Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
"You trying something different?" I ask, more to just make conversation than curiosity. I'm too busy hiding my moping.
She looks a little cagey as she shrugs. I could swear she's blushing. "New recipe from that friend who didn't like my baking."
Ah yes, the ‘friend’. Ruth-Ann. I can’t help but tease her a bit more. “Do I know this friend?”
Before she can answer, another customer comes up. Simone beams at her new client and hands the box of pastries to me. "Can you deliver this? It's for Daphne. She's on a massive deadline for Lady va'Rin and I haven't had a chance to run over to the boarding house yet."
"Of course." I take the box from her, my thoughts humming. I should see Daphne anyhow. Zhur has been so sweet taking care of me, he deserves to go home in a decent-looking outfit. Maybe Daphne can squeeze in a special request from me after she's done with Lady va'Rin's clothes. "I'll be back."
I head down the street with the pastry box, glancing into the cantina, but the windows are opaque. Figures. I don't see Zhur, so I head into the boarding house and straight for Daphne's room. There are a couple of plas-notes tacked to the door that look like they've been there a few days, so I knock. "Hello?"
"I'm busy," calls Daphne from the other side. "Come back later! Like next week!"
I lean in close to the door so I don't have to shout. "It's Maeve. I have your food from Simone."
"Come in, then, but be quick."
Pushing the door open, I step inside. Several hooks are hanging from spots on the wall, and on each one is a gorgeous, gilded dress full of shimmering colors. Fabric is all over the floors and a light hovers directly over Daphne's shoulder as she hunches over an opalescent dress, sewing tiny pearls onto the hem. "Jeez, you've been busy."
She squints and sews another pearl on. "I have to get five dresses done before Lady va'Rin leaves for the wedding. They have to be beautiful and perfect. She has to be beautiful and perfect."
"Well, you're doing amazing work." I move in and set the box of food near her stool, avoiding the small container of needles and the bowl of seed pearls at her hand. Her normally tidy bun is bedraggled and her clothes are wrinkled. "Have you slept?"
"I'll sleep when the dresses are done," she says, not looking up from her sewing. "Next week."
"So the wedding is this week?" Zhur won't be happy about that. It just adds to the crushing feeling that he's going to be leaving very soon. Rash on my nose or not, I'm attacking him the moment we get home. Maybe if...
But nah. Sex is great but he's basically a king back home. No pussy is worth that.
"I don't know when the wedding is. Lady va'Rin leaves at the end of this week." She picks up another pearl and pushes the needle through it, then stabs her finger. "Fucking little horrid shitty things. I hate beadwork."
"Then why do it?" I look for something to lean against, but everything is covered in shimmering fabrics that look like they cost more than my farm itself. One of them practically changes colors while I look at it, which is fascinating...and probably wildly expensive. I decide to keep standing after all.
"Because Lady va'Rin wanted human-made dresses. She insisted. And she's going to be under a lot of attention at this whole wedding so I want to make sure she's absolutely gorgeous. If sewing three lines of pearls onto each hem is going to help people realize humans are people too, then I'm going to do it." She straightens, rolling her shoulders. "But it doesn't mean I'm not going to complain."
I frown at her words, because this all seems odd to me. "I thought all the aliens didn't like Lady va'Rin. That Lord va'Rin was with her here on Risda because everyone treats her like shit back home." It's all very romantic to us humans. Even if he's an alien, he's an absolute Prince Charming in our eyes for the way he's treated his wife...and the rest of us. We all know their story. They're our celebrities, our royal family, all wrapped up into one.
Daphne gives a slight nod and then rubs her neck, tilting her head. "You'd think that, right? But apparently this wedding they're going to is kinda scandalous and Lady va'Rin hinted that it could mean a big difference for human relations with aliens."
"Because she has a pretty dress?" I don't get it.
The seamstress sighs, cracking her neck with a shrug of her shoulders before picking up her needle again. "No, silly. Because the alien getting married is marrying a human. And apparently his people are super pissed. So Lady va'Rin is practically an ambassador to show everyone that we're not dirt-eating morons."