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"And don't you even THINK about going out for even a second! You have enough to do in here, and I expect you to do it all and then some! I see you leave the building and it'll be your head on a platter!"

"Yeah, sure." In younger years, Arturo would have cringed at the shouts that his stepfather Orin was flinging at him. But at this point, it all kind of faded into the same thing; he was used to it, and it didn't have the impact it once did.

"What was that?"

"I said yes, sir!" A bare placation, and he doubted Orin was fooled by it. But the grizzled wolf didn't shout back down at him, and that was all he cared about. At least he was being left alone, and wouldn't have to have the man breathing down his neck the whole time. If he was lucky he could see some of the festivities through the windows, but honestly he cared more about surviving the last few years he had to at the forge than a celebration that wouldn't have any impact on his life.

With nothing else to be concerned with, he set about cleaning and organizing. Orin owned a forge and smithy, and Arturo was the source of most of the labor. He knew the inventory in and out, some of it he had even made himself. It was a source of pride for him that he had some of his work available for others, even though Orin had plenty of contempt reserved for his work...still, he put it out, saying that he might as well try to make something off of it. The customers seemed to like it, and that only bolstered his pride.

He only wished he had someone else to be proud to.

Arturo didn't have a single blood relative in his household. His birth father had passed away shortly after he was born, and his mother married Orin, the latter's two sons being by another mother. They would quickly find out why Orin was single - a verbally and physically abusive man, he was a constant torment on the two of them. It took a couple of years, but she had finally left...however, Arturo wasn't able to go with her. He never found out why, only that she intended to come back for him. Years later, it was clear that that wasn't going to happen, and Arturo feared the worst for her fate.

Orin didn't become any nicer with her gone. He was merciless with Arturo, blaming him for her departure. Abuse and denigration become a daily occurrence, and Arturo had more or less gotten numb to it by this point. Orin always stopped short of serious harm - he put a heavy workload on him at the smithy and even in his anger knew he would be having to take that all on himself if Arturo ever got laid up - but it wasn't uncommon for him to push the limits of Arturo's constitution.

His stepbrothers were no better. Silomon and Rappish, two grungy, ill-mannered wolves with big egos and small brains, though Arturo never said it to their faces. They were pretty similar in both looks and temperament, with Silomon being taller and Rappish having the edge in build, both with dark gray fur that seemed constantly greasy. They were both pretty messy, and the general impression he got from others in town was that they looked like they were constantly unwashed. They didn't lift a finger to help at the smithy, nor did Orin ever request them to - on the contrary, he praised them endlessly, proclaiming that they would lead the family to a wonderful new life. Arturo, of course, was never considered part of the family for that...but then again, he had little desire to be.

It was only recently that he found out exactly how that life of luxury was supposed to come about: Orin claimed that they were going to become retainers of the prince of Fileas, the kingdom they lived in, upon his graduation into adulthood. Arturo couldn't figure out how that was supposed to benefit Orin, but he imagined the older wolf had some plan in mind. He was always going on about it, seeming to think there was some kind of calling or destiny that would be fulfilled when his sons achieved their glorious success.

But if he thinks the prince is going to be charmed by those two...I'd feel sorry for him if I didn't know he was going to blame me for it somehow.

Lately Orin was looking for any reason to get on his case. Trivial matters that even he had overlooked before were now vicious transgressions worthy of punishment, and the punishments were harsher than ever when he could manage it. He knew why this was, too: Orin knew he didn't have as much power over Arturo as he used to. He hadn't for over a year now, not since Arturo had turned 18 and become a legal adult. To compensate, he'd ramped up the workload and the abuse, trying to force the wolf to obey him unquestioningly and unhesitatingly for as long as possible.

Arturo didn't much care anymore. Suffering under Orin's abuse had at least gotten him a fair bit of experience at the smithy, and already he was counting the days until he could strike out on his own and leave the pack of hateful goons behind him. He would leave on his 21st birthday, when he would be old enough to get his license regardless of Orin's wishes. Once they were in his past, he'd scarcely think twice about them. Perhaps he'd try to learn the fate of his mother, or simply settle down a long ways away and try to start his own family. These were the thoughts that sustained him on the long days.

