Afternoon Among Friends

Ekliptik walked out, dressed in a lovely gown. The dress wasn't fit to wear to a ball, but the dark blue fabric embroidered with simple yellow patterns suited them well. They walked carefully, so Rosamund assumed that there must have been pins still in the dress to fit it properly for them. The bright smile on their face as they turned around in front of him told him all he needed to know.

"You look lovely," he let them know. "How do you like the dress?"
"I like it. I'd like to have it."
"Did you try out other clothes?"
"Yeah. Those were nice too."

Lady Elodie did a marvelous job, as expected. She was a friendly woman by nature and it seemed she had no issue making Ekliptik feel comfortable. They looked the happiest he'd seen them yet. Their hair was now jade in color and styled into a short bob with a fringe. The cut was done with utmost care and there was not a hair out of place.

"How do you like the haircut?" he asked them.
"I like it too. It feels nice."

It was highly unusual for the period, unfortunately. The people were already discussing them. He stood up when he saw a noble lady approaching them, which was enough to stop her from coming too close. Elodie, who was only observing them until now, also headed to them.

"Ahm, excuse me. What dye did you use to get this hair color?" the lady asked.
"Actually," Elodie said, "this is their natural hair color."
"Oh, goodness! I wonder why'd you dye it then! It looks so wonderful! It is quite unfortunate it is as short..."
"Fashion trends come and go. Perhaps the youth these days prefers not to decorate themselves with jewels and flowers weaved into their hair," a woman in her forties commented.
"Or perhaps it is stylish to look like a commoner these days. Which family did you say you were from?"

They were getting overwhelmed by the comments, closing up again and stepping back.

"That is enough gawking at my charge," Rosamund said clearly. "Their appearance and their status is of no concern to you. Serah requested to remain anonymous, and the fact that they are in my company should be more than enough for you."
"You must excuse our curiosity, Lord Governor-"
"Must I?"

That got them to back off.

"B-besides," Elodie cut in again, "cutting hair in this manner turned out to be quite a difficult ordeal. A single hair out of place would stick out terribly, and it would require maintenance every week, or every other week, to remain as neat as this. It is more practical for the day to day life, the style looks cute and endearing, and it is just as difficult to keep it looking perfect."
"I for one do not doubt your skills. Only the taste of the customer," one man said.
"In that case, I would kindly like to ask you to refrain from visiting my salon in the future." She brightly smiled at the lady while pointing at the door with her thumb. "Out."
"What?!"

Rosamund allowed the shock and commotion to continue as he led Ekliptik back to their changing room. They sat down on the couch, looking somewhat dejected. He sat down, too, careful to give them enough space.
"Lady Elodie will handle this," he assured them.
"Yeah."
"They were extremely rude. It is a way to test the people among nobility. Quick wit and charisma is highly praised here."
"Yeah."
"Not that- not that if you said something, it would've helped. They are like wolves, they want to see you break. You look like a beautiful young lady, just how you asked."
"You knew it would've happened?"
"I knew it could happen. I hoped my status would be enough to deter direct insults. I suppose I didn't make myself well-known enough among the nobility, even if I was recognized... I apologize. I am sorry if they frightened you. Or- well. How are you feeling?"
They sniffled.

Oh gods, what a horrible mess. He didn't want it to happen like that. They were wearing a lovely dress, he expected at least one compliment. The bob was what caught everyone's eye, though. He ruined it all.
"Your hair will grow out," he said. "I'll ask Lady Elodie and Lily for some dyes and cosmetics that will help you keep it healthy and in any color you'd like."
"I don't want it to grow out. I liked this," they said.
Oh. "Do you dislike it now?" he asked.
"No... I just- I just hated that."
Being perceived. Right.

He reached out for them to place a hand on their shoulder, but they twitched and raised their hands defensively. "Don't. There's pins."
"Aha. I apologize."
"It's aight. I'm fine. I- uh. Sorry. Do you wanna see other clothes I tried out?"
"Yes, I'd love to. Or, how about this? We should go eat, it is past lunchtime. We'll leave the clothes here and tell Lady Elodie we want them finished and sent to the manor by the end of the day. They'll be teleported to Hipparcos, and you can put on a bit of a fashion show for everyone. I'm sure Captain Vervain would love to see your new outfits. Officer Teodolit, too."
"It's a lot of clothes..."
"I don't mind. You can have whatever you like."
"Can I keep the clothes I got from your mother?"
"Of course. We should have them fitted later, too. Is black your favourite color?"
"Mmm... I wanted something colorful, too... but yeah."
"Blue and yellow suit you well. They go with your hair and your eyes. If you ask, I am sure Lord Nivelir would show you how to apply makeup. And if you'd like, we can ask Elodie to see what jewellery she has to offer."
They shook their head. "I don't like 'em. Someone could strangle you wi' a fancy necklace."

Right. Spymaster. He let out a tired sigh.

After everything was arranged and Ekliptik changed back to his old clothes, the two of them headed for the restaurant for a proper meal. To be honest, the tea and snacks offered in the salon while he was waiting were delicious, but he really needed some food. Ekliptik, too. They were still growing. The staff gave them a quiet corner to themselves, so it was finally time to ask the teenager some questions.

