Chapter 16: Money
Dol Amroth, Belfalas, Gondor
Third Age 3020, September
-Claire-
Lothiriel lead me through the village of Dol Amroth a week after I arrived. So much had happened in that span of time and I was grateful to get out of the palace for a little while. Erchirion and I had informed his father that we were entering courtship the morning after we arrived and, to my great surprise, the older prince was ecstatic. I wanted to tell him the conditions of the relationship, but Erchirion insisted that it could wait. Elphir knew, but Erchirion insisted that his elder brother would keep his mouth shut when it came to this. Apparently the two brothers resolved whatever argument had brewed in Ithilian.
And then there was meeting Amrothos, who, it turns out, I actually remembered from Kristen's wedding, since he had danced with me twice and I had stepped on his feet many more times than that. The youngest Dol Amroth Prince I found to be greater company than his eldest brother, for he was incredibly easy going and funny. Elphir was so serious all of the time and I attributed this to the upcoming campaign. The only time you could catch him in a good mood was when he was with his son, Alphros, who was now crawling on his own and forming small words. Beriana was an enjoyable presence, though I never saw her much since she was so occupied with her son.
Aranel was by far my favorite person in the castle (other than Erchirion, of course). I think this was because we were both adjusting to this whole court-life thing. While Lothiriel tried to sympathize with my utter cluelessness at how to act inside the palace, Aranel actually knew what I was going through and her advice came more soundly than the princess's.
Aranel accompanied Lothiriel and I in the city now. Many of the villagers would give small bows or curtsies when Lothiriel passed, but I noticed that they were not as courteous to Aranel. The words Lothiriel had spoken to me about her future sister-in-law's rise in class was definitely not amiss amongst the villagers. Aranel held her head high, all the same.
Lothiriel's destination was clearly the seamstress's shop, for her incessant need to fit me into proper Gondorian dresses was ever present. Aranel also needed to be fitted for her wedding dress, so this trip killed two birds with one stone.
The shop was apparently manned by three women, a mother and her daughters. While one of the girls pulled Aranel to a fitting room, Lothiriel pulled me over to the fabrics.
"Lothiriel, there are plenty of dresses already sewn. I would sooner buy one of them," I insisted.
"No, no, no," she chirped, grabbing at a roll of pink silk and trailing it between her fingers. "Those are for the girls in the village. Besides, our service does great business for the shop, especially with the extra price of having your dress made for you."
"I understand the economics. But pink isn't really my color." I noted the price of the fabric and my stomach did a flip. Rachel and Kristen both granted me stipends and my work for Butterbur had earned me a decent amount of coin, but certainly not that much coin.
She giggled. "It doesn't have to be pink. A light blue would bring out your eyes." She moved to inspect a different fabric of the shade she described, but its price was even higher.
"Seriously, Lothiriel, I don't even need a new dress, let alone one custom made for me."
"I won't hear it," she protested. "You'll not wear that dull gray thing to the wedding."
I hated confrontation. I hated it even more when it was someone I liked. Lothiriel was generally a good friend, but when it came to extravagancies, she could not be swayed.
"I have other dresses."
"Of Rohirric fashion. Claire, we have had this conversation already. I'll not have you the butt of any jokes next week."
She wasn't going to give up on this, so I may as well concede. I walked over to the fabrics of a great lesser price and tugged at a soft yellow. "No, you don't want yellow," she said. "With your hair, it will wash you out. But this blue, Claire, would be lovely one you."
I tugged at a blue of cheaper fabric. "Why not this shade?"
"I think the silk would be best."
"For Ulmo's sake, Lottie," Aranel called, walking out of the fitting room, adorned in her wedding dress. "Leave her be."
"I only want to help," the younger girl insisted.
"I know you do, but you're not helping. Simply let Claire buy what she wants to buy, even if it is a dress from the racks."
"The dresses on display are of a very nice quality, princess," the owner of the shop insisted.
"I do not doubt it, Hilwen," Lothiriel said. "But I would not begrudge you our business."
"It's still business if I buy one from the racks."
"But we can offer better—,"
"Lothiriel, I can't!" I nearly yelled. The shopkeepers noticed the tension and immediately began busying themselves once more. Aranel shot me a wink. She had understood, I could tell, even if it was still clueless to the princess.
"Of course you can," she said, confused at my outburst. "What could be stopping you?"
"I do not have the money," I admitted.
She looked confused. "But you have two sisters that want for nothing—,"
"And they are my sisters, not me. Yes, they give me some coin when I visit, but no more than what I require to live on, per my request. If I spend money on extravagancies, it is through coin I've earned myself."
"You work a job?" she asked, curiously.
"I tend a bar and wait tables at the Prancing Pony in Bree."
"You're a barkeep?" she gasped.
"An honest one," I insisted, knowing she could think me loose. "But a barkeep nonetheless."
She hesitated before speaking again. "Why did you keep this from me? Does Erchirion know?"
"He knows. And I didn't tell you because…well…" I struggled to find words, but Aranel didn't.
"As the daughter of a baker marrying your brother, the prince," she said, reappearing in her normal wear. "I know how hard it can be to be yourself inside the walls of the castle. And could you blame her, Lottie, with the stories you've told her about the people's reaction to me?"
The princess sighed. "You are right of course. I'm sorry I did not think of the expenses, Claire. But I would be happy to pay for it."
"It would not be you, but rather your father, paying for it," I explained. "Better yet, that comes from the taxes of your villagers. I told you I understood the economics of a new dress, and I will buy one for the wedding, but I will do so with my own money."
Aranel clapped me on the back as Lothiriel nodded and walked me over to the dresses in stock.
"You're sister needs to spend more time in the village," I said, walking into Erchirion's chambers and falling onto his couch.
It was pointed out to me many times that he and I being alone together was inappropriate, but I didn't care. The whole reason I accepted the invitation to Dol Amroth was to spend time with him, and I wouldn't be begrudged that because Imrahil thought we needed a chaperone. The household staff thought I was a floozy, even my own maid, but nothing ever happened. Well, at least during the day, since he was so busy.
"And why is that?"
"She seems to have forgotten that not everyone lives as she does. I fear she could use a good reality check. I told her I worked as a barkeep."
"And did she accuse you of selling yourself to your patrons?" he asked, lifting up my legs and sitting below them, letting them rest in his lap.
"I didn't give her the chance. She tried to get me to buy this expensive silk and it all just came out like word vomit."
He wrinkled his nose. "This is a despicable phrase, though it does seem to paint the picture." He paused before continuing. "You know, if you had said something, I would have given you some extra coin."
I shook my head. "I bought a dress off the racks. It only needed to be brought in at the bust. It wasn't all that expensive."
He seemed to want to say more, but he stayed silent.
Our days over the week since our arrival had been rather busy. Lothiriel and Aranel had insisted on spending time with me. Though Lothiriel knew of my condition, the younger girl did not treat me any different because of it and went on to assume, like most courtships, that Erchirion and I would marry. I didn't have the heart to tell her that marriage was never happening.
Aranel had also sought out time with me, though it was for different reasons. We both liked that there was another person in the castle that felt like an outsider.
Erchirion was super busy, of course, organizing things with his father and Elphir for the campaign east. Amrothos was there as well, but since his nuptials were impending, he didn't have to play as great a part.
That left only the nighttime for us to be truly alone and he had taken me to his favorite parts of the castle, one of which was the high tower. He said he had brought me there to stargaze, but we didn't really pay much attention to the stars.
But we still had over a month. Imrahil couldn't keep him cooped up the whole time.
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