"Please take us to the newly opened dress boutique near the city square," Kel heard Lucy instruct the coachman as she was climbing into the carriage.
Pausing with her foot on the step, Kel turned toward the two. "No. I'd like to go to Mada Mae's."
"Are you sure, Princess?" Lucy questioned. "I rember you having so.. complaints.. about the dress you received there last ti."
As the maid spoke, she subtly mid a v shape across her chest with one hand, in case Kel had forgotten the uncomfortably exposing neckline of her most recent ball gown.
"I'm sure," Kel responded flatly, stepping inside.
Lucy was right behind her after taking a few monts to clarify things for the confused coachman.
After departing, the two won bumbled down the road in silence for several minutes, each watching the scenery fly past as they traveled farther and farther away from the palace.
"I have so news about Sir Barclay," Lucy piped up once the trees surrounding the castle grounds began to give way to gray and brown buildings.
Kel nodded for the maid to continue, keeping her eyes peeled out the window.
"His body has already been cremated it seems. I believe the current plan is to send his remains back to his ho country," the maid explained.
Her tone was as bubbly as ever, but Kel could tell the woman was anxious about how she would react to the news.
"Alright," Kel replied nonchalantly.Â
After several more minutes of scenery-watching silence, it was Kel who spoke up.
"Do they know who killed him?" she mumbled.
Her torn nightdress from that night still hung in her closet. It would have been exceptionally easy to match the pieces left carelessly in Barclay's cell with the ripped hem.
That is, unless so kind of outside interference prevented even the most basic investigation from taking place.
"What do you an?" Lucy cocked her head to the side. "Both of the n responsible have already been disposed of by His Majesty."
"No," Kel continued. "Who killed him before he could finish his trial?"
Lucy stared at her in bewildernt for a few monts before answering.Â
"I'm not sure what you an," she replied hesitantly. "He passed away from the effects of the amatoxin. There was no indication of any sort of foul play."
When Kel didn't respond, she timidly added, "D-does that help?"
"Very much so," Kel grinned.
Though he probably didn't do it himself, Kel couldn't hide her amusent as she pictured the Dragon Emperor crouched on the floor as he painstakingly retrieved every single blood-stained fiber she had scattered.
Lucy studied Kel's uncontainable smile with a puzzled look on her face.Â
The maid wasn't simple minded enough to believe the reason the princess was overco with joy was due to her relief that her friend's life hadn't been targeted a second ti. But for both of their sakes, she moved on without bringing it up.
Around the ti Kel had leached every last drop of enjoynt from her fantasization of the emperor cleaning Barclay's room like a grimy janitor, the carriage ca to a stop.
"We've arrived," the coachman inford the two won, carefully opening the door.
Lucy exited first before turning to offer Kel a hand.Â
Kel placed her hand lightly in the maid's but put no weight on it as she stepped down. To everyone watching, it looked like a maid helping her mistress from a carriage. Lucy and Kel, however, both knew that Kel hadn't actually used the maid's help as she gracefully descended to the ground.
If the uncomfortable conversation hadn't already strained the mood between them, Kel's display of indignant self reliance certainly had.
"Look who it is!" Mae's sugary bell-like voice greeted the pair as they entered the shop.
"Good day, Mada Mae," Kel curtseyed politely, Lucy echoing her pleasantries.
"What can I do for you today?" The large-chested woman smiled warmly as she showed Lucy and Kel to a nearby sofa.
"We'd like to look at so dresses," Lucy answered brightly.
"Of course, of course!" Mae squealed excitedly. Turning to Kel, she continued, "Luckily we already have your asure- Eek!"
Caught off by Mae's screech, multiple shop workers ca running.
"What's wrong, Mada?!"
"She-she," Mae's finger trembled as she pointed at Kel. "She's so skinny!!"
A series of gasps followed the woman's exclamation as the shop girls turned to inspect Kel's bony fra.
"We need to fatten her up, imdiately!" Mae commanded, grasping one of Kel's hands in hers. "You poor darling! What snacks would you like?"
As the workers ran to prepare a tray of sweets, Kel pretended to ponder the question.
"Truthfully," she remarked sheepishly, "I've been craving one of those delicious at skewers I once had at the night market."
"Street food?" Mae gawked. "No matter! I'm sure they sell it during the day too!"
Kel smiled shyly. "Ah, shall I go get so and co ba-"
"Absolutely not!" Mae cut her off. "Kelsey! Go get so at skewers! They should be selling them in the square."
"The square?" the girl nad Kelsey blurted. "That's almost a two hour walk from here!"
"Take the mule then," Mae demanded. "Just bring this poor girl so food!"
"Oh! I couldn't possibly ask you to do that!" Kel jumped in, waving for Kelsey to halt.
Ignoring the won's protests, Kel whirled around to Lucy and picked up both of her hands.
"Lucy, do you think I could trouble you to go get so?" She pleaded pitifully. "You can take the carriage and make much better ti."
"M-?" Lucy stuttered. "I can't just leave your side!"
"Oh please," Kel begged, clutching Lucy's hands underneath her chin. "I'll just be here looking at dresses."
"Still.." Lucy trailed off, glancing around nervously. "I don't think I can just leave you alone."
Kel sighed heavily, releasing the maid's hands. "If it's too much, I understand. I just don't know if I could bring myself to eat anything else."
Kel's pleading look was soon joined by Mada Mae and her workers. They stared until Lucy couldn't hold out anymore.
"Alright, fine!" She conceded, standing up. "I'll bring your skewers quickly, so stay put!"
"Thank you!" Kel called gratefully as Lucy rushed out of the shop.
Only when she heard the sound of the carriage departing, did Kel turn back to Mae.
"Excuse , Mada," she said softly.Â
"I actually had another favor I wanted to ask of you."
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