The Original Villainess

CHAPTER 8

I found Zane in the training hall with the other knights. He spotted me first, and waved. I waited for him until he had a minute, and he jogged up to me, drenched in sweat, with a glowing smile on his face.

“Brynne!” he shouted, throwing his arms around me.

“Hey, Zane. I have a question,” I said, discreetly trying to remove myself from his sweaty embrace, my nose wrinkling.

“Yes?”

“I want to go shopping to find something for Duke Langly for a wedding gift, but I’m not sure if I understand a man’s taste very well. Will you go with me? Help me pick out something nice?”

“Really? You want me to come?”

I nodded, trying to hold back the laugh that was bubbling up inside me. He’s like a puppy. He’s adorable. “If you have time,” I added, for his benefit, since I knew he was the kind of brother to leave his work to others if his precious sister asked him to.

“I always have time for you,” he agreed, mussing my hair. “Let me finish training today, and I’ll get ready. Should we have lunch first?”

“Why don’t we stop for lunch after, at that one restaurant that sells those famous noodles? I’ve heard it’s quite delicious.”

“Sounds good! I’ll come find you when I’m done with training.”

I stood on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek and waved goodbye. “Take care, Zane!”

—

“My lady, Master Zane is waiting in the foyer for you,” Dorothy said as another maid finished pinning up my hair.

“Thank you, Dorothy. Would you like to join us? I’m looking for a wedding gift for Duke Langly. It would be good for you to get out of the house.”

She beamed. “Really?”

“Of course!” We walked down the stairs to where Zane was waiting in the foyer. “Dorothy is joining us today,” I told him when he glanced her way. “I need a woman’s input, too.”

He said nothing, but held his hand out to help her into the carriage when it pulled up, then he took mine. “After you.”

I settled into the seat next to Dorothy, and Zane instructed the driver on where to go before climbing in himself.

“What’s the best place to buy accessories for men?” I asked Zane.

“I’m not so sure myself. There are some high-end jewelry stores that are popular for women to shop for gifts, but I rarely buy them for myself, so I probably won’t be too helpful.”

Jewelry? For men?

“I know this one, my lady!” Dorothy yipped. “A Royal Affair is the classiest jeweler in the capital! They specialize only in the highest grade jewels, and their silver and goldsmiths are second to none! They can craft such detail, one might wonder if they secretly use magic!”

Good thing I asked her to come along. “But what sort of jewelry could I give the duke as a wedding gift? He doesn’t seem to wear much.”

She tapped her chin. “Hmm. You might be right. But. He’s rich enough to buy the entire boutique, so perhaps he won’t even shop there?”

“More like, he cares little for flashy things,” Zane pointed out.

“Master Zane is right, my lady!” Dorothy agreed, pumping a fist in the air. “But if it’s from you, I’m sure he would love to wear it!”

“Which leads me back to my first question. What sort of jewelry am I supposed to gift him?” I repeated.

“Men wear lots of jewelry! Cufflinks, broaches, cravat pins, chains for their watches. Some men want to flaunt their wealth and even wear buttons made of rubies! But women often do that, too, so I suppose that’s not very strange.”

I gazed out the window. I’m still not sure about jewelry as a gift, but I’ll look anyway. “Okay,” I agreed. “We can start there. After lunch, I would like to stop by the dress shop to see how my wedding dress is turning out. I have to speak to the designer, anyway.”

“Yes, my lady!”

She’s all fired up, I giggled to myself. She’s so cute. I can see why Brynne liked her. If I had met her back on earth, I definitely would have adopted her. She would have been amazing with the kids.

When the carriage stopped, Zane got out first, and offered a hand to me, then Dorothy. A sign on a shop nearby read, A Royal Affair. One hand tucked into Zane’s elbow, with Dorothy behind us, we went inside.

A man bowed at us as soon as we entered. “Greeting, my lord, my lady. Miss,” he added, almost with a sniff in Dorothy’s direction. “What can I help you with today?”

“I’m looking for a wedding gift for my fiance,” I told him.

His eyes lit up and he smiled a grimy smile. “Of course! Is this the lucky man?”

“No,” I answered before Zane could. “May I see your cufflinks?” I asked, and he pointed me to a display case.

“As you can see, we carry a variety of gems, and our metalsmiths are able to set them in any design you choose.”

I had to admit, the stones were gorgeous. Way too large for a man who didn't wear jewelry often, and better suited for a “new money” type person, but beautiful nonetheless.

They don’t really jump up and scream, “Levi!” at me, though. I pursed my lips as I eyed the entirety of the display, before turning back to the man. “None of these work. What about your broaches?”

“In this case here, my lady!” the man gestured, and I peered at the overly large, way-too-gaudy designs.

I sighed. “Dorothy, I thought you said this was the best jewelry shop in the capital.”