An hour passed. He took the time to smooth out his fur. He always had softer, lighter fur than his stepfather and brothers, a hallmark of his late father and missing mother, but it was constantly kept dingy by the dirty work he did, so that he scarcely looked any different than the others at times. He didn't enjoy that, but he knew if he cleaned, Orin would make sure he got plenty dirty again. Arturo was sure the man resented him for looking like the woman who had defied him and run from him, and tried to mask that as much as possible in him to try to distance him from his heritage. As if that would work, but he didn't bother trying to fight Orin on the matter.

He was meant to help any customers whenever they came in, but there was little chance of that. They lived in the Palatial City of Entoret, and that meant that everyone was gearing up for the celebration of the prince's coming-of-age. The festivities had already started and were keeping most people occupied, there was hardly demand for smithing at such a moment. Orin kept him working at the front, doing as many tasks as he could come up with while he rested in the back. To Arturo, the busywork was hardly a bother - the more the man kept away from him, the more at ease he felt. The light was at the end of the tunnel, he just needed to avoid any landslides before he got there.

He hadn't seen Silomon or Rappish since the day before. They had been grooming themselves (or so they claimed) to participate in the retainer selection, and were most likely being kept at the castle. Arturo did dread, in the back of his head, their return from their inevitable rejection; the two were going to be insufferable, as was Orin most likely, and he was a predictable target for their ire. He just hoped they would get tired of going after him after a while.

The sound of the door opening stirred him from his thoughts and task. He looked over, eyes widening as he saw one of the royal guard stepping in - a large, fierce-looking crocodile in full Fileas regalia, looking like he was armed for a battle. Arturo was sure he'd been there before, he didn't know most of the guards by name but they weren't infrequent customers...though, never there looking like the fight was going to break out in the forge itself. He was stone-struck for a moment, before coming to his senses - the man was a potential customer, after all. "G-good day, sir. Can I help you?"

The guard was scrutinizing him, making him feel nervous. Eventually, he spoke up, in a deep, rumbling voice that seemed to shake the products nearby. "I want to speak with Orin."

"With Orin? Um...okay..." That was unexpected, and not entirely welcome; Orin would be pretty irritated with him for bothering him, and he'd likely use that as an excuse for enacting some kind of punishment on him. But he wasn't one to refuse a customer, even for a request like that. So he turned back, and called out, "Orin! Customer wants to see you!"

It took a few moments before the older wolf appeared, looking predictably annoyed. "You're supposed to help the customers yourself, boy, can you not even handle that simple task?"

"He asked for you, I'm just doing as he asked."

Orin looked over to the crocodile for the first time, and, to Arturo's surprise, actually looked momentarily nervous. It passed by in a flash, but he had learned to keep a keen eye on the man's expression, as a way of preparing himself for a tirade or avoiding him in his worst tempers. 'Nervous' was an extremely rare response.

"Captain Prawer. Well, what is it? I don't have time for this, so out with it!" That was typical of him, though - Orin scarcely showed much deference to anyone, even the royal guard - so Arturo wondered if he'd just misread the expression. The name did ring a bell, though, Prawer was one of the most senior among the ranks of the royal guard...and as such was not one of the usual visitors, mostly leaving supply runs to lower-ranking members.

The crocodile wasn't at all perturbed by the attitude - most likely he was prepared for it, Orin had a reputation and as the primary supplier for the guard's weaponry, they dealt with him a lot. Instead, he very deliberately pointed a finger at Arturo, his eyes never leaving Orin's. "How old is he?"

Arturo could see Orin's features tighten up; something was going down, and he wasn't sure what. When Orin responded, it was with venom that could put down a grand dragon. "The boy is just a few months removed from his 17th birthday." This was punctuated with the harshest sidelong glance Arturo had ever witnessed, as if daring him to even think about exposing the truth.

However, Prawer seemed entirely unthreatened. "You realize, of course, that we have birth records and other official documentation to check your claim against. And in fact, perhaps we already have. Lying to the royal guard is not something you want to be thrown into the dungeons over. Now, let's try again: how old is the boy?"