"So, how did you gain your position?" he asked after they ordered.
"The previous one died," they said.
"Yes, I know. By a cannon. But how were you picked among the others?"
They shrugged. "I'm the best."
"Was she really a Mercantessa?"
They nodded.
"Were you?"
They shook their head.

Did you ever kill anyone sounded like a terrible question to ask, if for no other reason than because they could ask him the same. He could also see that they were retreating into themself again, not liking his little interrogation. Well, after this little introduction to the nobility, he could hardly blame them for being on edge. He ran his fingers through his hair. He just needed to know more about their situation. Figure out a better way to help...

"I like it here," they suddenly said. "I- I mean restaurant's nice too. But, I like my work. I'm useful. An', well. Nita's better than... her. She was bad. Nita stepped in a few times, like when she tried to get me to be immune to poisons. In the end, uh, well, when she had enough, she set her up in front of a cannon and fired. I'm fine now. An' it wasn't all bad, yknow. I learned to read an' write. To fight. And I know lots of stuff. I just want to look nice from time to time, but I figured if I asked Nita, she'd do it wrong... and if I told my people, it could be a weakness. It's dumb. I just wanted to look pretty an' cute. I like how I look with this hair. And I liked those clothes. You did it right. This was what I wanted."

Aha. It was an execution, then. At least Adanita saw the issue and took initiative when resolving it. Rosamund appreciated that. He was happy that she made sure they were safe. And that they enjoyed the day, of course.

"The style really suits you. I wouldn't have recommended it otherwise," he said. "Nobility simply must adhere to the strict rules it set for itself. There's no difference between a noble and a commoner aside from money. The traditions among us are an attempt to differentiate further. Etiquette, the way of speech, the clothes... it's all smoke and mirrors. They bully each other for the smallest missteps. Whatever you did, whatever clothes you had, you would've been a target in a different way. Simply because that is how they work. Of course, there are exceptions, but they are rare. I hope you can find a way to forgive Lord Nivelir for the rude words on the evening you first met. Or, at least understand where he comes from."
They nodded. "D'ya really think he'd show me how to do makeup?"
"Yes. He is a good man. You only need to get him to start talking. After that, you won't be able to stop him from sharing every interest with you. I can give you some pointers, if you'd like."
"Yeah. Thanks, Rosamund."
He offered them a small warm smile, which they awkwardly returned.

He managed to slowly improve their mood further over the course of their meal and their journey home. Their clothes and other items arrived in the evening on Bretonian time, which meant they were transported to Hipparcos in the late afternoon.

Rosamund gathered everyone into a large drawing room, and Ekliptik changed into the outfits they were given in the adjacent room. The group clapped for every new look, Lilac because he saw that they enjoyed themself and Nivelir because he approved of the clothes. They got three different dresses, one of which was a nice dark green color with silver accents and lace, and one that was a soft pastel pink color and made them look like a flower bud combined with their green hair. They took two fine suits fit for a young man their age, both in dark colors they found most comfortable, and last they showed off one nice robe fit for both genders, and a yellow caped shirt they combined with a long skirt.

Teodolit showered them with compliments and Adanita cheered them on with every new outfit. Occasionally she threw a glance at Rosamund, smiling at him warmly, deeply grateful for a wonderful outing he took them on. He was happy. Ekliptik practically bloomed under the attention they were getting, happy to show off the little details of their outfits, and twirl around to show how the fabric flowed as they moved and chattering about how they spent the day. They didn't bother mentioning the rude nobleman. They didn't care about him anymore, nor about the people that crowded them. They were now with people who mattered.

Everybody liked the presents that Rosamund got them, too. Adanita was particularly pleased with the pen, or perhaps with the fact he thought of her. She loved the gift in either case, she held it with the same care he usually reserved for his bixbite pin. He also noticed that Teodolit now had a fine wooden cane by his side. He presumed it was a part of Nivelir's little shopping list and he was happy that the two men were getting along well. Ekliptik's fashion show and the lovely evening came to an end after several hours of friendly chatter, and quite a lot of snacks and tea. He excused himself first because he still had some matters to attend to in the office.

It was almost midnight by the time he decided it was time to go to bed. He wandered around the manor for a bit longer to fetch himself one last nice cup of tea, when he heard quiet music coming from the yellow drawing room. Curious, he came closer.

The music flowed gently like a stream in the middle of a forest. The soft tune reminded him of water cascading over stones as the wind played with the branches. There was a power to this song, that had him see the sunlight dancing through the leaves as if he was there himself. It had him feel the gentle spring rain upon his face as snowdrops and primroses bloomed around him. He could hear the laughter of children in the distance, and see a young dark boy run past him with a wide smile on his face and a blossoming crown upon his head. The music overwhelmed him with its yearning, and a tender feeling of love and long-lost happiness. He reached out to his side, trying to lean on a tree, but the cold stone wall of his hallway woke him up from the dream. He was... in his manor, listening to a beautiful tune of a string instrument. The woods he saw was but a bygone memory, nothing more. An emotion so strong and beautiful it came out as magic woven into the music itself.

The door was ajar.

He couldn't help it, he had to know who was there. Inside the drawing room, he saw Teodolit playing a cittern with a wistful smile and a soft blush on his face. Nivelir was asleep by his side, his head resting on the back of the couch they sat on, as he had turned to look at him play.

Ah. So that was what was happening.

In that case, Rosamund wished them only the best.