“Civilization at last!” Azure cried out, pumping her fists in the air, as the buildings grew thicker around them. She took a deep breath as if drinking in the—relatively—urban atmosphere.

“Are villages not civilization?” Lusya replied.

Azure frowned. “You’re right, that was a little disrespectful of me. But the Yasier manor is right outside a city, and I spend a lot of time in Seris, so I guess my perception is a little skewed.”

She seemed to have taken the question as something of a reproach, but it had been a genuine inquiry into Azure’s perspective. Nobody around them had reacted beyond a quick glance, so Lusya didn’t much care how disrespectful the proclamation might have been, though she could see how some might see it that way. So long as the villagers did not cause actual problems, they could be as offended as they wanted.

“I like cities,” Ariya said. “But I like villages too. My family lives in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, so all towns are big and exciting to me.”

“Really?” Azure asked.

Ariya nodded. “Uh-huh! It’s in the woods and no one else lives there. Oh, Lusya, where is your house? I can’t believe I never asked.”

Lusya was also somewhat surprised the topic had never come up before now. Not that she had wanted it to. When she had been concealing her parentage, having to dance around the topic would have been inconvenient.

“It was in the south, in what was once a country called Graca,” Lusya said. “My father took control of it early on. I do not know what has become of it since.”

“About ten different people claiming they have the right to its throne is what,” Azure said, suddenly sounding quite tired. “The Sacred Knights are trying to mediate, but a crown really sends people into a frenzy, it turns out. I had to participate in welcoming one to Seris a couple months ago, and I have never wanted to strangle someone more.”

“It does sound like a difficult predicament,” Lusya said.

“Yeah, but like, was your house in a city?” Ariya asked.

“It was near enough to one to be, for all intents and purposes,” Lusya said.

Father had repurposed Graca’s existing royal palace, which was just outside the country’s capital. It was less than a day’s travel on foot even for a human. For her, visiting the city had been trivial.

“Another city girl,” Azure said. “So, you can see where I’m coming from, right?”

Lusya nodded. “I suppose. I have no particular attachment to the environment of a city, but they do have many convenient trappings, and the two are linked. However, I would not call this a city.”

Admittedly, the line between a small city and large town could be blurry, but Lusya was confident this was not the former. It wasn’t even that large a town in the grand scheme of things, from what she could tell. For what is was worth, her map had also used the icon for a town to indicate this place, called Deepwood.

“It’s about as close as you get in the Elzen Valley,” Azure said, shrugging. “And I believe it’s been growing lately. Of course, I enjoy the natural beauty of the valley, but a break from it wouldn’t hurt.”

It was true that, compared to other settlements in the valley, this was a metropolis. The buildings lining the streets had a few feet between them instead of a dozen at the least. The roads were paved with cobblestone, and more people walked around Lusya’s group than they had seen thus far in the valley.

The businesses were also a sure sign of the town’s relative size. Most rural villages were lucky to have one of everything considered essential. One inn that doubled as a tavern, one carpenter, one tailor or seamstress. Here, Lusya had already seen signs for three bakeries and two tailors.

“It is quite urban, in relative terms,” Lusya said.

Azure nodded. “That’s right. And you know what that means, right?”

“It means many things, but I am unsure to which you are referring.”

“It means, it’s time for some shopping,” Azure said.

“I suppose that makes sense,” Lusya said with a nod. “They will have a better selection of supplies. Although, I have found even small villages usually have enough of the necessities to get by.”

Azure gave a dramatic shake of her head, each movement accompanied by a click of her tongue. “You’re not wrong, but that’s not what I meant.”

Lusya blinked. “Then what are you talking about?”

Azure opened her mouth to explain, then abruptly closed it to grin. “If you’re not picking up on it, then I think I’ll just let it be a surprise. It’ll be all the sweeter that way.”

#

Lusya did not find this surprise to be sweet at all. She was not sure what to call it, since there was no flavor she outright disliked, but sour likely worked best as the opposite of sweet.

“This is absolutely pointless.”

“It’ll be fun,” Azure said. “That’s a point.”

Ariya nodded eagerly. “Yeah, fun!”

“I disagree,” Lusya said with a shake of her head. “I do not see anything enjoyable about this activity.”

“You will soon,” Azure said with dismissive confidence. “Let’s just get inside and try it.”

She did not wait for a reply before striding into the tailor’s shop. The door creaked open and shut behind her on squeaky hinges. Ariya looked up at Lusya with wide, pleading eyes. Reluctantly, Lusya followed Azure into the store with Ariya in tow.