“It is quite famous, my lady!” the man stammered, interrupting me.

I glared at him. “I was addressing my maid. I do not need your opinion.”

“Um.” Dorothy cleared her throat. “It is the most famous,” she agreed, “but upon seeing the items they carry, I realize now why the–” I shot her a quick look. “I mean, why your fiance doesn’t shop here.”

“Yes, I can see that, too. Nothing here suits him. He’ll just make everything look uglier than they already are.”

“That’s some compliment,” Zane muttered as I watched the shop owner’s face grow haggard from the thought of us leaving without purchasing anything.

“But you haven’t seen the best part of the shop, my lady!” the man cried. “I have a room with the most special stones, not yet set in metal! Surely, one of those will catch your eye!”

“Not interested,” I dismissed him with a yawn. “Let’s go to another shop,” I said, ushering Zane and Dorothy towards the door.

“Sister, are you sure none of these will suit Duke Langly?” Zane asked, eyeing a few pieces on the way. “I don’t know the man very well, but he seems quite conceited and full of himself.”

I smacked my brother on the shoulder, holding back a laugh at his comment. “Levi is not that kind of man, brother. My fiance is the best kind of gentleman.” Though he really is conceited. It adds to his charm, I guess. I glanced over my shoulder as I added the last part, smirking at the look of horror on the man’s face as he realized he had missed out on a sale to the duke’s estate. That’s what you get for insulting my maid. I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him as we left, the owner protesting our absence every step of the way.

We walked a few shops down, and I caught a glimpse of a sign through an alley. “What’s down there?”

“Oh, my lady, don’t go that way. Only dirty shops are found there.” Dorothy took my elbow and attempted to guide me away, but I remained rooted.

“Dorothy, when that man back there insulted you for coming into his shop, despite being a maid, did I stand by and let him get away with it?”

She paused. “No, my lady,” she whispered.

“Then don’t judge a book by its cover,” I scolded. “Fancy shops don’t seem to be the duke’s taste. So perhaps we need to find a shop that’s less fancy and well-known.”

“You make a point, Brynne,” Zane said, peering down the alley, “but are you sure that’s where you want to start? You have no idea what kind of people live this way. I’m worried more about your safety than the duke’s wedding gift.”

I nodded, my mind made up. “Absolutely. I’ve never been down this way before. I want to see what’s over here.” I took Zane’s arm, clutching it to my body as I started down the alley. “ Besides, I have you to protect me, my dear brother!” I added cheerfully at his hesitation. On the other side of the street, I could tell Dorothy had been right about one thing. It really is run down over here. Several children were digging through an old garbage can. They scurried when they saw us.

Something stabbed my heart.

Poor kids. How does no one take care of them? Shouldn’t the temple be helping them, if the orphanage can’t? What’s wrong with the temple, that there are children running around barefoot, with threadbare clothes right here in the capital? Brynne was too sheltered, and I’m too new here to know much about this side of town. From what I remember in the original story, the king did his best to make sure his people didn’t go hungry, but it was up to the temples to spread out and find those who fell through the cracks. Seeing how an entire street connected to the rich side of town by a single alleyway is falling into despair, it feels more like the temple is gathering up the rejects and tossing them into one area to make it look like the city is cleaned up, when it really isn’t.

What’s next, a purge? Legalize crime for a day, so people can kill these guys and get away with it? My fists balled at my side and I shook my head. No. I can’t get mad here. I need more information first. I’ll have to talk to someone who knows more. I can’t just jump in, thinking I’m fixing things, when I'm only making them worse. For now, let’s focus on finding Levi a wedding gift. I’ll look into the situation here when I get home.

I glanced in each direction down the street. One side had more people gathered. It looks like a market area. “Let’s go this way first,” I said, Zane and Dorothy clinging to each of my arms. We passed a tailor, a clothing boutique, and then I spotted a sign for a jeweler. The decaying piece of wood did not have a name, but a gem had been carved out carefully and intricately. “Let’s try here.”

“Brynne, are you sure?” Zane hisses, eyeing some of the locals.

“Pretty sure,” I smiled back at him, opening the door. A small bell rang as the door brushed past it. Oh. It’s cleaner than I expected.

A man poked his head out from a back room. “Welcome!” he greeted. “Give me a moment, I’m a bit busy back here. Feel free to browse while you wait.” He disappeared behind the door again.

I glanced at Zane and shrugged, strolling to the nearest display case. Ooh. Pretty.

“These are pretty small gems,” Zane murmured.

Dorothy popped her head over my shoulder. “But they’re very nice, my lady! That one matches your eyes!”

“They do look rather high quality, despite the size. But I don’t need more necklaces right now.” I continued to check each case. There was a small selection of cufflinks, mostly black, red, or green. I frowned. Such typical colors for men. I wonder why I can’t find anything else? Do I have to special order it?

