by Kevin Culp
Christina was the one to speak up this time, “This dress was given to me by my mother when I was young. I love it for many reasons and would like for it to be refitted.”
“Oh, of course dear. I know the sentimental value that precious gifts like that can carry. I will get on it right after we finish your noble attire.” I'm not sure if it was my high sense motive training, my time in a call center, or both, but I could tell this was a fake statement to relate to her customer and make them happy. Either way, she was going to do it, and Christina seemed happy about it so I guess I couldn't judge her for using tactics I had to myself at work.
She started walking us around the store and showing us extravagant dresses that came complete with big wire contraptions for the bottom and required a life squeezing corset for the top. We looked at all styles and colors, but none of it really struck me as Christina. The saleswoman wasn't happy that we didn't like what she was showing us. Finally, after probably an hour of searching, we found a dress on the back of a wall rack that Christina really fell in love with.
It was a light blue dress with a form-fitting bodice and the kind of short puffy sleeves that hang off the shoulders. The skirt of the dress was filled with layers of that mesh-like fabric to keep the dress big without requiring a feat of engineering and uncomfortable wires. The saleswoman seemed surprised that it was something she liked for some reason but rushed her into a changing room to try it on.
I was taken aback when Christina came out. Seeing her in a dress like this put me in a whole new mindset of her. She had always been beautiful to me, but this was so feminine and ladylike that I just couldn't believe it. Even the saleswoman who had questioned it seemed to genuinely believe it looked great on her.
“Wow, that is lovely on you, and I'll barely have to make any modifications to it. It was practically made for you. It's really going to complete the look when we get you some matching jewelry and have your hair done. You truly are going to be stunning.”
Christina smiled brightly and then looked at me and in a shy voice tone asked, “Umm... what do you think Archaeus?”
“I think you look amazing Christina. Really, I do. She's right that dress was made for you.”
“Excellent, I'm glad you both like it. I also have the perfect set of earrings, necklace, and shoes to go with it, so now we just need to find you something to match her, and you will be ready to go.”
I'm not sure why she was saying Christina and I needed to match, but I guess we were kind of both representing Freid here. It was much quicker to find my clothing. It was basically just a nice pair of pants, with a light blue tunic to match Christina and an overcoat.
After I tried it on and she had gotten both of our measurements, she showed us the jewelry and shoes. They were really simple silver earrings with small sapphires in them and the necklace was also a thin silver chain with a larger sapphire in a heart shape. The shoes were also pretty basic. They seemed to be a glittery blue and silver pair of heels with tons of intricate straps running over them. She also included some of those long fancy white gloves that went all the way up Christina’s forearm and just past her elbow.
After showing us the jewelry, the woman picked up the dress and asked us to wait for her for a few moments. I looked around a little bit, but I saw nothing that seemed to be marked as magical. I had to wonder in a city like this how many places would sell magical equipment. Even in Freid, there had at least been an alchemist, though I guess I had never actually verified whether those were magical potions or just common alchemy for herbal remedies and the like.
The woman came back after about five minutes. “Okay so, I will fit the clothing and have it delivered to the castle by noon. When you leave here, go next door and ask for Melina. I showed her the dress and jewelry so she will help with your hair and makeup. Now then, for the gentleman we will be looking at.... fifty gold including the pants, shirt, and coat, and for the lady that will come to... one hundred and twenty gold for the dress, gloves, jewelry, and shoes plus another five gold will do to fit the old dress. You can send that dress back to me when the new clothes are delivered. So one hundred and seventy-five gold will be the total.”
Christina looked shocked and embarrassed. “Oh, I'm so sorry Archaeus no I don't need that dress or any of it that's far too much.”
The lady actually looked angry to me but hid it well, “What is cost though when compared to how beautiful you will look before the king.”
“I promise you, Christina, this isn't a big deal. Just let me take care of this.” I pulled out nineteen platinum and handed it to the woman. “Keep the extra of course. I really appreciate the haste on this.”
“Most generous of you, sir. I'm certain that you will both be the belle of the ball so to speak.” After that, she disappeared in her back room, and I didn't see her again.
Christina had her face in her hands. “Archaeus, that's too much. I really wish you wouldn't have. Even if I wanted to pay you back for something like that, it would probably take me years.”
“Christina, I will never expect anything in return from you, but hope to at least see that it has made you happy to some extent. I never want to be one of those guys that thinks that money can buy happiness, respect, or affection, but money truly is not something in this world that I consider important, so if I can spend any amount of it to make you even a little happy, it's worth it to me.”
She looked at me with tears seemingly coming to her eyes, but I was pretty certain they were happy tears, “Archaeus it makes me very happy that you feel that way, but please never think I expect anything like that. Just being here with you is what is really making me happy, not the dress or the jewelry or the shoes.”
I smiled at her, and about that time, the butler cut in and gestured as if it was time for us to leave.
