Second-Hand Dresses

Chapter 1: A Change of Color

The honorifics in Tarsan society indicate marriageability and relationships. For example, bespire and bedame respectively describe young men and women eligible for marriage. The other honorifics are "mo-" for children, "ta-" for married, and "ku-" for those undesirable for marriage.

—Introduction to Tarsan

Lily ran her fingers along the bolts of fabric in her stash. The different textures tickled her skin, from the smoothness of the Masaton Silk to the rough flutters of her Kormar velvet. As she lingered, she could remember when and where she bought each one, a history of her life for the last decade laid out on narrow shelves and hooks.

She took a deep breath and enjoyed the delicate scent of flowers and incense that permeated the fabrics. The smells came from the magical runes that glowed faintly along the floor. The various arcane symbols protected her stash from fire, flood, insects, and thievery. The spells were all expensive, both to install and also for the annual maintenance, but it was better than losing thousands of jems worth of textiles.

Her fingers caught on a smooth fabric with tiny ripples and a floral pattern. She stopped and smiled. It was the right texture and weight for what she needed.

She tugged the bolt of deep purple cloth from the shelf and held it underneath her arm. As she turned, her own lace dress fluttered against the fabric and caught against one of the wooden shelves before she eased it free.

Her shoes tapped against the enchanted floor as she walked the length of her stash. The narrow aisle ran the entire length of her store. Shelves were on both sides, reaching up high enough that she needed a stool to reach. She kept her rarer and more expensive fabrics near the ceiling. Most of her customers were content with the more common supplies.

At the back of the store, she slipped through the door leading into her sewing area, and then into the fitting rooms. Her customers, Dame Djulian de Kasin na Maifir and her daughter, Nirih, stood in the center while idly looking at the painting and posters that lined the walls. Both women were narrow with pale skin, button noses, and wheat-colored hair.

To Lily's experienced eyes, she could see the effort both went into presenting their best. The dame's corset strained to contain her belly and her hair was too even in color for anything that didn't come from a spell. The shade of her makeup didn't hide the amount of it on her face. But, for a woman in her thirties and in High Society, she had the right posture and presence.

Her daughter, almost a copy of her mother, didn't need nearly as much magic and makeup to be stunning. She had smaller breasts and narrower hips than her mother, but her youthful skin and natural grace would be the envy of most debutantes in the coming weeks.

Lily smiled brightly as she entered. "Dame and Bedame de Kasin, I think I found something you'll love."

Nirih looked at the bolt and frowned. "It's the wrong color. It has to be Delicate Whispers of Gold, not... not that," she gestured to it, "purple. Yellow, it has to be a yellow... the yellow."

Before Lily could respond, the mother turned away but not enough for her voice to be muffled. "Doesn't she know that? How can she not know this?"

Lily fought the urge to frown. She glanced over at the large poster near the door. It had this year's plan for the Social Season including swatches of the official colors, style of dress, and even the feathers for the hats. The poster had cost her nearly a thousand jems, but it was necessary for her job as a seamstress.

Lily had been selling dresses for seven years, but it took decades to command higher prices. Her relatively inexperience limited how much she could charge which was why Djulian and her daughter stood in Lily's store instead of Lily's mentor's receiving room. The dress the two would order from Lily would be for one of the minor social functions; the expensive dresses would be used for the grand affairs.