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For the remainder of her life, Ryu’s mother cursed the woman from Ruscovic for stealing away her husband. She claimed that all northern women were harlots, and that Ryu should never trust any women from the northern kingdoms. Surrounded by bigotry and hate from a young age, Ryu had grown into a mini-version of her mother.

The status or rank of their customers didn’t matter to her, only the hue of their skin. Northerners were usually pale in complexion, and never bothered to learn a bit of their language. Not even ‘please’ or ‘thank you’. Seeing a translator with a pale foreigner was usually the sign that the customer was from the north, and also to vastly overcharge them.

Only a handful of translators had ever called Ryu out for her price-gouging, while the others had simply requested a pinch of her profit to keep quiet. Surprisingly, the shop hadn’t developed a bad reputation, so local translators continued to bring foreigners to them. Mei was oblivious to the price hikes Ryu would do whenever she brought visiting foreigners in, so she had assumed Skye to be just as ignorant as the others..

When she first heard that a living dragon was discovered, and being raised in Alcon, Ryu didn’t believe it at all. She and the rest of the younger generations thought that it was just a new tactic to revive the Tokuga rhetoric, and wrote it off. But seeing Skye and Zazzy flying over her head yesterday had sent Ryu, and the rest of Sai; into a spiral of confusion.

The Alconian Princess was more than Ryu had ever expected, considering she never even imagined meeting the Guardian. Princess Skye wasn’t like any of the other northerners she’d ever met, but Ryu still hadn’t understood why the Last Dragon chose her as it’s guardian...Until that moment.

Anyone would’ve snatched the dress away, and most likely sold it. A noble might’ve put it in a glass box on display, as another testament to their wealth. Left to fade under the ever-persist influence of light and time without ever living out it’s purpose again..

‘It would’ve been a sad end to a piece of art.. But this woman sees it as I do..’

As the thought crossed Ryu’s mind, Skye spoke after a long pause; “So? Is my proposal acceptable to you? I swear that I mean no dishonor-is that how to say that? No-I swear I do not mean to insult you in any way. I just don’t see myself giving this artwork the proper care that it deserves. Sorry, my Saianese is a bit rusty.”

.....

The shy smile and light flush of embarrassment that covered the princess’ face was utterly sincere, Ryu couldn’t help but smile back. She didn’t know if it was because of who Skye was, but Ryu sensed a calm emanating from her. It was akin to the feeling one got from looking at a serene landscape, or the peace one experienced after meditation.

As Skye stared at her expectantly, Ryu fidgeted as she said; “I suppose that would be acceptable.. As long as you promise to wear it every time that you visit Sai. We will maintain and protect the dress, and store it here. If you should ever have need of it, the dress will always be available to you.”

Satisfied with the outcome, Skye beamed at Ryu as she replied; “Sounds good to me! Oh, and when you ring me up, make sure to add forty percent of the total for gratuity. And I will hear no arguments about it! You have more than earned a fair tip.”

Hana came to stand at her side; “Princess, In Sai: we don’t tip-”

“Traditionally, we don’t accept tips, but only a fool turns away a glass of water when he’s dying of thirst. Do as the Princess has requested, Ryu-Chan. It would be rude to turn our noses up at her generosity and gratitude when you have earned it,” the old woman commented as she walked up to the counter.

Ryu smiled genuinely again as her fingers swept across the keyboard of the register. Tranquility and a not-so-small amount of pride filled her heart as she set the tip total aside.. ‘This will help immensely to reach my goal..’

As the thought crossed her mind, Skye grinned, and stuck out her hand as she said; “Pleasure doing business with you!”

The gesture wasn’t usual for women to use, but Ryu obliged the princess regardless. When she went to take her hand away, Skye gripped it as she said; “Hang on one more second: I’m almost done..”

Unnerved by her statement, Ryu tried to yank her hand away, but Skye’s grip was like a clamped vice. As panic began to cover her features, the princess released her, and stared with a dower expression..

“What did the doctors say was the cause of your arthritis? They do know that someone as young as you shouldn’t be having back and joint pain yet?”

Astonishment with a touch of indignation covered Ryu’s face as she exclaimed; “How-why did you-how did you know about my pain?!”

Skye shrugged; “I have a Shaman trait-well, I technically have four, but I used my Shaman magic just now to assess your physical condition. When we touched hands earlier, I sensed that something was off with you. And since you have been so helpful, I thought I’d see if I could help you.”

As Ryu’s face fluctuated between anger and shock, her mother-in-law stepped forward; “Are you truly a healer?! What are you capable of?”

Skye wasn’t the only one surprised by the two’s reactions; Mei and Hana were watching with confused expressions as the two broke several of Sai’s social protocols. Skye had done it first, but Ryu and her mother-in-law had as well, which was more than unusual.

Unperturbed by Ryu’s glare, Skye smiled; “I apologize for being so forward, but I could not help but notice how stiffly you moved, and you made a pained expression when you handed me a few of the rolls of fabric. I believe that you have something called psoriatic arthritis. No one knows the exact reason that it develops, but for you: it may be genetic. Did your mother or father suffer from pain?”

