I awoke on Solday in our bed in Helena's arms, it was quite cosy until I noticed her grin.

"Today we go clothes shopping!" She announced.

My eyes widened but there was no escape. "Um, maybe we should study…" I tried.

"No no, you need a dress to meet the princess. We will get you something really nice, don't worry. Skadi and Cassie will join us. Skadi needs a new dress as well." Helena replied.

I sighed. "Ok…"

We left the academy with all our tier three undead and Chariot. All four cats were on his back, the lazy felines. Kaito watched them, then looked at me. "Koyuki, have you considered purchasing a carriage?"

"What? I don't have money for something like that!" I protested.

"That is not quite true." Hatsumi replied. "You have gotten a significant bounty from the raid and you have hoarded a lot of your rewards from past bounties. Do you know how much money you have?"

"Um, no." I admitted. "I did not know we had been paid for the last raid."

Hatsumi smiled. "I have accepted the money from Colonel Duncan. You tend to simply stuff your coins into a drawer, except the few you carry with you."

"We should buy a deposit box. While you do have undead to guard your coin it would not hurt to add extra protections." Kaito added.

"You should have about 5 platinum by now." Skadi added. "Not a fortune by noble standards but you could buy a few things with that."

5 platinum? That was 50 gold! 500 silver! I was almost dizzy thinking about it.

"Some nobles wear jewelry worth a few platinum. But I agree that you can buy a few nice things with it. A carriage could be helpful when we travel to the capital." Helena said.

"But we are getting free transportation to the conference." I pointed out.

"True. But if we had our own carriage we could ensure it is safe. We can set our own schedule. And you could animate some horses to draw it. Or have your ibex draw it. It might be strong enough." Cassie said.

"I can drive the carriage." Kaito offered. "I am certain we can get a decent one for two platinum. That leaves enough for potential supplies, clothing or other expenses."

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"We can also buy one together." Helena suggested.

I guess they did have a point. "Ok, we can buy a carriage."

"Perfect! Now we only need proper equipment for your zombies. It is a shame that you do not have your own crest." Kaito mused, then looked at Helena. "I suppose we might consider the crest of House Frost."

"We are not spending money to make the zombies look pretty." I protested, while blushing slightly. I suppose I would not mind wearing Helena's colours myself.

"What sort of carriage are you thinking about?" Skadi asked.

"It needs to seat at least four passengers, six would be better." Kaito replied. "A door on both sides, some nice windows and we would want some storage on the roof and at the back of the carriage. On the inside I would suggest two benches facing each other. It allows the passengers to have a conversation. The bench for the driver can be in the open, since I am rather resistant to the elements."

"It has to be sturdy but not necessarily new. We can have it painted, or paint it ourselves." Hatsumi added.

"You have given this a lot of thought." I said.

Hatsumi nodded. "I have discussed this with Kaito before he brought it to your attention. You are a powerful young lady. Arriving in your own carriage, drawn by your undead, with your own servants will make an impression."

"She has a point." Helena said. "It will make you look more important, and more powerful, in their eyes."

"Ok, you have convinced me. So, do we go carriage shopping?" I asked.

"Oh no! We will buy you some clothes now. The carriage can wait." Helena replied.

"Damn…" I mumbled, then looked at Skadi. "We could make a run for it."

"I don't mind that much, although I don't think I look that great in a dress." Skadi replied.

"You look amazing! We have to make sure you show off some of your runes." Cassie suggested, Skadi shrugged.

It did not take long and we found ourselves inside a fancy shop. It had large glass windows at the entrance showcasing dresses. The attendant looked at us, her eyes widened as she saw the undead. Kaito swiftly approached her.

"Greetings. My mistress, a student at the academy, is in need of proper clothing for the capital." He said.

The attendant was an older looking woman, wearing a grey suit. She relaxed at Kaito's words and her eyes scanned our group. She nodded approvingly at Hatsumi, who stood behind me with perfect posture.

"I see. You have come to the right shop! Do all of the young ladies need a dress?"

"Only mistress Koyuki and lady Skadi." Kaito replied.

Skadi raised an eyebrow at being called a lady. I reluctantly accepted being called mistress for the shopping trip.

The attendant approached and studied me. I used my former maid training to stop my tail from swishing and made sure to stand straight.

"Any particular colours you are interested in?" The attendant asked.

"I believe a lighter colour might look nice. But maybe we will go for something darker this time." Helena mused.

"It would contrast the dark hair nicely. I suppose some purple highlights that match the eyes would work." The attendant mused.

A second woman appeared to take care of Skadi while the first attendant looked for suitable dresses.

"We do not stock that many beastkin dresses but we can adjust them to ensure your tail fits. We should first try to find the right measurements, then look for the colours you like." She suggested.

And so it began. I rejected anything that looked too uncomfortable. What we settled on was called an a-line dress. There were no sleeves and it was fitted from the shoulders to the hips and then widened. The dress reached my shins and allowed me enough movement so I was not too concerned about running in it. The attendant assured me they would sew a proper hole for my tail into the back.

The dress itself was black at the top but it gradually turned into a dark purple from the hips down. The fabric was called shadow silk and should be reasonably sturdy and easy to clean, according to the attendant. Considering the price of four gold it better be.

They also made me wear some lighter colors but I insisted on the darker one. I liked it more.

I was exhausted when Hatsumi handed over the money. I glanced at Skadi, who was wearing a similar dress but in a deep red. The runes on her arms worked surprisingly well with the dress.

Once Skadi made her purchase as well we left the shop. I had survived.

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