If looks could kill, the guard would have been struck dead on the spot, But Arturo sensed that Orin knew he was beat, and the old man wasn't about to risk his hide over the kid he didn't like. "He's 19...I have two sons already going, and they are much better candidates for retainers. Surely you can't deprive me of the one remainder I have to work under me? I have a business to run-"

"-And your business certainly seems to be booming." Arturo could see Orin bristle with anger; he was very used to getting his way, using intimidation to ensure that no one opposed him, and even some of the guards would be cowed by him...but not this one. "You will get at least two of them back after the festival. And as things stand now, you are in no need of violating the express law of the kingdom to withhold a youth who is of age."

"But-"

"All males between the ages of 18 and 22 in the Palatial City of Entoret are to be brought before the prince, so for him to select one to be his personal retainer. All males. You don't get to pick and choose, especially not without express permission from the royal magisters. Arturo is to accompany me to the palace immediately. If you choose to resist, you will be spending the festival underground. Do I make myself clear?"

Arturo had never seen Orin in such a silent rage; normally his stepfather was more than expressive, but keeping decorum in front of the guard was clearly important to him. With one last, chillingly vile look at Arturo, Orin turned on his heel. "Fine! Get the useless boy out of my sight!"

They watched as Orin stormed off back into the back rooms, a door slamming a few seconds later. The gator then turned to Arturo, nodding at him. "Very well then. Come with me."

"O-okay..." Arturo swallowed, casting a look back at the back area. Orin was going to be madder than ever, and he was genuinely nervous about that...but it wasn't like he was going to make things better now. He gave a nod back to the crocodile. "Okay, yeah, let's go."

---

There was a carriage waiting right outside for them. Arturo had never ridden in a carriage before; the others had on infrequent occasion, but it was never something that was allowed to him. He pretty quickly decided that he liked it, being able to go farther without tiring himself out; the slight unsteadiness of the ride was a small price to pay.

He looked up towards Captain Prawer, still in a bit of awe at him. "I don't know why...but thank you for getting me out of there."

The gator nodded curtly. "It was nothing. I was simply fulfilling my duties as a guardsman captain for the royal family." He paused briefly, then added, "Although, I will confess, getting the better of Orin was no small amount of...personal pleasure. You understand, that is in confidence."

"Y-yes, sir. But...why?"

"You heard it in there. The law of the land commands it."

"The...wait, that's a real law?"

Prawer nodded again. "It has been in force for ages. I'm sure this was never mentioned to you so that you wouldn't protest being left out. But he was far from the first fool to try to circumvent the laws, and very few have ever been successful."

"But I'm in no condition to be paraded before royalty. I mean, look at me."

"Of course not. That will be easily rectified. You will be groomed at the palace in preparation for the showing tomorrow."

"R-really? They'd do that?"

"Certainly, we've prepared for this eventuality for a long time now. As I have said, this is not the first time guardians with ulterior motives have tried to keep young men away from their legal obligation...it's always clear that they will not get proper preparation on their own. And, in this case, you are far from an unknown...the guard has had numerous dealings with Orin in the past, and there is more than a passing familiarity with you. The royal staff are more than ready to do their work."

Royal staff...Arturo felt himself redden under his fur. This was such an enormous amount of attention of someone like him, he scarcely knew how to deal with it. Surely he wasn't worth that much time and effort? But if the law was the law, he scarcely wanted to refuse.

---

The Palace Fileas was a fantastic sight from the outside, especially up close. But Arturo had, on rare occasions, seen that sight before. What he had never seen was the inside of the castle, and he was in awe as he was escorted through. The halls were richly decorated with massive, colorful paintings and ornate decorations, a grand sight more awe-inspiring than any he could ever remember seeing in his life. Pillars of marble, trimmings of gold and silver, it looked too expensive to even imagine. No wonder Orin and his brothers thought this was their ticket, the royal family certainly had riches.

He didn't have a lot of time to stand slack-jawed, though. The croc guard captain was bringing him rather quickly through the hallways, his destination clearly in mind. At times Arturo found it difficult to keep up, but thankfully he never lost sight of his keeper and soon enough they were where they were supposed to be - the royal salon.