After that, we went next door and found Melina. She actually made me think of that edgy kind of alternative looking hairdresser girl you would meet in the real world. She had long hair for the most part but one side was cut short. Not that shaved kind of look that some girls do just much shorter than the rest. Also, her hair was dyed pink, which was the first time I think I had seen someone with dyed hair in this world. She was wearing pants and a blouse and was certainly eccentric about her job but seemed to actually enjoy it.
By the time she was done, Christina's hair was in an intricate kind of bun on the back of her head with a wavy length of hair left undone on either side of her face. She also had some very light pink lipstick that looked almost natural, very lightly done blue eye shadow, and her cheeks were a bit redder than normal. She also pierced Christina's ears for her, which she had gotten really nervous about, and I had to hold her hand for. It really wasn't much makeup at all, but it definitely brought out all the best traits of Christina's face. When Melina had stepped away, and Christina was busy looking in a mirror at the finished work, I pulled her aside and paid her so that Christina hopefully wouldn't think about the money, and it seemed to work.
We got back to the castle right around lunchtime, and by the time we had finished eating, our clothing was delivered. I changed in the room I had moved to last night and packed all my armor and accessories that didn't really work with the outfit into my bag. I gave it a little bit more time before walking over to Christina's room.
I knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
I walked in to see Christina in her dress and jewelry looking in one of the many mirrors in the room. It really was a shocking transformation. It made me feel like Christina belonged in this kind of world. If I met some other noblewoman in this city that held a candle to her, I would be shocked. This entire trip seemed to be time after time of me realizing a whole new level of how beautiful Christina was. What really pulled me in this time was her smile.
“I really do love this Archaeus... I think my mom would have loved to see me like this.”
It was the first time I had seen her talk about her mom while smiling rather than crying, “I'm certain
that anyone would love to see you like this Christina. Your mom included. She definitely had a beautiful daughter.”
She looked at me and smiled. It was incredible, and somehow just that simple smile really moved me. It made me feel like I was in the middle of the single best moment of my entire life and was impossibly lucky to be where I was right now. She walked over to me and gave me a hug. I hugged her back, pulling her as close to me as I could. When I looked down at her, she looked back up at me and we just stared into each other's eyes.
There was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I said.
When the door opened, it was Prince Leovald. “My father will see you now Archaeus.”
I released Christina from my embrace, and we followed after the prince. He led us back down the hallway towards the castle entrance and through a pair of huge wooden doors that were straight across from it.
When the doors opened, I immediately recognized this as the throne room. It was a huge room with a velvet carpet running down the center lined with knights. Most of the room was pretty simple stonework. There were large pillars running along either side set about five feet from the wall and each of them had a lit torch on it, while several had braziers in front of them. They were all lit as there were no windows in this room, which made it very hot since it was still probably late fall. I couldn't imagine the heat of this room in the middle of the summer.
The throne was made of stone and a built-in extension of the floor. It was plain save for a banner with the royal crest laid over the high back of the chair. I assumed there was a cushion beneath the man on the throne, but I couldn't see one.
The man on the throne had long white hair and a friendly face that was lined with wrinkles. He was older than I would have expected. His outfit was nothing less than royal with large purple robes with fur trim, silver tassels hanging over his shoulders, and a golden crown. There was a man and a woman standing on either side of him probably both in their late twenties. Both of them were quite attractive and shared certain characteristics with the prince and princess I had met so far. I assumed that the woman was too young to be the queen but who knows. Especially given that the king has a seven or eight-year-old daughter, apparently.
The king spoke, “Sir Archaeus Velnir, I presume. I have waited for what feels like a long time to meet you. I am Casius Julius Edward Varnelion IV, King of the Varnelion Kingdom.” He spoke with a powerful voice that I felt in and of itself commanded respect and power.
I knelt on the ground before him and noticed that Christina had already done the same, “That would be correct your majesty, and I must say it is an honor to meet you.”
“I believe the honor is mine, Sir Velnir. I have already heard tales of your strength. They say that you defeated the knight Rin in a single blow after purposefully taking her attack head-on. Even more impressive yet, they say that you then proceeded to raise her from the dead. It takes a powerful spell caster to bring back the dead, and I know none of those that are also strong warriors or even less than double your age for that matter.”
“It is nothing to gain strength to protect what is right in this world, and it was that force that raised Rin from the dead as well,” I said. I was starting to feel like I was getting even better at role-playing Archaeus than I had ever been, but I guess that's easy when I am him.
“Yes, my son told me that you were also a paladin, though you do not align yourself with a particular god, which I found quite interesting. Perhaps that is the true path to strength. Regardless, that is not why I have summoned you here. The reason I have summoned you is to offer you an alliance with the crown. I wish to offer you the title of a baron to make sure that there is no question of your nobility to those that would believe you are not worthy of laying claim to a territory.”
I looked up at the king, “Forgive me for asking this your majesty, but what is it that you truly hope to gain out of this. I am no soldier for your army. I am probably an unknown at best.”