“My lady!” Dorothy called, staring at the last display case. “Come look!”

I peered through the glass. “Uncut stones?”

“I like the opals,” Zane said. “They match your hair and eyes, Brynne.”

“I’m not looking for something for myself,” I reminded them. Most of the gems were small, only a few carats. I don’t think Levi will mind small gems, but they should at least match. “Wait, is that a purple sapphire?”

“Good eye, my lady!” the man from the backroom said cheerfully.

We turned to look at him in a single, synchronized move. He was rubbing a towel over his large, calloused hands, a kind smile on his face. He draped the towel over on shoulder as he spoke.

“It was recently acquired. It’s not the highest grade, so most other shops didn’t want it, but it’s still rather large for its kind. They’re pretty rare around here. Are you interested in setting it in a piece?”

I smiled at the man. He was young, probably mid-twenties. Dirt marks on his face and calluses on his hands told me this man did more than simply stand in front of the store and sell premade jewelry. I like him. “I’m looking for a wedding gift for my fiance,” I told him. “He recently gifted me a necklace made of diamonds and purple sapphire, and I was wondering if you might be able to make a set of cufflinks with the one you have here.”

“Purple sapphire cufflinks?” The man took the dingy towel from around his shoulder once more, and used it to mop up some sweat on his brow, rubbing it down his neck before replacing it on his shoulder. “It won’t be impossible, but the piece won’t be big enough for traditional cufflinks.”

“Purple sapphire cufflinks?” Zane asked, shaking his head. “Isn’t that too feminine for a man?”

I pouted at my brother, hugging his arm. “But he told me to wear the necklace. Is it so wrong of me to want to match my husband on our wedding day?”

He stared down at me as I gave him Bambi eyes, and I could see his resolve breaking down. Finally, he groaned, running a hand over his face. “Do what you will,” he gave in. “If that bastard says anything negative about it, I’ll run him through.”

I clapped cheerfully and gave my brother a kiss on the cheek. “You’re the best brother.” I looked back at the shopkeeper. “I’ll do that, then.”

“Like I said, it’s not impossible,” the man repeated, “but they won’t be as big as traditional cufflinks.”

I held up a hand to stop him. “I’m not one for tradition. And I don’t think he’ll mind. He doesn’t wear much jewelry, so traditional cufflinks look very wrong on him. Do you have paper and a pencil? I want to show you what I have in mind for the design.”

He blinked at me twice before shrugging. “Sure.” He disappeared into the back for a minute, and returned with some dirty paper and a charcoal pencil.

I used the display cases for support as I sketched a circular shape and a few scribbles around it to resemble lilacs.

“You want circular cufflinks?”

“I know it might be weird. I’ve only seen a few pairs of them in the capital. Most cufflinks here are rectangular. But they’re large and gaudy, and they don’t suit him. Small circular ones would be best. Is that too difficult?”

“Not so much. But I’m not sure what you’re trying to express with these…scribbles.”

“I don’t draw very well,” I admitted, handing the paper and charcoal back to him. I stared at my hands for a second, before Zane had his handkerchief ready for me. “Oh, thank you.” I wiped my hands carefully of the charcoal. “My wedding dress is kind of themed around lilacs, so I thought it’d be nice to have it tied into that. But you’re the artist,” I added quickly, holding my hands up with a smile. “If you find you can’t do it, or the pattern is too difficult, just…let your creative juices flow. I won’t get upset, promise.”

The man tucked the charcoal pencil behind his ear as he examined the sketch. “It shouldn’t be too difficult. The hardest part is cutting the sapphire into perfect circles of the same size. What metal do you want as your setting?”

“Do you have white gold?”

“I have a little left, yeah. I can’t promise it’ll be enough for this, though.”

I gave my brother his handkerchief back and held a hand out to Dorothy. “Dorothy, purse.”

She handed it over, and I extracted a few gold coins, setting them down on a display case. “Consider this a down payment,” I told him with a smile. “The wedding is in just under three weeks. Please tell me that’s enough time.”

“For cufflinks? Absolutely.” He marked something on the sketch, and retucked the pencil behind his ear.

I beamed at him. “When you’re finished, have them delivered to Viscount Sumner’s estate. My name is Brynne. I can’t wait to see them!”

His jaw slacked, and I waved at him on my way out, hugging both Dorothy’s and Zane’s arms.

“I’m so excited!” I squealed.

“My lady, are you sure you want purple cufflinks?”

I rolled my eyes. “Why do people keep trying to second guess me?” Back on earth, men wore purple, pink, yellow, orange all the time. My little brother was a big fan of pink, himself. It’s strange to come here and see men stereotyped as dark, brooding colors. Why can’t they wear brighter colors? I think purple suits Levi. I changed the subject before anyone could respond to my question. “I’m hungry. When’s lunch?”

Dorothy giggled. “Whenever you want, my lady.”