What they came to was a large room that had a very fresh smell, water and perfume and all sorts of other scents. There were large chairs which spun in the ground, mirrors on the walls, bottles of who knew what lining shelves and tables and everything else. And in the middle of it all was a dapperly-dressed fox, bowing and beckoning them to come inside. "Welcome, welcome! Always good to see you, Captain Prawer! I presume this is the straggler we were informed of? My my my my my, I can see why they warned me!"

"Mind your tongue!" the croc growled.

"Ah, my apologies! No offense meant, young sir, I'm not supposed to comment upon appearances in such a crass way...I simply believe that your potential has been badly hidden under dirt and grime the likes of which I've rarely seen in my life!"

"Er, it's fine...I mean, I work in a smithy, it's part of the territory." Arturo felt a bit in a whirlwind from the excitable fox. He'd met some energetic people before, but this one seemed to have something else about him, an air of liveliness all around him. Prawer seemed to sense his confusion and jumped in at just the right time.

"Arturo, this is Chester. He's the royal cosmetician, works with the family to provide them with clean-up and other services for presentability. He's also a minor wizard, though it seems the practical applications for his magic are rather...limited, shall we say."

"Pooh! Just because I don't have anything combat-worthy!" Chester said with a pout. "Mind you, us 'minor wizards' are the source of most of the practical magic used in everyday lives! We would all be a lot worse off without people such as us!"

"Yeah, yeah, save the diatribe. You know what you have to do. Arturo, I'm leaving you in his care. Don't worry, he's a bit of an odd one, but he's harmless. Just let him do his thing, and you'll be in great shape. Someone will be back later to bring you to a room for a rest." With that, Prawer left, and Arturo was alone with Chester. He still wasn't sure what to make of the fox, but he seemed friendly enough...perhaps a bit too friendly even.

"Goodness, goodness, goodness...royals rarely get this messy!" Chester started fussing over him again immediately, poking and rubbing over a few spots on his fur and clothes. "Well, we shall see to this, no problem! First, I must insist on a bath! You'll find our special bath right through the back hallway, and you're free to use anything in there at your leisure! Please, take your time, you'll find it most comfortable and I'm certain that you'll feel almost brand new when you're finished! Oh, and discard your clothing in the bin at the doorway, we'll provide you with something much better!"

Maybe a hurricane was a more apt comparison than a whirlwind. Arturo could do nothing except go along with the rush, rapidly ushered to the rear hallway and down to the bath. Fortunately, Chester left him to his own devices at this point, where he could stop and catch his breath. Everything was coming at him all at once...he was really here, he was really going to be paraded before his prince, given a chance to become his retainer. Once that had really sunk in, he started to notice just why Chester had been making such a fuss - sure, he knew he was dirty, but just how dirty rarely occurred to him. The grime made it nearly impossible to see his real fur color even. No way he could meet the prince looking like this.

He tossed his clothes into the bin as instructed, getting the sneaking suspicion he wouldn't be seeing them again ever, regardless of what happened. Not that it was that big a deal, they were little better than rags at this point, he'd been badly in need of new clothes for a while but Orin would've impaled himself on one of his own weapons before buying any for him. Then he entered the baths, and was almost bowled over by the warm rush of air when he opened the door. The bath was clearly maintained by magic, bubbling gently and steaming lightly, the water kept a temperature that he could hardly have described as anything short of perfection.

The wolf sank himself into the water, letting out a sigh. Now this really was the ticket. It had been ages since he'd had a bath...well, a real bath, anyway. For the most part, a "bath" for him was just a quick washing up to keep himself the bare minimum of clean to be presentable. Orin had trained him to go very quickly - he didn't like Arturo taking time or using a lot of water for cleaning. At one time a few years back he'd forbid Arturo from bathing at all, saying that he was just wasting time he could be earning his keep, though Arturo suspected that he just wanted to make him unpresentable - he didn't like how people liked Arturo better than him. It had taken only a week for the older wolf to relent, however - apparently the body odor of a teenage wolf was not worth putting up with for the image.

But now, he had no rush, and quite the contrary was being encouraged to take as much time as he wanted. It definitely felt luxurious, even if he realized it was for a specific purpose. The oils and soaps added in were definitely a nice feel against his body and fur, he certainly had never experienced anything like that before. Rubbing himself all over, he could see a brightening in his fur already, the grime from years of work and lack of care being quickly worked out of him. He hadn't really seen his true clean natural fur color in ages, and it surprised him how foreign it looked to him, a lot brighter than he remembered.

