The Tailor

Life, Relationship change

Evelyn meets Fenneck.

Evelyn opened her eyes from her meditation to a knock on her door. She begrudgingly got out of bed and opened the door to see Jasna there, already dressed for the day. "What are you doing?" Jasna asked her. "You should have gotten up hours ago!" she pointed out. Evelyn shrugged and walked over to her wardrobe as Jasna followed her into her room. "What for?" she asked in annoyance. "To prominade through the halls in boredom like we do every day?" she asked her sister. Jasna scowled at her. "Mother wants us to get fitted for new gowns for the ball next week," Jasna told her. "She told us to just go down to Naertho's shop on our own. She has some important meeting with our uncle." Evelyn sighed in annoyance. "Okay," she said, grabbing a clean shift and throwing it on over her body. Jasna walked over and grabbed a corset for her and wrapped it around her tiny waist to start lacing it up. "Thanks," Evelyn told her. "Where are your maids?" Jasna asked her. Evelyn shrugged. "Who cares? I told them not to bother me at the crack of dawn," she informed her sister. Jasna sighed in disapproval. "Look Ev, this is our life," Jasna told her. "On some level you have to start enjoying it. We're princesses. We have food, shelter and many other blessings that most people don't have," she pointed out. "I know, I know!" Evelyn said in annoyance. "Let's just get this over with." Evelyn finished getting dressed and followed her sister down into the mountain, excited to at least leave the palace for once. They made their way to Naertho's shop and Jasna led the way through the pretty mahogany door. Naertho was waiting for them and he dropped into a low, gracious bow. "Your highnesses," the high-elf said eloquently. "Hi, Naertho!" Jasna greeted him cheerfully. "I'm sure my mother sent word of the dresses we would need for the ball next week?" Jasna asked him. He stood and gave them a polite nod. "Of course!" he assured her. "It's been a few months since you were both measured. Why don't we start there? Right this way," he said, leading them to the dressing rooms in the back of the shop.   Evelyn followed behind Jasna and Naertho and let her sister do the talking as she looked around the shop. She had only been here a few times. Normally Naertho came up to the palace to measure them. They entered the dressing rooms and Evelyn walked over to one of the blocks. In the corner of the room she saw a high-elf with long, pure-white hair, very pale skin and bright green eyes. He was about six feet tall from what Evelyn could guess, and he had a sweet, innocent face. He was wearing a nice baby-blue tunic and had a natural grace and charming air about him. "Fenneck," Naertho said, addressing the high-elf. "Will you fetch the bolt of the new indigo silk we just got in from Thymryu?" Naertho instructed him. The elf, whose name was apparently Fenneck, nodded and ran back out into the shop. He was quick and ran back with the bolt of fabric. "Oh, it's lovely!" Jasna said excitedly when she saw Fenneck return. "It's really comfortable, too," Fenneck told her as he kindly held it out for her to touch. As he did, though, Naertho plucked it from his hands. "Will you measure Princess Evelyn while I show Jasna a few things in the back room?" he told Fenneck, whom Evelyn now assumed was his apprentice. "Yeah, of course," Fenneck said, turning his attention to Evelyn and looking into her eyes.   Evelyn couldn't help but be a bit nervous as her sister and Naertho left and she found herself growing a bit flustered as she met Fenneck's gaze. "Hi, your highness!" he told her very cheerily and sweetly before bowing to her. He stood and went to collect his measuring tape. "Hi," she said nervously back to him. She found herself admiring his physique as he came back to her and she qickly glanced back to the door Jasna had left through, nervous to be alone with the boy. Fenneck walked over to her with a notepad and the tape as she climbed onto the measuring block and stood up straight, nervous that he could very clearly see her entire body through her very thin, cotton shift. He got on his step stool to start with her arms. "How are you today?" he asked her as he stretched out the tape. "I'm fine," she said, trying to sound as neutral as possible as his delicate hands gently brushed her shoulder. He pulled back and jotted down the measurement. "I don't bite, you know," he told her, offering her a small smile that sent Evelyn's heart aflutter as he made eye contact with her. She sighed and rolled her eyes, trying to hide her infatuation. Fenneck went to measure her wrist and delicately wrapped his pretty hands around her own. "What are the new gowns for?" he asked her curiously as he wrote down the measurement. "There's a ball in a couple weeks," she said as he gently wrapped the tape around her neck. His body was very close to her and she could smell his sweet perfume. He took her neck measurement, careful not to choke her with the tape. "Do you like balls?" he asked her curiously. "Not really," she told him, forcing herself to speak despite the lump of awkwardness she felt in her throat. "They're kinda boring. I don't like dancing," she said, trying to realx. He was clearly just being sweet and trying to do his job, after all. "I've never danced before so I wouldn't know," Fenneck said as he jotted more measurements down. He shrugged