Serving the King Ch. 03

"If you can do this well with my limited selection, I'm eager to see what you can do as I expand the wardrobe..."

"Speaking of expanding the wardrobe," she added as I stepped into my underwear and adjusted my bandeau, "I spoke with my un... with the head butler..."

"You can call him your uncle," I assured her. "Or Arnold, or anything, really."

"Right. Well, he stopped by while you were bathing. He gave me the name of a seamstress in town who has done work for noble families before."

"Perfect," I told her. Outwardly I was confident as she helped me into the dress, but I was also a bit worried about my funds. I had a small amount that I'd managed to save up, but on a maid's salary that wasn't much. Especially since I'd sent money home again last week...

"He left a letter signed by the treasury. You can put any clothes onto their line of credit." I was sitting in front of the mirror while she worked on my hair, chatting all the while.

I had been in the middle of sliding a ring onto my finger, and froze with it half-on. "This entire trip is covered by the crown?" Her nod was reflected back at me in the mirror, and I couldn't help but grin. Nevermind getting one new dress for tonight, I was going to get a dozen...

"That still leaves the issue of time," I told her. "She'll have to drop everything to get a new dress made by tonight. And even still she might not manage..."

"I was thinking about that, my lady," Cassandra answered, still gently brushing and braiding my hair. "Maybe you could bring a dress and have her do a bit of work on it, instead of having a whole new one made. That way you can wear the latest fashion, without taking as much time..."

I blinked in surprise. Gods above, this girl was a quick-thinker. "I assume you've already picked one out?"

"Two. The cream one and the blue," she answered without missing a beat. I was going to have to tell Arnold not to look for another maid. I wasn't willing to part with Cassandra in this lifetime.

"Very well," I told her as she worked away on my hair. "We'll pack up a few dresses to be tailored, and get a few new ones. This is going to be fun!"

"Yes, my lady," she said, and I could see the smile growing on her face in the mirror. Who can resist a shopping trip?

By the time my hair was done, a carriage was ready and waiting for us, and we chatted about nothing in particular as we rode down into the city proper. The driver obviously knew what he was doing, because we pulled up in front of the shop with no fuss.

"Sophie's Shop," the man declared as he opened the door for us. It seemed like a very... pedestrian name for a seamstress who worked on the clothing of nobles, but the neighbourhood was rich and shining, so it seemed like the right kind of place.

I stepped out first, then Cassandra hurried ahead to grab the shop's door and hold it open for me. I doubted I'd ever get used to people rushing to do small tasks for me.

A small bell above the door tinkled pleasantly as the door swung open, and a lady greeted me as I stepped in.

"Sophie, I presume," I asked.

"The very same," she answered with a pleasant smile.

"Arabela," I told her. "And I'm in a bit of a tough situation."

"Is that so," she asked, one carefully manicured eyebrow raising. "I am happy to help. I assume it's a clothing related situation..."

"A desperate clothing situation, yes. You see, I've been invited to join a dinner at the royal court tonight."

"Surely, that is good news?"

"It's good news, yes," I sighed. "But I wasn't expecting the invitation to come so suddenly. I had expected to have time to prepare."

"Ah," she said with a satisfied smile. "I see where I come in. You need a dress made before tonight?"

"Exactly!"

"Impossible," she said flatly. "There's simply not enough time. Every piece I make is a work of art, and that takes time."

"There's another option," I told her, feeling a little desperate. "I have several fine dresses in a trunk in the carriage. Instead of making a new dress..."

"I don't usually work with others' products..." She looked pensive for a moment, "But your situation is clearly dire. Bring them in."

I had barely turned to Cassandra before she dashed out the door, coming back in a moment later followed by the driver hauling a long box full of my finest clothes. Had I been given his name? I made a note to ask him afterwards. I could never stand the snobs who don't bother learning the names of their help.

Cassandra opened the trunk and started removing dresses, laying them out one after another on the long counter.

Sophie looked over the pieces I'd accumulated over my life, the nicest dresses I've ever owned, and sighed. "There are a few pieces I can work with here." She slid a finger along one dress after another, feeling the fabric, shifting it around to get a better look, then finally settled on the cream-coloured dress. "This one will probably be best. It's the closest to current fashion, and I think it would look very becoming on you."

I was privately thrilled that she'd picked the same dress I would have chosen. Maybe my fashion sense was still strong, despite the years away from the scene.

"It won't be cheap, mind you," she said, picking up the dress and gingerly sliding it over a mannequin. "My apprentice and I will have to work nonstop to have it ready, and put all other projects on hold for a day."

I produced the thin envelope from Arnold, and slid it across the table. Sophie raised one thin eyebrow up as she picked it up and studied the wax seal for a moment. Then she delicately sliced the envelope open and read the letter. "That will do," she said, her smile widening.