He spent what he thought was a good hour in the bath, taking the time to wash as thoroughly as possible. The warmth of the water was incredibly soothing, though he knew it was only the first part of his cleaning. Still, he had time to himself, and that was something extremely rare for him in his life, and he wanted to take as much of that as he could.

All good things had to come to and end, though, and eventually he stepped out and toweled himself off. The dark tinge of the water was a testament to all the grunge that had come off of him, but not as obvious as the shade of his fur from before and after - no longer dark and dingy and almost black, now the light gray he'd possessed as nature gave him. His mother had said they were white wolves, they had grey fur but so light that it looked white on first glance...it had been so long since he'd seen it that he'd almost forgotten what it looked like. He was tempted to take a fair bit of time admiring it, but held back - he'd have time after everything else was done. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he exited, and immediately the fox was upon him, as if he'd been waiting impatiently for Arturo's emergence.

Chester was pulling and rubbing at his fur looking extraordinarily pleased. "Marvelous! It's like night and day, perhaps almost literally! And yet I think there's a bit of tinge we can still take out, as well as fluffing you up nicely for his highness!"

"More...what else am I gonna do?"

"You are just gonna sit down and let me work my magic on you, young sir!" Chester pulled him into the next room, Arturo scarcely able to think about anything other than once again following the whims of the energetic fox. The towel was pulled from him, and he was sat rather unclothed in the seat, feeling more than a bit self-conscious about his state. However, Chester seemed the consummate professional, not even remarking about it...perhaps this was normal for those being treated this way, though Arturo still felt like it was over the top.

There was a gigantic mirror along the wall of the room, but Arturo was sat facing away from it. "Um...am I not gonna get to see-"

"All in good time, my boy! First I have to work my magic...and trust me, it'll be thorough! You'll scarcely recognize yourself when I'm done." That had Arturo wondering how thorough the fox could possibly be after the cleaning he'd already given himself.

As it turned out, very thorough. Chester was perhaps only a minor wizard, but he worked magic with more than just magic - brushes danced through his fur, soaps and lotions soaked into his body, the styling felt like he was an apron being run through a washboard. And the dizzying array of salves, lotions, gels that was on the counter in front of him...Arturo had never seen such a spread, they certainly weren't a staple of the workshop. Clearly, the bath had been a shadow of the cleaning that was coming to him...this was the real deal.

"If you were any more wide-eyed I'd swear you were a tarsier," Chester said rather pointedly in his ear, snapping him out of his reverie. "You'd think you'd never seen a salon before!"

Arturo felt himself redden a bit under his fur; the line was clearly said in jest, yet it made him a touch self-conscious. "Just not...one like this."

"Ah, of course, these royal baths are quite a change from the bathhouses or private washrooms. But if these are stopping you dead, I wonder what the rest of the palace will be like for you! Or perhaps you're simply not enjoying yourself, and trying to preserve my feelings? You can admit it, I won't mind!"

"I don't know...sorry, it's not anything you're doing wrong. It's just...I know I'm meeting a prince and trying to make my best impression...it just feels like a bit much."

Chester chuckled, and Arturo felt the heat pick up another notch in his face. "Never had a chance to properly gussy yourself up, have you?"

"No, sir. Never really had the need...when you work in a smithy, anything about looking nice is rendered moot pretty quickly."

"I suppose, but don't you ever get out?"

"Not really...Orin keeps me busy a lot. I don't usually get much time to myself...and he doesn't really, uh, care for grooming, as far as I'm concerned."

"Orin? Well, that's a name I've heard with a lot of distaste around here. You know the guards rather hate him, right?"

Arturo swallowed; if word got back that he had been bad-mouthing Orin, there was no telling how severe the response would be. He settled on the most diplomatic response he could think of that wasn't an outright lie: "It wouldn't especially surprise me...he knows he can be difficult to get along with, prides himself in it even."

A knowing wink from the fox. "Sounds worse than that to me. But they speak highly of you."

"It can be...wait. What?"

