. I was unsure about the clasps, but it would seem I struck the perfect balance between elegance and function for her highness.” He clapped his hands together as he spotted me off slightly to the side. “And who do we have here? Another fresh face if I had to guess?”

Veronica offered another nod. “The queen has chosen her heiress. I’m afraid we’ll be keeping you quite busy getting her several outfits. Not least of which being her coronation regalia.”

Regalia. That was a word I had never had used about anything I was going to wear. That was the sort of thing saved for royalty at their best. I had to remind myself that I was royalty now.

“Oh, lovely! A fresh canvas to put my work upon. Can I presume this fiery woman before us is the heiress to be?” The man jaunted up close towards me, causing me to lean back slightly from his suddenness. He began inspecting me while Veronica gave her response.

“I cannot say who the heiress is to be until the queen’s official announcement, but she will be your next client. At the queen’s request of course.”

“Yes, yes, you won’t hear a peep out of me about it. After all, my reputation would be tarnished were I to even receive such secrets.” The tailor smiled at me knowingly. It was clear he had played this cat and mouse game of conversation before. Looking towards his apprentice, he clapped his hands twice, “Taylor! I will need your assistance with measuring this lovely client of ours. Nothing but the most precise of measurements will do for royalty.”

The person who had been stitching together a piece finally stood up and turned towards me. Were I not looking at them, I wouldn’t be able to describe them. Their face was as nondescript as their body. A girlish face with boyish lips and medium-length hair atop a very neutral frame. After noting mine and Veronica’s presence, they went over to one of the other tables and grabbed a measuring tape while the tailor himself directed me towards a small stand in the middle of the shop.

“Hmm, yes, a fresh face indeed. Off with your clothes then dear, we don’t want these drab fabrics to get in the way of our measurements.” He clapped twice more as he said it, causing me to blush red as the moon. “No need to be shy, we’ve all seen a woman laid bare before. Though I can understand your hesitation if you’re new to our kingdom.”

I gave a shy nod before reaching for the bottom of my shirt. I very slowly and carefully slid it up and off my small frame, still surprised at just how big it was on me now. It felt almost right to let my upper body breathe like this, like it was begging to be freed from the ‘drab’ but practical clothing I had been wearing. And, after a small gesture of insistence from the tailor, I unclasped my pants as well to let them drop to the floor. Slipping out of my sandals as my last piece of clothing remaining, I cautiously took the stand.

Sensing my hesitation, Veronica moved to the door to the shop, closing and locking it. “It is unlikely anyone would enter at this time. But, for your comfort, miss.”

“Yes, yes, that shyness is to be expected. But, any subject of our good queen knows that there is no need for shame around one’s body. Confidence is the key to beauty after all. A wonderful outfit can only enhance that.” The man grabbed one end of the tape from Taylor, who spooled it out and reeled it in expertly as the two of them worked in tandem to take what felt like hundreds of measurements. Every nook and cranny of my body was explored by their light fingers, every curve measured in exactitude, and each inch noted upon a gilded scroll.

When they finally appeared to be finished, Taylor helped me put my adventuring clothes back on while their master rolled up the gilded scroll. “You will make such a lovely canvas. I see our queen was wise in her decision as always,” he motioned a kiss into the air before turning to Veronica. “We should be able to get the first outfit out within a few days, should the heiress be making any official appearances before her announcement and coronation. The coronation regalia itself will take a fortnight to complete from its start.”

“She will not have any official appearances before her coronation, so you can begin immediately on that.” It felt odd that I didn’t get a say on what the outfit would be. Though I also didn’t really know what made sense for a coronation gown, let alone one in this kingdom with its vastly different culture around clothing.

“As you say. I’ll send word to the castle when it is complete.” The man took a dramatic bow before gently grabbing my hand in his and kissing the top of it. “I look forward to more requests from you. Should you ever have need of me, just ask for Sir Jenevelle. Your servants will know who you mean.” I blushed lightly as I nodded my acknowledgment.

After letting go of my hands, Jenevelle clapped his hands excitedly once more before he and Taylor made their way back towards their sewing stations. “Oh, to have a new client, and a royal one at that,” he said gently before beginning to peruse the racks of bolts to begin his work. Veronica, meanwhile, had made her way to the door, opening it and standing at the exit in wait for me.