Roland gently shook Marianne, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder.
"Marianne," he said quietly, "We're here," Marianne opened her sleepy eyes, lifting her head to look out the window. Her drowsiness was quickly replaced by excitement at the sight of the sparkling sea. She bolted to the window, face pressed against the glass, awed by the expansive waters.
"I take it you've never been to the coast?" Roland asked with a laugh.
"Never! It's so beautiful!" Marianne replied.
"Well, enjoy it while you can. Our boat leaves tomorrow," Roland said, standing up to gather his bags.
"You said there are shops we can look at, right?" Marianne asked.
"Indeed. We should check into a hotel first, then we can explore the town," Marianne beamed with delight, staring back out the window.
The train began to slow as it pulled into the station. The engine let out a long hiss and the train rolled to a stop. Marianne waited by the car door with her things, bouncing with anticipation. Imp circled at her feet, just as anxious to exit the car as his owner. When the attendant opened the car doors, Marianne and Imp leapt out onto the station platform.
"Come on, slow pokes!" Marianne called out to Bog and Roland, motioning them to hurry with her bag. Bog chuckled as he and Roland stepped down onto the platform.
"Well, she's certainly energetic today," Bog stated.
"Indeed," Roland agreed, "Hopefully a little shopping will tire her out,"
"Preferably her before us," Bog said with a sigh. Roland let out a laugh.
The three piled into a crowded bus, squished tightly together. Imp wriggled uncomfortably in the crook of Marianne's arm. The bus drove through the coastal town and stopped at its center. They were then ungracefully pushed out of the bus by a swarm of tourists. Thankful to be free from the cramped vehicle, Bog, Marianne, and Roland took a moment to take in the sights. The roads were made of a lovely red brick, lined with boutiques, stores, and restaurants. Cool salt air blew through, bringing the refreshing scent of the ocean with it. There were stars in Marianne's eyes. A particular boutique caught her attention, and she ran up to the store's window, gazing at the dresses that were on display. Roland gently led her from the window.
"In due time, Princess. Let's get our things squared away first," he said, ushering her to walk with him. "The hotel is but a few blocks from here,"
"As long as we come back. Their dresses were gorgeous!" Marianne exclaimed.
"And I bet they will look even more lovely on you," Roland replied with a charming smile. Marianne felt her cheeks turn pink. She looked away shyly. Bog rolled his eyes.
Roland and Marianne sat in the front foyer of the hotel, waiting for Bog to come back from paying for their room. He returned with the room key.
"So, bad news," Bog said, picking up his bags, "Our room only has two large beds. So we're either going to have to share or someone's going to be sleeping on the floor," Roland and Marianne looked at each other, then back at Bog. Bog groaned. "Fine, I'll take the floor,"
"Oh, no, you don't have to do that," Marianne replied, "If you're comfortable with it, you can share with me," Bog looked at her with surprised eyes.
"Ah, no, Princess," Roland said, "Someone of your status should not have to bunk with anyone,"
"It's not the first time I've had to share a bed, you know," Marianne argued.
"The answer is no. You will have a bed all to yourself. Bog has already volunteered to take the floor, so we are all set,"
"Not willing to share with Bog?" Marianne teased.
"Absolutely not," Roland replied firmly.
"I feel so loved right now," Bog deadpanned. Marianne laughed. "Come on, let's go put our stuff away so we can get you something nice," The three took their bags and headed up the stairs of the hotel.
"I think I want something in purple," Marianne said wistfully.
Bog unlocked the door to their room and the three stepped inside. It was cozy, if nothing else. The wallpaper was beige and patterned with pink, blue, and yellow flowers. Two full-sized beds sat in the center of the room, separated by a small nightstand. On the nightstand was an elegant lamp and a bell alarm clock. The carpet was a faded tan. Marianne opened a closed door on the left wall.
"It's the bathroom," she stated. Imp feverishly sniffed the carpet of the room before he hopped on to one of the beds. Bog went to the windows and opened the burgundy colored curtains, letting in the sunlight.
"Pretty good view of the ocean if you want to look," Bog said to Marianne. She walked over and stared out the window, a grin spreading across her face. Roland set his bags down and brushed his hands together.
