Contract with a Star (On Hold, Possibly Forever)

The Shopping and the Star

            The next day shined bright and early for Aiden and Tanya. A little too early. Both of them were woken by a little green eyed monster about four inches from their face. They forgave Rena when she gave them a plate of bacon and eggs with a side of toast. Within an hour, they were out the door.

            It took them nearly no time at all to get through the lines at the Records Library. Although Rena bore no royal crest, her clothes were of a much better quality than even the richest of merchants there. Neverix and Everin presented their citizenship cards and their birthmarks as proof, then woman did some recording things that they didn’t see, and finally they officially became Tanya and Aiden of Green River Valley.

            The trio walked down the block and found, quite at random, a seamstress. The woman was young and mousy, but she took one look at the three of them and pulled Tanya and Aiden to the back of the store to try on clothes. They spent hours back there, while Rena spent the entire time laughing at the unfortunate duo when their clothes were not quite right. Finally, they both found a royal outfit and an outfit for everyday.

            As Aiden argued with the seamstress about if his dagger sheathes should go under his long sleeved, loose dark blue shirt or the plain loose black pants that stopped just short of the military boots he refused to give up, Tanya spun around in a circle for Rena. She had on a simple gray tank top and shorts similar to Aiden’s while her feet were covered by the old Greek sandals she had found in the very back. In one of her more frustrating outfits, she had taken a pair of scissors to her hair and the short blonde strands tickled her neck. Rena laughed and clapped in appreciation; Tanya grabbed her hands and pulled her up, spinning Rena around with her in joy. When they stopped, Rena took a few steps in confusion and both Aiden and Tanya turned to stare at her.

            “I knew it was you!” They both shouted at the same time. They were referring to the little tapping sound they had heard as they walked. When they explained their exuberance, Rena lifted the hem of her dress and showed them her feet. Her shoes were small metal slippers.

            “Are those silver?” Rena nodded and Tanya frowned, “I thought you were allergic?”

            “I am. A very cruel person put these on me so I could never leave them,” she laughed a bitter laugh, “The irony is that they ended up leaving me in the end.”

            “How can you walk in them?” Aiden was astounded by the little girl’s nonchalance.

            “I’ve had lots of practice. Are you guys ready to go?” Rena changed the subject and turned to the seamstress for the cost. When Tanya and Aiden heard it, they immediately began stripping.

            “Stop that! What are you doing?”

            “We could never afford these. Never, ever. We’re sorry for wasting your time.” Tanya said as she tried to take off the shoe. It wasn’t budging.

            “You guys are silly. I’m buying.” Rena overrode their protests, “Your seventeenth birthdays were a few weeks ago, right?” They nodded reluctantly. “Well, this is your birthday gift.” Rena pulled out her money and the older woman began packing up the other clothes.

            “Then Rena, when’s your birthday?” Tanya asked.

            “I don’t really have one, which makes my name all the more ironic.” Rena brushed it off, focusing on the seamstress. They didn’t question her further.

            Once they had paid, they went to find a place that sold daggers without silver in them. When they found a place, Tanya excused herself from the group, saying she had left something in the clothing shop. She found Aiden and Rena a half our later about to pay at the blacksmith’s. The two had found four daggers of some type of strange metal from the Tiger Star Country. Aiden had named each of them a highly inappropriate name, for which Tanya slapped him across the back of the head four times. They went to eat lunch at home, finding the stalls and restaurants rather ridiculously priced.

            After lunch, Tanya had Rena stand up, lift her arms, and close her eyes. When Rena opened them, she was wearing a silky green sash that had the country crest in gold in the middle and ended in gold and green tassels.

            “I’m glad it matches your jacket. It’s a New Friends gift. So long as you have it, we’ll be here for you.” Tanya smiled as Rena spun around, her skirts and the tassels spinning out with her.

            “How did you afford that?” Aiden whispered.

            “It was on sale because it’s the commoner gold and the symbol is wrong.” It was proper decorum that only those of the royal house, those directly serving the king and the king himself, wore a silver crest while others wore it in gold. Every single person born in the Forest Star Country had the crest in silver on their left hand as a birthmark, a diamond with four smaller diamonds at its points with two curvy lines inside the big diamond. The one on the belt had a little star in each of the little diamonds and a filled in diamond at the center of the two curvy lines.

            It was obvious that Rena loved it. Throughout the day, they could see her going from room to room, rubbing the silk and tracing the crest. She was happy so Tanya was happy, and Tanya was happy so Aiden was happy. That lasted four days, and then Aiden was bored.