Arsen arrived at the square fashionably late. “Miss Helian! I hope you didn’t wait too long.”
“Not at all.”
He extended his arm for me to take. “Follow me, we’ll have you dressed to the nines in no time.”
Well, at least he had the common decency to offer instead of grabbing me this time… I accepted his arm and followed. We made our way out of the square on a circuitous path to the city’s upscale shopping district, strolling slowly. He was intent on taking up the rest of my evening and stopped frequently to point out his favorite cafes or ask my opinion of items in shop windows.
I hadn’t expected a charm offensive this early, but it was preferable to the intimidation and bullying from our prior encounters. If possible, I would maintain this mood until the conclusion of the arc… but of course, the plot would eventually turn our relationship sour no matter what I did.
As the bell chimed to mark seven o’clock, we arrived at the boutique he had selected. The sign out front read Madam XXXXXXXX’s Elegant Pleasures in gold filigree. Some readers considered the tendency to omit names one of the novel’s pleasant quirks or even called it an “artistic flourish”, but cases like this felt more like a “couldn’t be bothered” situation. I hoped I would not need to pronounce the owner’s name.
Arsen stopped and gestured towards the entrance. I sighed and opened the door. “After you, Lord Arsen.”
“Of course not! Ladies first, my dear.” He reached over me to hold the door open and waved me through, closing it softly behind him.
One of the store clerks walked over to greet us, in a clear state of panic. “My lord, what an unexpected pleasure to have you here today! And in such fine company, no less. Are you shopping for yourself?”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
The young lord shook his head. “No, we’re here for my partner today. We have a date tomorrow evening and she needs to look her very best.” He made a great effort to emphasize the word partner without sounding too awkward.
“Of course, of course! Follow me to the sitting room. You’re in luck, as Madam XXXXXXXX is in the shop today. She’ll be able to see to your needs personally!” The clerk led us back into a large room occupied by a sofa, table, and three full-length mirrors arranged so that one could see their own back by standing in the correct position. He then fled through a door labeled “staff only”, returning a few minutes later with a kettle and two teacups.
“Thank you for waiting. I’ve brought tea and am happy to inform you that the Madam will be here shortly – she is in the middle of a delicate seam but said she would put a pin in it to make time for one of our most valued customers!”
An energetic woman old enough to be my grandmother crashed through the door not a moment later and sent the clerk scurrying back to the front desk. She ran over to the young lord and embraced him. “Arsen, sweetheart! How long has it been? It’s so good to see you!”
Arsen responded, somewhat sheepishly. “Hello, auntie. Are you doing well?”
“Never better! Now, who is this young lady? I don’t believe we’ve met!”
I bowed and introduced myself. “Pleasure to meet you, Madam. My name is Helian.”
“Oh, don’t Madam me! Inside this room, we’re all friends! Call me Edie.” She pulled a measuring tape out of her pocket and began to collect my dimensions. “Arms up, sweetheart!”
The Madam worked quickly, measuring my arms, legs, and everywhere in between in a few short minutes. As she worked, she filled the time with small talk. “So how did you two darlings meet? What do you do with your spare time?”
“A chance encounter at a café… and I work for the finance ministry.”
She nodded. “A classic start for a love story! Not too different from mine, in fact! And to think you have both beauty and intelligence! Arsen has found the perfect match this time, I dare say!”
Without skipping a beat, Edie then turned to shout towards the front desk. “Gabriel! Fetch me samples three, twenty-seven, and Q!” I heard the hapless clerk trip over something in the hall.
“I can scarcely believe how big he’s gotten. It was just a few years ago that little Arsen would tug on my knees and ask me to read him a storybook about princes and princesses. At least now he’s found a princess of his own!” She winked and I heard the young lord groan audibly behind me.