Lovina sat in the sewing room, grumbling insults about 'the wino bastard' as she worked. The other two workers had become immune to Lovina's vocabulary through excessive exposure. In other words, she did it so often that they'd learned to ignore it.

"Lovina, he really isn't that bad…" Belle began, trying to smooth the rough relationship between her co-worker and her uncle.

The enraged Italian gave her a Look. A vicious Look that clearly stated her thoughts. It said Say anything that puts that bastard in a good light and I will kill you. Belle shut up instantly. She didn't have any good points to share about Uncle Francis anyway.

Outside in the shopping area of the store, the bell rang, signaling that some customers had arrived. The three clothesmakers heard Francis jovially talk to a customer. "Myyy, aren't you so pretty? Wow she is absolutely GORGEOUS! Unlike anything I've seen before!" The Frenchman marveled at a customer's looks.

A woman's voice from out there sounded. "…Francis-san, we are here to buy a wedding dress for her. I would appreciate it if you didn't flirt with the bride-to-be."

Francis choked a bit, and then chuckled. "Of course mademoiselle… Bella, dearest, could you come out here with some fabric so we can get started?"

The said girl jogged out with about then full bolts of fabric. When she saw the shoppers, she gasped and turned to Lovina to smile really widely for some unknown reason. She then almost tripped, sighing about her clumsiness. "Mein Gott… I'm so sorry!"

Lovina rolled her eyes. Belle was quite an idiot for smiling at her that way, in Lovina's opinion. Especially for apologizing for tripping, even after that stupid smile. What was that smile even about? Eh, it's not like she cared anyway. She turned around and saw Ludwig looking at her.

"What do you want, potato bastard?"

He turned back to his work. In the meantime, more talking was in the main room.

"Well, mon ami, shall we get to work?"

"T-this material is so delicate… I'll probably do it wrong!" Bella murmured, upset.

"I'm sure you will do well, mon amour."

"N-no, Lovina is a much better seamstress than I am...! She can do it!"

"Ah, fine… get her out here."

Bella practically bunny-hopped into the sewing room, and winked at Lovina as she went around the corner with that smile again. Lovina didn't know what that smile and wink was for, but was growing more and more curious. Why was she winking? Did she have something stuck in her eye?

She then walked into the main room to see a girl that looked exactly like her.

/

All Felicia could do when she saw the other girl was stare. Wow, this girl sure looked familiar… Felicia couldn't place where she'd seen this girl before, but it was recent.

As the shop keeper left the room to get some pattern books, it got awkward as the three women in the room were deathly silent.

Felicia, then, was the first one to speak. "Wow~! You're pretty~! Have we met before?"

The girl looked at Felicia as if to say you're an idiot. The seamstress stayed silent, but had an eyebrow risen. The awkward silence firmly stayed in place, refusing to leave. Felicia tried again. "What's your name~?"

At this, she finally answered. "Lovina. My name is Lovina."

This is when Felicia noticed where she'd seen Lovina before; within herself. "Oh my gosh! We look exactly alike!" She had a grin that spread from ear to ear.

Lovina sighed at Felicia's stupidity to take so long to realize it. Francis came into the room with a few books, opened one, and handed it to Princess Felicia. "What do you think about this?" He asked.

Felicia squinted at the page. "Hmm~. Ve, Lovina? What does 'intercourse' mean?"

Lovina blushed horribly and snapped the book shut immediately. "Wrong book, bastard." She growled, glaring at Francis.

"Ve~? Why is everyone's faces so red?"

Keiko, whom was also blushing, broke the silence. "Ano… Felicia-san, perhaps I'll inform you later…"

"Is it fun?" she asked dazily

Francis's face immediately produced a wolf grin. "Ohoho, mon amour, if you'd like to experience it with m-"

He was cut off by Lovina hitting him in the face with the book. "Urgh… wino bastard." She muttured, still heavily blushing. "Can we get something accomplished?"

Keiko sighed. "My thoughts exactly…"

They began to sew up a dress pattern and decided that Felicia was going to need some shoes to go along with the dress. "Hey, POTATO BASTARD!" Lovina shouted into the workroom.

"Aw, that's not a very nice name…" Felicia whimpered. Ludwig came around the corner, with a few pairs of shoes in his hands. He crouched down low before Felicia and bowed before trying some pairs of shoes on her feet.

He looked in Lovina's direction. "Its Ludwig. Not potato bastard, despite common belief."

Felicia blushed, for this man seemed so polite and nice and serene. Who was he? Where was he from? How had he lived his life to date? Many questions came to her mind as he appeared. She wanted to know him really, really badly. "Cool! I'm Felicia~!" She gave him a super-tight hug. Whatever was left of her dark mood was now completely eliminated. She seemed to fully forget that she was to be married off.

Ludwig also blushed, quite badly. He measured her feet to see how large shoes he had to make. Felicia's heart pumped faster as he touched her skin, and she felt an electric charge, a sort of magnetism. He felt all the blood rush to his face.

He finished and quickly left the room.

/

It was beginning to get dark outside, Felicia decided it was time to take her leave. The dress would be made and sent to the castle. "Its dark out! Byeee! Can't wait to see the dress!"

Keiko facepalmed. "Felicia-san, you do not wish to go back to the castle, do you?"

"Huh?"

"Don't you see? You don't have to get married!"

"What do you…?"

Keiko all but gave up on convincing Felicia. She turned to Lovina. "Do you wish to remain here?"

"Pfft. Hell no!"

"And would you rather be in a castle or something to where you'd not work at this place?"

Lovina looked at her like she was nuts. "Sure?"

"You and Felicia-san can switch places!"

Both girls looked at each other. Felicia bounced up and down, ponytail flopping every which-way as she did so. "That sounds amazing~! I'd get to stay here with Ludwig~!"

Lovina now stared approvingly at Keiko. "That is just crazy enough to work. I'm in."

And so it began.

/x/

I don't know why, but I love the name Keiko for female Kiku. Does it sound okay? Good.