I craved what they were offering me as an only child who had never been angel enough for schooling beyond the basics, nor for the elders or the council to recognize my talents or interests. The same elders who only wanted me now for my functioning anatomy.
But these people? They had shown no ulterior motives or disingenuousness. I couldn’t help but desperately want to be a part of something like it seemed they had. To be like they were.
As I mused over how changed my life had become in the last few short weeks, the conversation moved smoothly to what Grace was preparing for dinner.
“You really must stay,” Calla insisted. “There’s nothing like Grace’s shepherd’s pie.”
“They say that about everything,” Grace said humbly, waving a hand.
“Because it’s true. We’re going to have to build even more apartments and get you a larger kitchen if people keep moving in because of your meals,” Greta laughed. “We already had to get a bigger family table.” Grace waved her hand, but I could see the affection in the teasing. These women adored one another. There was no fakery or cattiness. This was love. Family.
My heart throbbed with a desire to have that.
Calla persisted, “It will give us more time to get to know you. Besides, we never see Tap. I really would love to have everyone here for a big family dinner. Wouldn’t that be so lovely?”
Grace nodded. “I’d hoped for something over Yule, but we had too many other exciting things going on. At least we were all together. Mostly.” She frowned for a brief moment but caught me looking at her and turned it into a smile instead.
“I wish it were warmer, I’d walk you around the grounds,” Calla lamented. “Maybe next time.”
“Yes, next time,” I promised, and the smiles I got in return made my heart do a funny flip behind my ribs. They carried the conversation on, making sure to include me as we prepared to go as a group into the city to shop.
Tears prickled again, unexpected and from a mix of happy emotions I was unused to feeling.
The carriage rideinto Revalia proper was fairly short, but between the women I was with, I got a full education on everything I could see out the little windows as we passed. The library and cathedral were hard to miss, even from a distance, and there were people moving about in droves as though the cold was no bother at all. I’d never seen so much life in such a compact space.
The city was impressive as well.
“What are you looking for?” Grace asked, enthusiastic at the prospect of showing someone new around the markets.
“Clothing, I guess?”
“What kind?”
The words were out of my mouth before I even processed having made a decision. “A dress, maybe two. Warm leggings. A coat that fits me, maybe some new tunics?”
Grace beamed. “Cloak and Dagger to start then, perhaps the tailor by the bridge. We’ll get you squared away in no time.”
I pulled out my envelope of money. The currency in Vincara was different, and it wasn’t like I was able to shop regularly there. I had no understanding of what things cost here, only that the envelope seemed to contain quite a lot of paper money. “Will this be enough?”
Calla gently took it, and her eyes widened as she flipped through. “Oh, yes. More than. But even if it weren’t, we’d make it work. There’s no shortage of coin between us.”
Satisfied, I stowed it away in the inside pocket over my chest and tried to keep track of where we were in relation to the collegium.
The carriage slowed as foot traffic grew heavy, then pulled to the side and stopped altogether.
“Come on. We’ll go on foot from here.” Grace led the way, Calla and Greta both giving me reassuring smiles as I climbed out after her. With the sun at its peak and the buildings blocking most of the wind, the temperature seemed to have warmed quite a bit.
“Thank you, Clem. Do you mind waiting a while?” Calla asked.
“Not at all, ma’am. You ladies take your time. I’ll be right here. Send for me if you need something carried.” He sagged in the seat, tipping his hat over his eyes. How he was going to sleep out in the cold was a mystery to me.
Calla stopped to rub the horses’ noses, and then I was tucked between them all and swept toward a shop. I’d never been shopping with anyone besides my mother, and having four other women there to advise on how something fit or how a color suited me was a novel and thrilling experience. Once the ladies working the shop found out what I was looking for, I was sent to a little room with a curtain for a door and brought an assortment of things to try on. Every time I was in something new, I had to walk out to see how it looked in their incredible person-sized mirror, as well as get approval from the council of women accompanying me.
“Definitely the lavender, though the pale green suits as well,” Calla said with finality as she stacked two new tunics onto the counter. She’d confiscated my envelope for safekeeping, tucking it into her little bag once I’d taken my coat off.
“Merry will be sad to have missed this,” Hailon lamented, holding two equally beautiful hooded cloaks against me, gauging fit. “She loves to shop.” Her head tilted to the side. “Well, she’s getting used to it, is probably more accurate. She likes to browse, and will help me choose things, but I still have to convince her tospend on anything for herself most of the time.” She pursed her lips and consulted the others. “The gray? Or the brown?”
“Gray,” Calla and Greta said in unison.
