sweet effort, one he didn’t seem all that comfortable making. She would’ve laughed if he didn’t look so pained.
Standing, Pia set the manual aside and took the flowers.
"Ah, thanks," she mumbled. "I guess I should get them in some water."
Zoran rolled his eyes at himself and smacked the side of his temple, as she turned to walk the sorry bouquet to the kitchen. He’d known it was a stupid idea when Olek suggested it. Olek seemed so sure his own wife liked plants from the forest and assumed that maybe all Earth women did.
Following her to the kitchen, Zoran watched as she grabbed a knife and cut off the roots. She then filled a goblet with water and stuck the flowers in it. As she swept the roots into the trash, he said, "Come on. I got you some things."
Pia eyed him suspiciously.
"Just," he frowned and grumbled, waving her forward. "Come on."
Pia followed him to the main hall. She hadn’t noticed until now that there was a bunch of packages on the floor.
"What’s all this?" she asked.
"I thought, well, you looked like you might need some stuff. So I went shopping for you."
"Okay," Pia allowed carefully, wondering what in the galaxy he thought she needed. Aside from something to do during the day and food in the kitchen, she couldn’t think of a thing.
Zoran leaned over and picked up the largest bag, handing it to her. "I got you some clothes. I know they aren’t what you’re used to, but it’s our fashion. I got the most comfortable stuff I could find."
Zoran had gone to the dressmaker, grabbing a random woman off the street who appeared to be about Pia’s size. The woman was shocked beyond belief to have the overlarge Captain of the Guards, and a Prince at that, grab her and yank her into the dressmaker’s shop. But, after realizing what the big bad warrior was trying to do, she took pity on him and helped him out. She even went so far as to make him a list of everything he should consider getting. Zoran had gotten most of the items off her list--at least the ones he could understand. For the life of him he couldn’t figure out what a mascara and a blush tinter were. When he’d asked the baker, the man had just shrugged.
Zoran then ordered the old dressmaker to give him everything she had that a wife might have need of. She’d only been too happy to comply, insisting that he bring his wife back to the shop so she could measure her for a dress. Instead, Zoran told her to send one of her assistants to the house to take the measurements. He hated to admit that he was still disturbed by her hair and not ready to bring her out in public. Not that he thought she wasn’t ravishing, but that the rest of his people would assume he did it to shame and humiliate her. The Qurilixen would never believe that a woman had purposefully done it her herself.
The seamstress’ helper would be arriving any minute. Zoran had picked out a few dress designs and materials he liked. Then, he’d given leeway to the woman to make Pia whatever else she saw fit before leaving the shop.
Pia hesitated. No one had ever gotten her anything like this before. No one had ever brought her flowers. She didn’t care how sorry they looked. To her they were the most beautiful flowers in the galaxy.
Zoran frowned when she didn’t speak. "You aren’t pleased."
"No," she rushed. "It’s fine. There’s just so much of it. I don’t need all this."
"I can’t take it back," he lied. "So you might as well go through it and pick out what you want."
Pia nodded. She took the bag and sat with it on the front hall floor. Carefully reaching in, she dug out several pairs of cotton slacks. The material was soft and flowing and reminded her of pajama pants. They came in all colors, most predominately black. One even had a red dragon embroidered on the front hip. She smiled. Maybe that could be her new formal wear.
Zoran saw her smile and relaxed some. "So you’re not going to throw them in the fireplace?"
Pia blinked, not knowing he was
Standing, Pia set the manual aside and took the flowers.
"Ah, thanks," she mumbled. "I guess I should get them in some water."
Zoran rolled his eyes at himself and smacked the side of his temple, as she turned to walk the sorry bouquet to the kitchen. He’d known it was a stupid idea when Olek suggested it. Olek seemed so sure his own wife liked plants from the forest and assumed that maybe all Earth women did.
Following her to the kitchen, Zoran watched as she grabbed a knife and cut off the roots. She then filled a goblet with water and stuck the flowers in it. As she swept the roots into the trash, he said, "Come on. I got you some things."
Pia eyed him suspiciously.
"Just," he frowned and grumbled, waving her forward. "Come on."
Pia followed him to the main hall. She hadn’t noticed until now that there was a bunch of packages on the floor.
"What’s all this?" she asked.
"I thought, well, you looked like you might need some stuff. So I went shopping for you."
"Okay," Pia allowed carefully, wondering what in the galaxy he thought she needed. Aside from something to do during the day and food in the kitchen, she couldn’t think of a thing.
Zoran leaned over and picked up the largest bag, handing it to her. "I got you some clothes. I know they aren’t what you’re used to, but it’s our fashion. I got the most comfortable stuff I could find."
Zoran had gone to the dressmaker, grabbing a random woman off the street who appeared to be about Pia’s size. The woman was shocked beyond belief to have the overlarge Captain of the Guards, and a Prince at that, grab her and yank her into the dressmaker’s shop. But, after realizing what the big bad warrior was trying to do, she took pity on him and helped him out. She even went so far as to make him a list of everything he should consider getting. Zoran had gotten most of the items off her list--at least the ones he could understand. For the life of him he couldn’t figure out what a mascara and a blush tinter were. When he’d asked the baker, the man had just shrugged.
Zoran then ordered the old dressmaker to give him everything she had that a wife might have need of. She’d only been too happy to comply, insisting that he bring his wife back to the shop so she could measure her for a dress. Instead, Zoran told her to send one of her assistants to the house to take the measurements. He hated to admit that he was still disturbed by her hair and not ready to bring her out in public. Not that he thought she wasn’t ravishing, but that the rest of his people would assume he did it to shame and humiliate her. The Qurilixen would never believe that a woman had purposefully done it her herself.
The seamstress’ helper would be arriving any minute. Zoran had picked out a few dress designs and materials he liked. Then, he’d given leeway to the woman to make Pia whatever else she saw fit before leaving the shop.
Pia hesitated. No one had ever gotten her anything like this before. No one had ever brought her flowers. She didn’t care how sorry they looked. To her they were the most beautiful flowers in the galaxy.
Zoran frowned when she didn’t speak. "You aren’t pleased."
"No," she rushed. "It’s fine. There’s just so much of it. I don’t need all this."
"I can’t take it back," he lied. "So you might as well go through it and pick out what you want."
Pia nodded. She took the bag and sat with it on the front hall floor. Carefully reaching in, she dug out several pairs of cotton slacks. The material was soft and flowing and reminded her of pajama pants. They came in all colors, most predominately black. One even had a red dragon embroidered on the front hip. She smiled. Maybe that could be her new formal wear.
Zoran saw her smile and relaxed some. "So you’re not going to throw them in the fireplace?"
Pia blinked, not knowing he was
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