"We can get a closer view when we head back into town," he said, heading out of the room. He curled his hand towards himself. "Come on, now, you two! We haven't got all day!"
"Hold on," Bog said. He opened the cage door for Stuff and Thang. Roland cocked an eyebrow.
"Are you sure that's wise?" he asked.
"They'll be fine. Now are we going or not?" Roland simply frowned and disappeared past the doorway. Marianne followed, whistling for Imp. Imp sat up and jumped off the bed, running after Marianne. Bog stood in the doorway waiting for Roland and Marianne to be far away enough before turning to Stuff and Thang. "Be good, you two. Remember not to draw any attention to yourselves,"
"Hmph. Like you have to worry about us," Stuff replied, flying toward the window to hang upside down on the curtain rod. She gave her wings a wide stretch. Thang hopped out of the cage and onto the window sill.
"Have no fear, Master Bog, we'll be fine," he said confidently.
"Thanks. We'll be back in a few hours," Bog started to close the door, "Hopefully," he muttered. The door clicked shut as Bog locked it. He ran after Roland and Marianne, who were waiting for him at the end of the hall.
"We're going back to that shop," Marianne declared as the three exited the hotel. Imp happily trotted beside her.
"Care to share what caught your eye?" Bog asked.
"There was this amazing dress in the window! It was a lovely sea green and had this really pretty ruffled skirt. I'd love to see if they have it in my size,"
"Only one way to find out,"
Marianne stepped inside the boutique and walked up to the clerk.
"Excuse me," she said. A lady with blonde hair in a pastel blue shirt and matching skirt looked up from her magazine.
"Oh! Welcome! Is there anything I can help you with today?" the clerk asked.
"Yes, I was wondering if I could look at the teal dress in the window?"
"Of course. Follow me," The clerk led Marianne to the front of the store where she took down the dummy that wore the teal dress. It was even prettier up close, Marianne thought. It had a deep v-neck collar and bell cut sleeves. Carefully removing it from the dummy, the clerk handed the dress to Marianne. Marianne held it up to her figure. It was huge.
"Um, do you have this in a smaller size?" Marianne asked.
"I'm afraid that is the only one of its kind, ma'am," the clerk explained. Marianne frowned.
"Well, maybe if I try it on…"
"Of course. There's a fitting room in the back on the right," the clerk gestured. Marianne thanked her and headed to the back of the boutique. There she found a small alcove covered by a curtain. She pushed the curtain back and stepped inside. Bog and Roland looked around the boutique as they waited for Marianne.
"We need to get her some more comfortable shoes," Roland pointed out as he studied a blue pair of heels.
"Hmm. Maybe a simple black boot? Can't go wrong with black," Bog replied.
"As long as it's not too chunky. Needs to fit her feet well while also providing decent support. Anything better than those clunkers she's got now," Marianne stuck her head out of the fitting room.
"Psst!" she hissed, motioning the two to head over to her. They did and Marianne stepped out of the fitting room, holding the dress out. It was gigantic on her. "I look ridiculous," she said, "It's way too long on me and my boobs are practically falling out!"
"Blunt as ever," Roland murmured.
"And even if I tried to bring it in I'd really have to cut the dress up just to get rid of all the extra fabric! I think I struck out on this one," Marianne sighed. Bog stroked his chin.
"Maybe not," he said. Marianne gave him a quizzical look. "Roland," Bog said, "Do you think you can distract the clerk?" Roland chuckled.
"Please, remember who you're talking to," he replied before going over to chat with the clerk. Bog pushed Marianne back into the fitting room, then stepped inside himself, pulling the curtain closed behind them. It was a bit of a tight fit.
"Bog, what are you doing?" Marianne asked, her back against the wall. Bog summoned a green glow in his hands.
"If you'd like, I can fit the dress to your figure," he said.
"Really?" Marianne asked, a smile forming on her face. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's try it out!"
"Ah, the only thing is…the magic needs to get a feel for your body, so…that means…um…you know…" He tapped his fingertips together. There was an awkward silence between the two.
"I don't need to get naked, do I?" Marianne asked. Bog blushed fiercely.
