There is always a choice

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"Ahh, there it is! 'Sow, Sew, Shaun'! We made it just in time! Of course you cannot have the dress right away, and my apologies for this inconvenience, Miss Vereesa", apologized Jaan. It was part of his nature. He opened the door, and both of them stepped inside. "Wait til you see Master Shaun. He might seem odd, but he is the best tailor around Serian, I assure you that!" Jaan said with full enthusiasm. A man suddenly descended the stairs at the back of the room leading probably to his living quarters the oddest possible way: sliding down the handrail like a child having fun. "Oof!" the old man fell on his bottom, but got up and started walking towards them. He had a large, bushy mustache, a pipe, finer-than-average clothes and glasses. He leaned slightly to the back as he walked with hands in his pockets. As he got to Vereesa and Jaan, he tried to rise to his full height as he stood straight and his head hit the ceiling between the main room and his living quarters. "Blasted roof, not again!" he said and started leaning to the front as he observed Jaan and Vereesa.

"My name is Shaun Triton. I am a master tailor. Feel free to browse anything I have in my shelves and hangers, all is for sale, well not in case of my clothes of course. This is the one and only kind of attire I will never sell. I consider it my trademark", said Shaun without changing his facial expression. He observed Vereesa with great detail, adjusting her hip, waist and bust size and also her length. "I have many different attire for you, young lady. Many outfits of mine fit you well, If I adjusted correctly. Pick anything and I will make it suit you, if it fits not", he said to Vereesa and waved at the left side of the shop filled by different kinds of woman's clothes and shoes.
 
Vereesa blinked a few times as she looked at Shaun, being speechless over what she had just witnessed and she suddenly seemed to become rather shy as she moved to stand slightly behind Jaan and she placed her hands over her heart as she looked down at the floor. She glanced a bit towards the clothes for a moment before she slowly made her way over to them and she then browsed the different attires.
 
Jaan then presented Vereesa's old dress to Shaun and said: "Dear Master Shaun! Miss Vereesa over there wishes to have a dress like this created, if possible, sir!" said Jaan and handed over the dress to Shaun. He inspected it thoroughly and then said: "Well, the fabric for this dress is hardly found at just any dressmaker. The prints, even when torn, retain their beauty. With a little sequins to highlight their beauty, it would be perfect to use in any occasion", he thought aloud and pulled out a parchment. "Kara, c'mere!" he called out and a black bird swooped down from the ceiling and landed on the master tailor's shoulder. "Nitti's Needles, Kara." the bird flew out of the window.
 
Vereesa looked at the different outfits with a curious expression and she turned around as she heard her name being mentioned. She blinked a few times and looked at the bird before she looked at Shaun, she was quite curious but still not curious enough to walk so close to a man she didn't know. She held her hands over her heart as she turned back her head to look at the different dresses and her head tilted a bit to the side as she saw a dark red dress with black laces on the edges and long sleeves. She trailed her fingers very carefully across the material before she went over to Shaun and Jaan. "T-The dresses are beautiful, how long does it usually take for you to make one?" She asked, not in a manner that she was impatient of having her own dress made, but rather that she was genuinely curious.
 
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The master tailor didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned to Jaan and said: "I have the new kind of leather boots you were looking for last time you were here, young Jaan. Please take a look at them before they are sold out. They are very popular among your kind." Jaan blushed a bit, but then went to browse for the boots. The master tailor then took Vereesa by hand and led her to his living quarters on the shop's attic, saying: "There is something only you need to see that I have. It might lead you to the right direction in your life... Miss Vereesa."
 
Vereesa blinked slightly and then went with him up to his living quarters. She let out a small "Eh?" At his words and she looked around a bit. "What d-do you mean?" She stuttered, being a bit nervous. She brushed some hair from her face and she then looked over her shoulder, she was a bit nervous to be alone with a man she didn't know if she could trust or not. The fear of someone returning her to Elenthras was constantly on her mind.
 
