The Artist
1430 Words
The market was just as overwhelming to me as it had been when I first arrived in the city.
I still didn’t understand the things the people were shouting around me, and I didn’t understand why they needed to stand around shouting at all. The place still smelled overwhelming, there were still too many people, and I still wanted to run away.
I had no time to look around; if I was too slow, I would be shoved forcefully in the back by the huge man trailing me and Rin, and I did not want to risk her being angry at me, either.
She hadn’t explained what we were supposed to be doing, and I wondered whether this was some sort of trial. Was I supposed to be acting a certain way? Or looking at the people around me so that I could learn how to behave?
For a moment my mind turned to Caius, and I wondered whether I was about to be dragged in front of him again. It made my heart race, and I felt a little ashamed for that.
I looked down at the ground as I walked to try and hide the fact my cheeks were burning red, but as soon as I did that Rin made it clear she was watching me - her hand snapped out to my jaw and she yanked at me so that I was looking up again.
She snapped something at me, but I had no idea what it was.
Probably something about it making her look bad if I looked at the ground like that.
In the end I was actually grateful to Rin for making me look up when she did - it meant I caught sight of the little crowd of people who were beginning to gather in a small space near one of the market stalls.
I doubted that it was the sickly sweet street food the vendor was offering that attracted them to that spot, and I was intrigued enough that I decided to try and ask Rin what was going on. It was a chance to show her I was willing to learn the language, at least.
I nudged her arm and she turned to glare at me; the icy stare didn’t bother me.
“Why?”
I pointed at the group, and hoped that my single word question was satisfying enough for her to answer me.
She gave me a tight lipped smile and nodded approvingly - the first real praise I had received from that woman, and it was infuriatingly satisfying to know she was happy with me.
“Gladiators.”
It wasn’t a new word, but at least it was one I knew.
I wanted to ask her if we could wait to see them - I thought she would probably have agreed to it. Showing signs of interest in the Roman culture was probably a good sign, as far as Rin was concerned.
But when I thought of it that way, I felt like I was betraying my family and everyone I had loved. I shouldn’t have been interested in the gladiators - that meant I was just like those silly girls who had been chasing after that magnificent looking man on our first day.
We were way past the spot the people were gathering now, anyway. It would be strange for me to ask her to turn back so we could stand around and wait to catch a glimpse at a bunch of men I had never even seen before.
It didn’t matter, anyway. We had arrived out our destination, and I knew that I was not going to enjoy this little trip out of the house as soon as we stepped into the building.
“Clothes.”
Rin gestured around the little room, which was filled with exquisite gowns like the ones Xena owned, and repeated the word several times.
I said it myself to appease her.
“Clothes.”
My accent was thick, and the word barely sounded like it was the same as what she had said. She nodded - it was good enough, for now.
A young woman appeared, and she said something to Rin before dragging me from the main room into a little side room.
The woman was dressed in clothing far plainer than anything else in the place. The best way I could think of describing her was ‘neat’. Her clothing was plain, simple, neat. Her dark blonde hair worn in a single brain, the simple silver bangle at her wrist, the matching necklace… all of it was neat.
I decided that I liked the woman. She was less pretentious and showy than any of the Roman women I had encountered, and I thought she looked kind.
The room she had taken me into was filled with fabrics - the materials she used to craft the beautiful clothing she had on offer in the main room of this place.
Rin had decided I was worth investing in, then. I didn’t expect anything as luxurious as the things Xena owned, but I was glad that I would have some new clothing of my own, and it was reassuring that I had at least done something right if she was going to spend money on me.
The woman looked deep in thought. I was left standing in the middle of the room as her eyes swept around all of the fabrics.
She chewed on her lip, considering what she was going to do next, and then strode confidently over to a corner of the room filled with a variety of materials in shades of indigo and blue.
She initially picked out something light and floaty in an attractive shade of dark blue, and then shook her head and moved away from the blues and purples in favour of a similar fabric that was sage green. It looked… tranquil… serene….calming…
She draped the fabric over her arm, and then brought it over to me so that she could hold it up against me and decide whether it was satisfactory.
She nodded, then tugged on my dress as she asked me something.
I hesitantly moved my hands to unfasten the dress.
“This?”
She nodded, and I let the dress fall to my feet.
She took a step back and looked at my body - it wasn’t anything lewd, or even remotely s****l. I could see that this woman was an artist, and she was looking at me now as if I was one of the materials she had to work with.
After a moment she nodded again - this time she seemed to be nodding to herself - and then she began wrapping the fabric around me. She tucked, and folded, and draped as she went, and every now and again she would take a step back and look at me. She would occasionally undo some of the work and try something different until finally, after what felt like far longer than it probably was in reality, she was done.
She didn’t say anything to me, but she called for Rin, and I saw in Rin’s expression that she was pleased with the woman’s handiwork.
They spoke - probably negotiating a price for the outfit - and then Rin handed over some coins.
It was the first time I had seen her hand over money as freely as that; she didn’t purse her lips or try to chastise the woman into giving her a lower price the way she had done when she bargained for me.
Rin respected this woman, and she seemed to appreciate that the dress was a work or art the same way that I did.
She was a shrewd woman; it was obviously beneficial in her profession to stay on the good side of a woman who could create such beautiful clothing in the blink of an eye.
The women continued to speak, and Rin handed over some more money and then left me again.
She was satisfied that I looked good when I was in these well crafted clothes - the first dress had been a sample, and the rest of my day was spent standing in the room as a rainbow of fabrics were crafted into the clothing that I would be wearing now I was one of Rin’s courtesans.
- Writer