"No! No! Jeez, you are blunt! Look, I just need to run the magic down the dress while you're still wearing it. If you're not comfortable with me touching you then I won't do it, that's all!" Marianne hummed in thought.
"Alright, let's do it," she decided. Bog let out a breath.
"Okay," Bog brought the green glow back into his palm, and separated it into each hand. He gently put his hands on Marianne's shoulders. His skin was surprisingly soft aside from a few calluses. As Bog ran his fingers down her arms, the fabric shortened, fitting comfortably. The cuffs splayed out, ending at her wrists. Bog then moved his hands to the collar of the dress and cupped her sides. His palms moved down her torso, the dress tightening to her form. Finally he pushed his hands out from her hips, and the skirt of the dress shortened just below her knees. The magic faded from Bog's hands.
"That's a neat little trick," Marianne said, impressed.
"How do you think I get all of my clothes to fit me?" Bog replied with a laugh. He and Marianne stepped out of the fitting room. Marianne did a small, gleeful spin. The dress fit her perfectly now. Roland looked up from his conversation with the clerk.
"Wonderful!" he exclaimed. The clerk's eyebrows shot up.
"I admit I'm surprised it fits you so well, especially since it looked so big at first," she said. Marianne beamed up at Bog, who smiled back.
"We'll be taking the dress, if that's alright," Marianne said to the clerk.
"Of course! I'll ring it up for you now," After changing out of the dress and paying for it, the three left the boutique, a big smile on Marianne's face.
After several hours of shopping, Marianne got a new pair of fitting, ankle high, black boots, several dresses, and a pretty pair of pink pearl earrings. She, Bog, and Roland were seated on the patio of one of the restaurants, eating fried scallops and watching the sun set over the ocean. Marianne sighed contently.
"So? Overall a good day?" Roland asked her.
"Oh, definitely! But I feel kinda bad you guys didn't anything for yourselves,"
"Don't worry about us, Princess," Roland reassured, "This trip was for you and you alone,"
"Although," Bog piped up, "I did see a bookstore a few shops down from here,"
"You had me at 'bookstore'," Roland said, standing up from his seat.
The three headed out of the restaurant and back into the streets. It didn't take them long to reach the bookstore. Bog held the door to the store open as Roland walked inside. He waited for Marianne to follow, but she stood where she was.
"You're not coming?" Bog asked.
"No, you two go ahead. There was something I wanted to check out really quick. I'll meet you back here," Bog nodded and headed into the bookstore. "Come on, Imp," she said to her dog, "We need to make this quick," She and Imp ran down the street and took a left, stopping in front of a beauty salon. Marianne peered into the window. The shelves of the salon were decorated with hair products and makeup. She had always wanted to try makeup, but never had the chance. She pointed at Imp. "Wait here," she said, and stepped inside the store.
"Hello, hello!" a woman with curly red hair called out cheerfully. "Welcome to our salon! Is there something I can help you with today, miss?" Marianne looked around the store, unsure of where to start.
"I would say yes, but honestly I don't know the first thing about makeup," she admitted. The red-headed clerk just smiled.
"Well that's why I'm here, darling! Come here, let me have a look at you," Mariannes stepped up to the woman. The clerk gently touched Marianne's face, turning it at a few different angles. "Hmmm, I think I know just what you need," The woman flitted around the store, picking up several different types of makeup. She returned with a small container of foundation, some purple eyeshadow, and a dark, plum colored lipstick. She held up the eyeshadow. "This will accentuate the gold in your eyes, and the foundation will really help smooth out your complexion. The lipstick is for staining, as I think a darker shade will help bring out the shape of your lips," Marianne beamed.
"This is perfect! Thank you so much!"
"Of course, darling. Shall I ring these up for you? I'll even throw in a case,"
"Yes, please! Thank you!" After paying for the makeup, Marianne headed out of the store, Imp patiently waiting on the sidewalk. The two headed back to the bookstore, where Roland and Bog were waiting.
"Find what you were looking for?" Bog asked.
"Yep," Marianne replied.
"Then let's head back to the hotel, shall we?" Roland suggested.
