While her husband and wife were eaining guests, Moriko had some work to do. Last night had hammered out who was going to be trading what and when, but now Moriko was w on coordinating to help Ricardo adjust his pnned route, and to get some of the things she had asked for to get carried with them. He had already agreed to carry anything she wa, but he wasn’t going te to get everything together. Master Theodoric had indeed spoken with the Grand Master and spread word amongst the temples and roups ied in maintaining historical records indefinitely, so now the few days were scheduled with meetings to aheir questions.

  It was a tounoying to be ho, she retty certain that she’d passed along everything they actually o know, but it seems most people feel better getting to talk to someone face-to-fa a situation like this. Moriko was much happier with what she was going to do iweeings, which was helping out the students who walked a path simir to hers. She was also going to ask them about what they wanted in their life, and figure out how she could help them achieve their other passions. She wasn’t going to just buy special tools for someone who wao be a sculptor, but she now had es in the mert world, she could point them to someone who could give the student a deal or offer some sort of payment pn. There was a differeween helping someone on their path and doing it for them.

  Moriko would have found the few days until the caravao be busy enough, if only a little stressful, but life was not going to be that simple. She had received a summons to Master Theodoric’s chambers again, and he was holding out an envelope towards her. His amused smile bined with the fancy-looking envelope ao make her feel nervous as she took it from him and exami. The flowing script that addressed it to her, care of the monastery, was beautiful and delicate, practically a work of art. It took a lot of a certain type of training to write that way.

  She flipped it over to look at the seal with a growing sense of dread, which proved well-fouhe ter of the wax seal taihe royal crest, while the edges were imprinted with a set of small runes charged with magic. Wheouched the seal, the magic sparked in reition that the envelope had reached its intended recipient, automatically crag the wax in a precise pattern. It wasn’t a secure enough method for anything truly important, but it was more than enough to keep out casual snooping. It also meant that who ever had used the seal’s stamp now khat she had ope.

  Moriko pulled out the ly folded papers within and read.

  To Lady Moriko,

  The Royal Family is well aware of the potential importance of a Living Dungeon ihe borders of the kingdom, and in your capacity as both their tractor and their spouse, we would like to invite you to a private diwo days he the pace. In light of the circumstances and the short notice, we have included a voucher for a clothier who should be able to help you be ready by then. Assuming that we do not receive a reply deing the invitation, we will have a coach awaiting you at the monastery by the fourth bell of that afternoon.

  I also uand that you have met my little sister, and I look forward to hearing more about your enter with our wandering flower.

  Yours Respectfully,

  Princess Kagami Apifera.

  P.S. As you are effectively a diplomatic representative for your dungeon, ‘Lady’ is already the corre of address, but you will also find enclosed the procmation giving you the title formally.

  She sighed softly, then asked “Princess Kagami is the eldest, correct?” She was not going to tell him about her itle.

  “Correct. An invitation I take it?” He didn’t sound like he was really asking, it probably wasn’t hard to figure out once he saw the envelope and seal.

  “Yes, though thankfully to a private dinner.” And being from the eldest sibling, the invitation retty much the stro invitation that was not a nicely worded order. “Um, do you have a list of the royal family with descriptions?” Moriko had a fairly rge family, but the royal family was slightly rger, and she didn’t pay enough attention to remember all the younger ones.

  “I get one written up ao your room.” Her master was looking far too amused, and Moriko did her best to not gre at him for it. “Shall I include some etiquette? I believe curtsying has e ba fashion for women in the court.”

  “Yes please.” Moriko said through gritted teeth. It’s not that she was incapable of the courtly graces, it was that she never paid attention to them and found most of them annoying. “May I go now? It seems I o go get a new dress.”

  “Of course my dear.” Theodoriswered with a chuckle, waving her out. Moriko bowed and did her best to not stalk away. It wasn’t his fault, his amusement just didn’t help. So she sought soce from her husband and wife, which they did give but the monk was certain she felt a bit of amusement hiding behind their attempts to fort her.

  As Moriko made her way out of the pound and into the city, she worked herself through several meditative exercises as she sought to calm herself down. This was not an attack or an attempt to make her look bad, this was not some grand political dance, if it was then it would have been a public feast or some suonsense. Which didn’t mean it was not political, it just wasn’t that sort of politics.

  Her exercises also helped Moriko aowledge another piece of what bothered her. While she could hold her own in a casual, friendly verbal spar, and occasionally nd a telling verbal blow in a less friendly altercation, the subtleties of courtly versions of such things were beyond her, and if she did realize she’d been given a dire insult, she would have no means of retaliation. She would be entirely out of her element.

  The se of the mert district she was headed to was more upscale than she was used to, but that was not really a surprise. She had to ask dires a couple of times, but eventually found the clothier iion, a fairly rge store front that looked to lead out to a small garden that created a buffer between it and the home behind it. While her parents had an even rger plot of nd, Riverbridge was a much smaller city. Making fine clothes for the richest people in the kingdom must be turning a det profit.

