Saun 4 Arc 717
Yana compared the address written down on the slip of paper with the shop she was standing in front of. This seemed to be the place indeed. Ericor’s Elegance, it said, the handwriting cursive and pompous, though still neat and legible. Yana very much doubted that the Empress herself had written this note, it was likely she had merely dictated the contents to a scribe, who had graced the paper with his art. The Yludih did not think such writing was efficient to use when lengthy letters needed to be written, but then again, the nobility were a different breed of people. Appearance was everything. All they did had to ooze class and superiority, and this slip of paper surely did both.
What surprised Yana the most was that the Empress knew about this tailor. She was under the impression that it wasn’t such a well-known one, especially considering its appearance and location. Then again, with shops one couldn’t always judge them from outside. If the Empress had picked this shop, it probably was a good one. Yana did not doubt that the future queen would want to flaunt her generosity and good-will at every opportunity. The wedding itself was one, and this was too. They did not just reimburse he for the dress, no, they would pay for a completely new one made by a talented tailor. Yana was sure the Empress was well aware that whatever Yana’s dress had cost, it wouldn’t be as much as the price the tailor would name for the new one.
Once again she checked the address on the slip, confirming the name of the shop for the third time. This was it for sure. She took a deep breath, and stepped inside. A bell rung as she pushed the door open, and Yana was met with the interior of the shop. It was clean (of course), and rather luxurious looking. There were comfortable chairs scattered throughout the showroom, mannequins lining the walls, a series of thick curtains to separate the showroom from the changing rooms, and … tables with cheese, cakes, and wine? Weird.
A man wearing a fine suit came to greet her, bowing like an actor would, adding a flourish to his movements. “Ah, welcome, welcome,” he spoke pleasantly, “I am Ericor Eddrick Esquire. Can I be of assistance?”
Yana gave the man a quick, though thorough looking-over, then scanned the room just as quickly. There seemed to be no-one else present, which was rather strange, Yana had thought the shop the Empress had sent her to would be very busy. “I wanted to have a dress made. I received this note from Empress Sands.” She offered the slip of paper to the man, who took and read it quickly.
“Ah yes, the mademoiselle with the ruined dress. Empress Sands has deposited a sum in an account for you. It is more than enough to cover the cost of even the most impressive of dresses.” He beckoned her to follow him further into the shop, leading her to a small space where a couple chairs and a small table stood. “Please have a seat,” he offered, sliding into one himself, steepling his fingers and crossing his legs. “Now, do you have an idea of what kind of dress you wish to have made, mademoiselle? A ballgown? Maybe a halter dress? Perhaps a strapless dress? Or would you prefer a cocktail dress?”
Not one for fashion, Yana wasn’t too sure what exactly this tailor was talking about, except that they were probably different styles of dresses. “Actually, I really liked my ruined dress, so if you could just recreate--”
“Ah, non, non, non, mademoiselle. No can do,” the tailor proclaimed. “You see, mademoiselle, fashion is my passion. To tailor clothes is to create art. My clientèle is my canvas. I refuse to just copy the work of an other artist.”