Chester beamed at him. "You didn't know? You think the guards would only know him, and not the boy who helps keep his place running? You've impressed them with your workmanship and effort...and your attention, I've heard some of them lament that their own children haven't the diligence you sport. When they noticed you weren't around, there was a rush to get the toughest, most stalwart guard out there to make sure he couldn't keep you from being brought in. And then Captain Prawer put an end to that by going out himself...or maybe he won that competition, I couldn't say, but he is a fabulous specimen."

If he was any redder it would show right through his fur. "I...don't know what to say about that. Feels like I should thank them for thinking that."

"You may perhaps get your chance. You should have a couple of days even if you don't get selected...they treat the guests well here, believe me! Perhaps you'll meet some friends as well, there are a fair selection of lads here around your age. Could be a nice chance for you."

"Maybe, though I doubt it'll lead very far. I'm kept really busy all the time, and Orin's never let me have any real close friendships. Well, never been like just that I can't have them, but I can't ever go out and visit them or anything because he wants me busy all the time."

"Ugh, I can see why they dislike him. He sounds perfectly vile. But if you're the lucky one, you won't have to put up with him anymore!"

Arturo let out a bit of a sigh. "Not gonna get my hopes up for that. I've never even thought about this, while some have been preparing for this for ages. They have to have the edge, they'll know what to say and what to do, I'll be in way over my head."

"Heh, you may find that most aren't that confident! The thing about being selected as a retainer is that they'll train you even if you don't know what you're supposed to do, so getting yourself good at that isn't much help. Really, the choice comes down to whoever the prince likes the most and feels will do the best job, so you've got as good a chance as any...better, even, if he sees you like this!"

Chester suddenly rotated the chair, startling the wolf; he had gotten a bit lost in the conversation and hadn't even realized that the fox had finished up his ministrations. His eyes fell on the mirror, and once again widened almost beyond possibility. All the grunge was out of his fur, leaving him looking brighter and softer than he could ever remember himself looking. Not only that, he really saw his form for the first time in a long time...he was a lot fitter than he had realized, even knowing he was getting a workout daily at the forge, he hadn't realized just how much of an effect it was having. He was rather broader than he ever realized, a healthy-sized chest with clear muscle definition, complimenting toned limbs with evident strength, the product of hauling heavy loads all over the place. Perhaps it was part of the enchanted bath as well...his mind couldn't really wrap around it all, leaving him just staring in shock.

"This mirror's enchanted, right?"

The fox snickered. "Not in the slightest. This is what a good grooming can do...bring out all the best of one's natural appearance. And may I say, your appearance is something quite delectable. I imagine you'll be turning some important eyes tomorrow."

"I...I don't know what to say."

"No need to say anything! I guess you really haven't had time to appreciate your appearance, I don't usually get reactions like that! But I say, take pride in it! You look good, I'd be tempted to retain you myself, if you know what I mean!"

He felt himself redden a bit beneath his fur. "Uh..."

"Oh, don't worry, just a little joke! That would be highly inappropriate, at least before the prince had any chance at you. Though you can always let me know afterwards if you have any interest! But enough of that, we've got more to do!"

"More? I don't know if I can get any cleaner!"

"Most likely not, but if you prance up there naked like this...well, I don't actually know if that would hurt your chances, tasty morsel like you, but it would probably still be seen as improper, so we need to get you dressed!"

"Oh, right...yeah, that's gonna have to be done."

Chester nodded at him. "Right then! Stand up please, I just need to take some measurements! We'll get you fitted for something quite nice, help you knock the prince over!"

Once again the fox started whizzing around, some kind of measure in his hands as he took just about every measurement that Arturo could imagine and then some. The attention was starting to make him a bit nervous on some level. "Is this...fair? I don't know that the others will be happy to hear that I'm getting personal service from the royal staff..."

"Oh, you haven't been the only one! They had to bring in another boy as well, that was earlier today. It's standard practice when the guardians don't do anything to prepare them. And we help out the ones who are brought in ready as well if they desire it, just to a lesser degree. But after all is said and done, all we do is help make them presentable! Nothing we do has that much effect - after all, the prince looks for far more than just appearances, and especially OUR prince today, who is quite the young looker himself I might add! This all is merely to ensure you look the best you can look in front of everyone, but when it comes to the selection, the most important part of this is you!"

"If you say so..."