“...My mother did. The doctors said that her joints were deteriorating two years before she passed. She died before we could find a cure,” Ryu commented as she calmed herself.

Skye shook her head; “There is no cure for it, but the pain and stiffness can easily be managed with the right herbs and medications. If you’ll let me, I can ease your current symptoms, and slow the progression of the disease.”

Ryu rolled her eyes; “And how much are you going to charge us?! So this is why you wouldn’t take the dress! You prefer our meager earnings instead!”

“I don’t want-”

“Well, you won’t be seeing a single yenlong from us! Get out! I want you Out of our shop!” Ryu screamed, cutting off Skye before she could finish her sentence.

She went to say something more, but Hana stepped in front; “How Dare you speak to the princess like that! She is a foreign dignitary! Do you have no honor on top of having no patience?!”

As Ryu’s nostrils flared, Skye stomped her foot, making a thin, small wall of earth pop up between them. Hana jumped back and pulled a dagger out of nowhere. Ryu screamed at the top of her lungs out of shock and fear. As the two women collected themselves, Skye admonished them..

Staring at Hana first, Skye started in; “While I appreciate you sticking up for me, it was unnecessary. I have it under control.”

Allowing the partition to crumble, Skye locked eyes with Ryu; “And you didn’t need to fly off of the handle like that. I don’t charge for my Shaman services. All I ask is that you donate any unwanted or unusable fabric to your local orphanage or homeless shelter. I don’t believe in taking money from the sick and dying. Especially when I already have more than I need. Just donate what you can, and we can call it even.”

Both Ryu and her mother-in-law’s jaws hung low in shock. Nobles from any kingdom were all the same when it came to money, but Skye didn’t want anything for herself. She was uniquely not a greedy person by nature, which was unheard of even in Sai.

Unconvinced that there were no strings attached, Ryu pressed Skye; “And if we have nothing to donate? Then what?”

Skye shrugged; “Then you don’t. You cannot give what you don’t have. It’s cool.”

Ryu’s face scrunched at Skye, as if she were trying to read the world’s tiniest words. She could neither see nor sense any guile from the princess. All she could feel was a calm that she hadn’t felt since she was a young child.

“...Why are you doing this? What do you want, or get from this?” Ryu asked as a crack in her icy shield started to form.

Smiling softly, Skye replied; “Honestly? I get a kick out of seeing the shocked look on people’s faces when I tell them I don’t want their money, and that I’d rather they donate. Also, when I heal the ones with wealth, I make them realize how much better it is to spread their wealth versus them hoarding it. Just a bit.”

Ryu stared at Skye with a completely perplexed expression.. ‘The universe must have a sense of humor to make This woman my savior..’

Sighing with a defeated expression, Ryu looked up at the Alconian Princess and asked; “So what do I have to do?”

Skye smirked as she moved to stand next to her; “Just stay put, and it’ll all be over in a few minutes. You may need to eat afterwards. I will most likely need to appropriate certain nutrients from the rest of your body to fix the issue. It’s not a permanent fix, but as long as you take the herbs I’m about to list for you every day, the pain will remain minimal for the next several decades.”

Ryu looked like she was still in a state of shock as her mother-in-law answered for her; “Thank you! Thank you so very much, Princess! You have no idea how long we have been saving so we could find a capable Shaman. The few here in the capital couldn’t help us. And the only one who might be capable of helping Ryu-Chan exclusively works for the Tokuga clan.”

Skye nodded her understanding as she started to heal Ryu. A golden glow shown from her hands, unlike the usual cloudy-white color that other Shamans emitted while healing. As the head shop owner watched on with curiosity, Ryu stared at Skye until she had finished.

The two kept their eyes locked for a few moments before Ryu practically whispered in shock; “The pain....It’s gone. Th-Thank you, Princess.. It’s been so long..”

As they looked at each other, Skye nodded with a smile before her brow suddenly creased; “Will you explain one thing, please? I thought that Sai had universal healthcare? Why haven’t you received any treatment? To manage the pain?”

Ryu’s expression fell; “Each citizen has a limit to how much treatment they can receive in a year. After that, the cost falls to the patient. I stopped being eligible for aid four months after the year.”

Ryu’s stony face crumbled as she fought back the tears forming in her eyes; “I have been working three jobs for two years, just to pay for my pain medication.. So I can work the three jobs to pay for it. It has been a never-ending cycle of suffocating debt. My husband works two jobs to pay our bills, and I work three to cover our family’s shop, and to pay my medical bills..”

Skye grinned; “Well, you won’t need to do that any longer. The herbs you will need are inexpensive. You can even grow them yourself to cut your costs even more. And after I wear that dress and word spreads where it came from: I doubt that money will be an issue any longer. Time might become one, though.”

After Ryu and her mother-in-law thanked Skye profusely, their group had their purchases sent to Genie’s castle, then exited the shop. As they covered up and walked away, Skye turned back to wave a final time. A wide smile stretched across her face when she saw the tears of joy running down Ryu’s cheeks before they disappeared into the bustling crowds of the marketplace..