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“Thought we heard you!” Two familiar figures appeared from deeper in the shop. A slim nymph followed, her race obvious by her rounded ears, lack of wings, and vivid blue hair, from which small white flowers grew.

Baenna and Eireann Balik smiled twin smiles, and for the first time, they reminded me of Filip and Sian, rather than the other way around. I had seen little of the Balikladies since I wed Vale but had seen much of the Balik brothers.

Saga faked a gasp. “I can’t believe you two are here! Have you already bought up the shop?”

“Like you don’t have bespoke items on hold.” Baenna rolled her eyes playfully at the princess. “But yes, Father said we could get whatever we wanted, so we’re stocking up. The southlands don’t have the same quality of dressmakers. Or assistants.” Baenna shot the nymph a grin, and the female blushed prettily before turning her attention to us and curtsying.

“Welcome, Princess Saga, Lady Sayyida.” The nymph turned to me. “I’m afraid we have not met?”

“Neve,” I said.

“PrincessNeve.” Saga patted my arm. “You’ll get used to it.” She looked at the dressmaker. “Princess Neve recently wed my brother, Prince Vale.”

The nymph’s eyes went wide. “Congratulations on your recent marriage, Princess Neve.” She curtsied again, dipping and rising with a smoothness that few managed. “My mistress is in the back, putting the finishing touches on the gowns you ordered. I’ll tell her you’re here. Feel free to look around while we get your orders ready for you to try on.”

She disappeared to the back of the shop, and we spread out. I lingered near the front of the lovely shop, taking my time to examine the stitching and running my fingers over the varied material the dressmaker used. To my delight, I found no flaws. Saga had chosen an excellent dressmaker.

I’d found at least two more dresses I wished to add to my order—plainer ones to wear day to day, when the door to the shop opened, letting in a chill.

I shivered, hoping the new customer would close the door quickly.

“They’ll let anyone in here these days, won’t they?” Drawled a voice I recognized.

I heaved a sigh and turned, already knowing who I’d find.

Since the wedding, I’d done well in avoiding Calpurnia Vagle and her uppity friends—Hadia and Adila—both of House Ithamai, the noble house of the east. I’d only seen the trio in the crowds the day King Magnus paired Sayyida and Marit with the jarls. Seen but not spoken to them. My luck had run out.

“Hello, ladies,” I said as if Calpurnia hadn’t been talking about me. “Dress shopping today too?”

Adila scoffed and her snow-white wings went rigid. “Shopping? We only order bespoke.”

“That’s nice,” I said, well beyond caring. No matter what I did, these three were set on disliking me. I wouldn’t try to change their minds when, in the grand scheme of things, they mattered very little.

Hadia eyed the plain dress I’d been examining. “You’re not going to buy that, are you? A princess, even one who used to be a whore, should dress better.”

The insult ran off me like water as my eyes dipped down to her dress. The dark purple material was rich in color and the embroidery of a set of scales—representing the justice their mother was so fond of—hadbeen done well enough. But there were flaws. Flaws in the stitching, in the cut, in the way the dress hung off Hadia’s body.

“A daughter of the Warden of the East could dress better too,” I remarked. “Those stitches are coming out.” I pointed to the hem of her dress. “And the cut, well, if this dress is bespoke, I’d consider getting it altered again to fit properly.”

Hadia’s cheeks reddened. “You wouldn’t recognize quality if it hit you in the face.”

“Dressmaking is one thing I’m sure of.” I lifted my chin. “Another is that it’s, perhaps, not the best idea to insult someone of a more elevated title than you. Princess is higher than lady, correct?”

The ladies, Vagle and Ithamai, exchanged furious glances but said nothing.

“That’s what I thought.” I smirked.

Calpurnia opened her mouth, probably to retaliate, when the dressmaker’s assistant appeared. “Princess, I have a room set up for you so you can try on the dresses you ordered.”

“Thank you,” I said before sparing the ladies one more glance. “Have the day you deserve.”

The trio gasped, but I’d already turned my back on them to follow the nymph with a wicked smile on my face.

Chapter 20

VALE

The strong scent of sage and vinegar nearly bowled me over as I entered the healer’s sanctuary.Stars, something must have really needed cleaning for it to smell this bad.