Fashion-shop fashion show

The long ordeal was almost over. The formal engagement was next week, and after that, Rita would be a princess and have her own ladies-in-waiting to take over her affairs. No need for Artus's secret remedial lessons. He waited to feel a spark of joy about that, but nothing yet. Probably because he was still so busy with everything. Maybe once it was actually over, he'd breathe a sigh of relief. Even two.

Artus thought he had prepared everything necessary for Rita's engagement party, but Rita had thrown a goose into the mix. He found himself in a dress shop, unable to settle into his seat while he waited for Rita to emerge from the curtain that separated the back of the shop and the front.

"Now I don't say this lightly," Artus said, loud enough for everyone to hear and understand that he wasn't responsible for this situation, "but I'm not an expert on ladieswear. I don't see that I'll be helpful here. Also, you should just do this at your home. I'm sure Marquis Beaudennes will bring you any seamstress you desire."

"I like this shop," Rita called back. "Also, you'd be really uncomfortable going to my place."

That was true, but Artus wouldn't be sidetracked. "I don't need to be there. Or here."

"If you didn't think you needed to be here, you would've just said no."

Artus opened his mouth. Closed it. Frowned. Why didn't he just say that? "Well, I'm here, and now I see that I don't need to be here."

"You're going to go, even though you're already here?"

"...I suppose since I'm already here, I might as well stay. As long as you aren't going to take too long."

"I'll be super fast! This is the fastest I've ever put on this hoop thing."

Rita burst out to the front, a shining triangle of white with more white draped over her shoulders.

The dressmaker trailed after, wiping some sweat from her brow. "It's all pins, unfortunately. I don't have a similar dress to try right now."

…Maybe Rita was right to bring him after all. "This is just for the engagement party, not the wedding. Don't wear white, and also you'll die of heat in that massive cloak."

"See, I knew you'd be able to help."

"This isn't for the wedding, my lady?" the seamstress asked, terribly confused. Artus felt instant empathy for this woman.

"Okay, onto the next dress!" Rita disappeared into the back again, and returned a bit later in something best described as charmingly rustic. "Okay, even I know this isn't formalwear, but what do you think? Can I get away with it?"

"If you don't mind insulting the king, perhaps," said Artus. "Why even consider it if you know it's not appropriate?"

"I look really cute in it."

"What sort of reason is that?" he asked instead of agreeing.

"Artus! I honestly can't believe you've read all those romance books and still haven't picked up a hint of romance. Since the last time Frederic saw me was in a sweaty tennis outfit, this next time I should wear something that makes me look really beautiful, and the gap in expectations and reality will launch his opinion of my looks sky-high! He'll say, wow was she always this pretty?"

"You should spend less time worrying about the prince and more time worrying about all the other attendees."

"Hmmph, I really liked that one though..." Rita pulled the curtain in front of her once more.

"Something in the style of the best dress you already own," Artus called back. "Either the prince's colors or your house's colors would be ideal."

"What are the prince's colors?"

Honestly... "Azure blue, slate gray. I'll have some bolts of fabric in the correct colors brought here, if you insist on this shop."

"I do! Thanks!"

The next outfit wasn't bad, if she were a merchant lady marrying into a barony. "Something a bit more elaborate would be expected. With the… sleeves like this, and the skirts more..." Way out of his depth, Artus gestured to indicate the styles he knew by sight but not name.

"Oh. But I don't like those."

"Somehow I guessed."

"You like those?"

"It's the current style. Liking it has nothing to do with it. Next season, everyone will hate it."

"Sort of sounds like you're in the hate camp more than the like camp."

"Fashion is like bureaucracy—endlessly complicated just to accommodate a few fools."

"Wow. I guess that's why you wear the same uniform every day."

"Did you expect my uniform to be coded by days of the week?"

"I should see you out of it sometimes, right? I mean, it's not like your visits are very formal. Do you ever wear anything else?"

"I..." Artus frowned. "There's no reason to. I'm doing business every day."

"Prince Frederic doesn't give you a single day off?"

"I see no reason for one."

"Do you even have a casual outfit?"

"Sure," said Artus, as he struggled to remember what that outfit might look like.

Rita grinned at him. "How about I pick one for you then? My treat."

"That's really not necessary..."

"You looked nice in that tennis outfit."

"That's really not necessary."

Rita pressed her hands together in a pleading gesture. "But I have to thank you properly! I think the prince and I are becoming good friends. It's thanks to all your planning and guidance."

