Original Scene: Silver’s poor choice of clothing

"Hey. You okay?" Sunny asked, sounding genuinely concerned. "I'm sure you can find your way back. We're only a day or two away. Or you could stay at Kingdom. I hear Queen is a fair ruler."

"I'm not going back," Silver said firmly. "I was suffocating there."

Sunny nodded.

"That's your right. I'm sure you'll find your place."

They rode silently for a while.

"Is it difficult?" Silver asked.

"Huh?" Sunny said, sounding distant.

"Um. Being a girl. A girl knight. I mean...you are a girl, right? You wear a dress--"

Sunny laughed.

"And a man can't wear a dress?"

Silver couldn't tell if she was teasing.

"I...guess?"

"I'm a girl, last time I checked. And I'm assuming what you're asking is if it's difficult to be female and a knight."

"Yes, that's what I'm asking."

Sunny thought about it.

"Yes, sometimes I've been lucky. I killed a dragon when I was 12. People don't really question your choices after that."

So at least one of the rumors were true. Silver felt suddenly very small and silly. She'd acted as if her simple skill with magic would be a blessing. She wondered how grown men who'd been fighting for years must feel when a small girl defeated a dragon.

"Your eyes are purple," she said without thinking.

Sunny's mouth formed a thin line.

"That's enough questions for now."

Silver flushed red and went silent.

They stopped and set up camp a few hours later, before the sun had disappeared below the horizon. Silver was disappointed and embarrassed to find her bedding was still damp.

"We can set up the fire by that rock," Sunny told her without asking. "Your stuff should dry faster like that." It turned out her clothing had gotten soaked through too. They set out their wet things and sat on opposite sides of the fire. Silver shared some beef and bread and cheese, and by the time they'd sated themselves, the moon was high and the stars sparkling above.

"They seem dry enough," Sunny said, poking at her blankets. "Is that satin?"

Silver blushed. "Yes? I didn't have anything else."

Sunny coughed to hide her amusement. "We'll stop at the next village. If you’re going to travel with me, you need proper supplies. What else you got?"

Silver rambled off the inventory of things she'd smuggled out, and Sunny seemed impressed.

"That bag is useful as hell," she said. "Where'd you get it?"

"I...it was a gift," Silver muttered.

"Sure," Sunny said, smirking. "Some gift."

"Um yeah. Birthday," she replied.

"Uh huh. Well I'm gonna turn in. We leave at day break."

Published Scene: Silver packs for a visit to the Summer Kingdom.

Silver knelt before one of the trunks with her head rested on her forearms and skirts gathered around her. Sunny turned for a quick retreat, but a wavering voice made her stop.

“It’s okay,” Silver said. “You can come up. I’m…I’m not sure what to bring.”

“Whatever you can fit in your bags.” Sunny joined her on the floor, kneeling beside the smaller girl and peering into the open trunk. It was filled with neatly folded dresses, riding clothes, cloaks, and undergarments, as well as a few luxuries, including a matching ivory comb and mirror, and a jewelry box inlaid with mother-of-pearl and blue topaz.

Silver’s clothing was all rough spun wool or linen, plainly ornamented with simple embroidery along the hems, if any at all. One dress was finer than the others, gray silk adorned with delicate thread and glass beads sewn to look like shimmering flakes of snow along the bodice.

With her pale, almost translucent skin and hair, Sunny imagined she would look exactly like the beings of legend, made by a goddess from ice and snow—rather than a girl who’d gotten the bad end of a blizzard and frozen to death.

“I’ve never worn it.” Silver gestured to the dress. “My father had it made for me a couple of years ago, the one time he ever visited. He disapproves of me dressing plainly, but Gareth likes to place a separation between us and the rest of the court. He believes vanity detracts from our purpose.”

“What do you believe?” Sunny asked.

Silver ran a hand over the silk, a faint smile softening her gloom.

“I believe in order to live amicably with Gareth, it’s better to accommodate his whims than challenge them. That, and if I were to wear it, the ladies of the court would likely claim I was trying to rise above my rank or steal their husbands. They don’t appreciate untitled people dressing fashionably.” There was amusement, rather than disdain in her voice.

Sunny carefully lifted the dress from the trunk. “There’s no taboo against common folk wearing beautiful clothing in the south. Bring it.”

With her help, the packing process went quicker. Gareth continued to organize supplies downstairs, while Sunny advised Silver on what clothing would be best for traveling. Most of her things were more appropriate for Hagol, but they would be needed until they had made it beyond the Ausra Mountains. Afterward, they could be traded for something lighter.

They settled on the silk dress, two plainer wool dresses, a pair of trousers—purchased under the suspicious eye of an elderly seamstress—a kirtle with a chemise to wear beneath it, a furred cloak to replace the damp one downstairs, and a man’s tunic, procured from the same seamstress. Sunny raised an amused brow at the trousers and tunic and Silver smiled sheepishly.

“Why should men only have the privilege of comfort when riding?”

Sunny snorted, waving a hand over her uniform—standard issue for Galenese knights.

“No judgment, here. Plenty of women wear trousers or leggings in Sul Galen, and in the summer it’s fashionable for people of all genders to wear…we call them chitons and peplos. I’m not sure what the equivalent would be here, but they’re long, flowing garments that help keep you cool in the hottest months. The wealthier tailors compete to see who can make the prettiest styles.”

Silver’s face lit up and her irises brightened to reflect the moonlight streaming through the high window. “The men wear dresses?”

“By Hagolan definition, yes.” Sunny winked, humor a welcome replacement for the anxiety and dread which had been her companions for the last two days. “King Sol is a favorite among the clothiers; they’re always experimenting with new fabrics and patterns. He’d never admit it, but I think he enjoys setting trends. I prefer simplicity, myself.”