and reached his arms carefully around her breasts. He let his fingers rest on her back so she wouldn't be uncomfortable, somewhat to her disappointment. "You've never danced?" she asked him, trying to distract herself from his closeness. He dropped his arms and wrote down her breast measurement. "No," he told her. "I've only heard music a few times from my friend, Erikur. He's a musician in the palace!" he told her excitedly, looking at her to see if she knew him. Evelyn shrugged, not recognizing his name. "I don't pay attention to them," she admitted. He reached around her waist. "I see," he said, clearly disappointed and somewhat upset by her reaction. Evelyn felt frustrated that she'd disappointed him. He scribbled some more notes down and went to measure her hips. "You're being surprisingly professional," she commented in spite of herself as Fenneck carefully balanced the tape so he wouldn't graze her butt. "Is my uncle normally... not professional?" he asked her, clearly worried about Naertho's integrity. "No," she assured him. "He is. Usually young male elves aren't, is all," she said matter-of-factly. He stood back up and looked at her with a look of offense. "Well, I'm not that young," he told her. "My mum says I have a bit of a baby-face for my age," he explained. She smiled and bit her tongue to avoid laughing at him. He was so adorable and charming. Evelyn wished the boring princes and lords she was always stuck talking to were more like him. "How old are you?" she asked him curiously. "I'm fifty-five," he told her proudly. She smiled at his ridiculousness. "How old are you?" he asked her as he dropped back down to measure her thigh for stockings. "Sixty-four," she informed him. "You do have a baby-face," she commented sweetly. He stood up and scribbled in his notes, giving her a nervous glance as he did. "It's a cute face, though," she assured him, hoping she hadn't offended him. "Your eyes are sweet," she said, smiling softly at him. He smiled bashfully up at her. "Thank you," he said, seeming surprised by her compliment. "You're quite beautiful yourself, but you probably know that," he said, bending down to measure her ankles. Evelyn noticed he was taking his time as he gently measured her ankle over her stockings. "Thank you," she told him nervously, finding herself enjoying his compliment. Fenneck stood up and looked over his notes. "You know, let me double check a couple of these," he said. "I... I think some of my numbers are wrong," he told her, failing to hide that he was lying to her to buy more time. Evelyn glanced at his notes and decided to take a shot. She was enjoying her time with this handsome tailor. "I think you measured my breasts wrong," she told him bluntly. "I think you're being a bit generous, they're smaller than that." She gave him a flirty look and looked into his pretty green eyes. He swallowed nervously as they made eye contact and he slowly stood back up on his stool and carefully wrapped his tape around her breasts. He retook her measurement, remaining very professional. "See," she told him as her heart started to pound in excitement from his closeness. "You aren't pulling it tight enough." Fenneck swallowed and Evelyn could see his ears turning red. They were quite close and he was leaning toward her on his stool so their faces were inches away from one another. They both instinctively leaned closer and closer toward each other and Evelyn moved to kiss him but he freaked out from her advance and fell towards her, sending them both crashing to the floor. "I'm so sorry, your highness!" he exclaimed in terror as he crashed on top of her, pressing her body into the ground with his own. Evelyn could feel his strong desire for her and she giggled nervously from their silly fall. "I'm okay," she assured him. "It's okay!" She suddenly grabbed Fenneck's arms and kept his body on top of hers, unwilling to let him go. His pretty white hair hung down around her face and she felt her heart start to pound in excitedment as he slowly leaned down to kiss her. She reached up to meet him and kissed his beautiful lips, enjoying the taste of his breath. Her heart seemed to explode in excitement as he pressed her into the rug they were lying on. She started caressing his chest and he quickly pulled away and scooted across the entire room from her. His face was aghast in shock and fear and Evelyn realized how much danger she had just put him in.   Just then Naertho and Jasna came back in. "What the hell?!" Naertho exclaimed, seeing them both on the floor. "It's okay!" Evelyn assured him quickly. "It was my fault!" She quickly got to her feet and pressed her legs together so she wouldn't make the shift she was wearing wet from her moment with Fenneck. "I lost my balance and accidently pushed his stool over," she lied, trying to cover up her foolish behavior. "I'm sorry." Naertho nodded cautiously. "Well, are you okay, your highness?" he asked her politely. "Of course," she said charmingly. "Sorry about that." Evelyn turned to Fenneck as he got to his feet. Fenneck's skin was beet-red and he still looked frazzled by what had happened. Evelyn felt her heart do a somersault as she realized she'd made him upset. "Did you need any more measurements?" she asked him, looking into his eyes to let him know she was sorry. Fenneck stumbled over to pick up his notes and shook his head. "I... I think that was all of them," he stuttered nervously. "Great," Evelyn said before she turned to Naertho. "The only request I have is that the dress be bright green," she told him, unable to get the color of Fenneck's beautiful eyes out of her mind. "I have so many dresses in other colors." Naertho nodded, clearly surprised by this request. "Of course, your highness," he told her. "Would you like to pick out some fabric?" he offered. She shrugged. "I trust you and your..." she glanced at Fenneck, "...apprentice." Naertho blinked a bit, clearly offended that she would request his apprentice's help. "Very well," he said, seeming dumbstruck by her request. "Fen, why don't we let their highnesses have some privacy to get dressed?" Naertho told him, waving him toward the front of the store. Fenneck nodded and they left the dressing room.   "What the hell happened?" Jasna scolded her as they started getting dressed. Evelyn shrugged. "Nothing," she assured her. "I just... slipped," she told her sister. Jasna didn't ask any more questions and led Evelyn back out into the front of the shop when they were dressed. Toward the front of the shop Evelyn could see Naertho scolding Fenneck and her heart dropped as she felt guilt overwhelm her. Naertho quickly turned around and smiled at them. Fenneck also turned and gave Evelyn a scared look as their eyes met. She gave him a small shrug and sighed in annoyance at herself for getting him in trouble. "Is there anything else we can do for you today?" Naertho asked them. "I will have the dresses ready for fittings by the end of the week," Naertho informed them. Jasna smiled cheerfully at him. "No, that's all," she assured him. "Thank you again, Naertho! Your gowns are always so wonderful." She turned to Fenneck. "Thank you, as well. I'm sure Naertho needs all the help he can get with how busy we keep him with our silly dress orders." Fenneck nodded to her politely. "Yeah, thank you," Evelyn said, trying to keep her voice as even as possible as she met Fenneck's eyes again. "Well, have a lovely day, your highnesses." Naertho bowed to them and Fenneck followed suit, a bit more awkward than his uncle and Evelyn shuffled out of the shop behind Jasna.   When she was finally safe in her room she started pacing around in confusion, trying to understand what had happened. "Your highness," Inga said as she walked into the room and bowed. "Your mother wants you and your siblings to attend dinner with herself and Emperor Staladin this evening," the maid informed her. "She told me to assist you in getting ready." "Very well," Evelyn agreed, reluctant to leave her solace for yet another boring dinner party. She sat down at her vanity and Inga did her hair while Evelyn considered her weird encounter with Fenneck. She hoped she hadn't gotten him into too much trouble.   Evening rolled around and Inga accompanied Evelyn down the halls of the palace and into the dining room. Jasna was already there as well as their brother Nikolai who was speaking to his friend Marshal Ivan Pufuktin in the corner of the room. Her uncle, Emperor Anessen Staldin was sitting at the head of the table looking bored as her father, the Grand Duke Georgi Malenthot, sat at the other end regailing the insanely boring story of the latest poker game he had won. Her mother sat to his right and looked equally as unenthused by this story. Evelyn sat down next to the other KAV representative Marshal Dmitri Novikoff. Lieutenant Feliks Polyakov was on his other side and Dmitri gave her a polite nod as she sat down. "Your highness," he greeted her. "Marshal," she said plainly. Nikolai and Marshal Pufuktin seemed to finish their conversation and Nikolai settled across from Evelyn. He was next to Jasna who was seated next to their uncle's steward. Marshal Pufuktin, a very ugly high-elf who had a reputation for being incredibly malicious, sat down next to her. He was the only high-elf Evelyn had ever met who was bald and had a beard. He had cold silver eyes and a rather uncomfortable presence about him. "Your highness," he said politely as he sat down next to her. "Marshal," she greeted him while barely glancing his way to avoid his creepy stare. She sighed in annoyance as the servants brought out the first dish, cabbage soup.   "Thank you again, your imperial majesty, for joining our table this evening," Milena addressed her brother as they started their meal. "Of course, your grace," he told her. "Nikolai," he addressed his nephew, "have you decided if you would like to come and study under Uidor yet? I think it would benefit you to live in Leniscow for a while. Learn more about the country and meet some important people." Georgi spoke before Nikolai could. "He's decided to stay here for the time being," he said harshly. "He's too young to move to Leniscow." "Nonsense," Anessen argued. "He's... how old are you? Surely you're over a hundred by now," he asked Nikolai. Nikolai nodded. "Ninety-one, your imperial majesty," he told his uncle. "See!" Anessen said. "He's perfectly fine and plenty old enough. Milena was fifty when she married you and moved here," he pointed out. "Speaking of which," he said, turning to Jasna, "we should really be working to find a fitting match for you, your highness, and for your sister, of course." Jasna gave him a weak smile and shrugged. "When you send a suitable match my way, I'm all his," she assured her uncle. Anessen pondered this for a moment. "The Duke of