He stared back at me. “That much is true, but a noble title can be taken as easily as it can be given if that ever becomes a problem. Truthfully, I wish to lend as much support as the crown can offer to the town of Freid. My wish is to make this a more prosperous kingdom with happy citizens. If you govern the town of Freid in a way that makes the people trust and love the kingdom then we will lend our support. I hope that by supporting you it will show the other nobles that they will receive support from the crown if they govern their land fairly and cause them to follow suit.”
“That does actually sound like a logical and reasonable request that will potentially create a lot more goodwill throughout the kingdom. If that is your true desire, then I have no choice but to accept your offer.”
The king held out his hand, “There is a slight catch, however. You have made enemies Archaeus, and I do not just mean the Baron Lyndmire. He has powerful allies that would see you deposed. My son told me that you were against showing off your power through a fight in the arena, but I hope you will reconsider. While you are obviously against killing another living being for no reason, and I would assume equally against inducing a reaction from such nobles through fear, it will likely be necessary to protect your status and your town.”
“I will consider the matter further and provide you a response in due haste. What would you have us do in the meantime?”
“It will take a bit more time to formalize everything with having your title given. In the meantime, I suggest you find a way to enjoy yourself in the city. I am having a ball this evening to mark the return of my son Leovald who has been gone from the city for quite some time. I would ask that you join.”
“Of course it would be an honor, your majesty.”
“Then you may excuse yourselves from my throne room, and I will see you this evening.”
After we had been excused, we got up and headed back to our room.
Once we got back to the room, I let Christina go in first and change into more casual attire. We wouldn't want to get these clothes too sweaty or dirty since as of now it was the only thing we had that was formal. I changed after her, and then we sat around talking about what had happened and what to do in the meantime.
Christina spoke first. “I can't believe I was standing in the king's presence and all that other royalty. I don't know how you even spoke. I felt like I was holding my breath the entire time. Though I guess for you, this is probably just another day isn't it Archaeus.”
I'm not sure what Christina thought my normal days were like, but I laughed, “Well I wouldn't call it just another day, but people are people regardless of titles. The king seems to be a man of honor, but it may be too early to tell.”
“So what now?”
“Do you want to go do some sightseeing?” I asked her.
She nodded, and we set out.
A butler stopped me on the way out and gave me some kind of special iron coin with the royal crest on it. He told me it would be required for me to be allowed to openly carry my sword around without an escort. We walked out of the castle and through the courtyard immediately into a big open paved area with a giant marble fountain.
There were giant mansions on every corner with hedging to serve as makeshift fences. Several carriages passed us as we traveled. We walked probably a mile before we came to a big gate with guards at it who allowed us to pass through. I was guessing that was the noble district of town.
Now, we were on a more familiar street. There were fancy decorative buildings everywhere with shop signs up. We walked around and visited so many of them. We tried a few different kinds of food while we were out but tried to not fill up given the ball we were going to attend that evening which would likely serve some good food. Christina let me buy her a ribbon for her hair, but she obviously couldn't use it yet since her hair was still all fixed up for the evening.
After a few hours, we returned to the castle where we were able to take baths before the ball. I guess Christina was careful to not get her hair or face we
t because her hair and makeup still looked like the woman had just put it on. About fifteen minutes after I had finished getting ready, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” I said.
The maid Gail is the one who opened the door. “It's time.”
Chapter 13
We arrived at the ballroom, and I had kind of expected some big introduction, but there wasn't one. Walking in, I would have thought that we showed up late somehow because the party seemed to be in full swing. There were tables everywhere with fancy looking people sitting at them and waiters walked the room. I assumed there was an orchestra somewhere I couldn't see because I heard them playing. As we walked around the room though, people randomly introduced themselves to me. Everyone seemed to know who I was.
We mingled around the ball for a while, and I spoke with many nobles. Some of them seemed obviously detested just by being in the same room with me, while others seemed to be trying to show me support. We walked around and ate food, and I got Christina to dance with me.
Apparently, Archaeus actually knew how to dance well and went along with the music leading Christina. I was surprised to see that Christina had no problems picking up on dancing either. I didn't imagine that she had much experience with it in Freid, so maybe she was just a natural. I was very aware of how close we were while dancing. I mean we had shared a bed, cuddled, and I wasn't proud to admit I had practically felt her up but this was different, more personal.
Eventually, we made our way to the table that was at the head of the room where the king sat. Sitting next to him was a woman that was probably in her late thirties. She had some lines on her face but overall was very pretty. She had blonde hair and blue eyes like the second prince. She also had a small silver crown on her head, so I assumed that this was the queen.
The king spoke when he saw me, “Sir Velnir, I am so glad you could join us. Allow me to introduce you to my wife Queen Triana Diane Varnelion. Also, while I believe you have met my youngest daughter, and of course my son Leovald this is the first Prince Casius Julius Edward Varnelion V, my eldest daughter Karina Leanna Vera Varnelion, and my second daughter Liandra Jewel Ashara Varnelion.”
