The Market Thief

Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

“This is unbelievable!” Over to one side are rows and rows of traveling trunks. Some are open displaying a wide variety of fancy gowns and matching outfits. “I’ve only heard about fancy gowns like this, this must be the type of clothes that they wear in court.”

“That is not all,” Eli leads me past the clothes, “look at these suits of armor.”

“Who cares about armor, look at the outfits?” I gently touch the dress nearest me, “I don’t think I’ve ever touch anything this soft.”

“It is a velvet dress, so what?” Eli shrugs his shoulders.

“Whose dress, where did it come from? Where was it worn? For what function was it made? Why is it up here? I’ve never worn velvet.” I pause to take a breath.

“Slow down,” Eli chuckles, “I can only answer one question at a time.”

I walk around the trunks, scared to touch the beautiful clothes. They are of every color and texture, long sleeves, short sleeves, lace, velvets, satin. I pick up a burgundy dress. “What do you think of this one?”

“Yuck!” spits Eli, “that color is awful.” He searches through a couple of trunks, “Alfred and Hulda use to go about and visit the Lord and Ladies of all the kingdoms.”

“Why?”

“Alfred is not all boasting and bragging. At one time he was the apprentice to the King’s wizard.”

“No way!” I give Eli a light punch; “you’re pulling my leg.”

“Pulling your leg? I’m not touching you,” Eli insists. “Besides Hulda is the 26th daughter of King Yeisha.”

I stomp my foot. “Eli stop joking, why are these clothes here?”

“I am being truthful,” Eli pouts, “I do not tell false tales.”

“I didn’t think you were lying to me, just pulling my leg.” I apologize.

Eli shrugs his shoulders; “it must be a human thing, so much for all my studying. I guess I can see where the story might be hard to believe if you did not know them back then.”

“Alfred and Hulda use to wear all this?” I spin with my arms spread out wide.

“Oh no,” replies Eli, “Hulda would not fit into some of these dresses, she just likes pretty things.”

“Why?” I shake my head, “why buy something you can’t use?”

“Because you can,” Eli explains, “It makes Hulda feel better to buy pretty things. You do not understand because you do not even have money for the basic things like food. In Hulda’s case she has more money than she knows what to do with so she buys whatever she pleases.”

“Sounds kind of wasteful to me,” I mutter. “Let me guess, Alfred doesn’t wear all the suits of armor; it just makes him feel powerful to have a mighty knight’s suit.”

“I would say that you understand being powerful,” Eli hands me a dress, “Let me see if you know how to act rich, put on this dress.”

“I don’t know,” I hesitate, “Hulda might not like me putting on her fancy gowns.”

“Eli shakes his head in disagreement, “Hulda will not mind as long as we hang the clothes back up.

I don’t know which one to try, a yellow one the looks like sunshine or the pink and purple one that looks like the color of the sunset or the blue one that is the color of the sky on a cloudless day. “I don’t know which one to try,” I tell Eli.

“He again tries to give me the one on his hand. “Try this one.”

“I look it over, it is a pale, pale green with hints of silver. “Oh this is the most beautiful dress here.” I carefully take it from him. It is so light and gauzy it is like the dresses the belly dancers wear. Little silver beads make the straps to hold up the dress, there is silver outlining on the top and bottom of the dress. If I move the dress just right there appears to be silver flecks in the skirt, I carefully pull the dress on over my clothes. I don’t even notice that the dress is big, I’m dreaming of how beautiful I look as I enter the grand stairway and curtsey to the king. All eyes follow me as I head to the dance floor and slowly begin to dance.

I hear Eli clear his throat; I stop dancing and land back in the real world. Eli bows and request, “May I have this dance?” He has put on the matching outfit, except that his shirt is silver with hints of the green. I didn’t even notice that he had a belt holding up the pants and the legs are rolled up.

I try to curtsy but since I’ve never done it before I trip over my feet. Looking down at my feet I see how dirty they are and start to laugh but when I look at Eli he is very serious so I hold back the laugh.

We start dancing. “Why did you pick this outfit?”

“I thought you would like to wear an outfit from the Elven Court. This one goes back 700 years, it is the dress my grandmother wore at her crowning ball.” Eli explains.

I let out a big sigh, “that is one sight I’ll never see, no king is going to invite a thief to a royal ball.