Vladigrad has a son," he suggested. "It wouldn't be the worst match." Milena pursed her lips. "I'll marry my daughters off when I find them fitting enough matches and from what I can tell there are none in Lenisily," she told him. "All the dukes and lords throughout the rest of the kingdom might as well be peasants. I'd rather them marry peasants from here than to have to live in the decrepit palaces in some of the other fiefdoms." Evelyn's ears perked up happily at this idea. "Really?" she asked a little too hopefully. Anessen sighed. "What about some of my soldiers, then?" he suggested, ignoring Evelyn completely. "It would be a smart match for your girls to marry a marshal or general, don't you think? General Antov is single. He could use a wife," he suggested. "Could relieve some of his stress and anger," he mused. Evelyn swallowed nervously at the idea. She'd seen General Antov before and he was a physically angry man. "I don't hate that idea," Georgi said. Milena gave him a bewildered look. "I will not be marrying my daughters off to someone they'll lose their titles to!" she exclaimed. Anessen waved his hands in annoyance at her. "Oh please, Milena," he told her. "Being the wife of the most powerful man in the military is nothing to scoff at!" he told her. "Just because you got lucky marrying the grand duke doesn't mean your daughters share that same fate. It's quite unbecoming for Jasna to still be unmarried at this age. I saw her dallying with some of the court musicians earlier, and it would be best to marry her off before any of those romantic artists get any ideas in their heads!" Jasna rolled her eyes in annoyance at being talked about as if she weren't even there. "They're just friends," she assured her uncle. He shrugged. "I understand, but do they know that?" he asked her. "I know what these artists think like. It's very unbecoming, unless you want to become a whore one day," he told her harshly. "I could think of worse things," Jasna said under her breath. Anessen glared at her mockery and turned to Milena. "Clearly, she's already forgetting her place," he scolded Milena. "Luckily Evelyn here will be much easier to marry off. She has more becoming features anyway with her pretty blond hair and bright eyes," he mused. "Perhaps we can even arrange a marriage for her out of the country since she's farther removed from our line. I heard one of the noble families in Wrenchrise are high-elves. It could give us some leverage over them, as well. They're getting a bit too bold on the western border of Vladigrad. Lord Eruant said they raided one of the fishing villages a few weeks ago." Milena seemed annoyed by this. "So you want to give them our blood?" she asked sarcastically. "Gods, Anessen. They're still young. They can wait a few more years until some smart matches actually arise for them. Besides, you aren't trying to marry Niko off yet," she pointed out. Anessin glared at her. "You will address me properly, your grace, or I shall decide to return to my own palace," he accused her. "You will also not question my authority. Next week at the ball I shall send the top ranking men in the military and I expect Jasna to entertain them for the evening, and not with her silly music," he told them pointedly before turning to Evelyn. "Your highness would be wise to start perusing the marriage market as well," he informed her. "It seems you have a good chance of beating your sister to a smart match." She nodded politely toward him. "Of course, your imperial majesty," she told her uncle formally.   She turned her attention to her food as the conversation moved to boring, mundane things like war strategy and gossip about their neighboring countries. She found herself thinking about the ideas of marriage but her thoughts kept bringing her back to what had happened with Fenneck. She was intrigued by the boy, even though she knew they would never have a future together.   When the meal was finally over, Dmitri assisted her out of her chair. "Shall I walk you to your quarters, your highness?" he offered. She smiled and nodded and took his arm. He walked her to her door and she turned back to look at him. "Thank you, Marshal," she told him. He nodded to her politely. "Of course, your highness," he assured her. "Hopefully you weren't as appalled as I was by his imperial majesty's remarks about your state of betrothal," he told her under his breath. She smiled at him. "You forget, marshal, I am a woman and a princess, therefore I was conditioned long ago to sit at a table and listen in silence as men decide my fate for me," she told him. He smiled at her. "Well, as a married man, maybe I can offer you some advice," he suggested. She cocked her head at him. "And what would that be?" He leaned into her ear. "Don't get married," he told her playfully. She giggled and shook her head at him. "Oh please, Dmitri," she scolded him. "Surely your wife is not as cruel as you paint her to be." He chuckled. "No no, not cruel," he assured her. "Just... judgemental," he decided playfully. "I just... just make sure you enjoy your years of freedom while you have them," he told her. "And if it's at all possible, fall madly in love with someone before you're trapped like I am." She rolled her eyes at him. "Goodnight, Dmitri," she told him as she opened her door and stepped inside. "Goodnight, your highness," he said as he bowed to her again before leaving her door.