  She breathed deep and held it a moment before slowly releasing it to calm her hen she walked up to the door and lightly knocked before entering. Moriko k wasn’t necessary for a store, but she felt like she was intruding on a space fn to her. Inside she found a luxurious store with a handful of pleted outfits on mannequihe walls, with artwork, fabric samples, and books full of patterns taking up the rest of the wall space.

  Several fortable tall chairs and tables were decoratively scattered about the floor, though a rger space was left open in the ter. On the far side of the room was a ter, and an older woman whom Moriko presumed was the proprietress. She looked to be human, though the stoess of her build might suggest a touch of dwarven or simir bloodline. If the woman had any reservations about Moriko’s appearance she never let it touch her face as she gave Moriko a warm smile. “Good day miss. How may I help you?”

  Moriko strode forward as she drew the folded voucher from a pouch. “Hello. My name is Moriko, and I was informed that I should e here for a dress I need in a little uwo days.” When she reached the ter Moriko hahe voucher over to the clothier.

  “Oh?” She asked as she took the voucher, then read it over carefully. “Ah, I see.” She eyed Moriko thoughtfully for a moment. “And how much do you like dresses my young warrior?”

  That was when Moriko realized she’d not ged and was still wearing her uniform. Oops. “Oh, I like dresses a lot. So long as they don’t restrict me.” She gri the clothier. “Most of my non uniform clothes are dresses actually. They tend to be fitted around my body, flowing in the skirts, and a little more than knee length, depending on the weight of the fabric. Though longer with properly done side slits work too.”

  The older woman nodded along, her gaze slightly unfocused. “So designs that are pretty but that be practical. I work with that. Not a lot of time even with my skills, so I would like to skip giving you time to browse and make some suggestions. Any issues with that?”

  Moriko shook her head. “I know what I like for me, but I don’t have any experieh this sort of thing, so please, lead the way.”

  “Alright, e here.” She walked around the ter to pick out a sele of books, flipping them open to the right patterns quickly. “So, for our first visible yer, we start with a skirt with accordion folds across the front and back, but smooth side panels. The top for this yer would be a short shirt with no sleeves. The sed yer would be a single-piece dress with short sleeves and rge front and back panels, open on the sides to show off the underskirt. Theop that with a cropped open-front jacket with sleeves down to your elbows, then false sleeves draping down slightly lohan your forearm and hand.” The stout woman grinned. “Tear away, of course, and the stitg for that would be disguised with a fancy bit of ribbon work. And while you won’t hem here, I am guessing you might be happier if I hide some weights at the upper edge so you use them as ons in a pinch.”

  Moriko stared at the pages and papers arrayed across two desks in mild shock at the speed she’d beeed with so many options. Every piece the clothier had described had at least three variations dispyed to be selected from, as well as notes for tweaks and ization. It was a bit dizzying. When Moriko recovered, she started examining her options closely. “Hmm, if you make the undershirt work as well as s, then I think I would like a shorter option with wider straps. If I will o still use s underh, then a bit longer so the s don’t peek.” Of course, part of this design was that the whole of the undershirt would not be visible.

  “For the dress, I think I like this desig, but I would like it to be a touch more daring. Do you think we do a few diamond cutouts along the side, going from a little below the underarm to a bit above where the panel splits? Or would that be too much?”

  A third voice cut in suddenly, making them both jump. “Oh, I think that would be wonderful. You do have the best designs Mistress U.” the rich female voice purred behind them. U and Moriko spun to find a dark-haired and pale-skinned seven-tailed kitsune woman behind them.

  U’s face cracked briefly with a fsh of annoyahat quickly transformed bato a weling smile. “Lady Yuriko, a pleasure to see you again, though I certainly wasn’t expeg you today. Are you esc – oh.” U’s eyes gowards Moriko with a pitying look. “Your timing was not tal, was it? Should I be expeg to eain all of them as they meet the young dy?”

  “As perceptive as always Mistress U. But then, you have been putting up with all of them sihe oldest was ready to be fitted for her first dress.” The kitsuurowards Moriko and curtsied. “A pleasure to meet you Lady Moriko. I am Lady Yuriko, advisor to the king for the Azeria , and currently ag as escort of the peeresses of the court. Who shall be arriving very shortly.”

  Moriko felt a slight sense of panic at the sudden royal ambush. By all the gods she was still weariemple uniform and was going to be meeting the other four royal princesses! But it was too te to run, she could hear the front door opening behio let in the voices of excited young women.

  And part of her mind couldn’t help but wonder just how had Yuriko snuto the shop without either of them notig? Being found was less of a mystery to her, she’d had to pass several guard posts on the way here, and it would have been easy for them to have someog the shop.

  Zagaroth