1
Having landed on Bespin, and not having been shot at, was, to say the least, something of a relief to Han, Leia, Chewie and Threepio. Lando had led them on a cursory tour of Cloud City.
"Would you like to see more?" Lando asked them.
Leia spoke up first. "What I'd really like is a shower. And is there a shop nearby where I can get something clean to wear?" She had grown tired of her Rebellion issued snowsuit and found it was far too warm for the gas planet.
Lando, always a fashion plate, rose to the occasion. "I'll take you to my favorite tailor. The clothing she makes is amazing. Her shop isn't far at all." He offered his arm, but she continued to hold Han's hand. She didn't trust the dandified gambler and was not about to encourage him in any way.
Still, it would be nice to put on something else. Something feminine, something...colorful. She followed willingly.
The shop Lando took her to was a burst of color; clothing of every conceivable color, style, and fabric exploded from their racks. Apparently, Lando's tailor had plenty of ready to wear.
"Are you gonna buy some girls' clothes?" Han teased.
"No, of course not! I love wearing a grubby uniform that's supposed to be white but is looking pretty dingy these days, with regulation underwear that's even dingier," she retorted. Leia didn't mean to be rude; she was tired from the trip and the war and nearly everything in her life save for a few select individuals, one of whom was she holding hands with her.
Lando led them into the store. There was a being with six hands seated behind a counter, all six of them engaged in creating a colorful garment.
"Yeshida, I'd like you to meet my friends. This is Han Solo, who stole my ship out from under me; this is Chewbacca - who's a glutton for punishment, and this is Leia. She'd like something nice to wear. Anything she wants. Put it on my tab."
"Oh, my, what a pretty little thing you are," Yeshida fussed.
Leia had always found such sentiments grating, to say the least, but the being was clearly warm-hearted and welcoming.
"Whatever she wants," Lando echoed. "Han? Why don't we let the lady relax. There's also a nail and hair salon two shops down."
The mere idea of getting her nails done was enough to make Leia want to weep for joy. She'd lost track of when she'd last had a mani pedi. She didn't trust this Calrissian character, but he was buying, and she was going to take advantage of it.
Leia thought back to before she became part of the Rebellion. It seemed thousands of years ago and millions of light years away. Her life had always been a long string of responsibilities, starting when she was a child. She did recall that as a senator, she still had time to wear nice clothing and have her nails done, but it seemed as if it was a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.
Leia found herself nearly overwhelmed by the styles and colors of garments in the shop.
"Would you like some help?" Yeshida asked her.
Leia would normally have said no, but having been away from something as basic as selecting her own clothes, she welcomed the assistance.
"You have such pretty coloring," Yeshida said admiringly. "I can whip up something that I think will be perfect. By the way, was that your boyfriend with you?"
The question took Leia aback.
"I'm sorry, dear. I can't help but be nosy. He is very handsome."
"He is." Leia flushed but smiled. "I'd like to buy some new lingerie."
"Of course," Yeshida said to her. "You take your time, and I'll be in the back for a moment."
Leia roamed the store, her senses on overload.
"There you are, dear," Yeshida said to her. "Did you find something you'd like?"
"Only about a dozen things," Leia said to her. "But I'll take these." She was not going to be greedy. She didn't trust Lando, but she didn't feel comfortable taking advantage of him, either.
"I think this would look good on you," Yeshida said, producing a long tunic and leggings in the deep red of Emera wine. Leia wasn't sure about the style, but the color appealed to her instantly. "Why don't you try it on, and if you like it, I'll pin it up for the necessary alterations."
Leia took the garments and headed for the changing cubicles. The fabric was incredibly soft. She peeled off her snowsuit and her regulation underthings. As she put on the soft bra and panties, she felt transformed. Han had been right about one thing: she'd been so busy being a princess, she'd forgotten how to be a woman. Right now, she felt as if she was one.
The tunic and leggings were somewhat large, but taking it in would be no problem; she'd seen Yeshida work and the being was nothing if not fast. She stepped out into the shop, where Yeshida had just finished a sale and the happy customer carried away a beautiful garment.
"Oh, my dear, you look lovely. The color suits you perfectly. It just needs a little bit of taking in. But," she frowned, "it needs something more."
Leia was thinking what else it would need, and it wasn't evident to her what it could be. The garments were in a soft fabric in a flattering color. She would need shoes, but she could see a shoe store on the other side of the promenade.
"Let's try it with this," Yeshida said as she approached Leia. In two of her hands she carried a snow-white cloak with a pattern woven in the back. The garment was substantial in appearance, but as Leia put it on, it felt lighter than summer air on Alderaan. It provided a nice contrast to the rich red.
"I'll take all of it," Leia said to Yeshida.
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Shoes were the easy part; Leia wanted nothing more than a pair of soft, lightweight shoes without heels. The 'without heels' part was a little more challenging in terms of availability, but she located a pair of shimmery leather black flats.
It was the trip to the spa that made her forget that she was a prominent figure in a war to overthrow the Empire; that she was the daughter of royalty; that she was anything but a woman who needed a time out. She decided against the massage; Han was an expert in that department, but the mani pedi revitalized her. Leia tried to remember the last time her fingernails and toenails had been painted.
It had been at least four years. That would have made her feel old had it not been for the esthetician sinking Leia's tiny feet into a warm whirlpool of water and placing her fingers in a light, pleasantly scented soapy mixture. The hair stylist was unpinning her every day practical style.
"You have such lovely hair," the stylist commented happily.
"I don't have much time for caring for it," Leia told her simply.
"What sort of work do you do, dear?"
Leia hesitated. "I'm in the mood to forget about work," she responded carefully.
"Of course you are, dear," the stylist said, and then kept quiet. His hands were magical, as were those of the esthetician.
"I'd offer a facial," the esthetician commented as she painted Leia's toes, "but you have a perfect complexion. The only thing I recommend is a moisturizing treatment. I recommend you take some with you."
"It's a little hard to keep up a beauty routine sometimes," Leia agreed. The moisture cream, which she recognized, was a luxury item, a brand her mother had used. She remembered its fragrance, and thought of how chapped her skin became on Hoth, and how dried out the recirculated air on the Falcon made it. "But thank you. I'll take a jar." It would be a nice luxury to have.
The only thing marring her pampering session was still an uneasy, gnawing feeling that simply wouldn't go away.
But in the meantime, she couldn't wait to see Han's expression when he saw her.