𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗦 || 𝖭𝗂𝗄𝗈𝗅𝖺𝗂 𝖫𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗌𝗈𝗏

𝘹𝘷𝘪 - 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘯

"WHAT IS IT that you're looking for anyway?" Jesper asked when Nikolai dragged them into a rather expensive-looking shop. Brightly dressed mannequins stood in the display window, the clothes made of material not just anyone could afford. "I doubt you'll find clothing for a pirate here."

Nikolai's forehead wrinkled. "Clothing for a privateer," he corrected, then waved his hand in dismissal. "It's not for me, but for Freya. I want her to get it tailored to her body." At this, Inej raised a brow. She looked so out of place surrounded by the expensive blouses, skirts and dresses. She dressed in dim colours, which fit with the gowns meant for the richest women in the city, who wore darker colours and modest silhouettes, but the rest of the clothing was much more colourful, sometimes even blindingly bright.

Freya couldn't help but wonder how many wives of merchants indulged in the odd-coloured pieces of clothing. In Ravka, the more vibrant your clothing, the more expensive it was, which meant you were richer. It was an easy way to discern someone from the commoners. It was similar in Fjerda, though muted tones were also preferred there. It was strange that in a city so obsessed with commerce and profit, the rich didn't want to flaunt their wealth. They probably do so in other ways, she thought, you saw how ugly and rundown the Barrel was.

"Since when do privateers have enough money to tailor their clothing?" Inej asked, eyes roving the clothes on display. Freya knew she was right. A privateer might be able to afford more than the usual man, but to have things tailored? And in such an expensive store at that? She was surprised the shop assistant hadn't called the stadtwatch on them yet. The woman eyed them warily, so she didn't doubt she could do that if they put but one toe out of line.

"I know how to manage my money effectively," Nikolai replied without a second thought. Freya didn't know how he was so good at lying. She supposed it wasn't necessarily lying, since he didn't have unlimited funds being sent to him by the Ravkan royal family. It was more than enough to sustain him though, so it probably wasn't that hard to manage. "Besides, I'd do anything for our Sankta here."

Instantly, Freya punched him in the arm and he muffled his chuckle with the back of a gloved hand.

"Do you have to buy her things here, though?" Henrik asked, leaning over the bolts of fabric hung on the walls. This store must've been renowned because there were hardly any specific pieces to buy. People truly came here only to get clothing tailored specifically for them, and they probably already knew that the shop owner and his workers were very good. Freya supposed that's why Nikolai picked this place. "Ghezen! A hundred kruge for one meter of fabric?"

Henrik sounded absolutely appalled, and well, Freya couldn't exactly blame him. She didn't think she wanted to wear such expensive material when there were people in the world starving and suffering.

"That is a bolt of silk imported from Shu Han, of course it's expensive!" Nikolai rolled his eyes. He was right, the silk looked more like a thin layer of spiderwebs than anything else, the telltale sign of Shu craftsmanship. "I doubt a coat would be much use if it was made out of that."