Artus cleared his throat. "I hope you understand now that the prince was never going to hurt you. But yes, you're welcome."

"Maybe not," Rita admitted as she disappeared through the curtain to the back once more. "But I don't think we'd be as friendly without you."

"You would certainly not be ready for official functions as a princess," said Artus. "In fact, the king originally sent me to make sure you would be."

"Oh, is that why you dropped by the first time? That makes sense."

"What did you think it was?"

"To be honest, I thought you were going to sabotage me somehow. The old me made a lot of enemies."

Artus decided not to confirm that. "We've made a lot of progress since then. I almost feel ready to leave you on your own."

Rita peeked out from behind the curtain. “But not yet?”

Artus turned to Rita. Her expression was bright and lively as usual, and although everyone knew about the sparkling color of her eyes, her whole face seemed to sparkle, like a… a kitten's, or a dog's, something that gave you the primal urge to pick it up. If she could make faces like that, she should have just done that on her first meeting with Frederic and she would have saved herself a lot of needless worrying about being liked. "Not yet."

She looked pleased. "Eh heh! Okay, since you don't want any sportswear, I've got another gift that you'll definitely want instead."

This could go either way. "What is it?"

When Rita opened the curtain this time, she was in the same outfit as before, but held something wrapped in colorful paper in her hands. "Tada! Open it!"

It had to be a book. "Thank you, that's very thoughtful."

"You don't have to unwrap it so carefully. Ripping the paper is half the fun!"

"Sometimes I forget what a destructive and chaotic person you are." Artus's dry expression melted once he flipped the cover to him. "Wait, this is...?!"

"The next book in the Japan Chronicles series!" Rita finished for him, which was just as well because for once he was speechless.

"But—but how? It's not out yet. I haven't heard anything from the publisher. I'm always the first to hear from the publisher."

"Er, you are? Are you friends with them or something?"

"I'm the prince's aide. Who would they serve before royalty? How did you do it? How much did you have to bribe them?"

"Gosh, I always thought you were an upstanding guy, but even you have a price." Rita grinned. "I have a, mm, personal connection with the author. This is actually an advance copy."

"An advance copy? You have a personal connection?" Artus exclaimed. How had Rita kept this to herself all this time? And why?

"She's veeeery secretive." Rita was clearly enjoying this. "So don't ask to meet her. But since you're such a fan, I nabbed this for you. Look on the inside!"

Artus opened the cover, then gaped. "You got it signed?" More than signed, it was personalized. He reverently touched his name penned in the author's hand.

Rita puffed. "It was nothing."

"I—I have no words to express my gratitude. This is the best gift anyone's ever gotten me."

"...Really?"

Sure, he'd received books as gifts before, even fancy ones. But no one, not even Frederic, really seemed to understand his tastes exactly. "It's the truth." He inspected the writing, tipping the book left and right to see the words at all angles. "I've never seen an autograph like this, with the face drawn inside. I've also not seen my name written like this. What an interesting hand."

"Umm, you don't have to look at it that closely."

Artus closed the book. "Then I won't. Thank you, my lady. I will care for this excellently."

"You're still saying 'my lady'? Just Rita is fine."

"Thank you, Rita." The name came out easily. Artus frowned a little. Now that he thought about it, he'd already slipped up and called her without the proper title here and there, hadn't he? Familiarity wasn't a problem, since he was the prince's aide and confidante and she was his fiancee...but surely there was a point at which he would be overfamiliar?

"What are you thinking about?"

"What?"

"You've got a big thinking face."

"Oh. I suppose I was thinking..." Artus cleared his throat. "I was thinking that you should only either have the seamstress update one of your current dresses or tailor one that is already made. The engagement party is in ten days. I'm sure she's agreed to take your commission, but it would be hard for her to make an entirely new dress in that period of time."

"Oh no, really?"

The seamstress gave an apologetic nod in the background. "I can do it, my lady, but the gentleman speaks truly."

"I'm so sorry! Okay, so, I'll just pick one off the rack..."

Artus thumbed one of the dresses on display. "How about this one?"

Rita blinked at him. "Do you like that one?"

He considered Rita, thinking of her in all the outfits he had seen. With her shining hair and eyes, yes, but also her verve and joy, which had been no less in her plain clothes at the shop than in her noble finery. "They're all the same," he said.

"You're really not romantic at all."