There was no real reason they needed to visit a tailor. They had already bought everything they needed, little of which had been anything they could not have found elsewhere. It was true that larger settlements tended to yield a higher variety of goods, but that only went so far for travel. Tents and nonperishable food didn’t change that much, no matter where you went.

None of them needed clothes or repairs, either. Azure’s could have used a wash—the uniform white made blemishes stand out—but they could have handled that themselves, and it wasn’t a service tailors usually offered anyway. No, they were here for nothing more than Azure’s amusement. And Ariya’s, apparently. That, in and of itself, was inconvenient, but tolerable. The implication that Lusya was expected to participate was not.

“The two of us will not be able to find a proper fit to begin with,” Lusya said as she caught up with Azure where she stood in the middle of the floor, waiting with an expectant look.

Azure wagged a finger like she was correcting a child. “Lusya, Lusya, Lusya. Didn’t I already tell you? We’re not buying anything. I’m sure we can find something that’s bearable for a few minutes, and we can just have fun seeing how it looks. Don’t tell me you don’t see any appeal in that, Miss ‘I comb my hair for nobody everyday.’”

That was a valid point, and one Lusya could not argue with. While she was no longer alone, she doubted either of her companions would care if she allowed her hair to become unkempt. For that matter, she had continued caring for it even when she had been alone before picking up Ariya.

“I will admit to deriving some satisfaction from my appearance,” Lusya said. “If we were considering purchasing something, and ready-made fits were more common, I might not object to this activity. Neither of those is the case. I do not see anything appealing about trying on ill-fitting clothes for its own sake.”

“Don’t be a party pooper, Lusya,” Ariya said.

Azure smirked. “See? She wants to do it.”

“And I would have no issue accompanying you two,” Lusya said. “It is you including me that I find objectionable.”

Azure waved a hand dismissively. “I’m sure you’ll have fun if you give it a try,.”

“I doubt the shopkeeper will be happy with us either,” Lusya said.

The man was sitting behind a small desk at the moment, doing a poor job of pretending not to listen to the conversation. His eyes returned to the book he was holding for long enough to read perhaps one word before focusing on them again. He seemed to be trying to make it seem as if he was staring off at nothing, but his gaze was obviously fixed on Azure. It was unclear if he made a habit of eavesdropping or if he was simply having trouble concentrating with their discussion happening a few feet away. Admittedly, it might have been harder for him not to listen.

“You don’t care about that,” Ariya said matter-of-factly.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Azure giggled. “See? You’re not fooling anyone. It’ll be fine, come on.”

Another point Lusya could not argue with. She didn’t care about the shopkeeper’s mood beyond how it affected her. She had just been hoping her companions would feel differently.

“Please, Lusya?” Ariya said. “I don’t want you to be left out either.”

“I assure you I would not feel excluded,” Lusya said. “But very well. It is obvious you two will not yield.”

Azure nodded. “And that, Ariya, is how you get your way: nonstop nagging.”

Ariya chuckled.

“Do not teach her such things,” Lusya interjected, though she was sure Ariya had learned a similar lesson long ago.

Azure laughed again and led the way to the desk. The shopkeeper buried his nose in his book as soon as she turned toward him. Lusya was sure Azure had seen, and the way he kept his eyes fixed on one spot did not make for a convincing facade that he was reading.

“Good afternoon,” Azure said to the shopkeeper, “the three of us are looking to try out some new looks. We probably won’t buy anything, but is it okay if we try a few things?”

The man looked up in feigned surprise, as if he hadn’t noticed them, let alone heard everything they had said, before clearing his throat and smiling. “I don’t usually care for window shoppers. But for you, Lady Knight, I’ll make an exception. No promises I won’t try to change your mind, though.”

“Go right ahead,” Azure said with a cocky smirk. “I’m open to being convinced if it’s the right item.”

The man pointed to one side. “Woman’s and children’s clothes are over that way.”

“Thank you.”

Azure walked to the side of the store he had indicated, with Lusya and Ariya close behind her. The store, especially the front part, was much larger than the tailor’s shop in Zentril. The design was similar. The front was a large rectangular area with a desk in front of the door to the back at the center of the far wall from the entrance. Then there was ready-made clothing on display to either side. However, there was significantly more clothing, yet the room remained more spacious.

It was a design that made much more sense for a tailor’s shop doing public business. Part of that was surely due to having more space here than in cramped Zentril, but there was also an obvious difference in planning and priorities at play.

“See?” Azure said. “No problem at all.”

“I saw,” Lusya replied. She had been hoping for a rather different response, but she had not expected it. Most mortals were submissive to Sacred Knights.