"That I do, and that is that! But I take pride in my work so I am going to make you look a-dazz-a-ling! Now, we want to show off your assets, but still be modest. We also want to highlight your fur color and those sparkling blue eyes, make them stand out even more...hm...I think I know what kind of look we should go for. Let's see...should just take a bit of time to get our garments adjusted for your size, so I will be right with you! Hang tight for just a couple minutes!"

Chester rushed out, leaving him alone again, though this time he felt compelled not to go wandering around on his own. He was still a bit mesmerized by everything around him...not to mention, it was so bright and lively, so unlike the smithy. Orin kept things very dark and sterile, there was nothing anywhere to appeal to the eyes except out on the shop floor, and even that wasn't that nice. Well, he did always say the business of weapons was not a nice one, and there was no point in dressing it up...fair enough, and Arturo didn't really have a choice in the matter anyway, but he would have liked it to be a bit brighter. Sometimes the darkness was hard on the eyes. This was so different, it felt bubbly and jaunty, like it was here for people to have fun. Maybe this was normal for salons, he wouldn't know, but it had to be even above your normal salon. The royal family clearly rarely did anything halfway, if the rest of Fileas Palace was anything to go by.

Finally Chester came back, shoving several garments into his arms. "Here we are! Dress, please, I need to be sure everything fits properly and looks how I imagined! Can't be embarrassed like I was last year when I flipped a number and made Sharina Accoli's evening gown simply massive in the bosom area, it simply couldn't stay up! Hilarious to everyone except the two of us, I'm sure..."

Arturo had no clue what he was talking about, so just took the time to dress as he nodded to the fox's babbling. Soon he was standing fully clothed in front of the mirror, examining what he'd been put in: A red and black vest with gold trim around the center line, with silver buttons to fasten it closed, showing off his arms and thin enough to leave the form of his body evident to an observer. Black buckled short pants with gold threading, long enough to reach his knees but still showing off his assets. A white sash around his neck, with the ends hanging off to the back. Black and red armbands and legbands, colors of strength and resilience.

Even Arturo had to admit that it looked good on him. Then again, it wasn't like he even had clothes worth admiring, he certainly didn't own anything nice, not that he had any reason to with Orin keeping him squirreled away in the shop. He'd never really seen himself in anything nice and formal, so it was not only surreal, but it gave him a chance to see what he would look like with a proper life. And he liked that. Maybe he'd have to remember this style and coloring when he finally got out on his own in life...at least for special occasions.

"Beautiful! A masterpiece, if I do say so myself!" Chester gushed, fussing over a few folds and wrinkles in the garments. "Of course, it's not all my work, one can only work with what one's given, and I was given a fantastic canvas to work with! Now you try to keep those in tip-top condition, but if you notice any damage or other problems just let me know and I'll get them fixed up in a jiffy! Well, then, I suppose I should let you get going...one of the servants will take you to your room for the night, and provide you with something to eat and drink should you so desire."

"Night? Wait, when did that happen?"

"A couple hours ago now. We've been at this for a good while, you didn't notice?"

Arturo shook his head. "N-no...I guess maybe I lost track of time in the bath, I thought I was only in there an hour or something..."

"Heh, it was a touch longer than that! But don't worry about it, it was made with the idea of losing track of time...there's no greater tragedy than a rushed bath!" Chester finished up with his clothes and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Don't stress out over any of this...it sounds like you've had enough to worry about in your life already, take the chance to enjoy yourself and relax!"

Arturo nodded. "Okay...I'll do my best."

"That's the ticket! Ah, Olivia...just in time!" Arturo turned to see a servant standing in the doorway, a lapine who looked very proper and well-kept, not so much like he imagined a servant would look. She was definitely eyeing him up, and that made him feel a bit self-conscious, but he tried not to let it show. "Bring our young guest to one of the empty rooms, will you? I'm sure he could use the sleep."

"Right away." She nodded at Arturo, who thanked Chester and went on with her. Now that he was out of the energetic fox's sphere of influence, he was feeling rather tired...he hoped that it wouldn't be too hard to get to sleep in such an unfamiliar place. Though if his room was a tenth as nice as the rest of the palace, it would be quite an upgrade from his usual quarters.