"That dress you brought me", said the master tailor while breathing heavily in between the words, "I know where it is from. I know who you are. And I know you're in grave danger if you don't do as I say", he said while rummaging through a chest of his behind his narrow bed. "In that dress, you would remind me of my daughter. I used to have one named Pearl. Pearl Triton. She used to work for her master as a maid", he said until he found what he was looking for. A pile of rags. "Do you see what this is?" the master tailor asked Vereesa.
 
"R...Rags?" She asked hesitantly and she looked at the rags before she looked at Shaun, seeming a little confused, however her body was now trembling when he mentioned that he knew who she was. She hugged herself and looked down at the floor. She was terrified of what might happen next. "I...Is he going to... hand me over...? No... he wouldn't do that... if he... since he said that I would remind him of his daughter in it... does that mean that he's lost her...?" She thought to herself.
 
"No! They're not just any rags!" shouted the master tailor angrily. He unfolded the pile of rags and held it out. It was a torn dress with blood smeared on it. "This was my daughter's dress... her favorite, to boot. Now look at this!" he said and unfolded the dress he received from Jaan, Vereesa's old dress and held it out. "Do you see now? Do you see why I brought you here?" the dress was similar to--no, it was identical to that worn by Vereesa when she still served Lord Elenthras. "I once went to pick my daughter up personally with armed friends of mine, because I was fed up with the treatment she received there. When we entered the staff room, all that remained from her was her dress lying on the floor, ragged and soaked in blood. Her blood! I lost my daughter to that monster but when we tore the place apart and even found him dining, the guards ambushed us and we were forced to retreat. We created enough chaos for many other servants to escape. I trust you are one of them", said the master tailor slumped over and tears in his eyes.
 
Vereesa's eyes widened in horror as she saw the dress and she stood speechless, her face grew pale and her body trembled heavily. She looked down at the floor, unsure of what she could say to comfort Shaun, she knew the pain of losing someonee close to you, she knew the pain far too well and her hands clenched tightly over her heart. "I...I'm sorry..." Was all she managed to whimper.
 
The master tailor kept sobbing for a while, until he got up and went for the topmost cabinet. Inside it he took out a transparent onyx jewel. It looked as if it had some liquid inside it. "This enchanted onyx stone collects people's hardships and concentrates it into a highly poisonous liquid. There is no known antidote for the poison. Once it is full, the pressure of the poison inside the jewel makes it crack and shatter if hit on the rim of a goblet like a raw egg. My daughter didn't have the guts to do it when she had the chance, and so all of the poison disintegrated into nothing to give way to new hardships. I have kept it to myself ever since my daughter had died. As you can see, it has a little liquid on the bottom of it", said the master tailor.

He put the stone in Vereesa's hand and said: "Once the time is right, the onyx gives you a vibe to indicate it is at its brim and ready to use. I call it the 'Poisonyx'. That's what the old alchemist who sold the stone called it as well. Make sure to never speak about it to anyone and always keep it safe, no matter what. Don't trust anyone else with it than yourself. Lock it inside a cabinet and keep the key with you at all times. Once the time comes, return to Lord Elenthras, express your regret for running away from him and serve him dinner. You will know what to do then. There will be no opposition, just everyone waiting for the bastard to flounder in pain, shrivel and drop dead. You can have someone else do it for you and they will without questioning you. Avenge Serian, Vereesa. Avenge Serian and my poor little Pearl. End this madness", sobbed the master tailor again and hugged Vereesa. "You...are just like my daughter. As beautiful, as graceful, as humble...o that happy lad who gets to have you as his loving wife, o those kids who get to have you as their loving mother. Don't waste your beauty on good-for-nothing scamps. You deserve someone who loves you for who you are", said the master tailor and let go. After regaining his composure, they both went back downstairs.

"Regarding the dress you requested, you have to go to 'Nitti's Needles' on the neighboring town of Romiel to get the fabric, then bring it to me. Valeriana Nitti opens her shop the day after tomorrow on on the break of dawn, so don't worry. I'll be sure to keep mine open just for you two once you get back to Serian. Is there anything you'd like to ask? It doesn't matter what it may be, but I will answer it", the master tailor asked Vereesa.
 
