Lei'lira wasn't sure who was happier to leave the library; Lei'luna, who had quite literally been bored to sleep, or Teirue, who young as she was had difficulty staying quiet and still for breaks at a time as many children her age would. For herself, Lei'lira could have stayed there all trial, and been happy to lose herself among the shelves, reading anything that caught her eye. It was this part of the trip that she dreaded. Unless horses, or books were involved, she hated shopping with a passion. She wanted to get what she needed, and call it a trial as quickly as she could. Unfortunately, she had two girls in her care who needed...everything. It was going to be a long, exhausting trial for her, and if she was very lucky, Teirue would hold out throughout the trial.
She decided to get the clothes shopping out of the way, first. By doing that, she could hold the "fun" part of the trip, letting Teirue pick out a toy or two, as a bribe to keep the young child cooperative. If nothing else, watching Teirue's eyes light up with delight would be a well earned treat for her, as well as for the child. Lei'lira asked the librarian where the best place for buying clothes was, thinking the woman would direct her to the market. Instead, she told her about a clothing shop called Ericor's Elegance. And although she thought the shop sounded far too fancy for her tastes, she was assured that it was the best, so she decided to give it a chance.
Following the directions she'd been given, Lei'lira found Ericor's Elegance off the main road, located between a warehouse, and a jewelers shop. The two story shop didn't look like much on the outside, but that actually made Lei'lira feel more comfortable about going inside. Once inside, Teirue was instantly drawn to a display of brightly colored slippers.
"So soft..." she said in quiet awe.
The slippers did look very comfortable. And they'd be perfect come next Zi'da. Although she hadn't thought of slippers when she'd planned this trip out in her mind, Lei'lira decided to buy all three of them some nice, warm slippers.
"May I help you?"
Lei'lira jumped a little at the unexpected voice. The man she saw when she turned around looked like a noble. He was well dressed, and looked...regal somehow. The man wore the kind of fancy clothes that made Lei'lira feel deeply uncomfortable. They were decorative, not the kind of clothes that you could do an honest trial's work in. Clothes that screamed "look at me!" To Lei'lira, they felt false in some way; like they were meant to distract someone from an unpleasant truth by giving them a pretty facade to look at.
"I'm looking to buy some clothes." Lei'lira began uneasily.
The man chuckled lightly.
"Then you've come to the right place. Are you looking to buy something for yourself? A beautiful new gown, perhaps? Or are you looking for something for someone else?"
"A little of both. Tei'rue here has recently come into my care, and she needs...well...everything. I have an older child I am buying things for as well. And if I happen to see something I like for myself, well..."
"I'll have to see what I can find to tempt you with, then. What kinds of clothes are you looking for in particular? Dresses? Play clothes? Something else? And what kinds of material do you want them to be made out of?"
He must have seen the utterly lost look in Lei'lira's eyes because he chuckled again.
"Let me guess. You're the type who doesn't think much about clothing beyond making sure that it fits, and that it isn't stained?"
Lei'lira blushed as she nodded.
"Sorry." she muttered, feeling deeply self conscious.
"Don't worry about it. It gives us a place to start. I'm going to give you samples of the different types of material we have available, and you can decide what ones you like."
The man did just what he said, disappearing for a few bits only to return with a large number of material swatches. Each one was labeled with the name of the material, and a brief description. Several of the swatches were dismissed quickly. Silk, satin, and velvet were all beautiful materials that felt wonderful to the touch. But they were...too fancy. They were the stuff of nobility. A child couldn't play while wearing clothes made of such fancy things. Nor could she work in them; she'd be too afraid of ripping, or staining them. And they were horribly expensive. Lei'lira knew that she could afford them if she really wanted to...but what would she do with something made from one of those materials? What would Eri, or Teirue do with such a thing. If any of her neighbors were to see them wearing anything so fancy, they would be the laughing stocks of the neighboring farms for arcs to come. No. Lei'lira had no use for such things.
Ramie, chiffon, and organza were dismissed just as quickly. All three were very pretty, but chiffon looked too much like silk for Lei'lira's tastes; too fancy. Organza was a thin, sheer fabric that looked as though it would tear if you looked at it too harshly; far too fragile for what she wanted. The note on its card said that it was most often used for evening gowns...something that Lei'lira would never have any need for. Ramie was dismissed for a similar reason. Its note said it was often used in outer wear, but it would rip and stain easily. Any outfit she bought that was made of it would likely be ruined the first time it was worn. Leather was dismissed too, not because it wasn't durable enough, but because Lei'lira didn't need anything that would work well if made out of leather.
Finally, Lei'lira found two materials she liked; taffeta, and wool. Taffeta was a beautiful, soft fabric that had a slight sheen to it. And wool would be perfect for the colder seasons. Cotton would work well for the undergarments she need to buy for everyone. Lei'lira gave the material swatches back as she told the man who was helping her what her choices were.
"That's one decision down. Now...what, exactly, are you looking to buy?"
"Two nightgowns each for Teirue here, myself, and a thirteen arc old girl. One made out of taffeta, and one of wool for the cold seasons. A pair of gloves, and slippers for each of us, all made out of wool, as well as a coat and a cloak for all three of us to be made out of the same material. A blouse and skirt for me, and one for Eri, the girl who isn't here today. Those should all be made out of taffeta. Teirue here will need two dresses, one made from taffeta, and one from wool. And finally, five pairs of cotton undergarments each for all three of us." Lei'lira said, blushing as she spoke of undergarments in front of a man.
Play clothes for Teirue, and work clothes for herself, and Eri...normal clothes...could be bought at the market instead. And so could more swaddling clothes for the twins. But in some things, like getting luxurious nightgowns, it would be nice to treat themselves. The man's eye lit up in delight at the prospect of such a large sale. Lei'lira soon found her mind whirling as he asked her a rapid series of questions about colors, and trimmings, and estimated sizes. She was so occupied with trying to answer the man's questions that she didn't even have time to be nervous about getting her measurements taken, or assisting as Teirue's were taken. When asked about bringing Eri in to get her measurements taken, Lei'lira explained that Eri was injured, and that it would be very difficult to do so at this time. She then offered to get the girl's measurements herself and give them to the man if he would teach her how to do so. And in the mean time, he could start work on the clothes for Teirue, and herself.
That resulted in a quick lesson about how to take measurements. Lei'lira had had no idea just how much went into such a task. Apparently, a woman's waist, hip, and bust size were all taken into consideration as was the length of their arms and legs, and the size of their neck, hands, wrists, and feet. Of them all, Lei'lira had only known about the need to know the size of one's feet in order to buy shoes that fit properly. Prices were negotiated on, and agreed upon. Half of the money was to be owed immediately, while the rest would be paid on completion of the clothes, which were guaranteed to be ready before Lei'lira went home in Ashan.
When it was time to leave, Lei'lira thanked the man sincerely as she paid him. She was already exhausted by the ordeal of shopping, and she was tempted to leave the rest of it for another trial. But she had promised Teirue a treat if she was good, and the little girl had been amazingly patient through everything so far. Lei'lira couldn't bring herself to disappoint the child, so she would need to go to the market for that at the very least. And if they were already going to be there, she might as well get everything she needed in one trip to spare them from having to come back another trial.
