that’s dead,” she stated, shaken.
Giz crept over to her and she held open her arms. He jumped into them.
“Thanks, Giz. I have a feeling you just saved my life.” She didn’t want to be over-dramatic. Maybe it was a harmless creature.
And maybe pigs really did fly here.
“From now on, I’m keeping all the doors and windows shut.”
She sat there for a while, just holding tight to Giz. Setting him aside, she raised her dress to look at her leg. There was a graze where the creature had tried to bite her. A few drops of blood formed. She looked over at the dead creature. What the hell was she going to do with the body? She supposed she could call for one of the servants, but they all had jobs to do while she was just sitting around, twiddling her thumbs.
Glancing around, she set Giz aside then grabbed one of her dresses and wrapped the slimy thing up. Then she stuffed it in a bag.
“We’ll get rid of it on our way out.” She really did not want to stay here. “Let’s go. I have credits burning a hole in my pocket.”
***
Laden with bags of goodies, Zoey felt lighter and happier than she had since she’d arrived on Zerconia. Once she’d gotten away from the palace, she’d found the people to be a lot friendlier and welcoming.
Perhaps it was just because she had credits to spend, but all of the stallholders had greeted her with a smile and shown off their wares with pride.
Surprisingly, the market was rather quiet. Good for her, but not so good for the stallholders. All of these beautiful goods, including handwoven rugs, amazing glassware, and stunning artwork and no one to buy them.
“I wonder how they survive with no customers?” she wondered.
“The palace provides us with a stipend,” a male voice answered. She glanced over at an older Zerconian male.
“Oh, sorry, I wasn’t trying to be nosy.”
“No offense taken, milady.” He bowed deeply. “It is an honor that you grace us with your presence.”
“Oh, ahh, thank you.”
“Once this was a bustling trade center. Many came from far away to purchase our products. Now, there are few to purchase what we offer and we must rely on charity to feed our families.”
Wow, that was sad. Dex had spoken about how Zerconia had isolated itself, but she hadn’t realized the extent to which they had cut themselves off.
“Does no one ever come here?” she asked.
“Once a month, a ship brings produce and in return, purchases some of ours. But it is not enough.”
She glanced down at what he was selling. Beautiful, handwoven silk scarves. She picked up two. A dark purple scarf with flecks of silver and a deep yellow-gold scarf that immediately made her feel happier.
The urge to itch her leg made her grit her teeth. Her leg had been growing increasingly itchy where that thing had grazed her.
“Please, milady, do not feel you need to purchase these out of sympathy.”
“I’m not. These are beautiful. Just looking at this one makes me smile.”
The older man puffed up like a rooster. “Not all of us can be warriors, but we still have our uses.”
“Zoey!”
Zoey winced. Great. Just great. She turned, plastering a fake smile on her face.
Be polite but distant. It was the mature, sensible stance to take.
Now she just had to pull it off.
“Fedora! How lovely to see you.” Zoey could see the other woman was thrown off by her greeting. There were two other women with her. Standing idly behind them were four guards. Not for the first time, she wondered why Zerconian females needed guards with them whenever they left their homes. It wasn’t like there was much crime. Seemed like a waste of resources.
Fedora gathered her composure. “You are shopping?” She glanced at the scarves Zoey still held in her hand. “Oh, don’t buy those here. There is a stall over there with far superior workmanship that is half the price.”
Bitch. Zoey glanced at the store holder out of the corner of her eye. The man turned away.
“Actually, I think I
Giz crept over to her and she held open her arms. He jumped into them.
“Thanks, Giz. I have a feeling you just saved my life.” She didn’t want to be over-dramatic. Maybe it was a harmless creature.
And maybe pigs really did fly here.
“From now on, I’m keeping all the doors and windows shut.”
She sat there for a while, just holding tight to Giz. Setting him aside, she raised her dress to look at her leg. There was a graze where the creature had tried to bite her. A few drops of blood formed. She looked over at the dead creature. What the hell was she going to do with the body? She supposed she could call for one of the servants, but they all had jobs to do while she was just sitting around, twiddling her thumbs.
Glancing around, she set Giz aside then grabbed one of her dresses and wrapped the slimy thing up. Then she stuffed it in a bag.
“We’ll get rid of it on our way out.” She really did not want to stay here. “Let’s go. I have credits burning a hole in my pocket.”
***
Laden with bags of goodies, Zoey felt lighter and happier than she had since she’d arrived on Zerconia. Once she’d gotten away from the palace, she’d found the people to be a lot friendlier and welcoming.
Perhaps it was just because she had credits to spend, but all of the stallholders had greeted her with a smile and shown off their wares with pride.
Surprisingly, the market was rather quiet. Good for her, but not so good for the stallholders. All of these beautiful goods, including handwoven rugs, amazing glassware, and stunning artwork and no one to buy them.
“I wonder how they survive with no customers?” she wondered.
“The palace provides us with a stipend,” a male voice answered. She glanced over at an older Zerconian male.
“Oh, sorry, I wasn’t trying to be nosy.”
“No offense taken, milady.” He bowed deeply. “It is an honor that you grace us with your presence.”
“Oh, ahh, thank you.”
“Once this was a bustling trade center. Many came from far away to purchase our products. Now, there are few to purchase what we offer and we must rely on charity to feed our families.”
Wow, that was sad. Dex had spoken about how Zerconia had isolated itself, but she hadn’t realized the extent to which they had cut themselves off.
“Does no one ever come here?” she asked.
“Once a month, a ship brings produce and in return, purchases some of ours. But it is not enough.”
She glanced down at what he was selling. Beautiful, handwoven silk scarves. She picked up two. A dark purple scarf with flecks of silver and a deep yellow-gold scarf that immediately made her feel happier.
The urge to itch her leg made her grit her teeth. Her leg had been growing increasingly itchy where that thing had grazed her.
“Please, milady, do not feel you need to purchase these out of sympathy.”
“I’m not. These are beautiful. Just looking at this one makes me smile.”
The older man puffed up like a rooster. “Not all of us can be warriors, but we still have our uses.”
“Zoey!”
Zoey winced. Great. Just great. She turned, plastering a fake smile on her face.
Be polite but distant. It was the mature, sensible stance to take.
Now she just had to pull it off.
“Fedora! How lovely to see you.” Zoey could see the other woman was thrown off by her greeting. There were two other women with her. Standing idly behind them were four guards. Not for the first time, she wondered why Zerconian females needed guards with them whenever they left their homes. It wasn’t like there was much crime. Seemed like a waste of resources.
Fedora gathered her composure. “You are shopping?” She glanced at the scarves Zoey still held in her hand. “Oh, don’t buy those here. There is a stall over there with far superior workmanship that is half the price.”
Bitch. Zoey glanced at the store holder out of the corner of her eye. The man turned away.
“Actually, I think I
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