“Now, then, let’s see what he has here.”

The tailor had a relatively large selection of ready-made clothing. Even aside from the notably small shop Lusya had purchased her new blouse from, the stock was comparable to what one might find in a larger city. Perhaps even above average by those standards. Of course, for the most part, that meant the selection was still limited. Most of what was there was almost identical, with small variations in color. It was for people who did not have the time or money for proper tailoring. The target market was not in a position to be choosy, so the tailor had no incentive to offer a broad range.

There were a few standout items, however. A dress with—what mortals would consider—a scandalous slit up the bottom. A strange, formfitting one piece outfit. A red dress with a translucent—almost transparent—front to its skirt. The items themselves were unusual, but their presence was not especially noteworthy.

“I mix in stuff people ordered and never picked up in there,” the tailor explained as Azure examined the dress. “It’s more expensive, so it doesn’t sell much, but at least there’s a chance I get some of my money back.”

And that was why. Plenty of tailors did the same. These articles were unique, but Lusya had seen strange clothing mixed in with drab ready-made articles before. Lusya had once seen a bird costume mixed in with children’s dresses.

“I figured,” Azure replied. “I just like to see what crazy things I can find.” She held up the slitted dress and put her other hand on herself in a rough estimate of where the slit would end. It was well above the hip, and her estimate seemed accurate. “I can’t blame people for getting cold feet with some of these things.”

“I do not see the problem,” Lusya said.

“Lusya, I love you, but your opinion doesn’t count here.”

“I suppose that is reasonable,” Lusya said. In almost twenty years, she had yet to receive a satisfactory explanation of modesty, but she recognized that she was in an extreme minority and that others were not receptive to her views on the matter. Still, while she wasn’t looking to convince or be convinced, she would have liked to hear some proper reasoning behind it.

“Anyway,” Azure went on, “when was the last time you wore a skirt?”

Lusya thought back. “A bit over a year ago.”

There was no particular reason why it had been that long. She had just taken shorts at the start of her journey instead, and they were working. She had no particular aversion to either.

“Let’s fix that, then,” Azure said, sifting through a few. Lusya did not think anything called for “fixing.”

“Let me help look,” Ariya said. “I’ve always wanted to play dress up.”

“If you insist,” Lusya said. She released Ariya’s hand, allowing the child to join Azure in searching.

Finally, Azure picked out a plain brown skirt and turned around with it. “A little plain, but I still think—” She gasped, threw aside the skirt, and ran over to another article, displayed all by itself. “Is this a wedding dress?”

It did look like a wedding dress. Specifically, the white gown that had become popular in the west of Ysuge before spreading throughout the continent. It was even paired with a veil. It was, however, a bit simpler than those tended to be. Wedding dresses tended to have elaborate embroidery and decorations. This was just a white dress with a skirt that flared out a bit more than normal.

“It sure is,” the shopkeeper said. “That’s actually a little different. The town’s been growing lately. Lotsa people moving in, lotsa people meeting someone and getting married. I figured it might be worth making a few of these cheap in advance. That one’s left over, but it’s been working out pretty well so far.”

Azure whirled and shoved the garment and its matching head wear at Lusya. “Lusya, you have to wear this!”

Lusya cocked her head and blinked twice. “Why that in particular?”

“Just hurry up and do it!” Azure looked to the shopkeeper. “That’s fine, right?”

“Of course, Lady Knight.”

“See?” Azure held out the clothes even more insistently. “Get changed.”

Arguing with Azure was impossible at the best of times. Lusya did not see her relenting in this mysterious fired up state.

“Very well,” Lusya said, grabbing the dress and veil.

“Behind the screen, please,” Azure said.

“Of course.”

Lusya may not have understood or cared about the etiquette, but she was capable of following it, and it was usually easier to do so around others. She moved behind the screen set up for this specific purpose and changed into the dress.

It, of course, did not fit. As the shopkeeper had said, it was intended to be ready for any bride to buy quickly, and it seemed this had been a recent idea on his part. So, the dress was as generic as could be. It was for an average height woman, for one thing, a couple inches taller than Lusya. That wouldn’t have been enough to be be a big issue on its own, resulting only in the bottom of the skirt just barely brushing on the ground. However, the dress was also designed to end most of the way up the wearer’s chest, but not all the way.

“Are you done?” Azure asked. “Do you need help lacing up?”

“I do if you still wish me to wear this,” Lusya replied.

“Oh, I do,” Azure said. She joined Lusya a moment later and helped tie the back of the dress shut. Then she stepped back out of the changing area and beckoned Lusya. “Come on, let’s all see how it looks.”