Back at the hotel, Marianne was moving her new clothes into her suitcase. Bog was sitting on the floor, reading one of the books he bought. It was a horror novel. Roland was in the bathroom, changing into his pajamas. It had been about an hour since the sun set and the only source of light in the room was from the lamp on the nightstand. Roland came out of the bathroom and flopped onto his bed.
"Finally," Marianne said, grabbing her makeup case and heading into the bathroom. She closed the door behind her. Roland reached into his bag and took out a book. He began to read, until he heard a yelp come from the bathroom. He got up and knocked on the door.
"Marianne?" he called out, "Are you alright?" He heard the sink running. "Is it alright if I come in?" he asked.
"Yeah, it's fine," he heard Marianne reply. Roland opened the door to find Marianne cleaning her face off with a towel. Her right eye was a little red. He looked at the sink and saw the makeup.
"What are you doing?" he asked, hands on his hips. Marianne blushed.
"I was trying to put my new makeup on, but I ended up stabbing my eye with the eyeshadow brush…" she admitted. Roland let out a laugh.
"Here," He stepped up to Marianne, turning her around so she was facing the bathroom mirror. "Let me show you a few tips," He picked up the foundation and its brush.
"First, always start with your base. Powder the brush and move it across your face at an angle," Roland covered the brush in the foundation and brought it to Marianne's face, brushing it across her cheek. He then picked up the eyeshadow. "Eyeshadow comes next. You'll want to start at the tear duct and bring it across the lid," He motioned Marianne to close her eye, applying the eyeshadow to her left eyelid. He then picked up the lipstick.
"This looks like a dark shade so I'm assuming it's for staining. For that you just gently tap the stick against your lips and rub it in," Tucking his hand under her chin, Roland dabbed the lipstick across Marianne's lips. Marianne pressed her lips together. Roland stepped aside so she could look at herself in the mirror. Only half her face was done up, but she really liked how the makeup looked on her. "Well?" Roland asked. "What do you think?"
"I feel…powerful," Marianne grinned, "Like a queen," Roland chuckled.
"Then I've done my job. Just keep practicing and you'll get the hang of it," He gave Marianne's shoulder a pat before exiting the bathroom and laying back down on his bed to continue reading. Marianne kept staring at her reflection. She picked up the foundation, following Roland's instructions. She was going to learn how to properly put on makeup even if it took all night.
About an hour later Marianne emerged from the bathroom, her face all dolled up. Roland was fast asleep. She tiptoed to her bed and saw Bog still sitting on the floor. He had dozed off as well. Marianne's eyes lit up as she realized a potential opportunity. She quietly dug through her suitcase and took out one of her new dresses. It was a short-sleeved dress with a loose, flowing skirt. The dress was a light lavender patterned with dark purple flowers. She really liked this dress. Doing her best not to wake the boys, Marianne changed into the dress and slipped on her new boots. Adjusting her necklace, Marianne gave a little twirl. The skirt of the dress billowed up, showing just a hint of thigh. Marianne felt incredibly sexy.
She snuck to the nightstand and took the room keys, careful not to wake Imp, who was sleeping between the two beds. Stepping over the hound, Marianne headed to the door. She opened it slowly, slipping through once there was enough room. She was mentally celebrating her sneaky escape when a hand caught the door, preventing her from closing it. The door swung open, and Bog stood in the doorway, eyebrow raised in suspicion. A pout formed on Marianne's face. Bog closed the door behind him.
"And where do you think you're going?" he asked, leaning against the door.
"Well, nowhere now," Marianne grumbled. "I was hoping to go out and grab a drink but I guess that's not 'lady-like', is it?" Bog scoffed.
"You were going to go by yourself?"
"Yeah? So what?"
"Not the wisest course of action, Your Highness," Marianne crossed her arms.
"Well then, if you're so concerned for my wellbeing why don't you come? I'm buying," Bog's eyebrows shot up.
"You'd be okay with that?" he asked, a little hesitant.
"I offered, didn't I? Now are we going or not?" Bog shifted his jaw in thought.
"A drink does sound good right about now," he finally said.
"Glad to hear it,"
"Just let me grab my coat," He snuck back into the room and quickly returned wearing his coat. He held his hand out for the keys. Marianne dropped them into his palm. Bog locked the door, and the two headed out into the night.