" my name is wolf, i'm a merc who is hired to kill lord Elenthras. the reason im here is that miss vereesa's help to get into the secret tunnels that lead into the castle" he slowly puts away his sword and slowly gets down his knees to be taken into custody.
 
Vereesa looked at the stone in her hand, heavily thinking of Shaun's words as they returned downstairs, she hid the stone inside her bra and then lowered her hands. Could she truly kill the man that she once had looked up to and that she had loved with all her heart? She shook her head and smiled briefly. "I have no questions, me and Jaan should proabably head out so that we are there before nightfall." She said with a gentle voice.

Priscilla came to a halt and turned around to look at Wolf. "You know Vereesa?" She asked while she looked at him.
 
The master tailor said nothing, just waved them goodbye and after both of them exited, he closed the door, got back up the stairs and took out a pouch of white stones from his chest. If you won't do it...then you don't have to corrupt yourself because of that slime, he thought and dropped one of the stones into a vase with marsh marigolds in it. They were thriving inside the water fairly well. The water in the vase started to fizzle and the marigolds wilted in no less time than a minute. I am coming for you, El. I am coming for you.

As they got out, Jaan asked: "Well, how did you like Master Shaun? Isn't he like sir back at home, just a little bit more odd?"

***

Back at the mansion, Blage said to Wolf: "Perhaps you did not hear me too clearly the first time I said this, but I will say it again. LEAVE. If you want to be recognized by m'lady, that is fine. However, if she does not recognize you, you will never return to your master from our grounds. Got that?"
 
"He seemed... he seemed like a kind man." Vereesa said with an absent smile and she brushed some hair behind her ear, she looked down at the ground as they walked, constantly in thought and she held one hand over her heart. "I can't do it... even despite all that he has done towards me... I can't kill the person that I once loved so much..." She thought to herself and a sad frown formed on her face.
 
"What is in your mind, Miss Vereesa? Did Master Shaun...mention anything important about the dress? Is that what troubles you, Miss Vereesa?" asked Jaan. "Come now, you cannot hide it from good ol' Jaan. I may be a blabbermouth, but I can see something troubling you", he insisted.
 
Vereesa let out a small "Eh?" As she snapped out of her thoughts and she then looked towards Jaan and she shook her head while smiling apologetically. "It's nothing, I was just thinking of... old times, that's all." She said with a small nod. Truth is, a part of her did want to return to Elenthras to try and talk sense with him, but she knew that it would be far too dangerous for her to even try and return, since words had proven to be nothing but futile. "I hope everything is okay with the others." She said in an attempt to change the subject.
 
"i understand" slowly reaches into pack pack and pulls out a bandage. begins bandaging up my right arm.
 
In the distance they heard Blage's voice. He said: "You are coming with me then. Drop all of your weapons and follow me." Jaan wasn't sure what was going on, but assumed nevertheless, that the stalker was captured by the guards. "I am sure they are just fine, Miss Vereesa. But what old times were you thinking about? Do you still long for him?" he asked a little concerned while they entered the courtyard and knocked on the door.

Meanwhile, Wolf the mercenary was led to the guest bedroom and locked in with Blage watching over him in the room and Hans standing guard outside the room. "Remember, if you lie to us, it will be deadly to you. But for starters... Katzeleben!" shouted Blage and pointed his sword at Wolf. His broken arm was completely healed and the number on the sword's guard decreased from eight to seven. "Enjoy it while it lasts", said Blage and holstered his sword.
 
Vereesa looked at Jaan and then down at the ground, she couldn't possibly tell him that she missed Elenthras. Not after the way he treated her, people would think she was mad! "I-I... I was thinking of the times I had with my big brother, that was all." She said with a hesitant smile as she brushed some of her fringe behind her ear and she swallowed once, avoiding eye contact as she knew that her eyes would most likely reveal the words that she didn't speak.
 
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