Lusya donned the veil and stepped back out into the open. Azure squealed in delight and clapped her hands.

“You look pretty,” Ariya said.

Lusya glanced in the provided mirror. She did not disagree, but it wasn’t enough to sway her on this activity.

“Hopefully you’ll wear one for real one day,” Azure said. Lusya doubted that would happen. “Preferably one you’re not spilling out of.”

That would be the design of the dress’s chest at work. The intent seemed to be for the barest hint of the wearer’s breasts to be visible. Lusya was not sure why that was acceptable and the slit was not. Regardless, it was not working the intended way on Lusya, though it was a decent enough fit besides. If she did anything more intense than walking, there was a good chance she would burst out of the dress. The potential exposure wasn’t what bothered her, though, just that, as long as the dress didn’t fail, it was rather uncomfortable.

“It is designed with a less…buxom woman in mind, Lady Knight,” the shopkeeper chimed in.

“Oh, I understand,” Azure said. “I figured it would end up like this, but I still had to see.”

“May I change back now?” Lusya asked. She did not think she should have had to ask for Azure’s permission, but it was easier than risking the woman nagging her again.

Azure smiled. “Go ahead. I’ll try something on next, then Ariya, then we repeat.”

“I do not want to repeat,” Lusya said.

Azure scoffed as if Lusya had claimed the sky was red. “We’re not stopping after one outfit, Lusya.”

Lusya blinked, retreated back behind the screen, and changed back into her own clothes. As Azure had said, she grabbed a different, blue dress, similar in design to the one with the slit—except with a much more modest slit that looked to end around the knee—and rushed to change once Lusya was out.

“Well?” Azure said as she emerged a couple minutes later.

“It matches your eyes!” Ariya said.

Lusya said nothing. Azure looked to her expectantly and smirked. The message was clear. They would not proceed until Lusya gave her impressions.

“It suits you,” she said.

Azure sighed. “Come on, you can do better than that. Say something specific.”

“It is too small.”

Azure was having much the same issue Lusya had.

Azure shrugged. “You’re not wrong. You next, Ariya.”

“Yay!”

There was even less choice for a child than for most among the ready-made items. In fact, all there was for Ariya was an assortment of long dresses, little different from what she already wore save for some colors. It seemed neither form nor function were much a priority for children’s apparel.

Nevertheless, Ariya beamed as she selected a red dress and hurried to the changing area. She emerged moments later in the dress and twirled around to display it from all angles.

“Very nice, Ariya,” Azure said.

Ariya ran up to Lusya and waited, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Lusya?”

“I do not have a strong opinion on its appearance,” Lusya said. Ariya frowned, and Lusya felt she should say something else. “Did your choice of color have anything to do with me?”

Ariya pouted and put her hands on her hips. “Not everything is about you, Lusya.” She waited for Lusya to cock her head and blink, then giggled. “Just kidding. I picked red like your eyes.”

“I see,” Lusya said, though the shade of red was actually quite a bit darker than that of her eyes. “I…appreciate that.”

Ariya smiled.

“Now, get changed so we may continue.”

“Yes, Lusya!”

As soon as Ariya was back in the dress she had entered wearing, Azure foisted a skirt and blouse upon Lusya and all but shoved her behind the screen. The new clothes were rather plain in comparison to the wedding dress. They were just a plain black blouse and a white skirt. Considering Azure had first gone for a brown skirt, Lusya could only assume she had specifically searched for colors that didn’t match Lusya’s normal clothes. Lusya let the woman admire and coo over the outfit for a minute, then it was Azure’s turn again, then Ariya’s.

Azure, however, stared at Lusya as they waited for Ariya to finish, rather than staring at the screen, anticipating Ariya’s emergence, as she had before. Lusya met her gaze, and Azure’s brow furrowed.

“You’re doing the head-tilt.”

“Am I?”

That was not a rhetorical question. Lusya had been paying more attention to her expressions since Ander had pointed them out to her, and Azure’s advice had helped. The anger head-tilt, however, was among those subtle enough that she still did not always realize she was doing it.

Azure sighed. “You’re really not enjoying this, are you?”

“I am not,” Lusya said. “I do not see why anyone would enjoy wearing ill-fitting clothes for others’ amusement.”

Azure frowned. She opened her mouth and seemed about to argue, but then sighed again and hung her head in shame. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have forced this on you. Maybe I’m trying too hard to make up for lost time…”

Lusya looked at her for a moment. “I had little basis to suspect I would dislike it, even if I was correct. As long as you do not press me to continue, I will forgive you.”

Azure raised her head and smiled. “It’s a deal.”