The Way Back (Champions of the Crystal Book 4)

Chapter 13: A Family Affair

Sabrina was too busy to think much for the rest of the day. The clothiers Selémahs had summoned to supply a wardrobe suitable for the Queen's cousin were waiting when she arrived back at her apartment; Selémahs gently but firmly escorted Ford out, telling him he would be in the way and not to hover. Sabrina almost laughed at his affronted expression as he left.

A light luncheon was served, and the clothiers got to work. There were many variations of wardrobe required, Sabrina discovered, relieved to find she was to have more casual clothes than formal ones. It was a far cry from her earlier stay, spent almost exclusively in cumbersome sweeping skirts. This time she was encouraged to choose sharp, stylish pantsuits and simple dresses for everyday wear. Then it was on to the formalwear, ranging from simple evening dresses for private parties to formal court dress for official occasions.

By the time it was done, she was heartily sick of fashion and fabric and was glad to welcome Justek with his alarmingly complex records of her financial history. She was relieved to find herself well off, since none of the clothiers had mentioned prices. Justek explained that her apartment's furnishings and supplies were considered part of the Queen's Household expenses, but any redecorating she wished to do must be paid for from her personal monies. Fibräaé was generating enough rent to pay for its upkeep and leave a respectable income; aside from the villa, which the Haaron family had been renting for so long, some of the property had been leased to agriculturists, and a series of tasteful bungalows had been built on the beach around a point, out of sight of the main villa. These were rented to vacationers, but Justek pointed out that if she wished to make her home in the villa, she could use them as guest houses.

She was amused to find that a thriving floral business constituted a good part of her income as well, deriving from her original rosebushes. Evidently her conservatory was a supply center for various florists, though Justek assured her that if she wished to discontinue the business and keep her conservatory private again, she was perfectly free to do so. Everything seemed to have been managed with dexterity and tact, she thought, leaving her the greatest possible number of options when she returned. She thanked Justek profusely, repeated that she meant to get down to Fibräaé as soon as possible, and declined to make any immediate changes.

By the time they had finished, it was nearly time for Princess Kashmia's dinner party. The invitation had been logged on her comconsole when she returned that day, a formal text-only message. Sabrina was glad to finally have some clothes of her own, quickly altered after she chose them from the ready-to-wear selections the clothiers had offered. The dinner was an informal family affair, according to the invitation; Sabrina wondered what level of informality she was likely to find. Ford, Baldaran, or Mira would doubtless have hosted a very casual party, but if Kashmia had truly been Imari's protégée, it would probably be better to overdress a little. So she chose a silver silk tea-length dress with a scoop neckline and long sleeves, then found some silvery teardrop earrings in her jewelry box, which still held most of the jewelry she'd collected while traveling aboard Khediva.

She'd thought Ford meant to escort her, but the minutes wore on with no sign of him, and finally she consulted her map and set off on her own. Princess Kashmia's rooms were in the Royal Residence, so she was pretty sure she could find them easily. The guards at the Residence admitted her without having to ask her identity, testifying to the fact that palace security functioned smoothly in the background these days. Sabrina suspected it was anything but lax, however. Praxatillus was not likely to forget lessons learned a mere hundred years ago.

A passing footman directed her to the third floor, and from there she could follow the sound of a party to the white and gold doors that marked Kashmia's suite. A footman stationed there nodded a greeting to her and opened the door, and she took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The uproar paused for a moment, then started up again as several voices chorused greeting, while Marie hurled herself forward with an exuberant hug, nearly knocking Sabrina off her feet.