"I think I'd also like to order some new dresses. Four, I think." A thought occurred to me, as I was speaking. "What limit does it note on the credit line?"

"None," Sophie said, looking both impressed and a little giddy.

"Six dresses, then," I told her, fighting to keep my own excited energy in check. "I'll be making a lot of court appearances, and I don't want to seem like a pauper."

"No, of course not. Six dresses will be a fine start," she said, coming around the table. She held out a length of string knotted at even increments all the way along its length. "We'll need to focus on this one first," she told me. She looped the cord around my neck, taking a quick measurement, then my shoulders, breasts, ribs, belly, hips... over and over again she looped it around me, counted out a length, and moved on.

She didn't write a single thing down, and I was genuinely shocked that she could memorize so many numbers so quickly. Then the questions started. How modest did I want the dress to be? How much leg should show, how much chest?

"What is the story you want this dress to tell," she asked me. I mostly just wanted something that would wow people, but that wasn't specific enough for Sophie. She took her measurements and asked her questions, and I told her the whole story. What was the point of skirting around the subject when everyone would know by tonight?

We decided the look I wanted was sexy with a side of modesty. The image we wanted to paint was a modest and innocent girl, with careful effort to highlight sex appeal. Long enough to cover everything, but tight and thin enough to show it off anyway. A perfect balance between sweet and provocative.

An hour or two later, Sophie retreated to the back to find the correct materials. Somewhere along the way Cassandra had wandered off to attend our other tasks, and the bell had chimed again to admit another woman, but I hadn't paid much attention.

Now, stuck waiting for Sophie, I wandered over to a little section at the side of the shop where they had a huge selection of lingerie. I was actually taken aback at the massive selection in sizes, shapes, styles, and colours.

"These sure have gotten pretty popular these days, haven't they," the other customer asked as I stopped and stood beside her.

"They grew in popularity pretty quickly," I agreed.

"Some fancy-pants noble probably wore lingerie to a party, now everyone wants to match the style," she mused, then chuckled. "My name's Amaranthea," she told me with a little smile. "Most people call me Amy."

"Pleased to meet you, Amaranthea. I'm Arabela."

I gave her a look-over when her attention was back on the wall of clothing. She was tall, definitely taller than me, and lithe... except for the generous swells in the breast and hips areas. Her hair was a bright, gorgeous red, pushed back to show off the long slender ears typical of an elf.

My own dark hair fell in a silky wave over smooth brown skin, and I'd had no small amount of male admirers, but I was only human and couldn't help feeling a bit envious of this elven beauty. "There are so many more types and shapes now..."

"Mhm," she agreed, picking up a little number that looked somewhere between a corset and a nightie - tight around the chest and flowing out. "Last time I was in the city, you had to go to a specialist to get proper lingerie."

"How long have you been away from Trostis?"

"About... it's got to be a bit more than two years, not as much as two and a half..." she trailed off, interrupted by a burbling noise from the front of the store. She crossed the distance in a few long strides on her long legs, and scooped up a little squirming bundle. "Hey, hey," she cooed at the child, bouncing him slightly in her arms.

I slid towards her, drawn to the baby like iron filings to a magnet. He was every bit as cute as I expected. The green skin, flat nose, and stubby little tusks on his lower jaw I did not expect.

"Wow," I stammered, then caught myself before my pause grew long enough to be rude. "What's this little cutie's name?"

"Davor," she cooed, rocking and bouncing the baby until settled again, "after his father."

"He's very handsome," I told her, and decided I wasn't even lying. The orcish features had taken me aback, but now that I wasn't surprised I could see he was a pretty cute kid. He looked like he must be a year and a half old, or he would be if he were human. I had no idea how fast or slow orcs aged. "His father must be proud. Is he... half-orcish and half elf?"

"Half orc, more or less," she agreed. "But only quarter elven and quarter human. And his father... his father hasn't met him yet," she whispered, and a cascade of emotions passed over her face. She finally settled on a look of quiet contentment as the babe settled into a doze.

She laid him back down on the floor, and wrapped a cloak of some of the finest silk I'd ever seen around his shoulders. "We're on our way to meet his father," she confided. "That's where we're going next... and why I've visited every damn shop in town looking for just the right..." she trailed off and waved a hand in the vague direction of the lingerie we'd been looking at.

"You want to make a good impression for the... reunion," I guessed, and she nodded.

"That probably seems stupid, doesn't it?" She laughed ruefully.

"It's not stupid," I asssured her. "You're nervous. It's something that you've wanted for a long time, something you've been planning for, and you want it to be perfect."

"Something like that. What about you?"

"Me?" I thought about it for a moment. "The same thing, I guess. I've got a... guy. We've already... you know..." I stammered for a moment, and she gave me a knowing smile that told me she knew full well what I meant. "But we're about to make it official. He might get some pushback at being with someone of a lower class and I... I don't want him to regret choosing me."

"You married into nobility?" She looked genuinely excited, like a kid hearing a fairy tale. "Isn't that kind of every girl's dream?"

"Something like that," I agreed. "I'm just nervous."

"But you already know him. What does he like?"

"He's kind of..." I worked to find a word other than 'simple'. "He's a direct man. He doesn't go for anything complicated, but I don't want to pale in comparison to all the other beautiful women he sees on a daily basis."

"You wouldn't pale in comparison to anyone, dear," she assured me, and I blushed a bit. My blush deepened a bit more when she pulled down a matching set of panties and brassiers, black lace and positively scandalous.

"Really? Doesn't that seem a little..."

"Whorish? Brazen?" She laughed at the face I made. "You already know each other, and you've already hooked him. He's proving his loyalty to you by declaring you, so... go ahead and be a bit wild, you know? It's kind of every posh guy's dream to have a woman who is a proper lady in front of everyone else and sensual when it's just the two of them. Plus, once he sees you in these, he's going to be thinking about it every time he sees you, wondering if you're wearing them under your fancy dress."

"You know a lot about guys," I told her, nodding, then realized I might have just inadvertently implied she was promiscuous. "I mean... no offense."

"None taken," she laughed. "I've been with a few guys, and helped a few girlfriends score. If only helping myself was as easy..."

"That one," I said pointing. She followed my direction and picked up the piece I pointed out. It was similar to the other one I'd seen her looking at, with shaped, lacy cups for the breasts and just enough cling to show off her curves, and it looked like it would come down to just below her ass. "That rich emerald green colour... it'll bring out your eyes and compliment your hair."

"I do look good in green," she mused, holding it up in front of her as she looked at her reflection.

"It looks perfect."

She nodded, looking distant. "It's beautiful, but it's... something this nice is probably a bit out of my budget. I've still got to buy passage with a caravan going South. And I'd like to get Junior here another set of clothes before I leave."

"You're down to the bottom of your coin purse and still looking to buy something pretty for his benefit? He must be some guy."

"He is," she said with a genuine warm smile. "I met him on the road last time I left Trostis. We were together for a little while, and he wanted me to come home with him. But I wasn't ready to stop moving, to settle."

"I was sort of the opposite. I was trying my best to settle as fast as I could. To get comfortable."

"Well, whoever you picked is a lucky guy. Especially if he sees you in these," she waved at the set she'd picked out for me.

"I'm going to add these to my order," I told her, scooping up my lacy black underthings and her elegant green shift. "I'll ask about this one, too."

The shopkeeper's apprentice was waiting at the counter, and I laid out both sets of lingerie on the counter. "Beautiful choices," she commended me.

"I'd like to have the black set fitted, to make sure it's perfect. We'll put both on the line of credit."

"Very good, my lady." The girl wrapped the green lingerie in paper and tucked it in a discreet little box. I wandered back over towards Amy, smiling as I handed her the package.

"Is this..." she asked, looking surprised as she took the package.

"Yep. I guess the price was right."

"I can't let you pay for mine," she protested.

"Too late," I told her, smiling. "I already put it on my tab, and it's too long to fit me right."

"That's... that's really kind," she stammered, looking like she might start crying right there.

"What's the point of getting together with a... 'fancy-pants noble' as you said, if I can't help a sister out?"

She all but skipped forward to embrace me, and we held each other for a moment before the sound of a fussing infant distracted us. "I think I need to get him back to the inn for a proper nap," she told me. "Are you going to be here later, or..."

"I've got to do another round of measuring and fitting, then I'll be back at the castle getting ready for tonight."

"I don't know how I can ever repay you," she told me, dabbing at her eyes.

"Just wish me luck tonight."

"You don't need luck," she told me, holding my hands in hers. "You're beautiful and clever. You'll make a good impression on whoever you meet tonight. And if they don't love you, then fuck 'em."

We both laughed at that, and I nodded. "Your man, Davor, he's going to be so happy to see you. And when he sees you wearing that little thing... he'll lose his mind. If you're ever in this part of Amella again, ask for me at the castle. I want to hear all the details of your reunion."

Amy went to gather up her child, and I turned to find Sophie patiently waiting. She quirked an eyebrow and tilted her head towards the lacy black underthings, and I followed her to a partitioned area to try them on and get them fitted.

"Friend of yours?" Sophie asked as she did a slow circle around me and nodded at the fit of the lingerie.

"I think she might be." A slow smile crept across my face. "I think she just might be."