"Oh this...this is a mess." Enya muttered holding up the shirt with a large tear on the left shoulder. "Mind explaining how you managed to tear the shoulder of your ceremonial shirt, prince Callum?
"Bait did it." The young prince stated, pointing to the glow toad that was sitting on his bed in his younger brother's lap.
"He thought he was playing tug-of-war with him." Ezran added helpfully. "And Bait won!"
"Well...I think I can fix it, I just need some red thread and a good needle." Enya said examining the tear. "It can be fixed, it's just going to take me awhile to make the stitches look unnoticeable. Anything else that needs fixing? Pants ripped at the knees, a blanket, a stuffed toy?"
"Can you fix my ripped boot?" Callum asked holding up a small boot ripped at the front. "I accidentally tore it yesterday when training with Soren."
"Well I could try, but my father doesn't have leather in his workshop. I could see if he does so I can patch it up, but I may need his advice to see if we can salvage it." Enya said taking the boot from him and placed it in the basket with other clothes and blankets she and her father needed to fix. "Anything else?"
"No, that's all." Callum assured her.
"Well I'll be sure to return them as soon as possible all nice and new."
And with that, Enya hurried out the room to drop off the basket in the workshop and find anyone else who needed something repaired. So far she had a boot and a shirt from Callum, a cape from one of the guards and a request from lord Vieren to make a cloak made by her father.
As she was hurrying through one of the courtyards, Enya then realized she forgot the way to her father's workshop. Was she supposed to head to one of the towers? Or was the workshop near the blacksmith?
"Are you lost?" Enya gave a small yelp of alarm and whirled around to see a young girl dressed in black standing behind her.
"Oh-oh! Yeah I'm a bit lost, trying to find the tailor's workshop to get these items fixed." She said gesturing to the basket. "And you are...?"
"I'm Claudia, I'm a mage in training!" The girl said happily and studied Enya. "You're Enya, right?"
"Yes?"
"Oh good! Papa said you'd probably get lost in the castle and he asked me and my older brother to help but he's busy training!"
"Oh? Well Claudia, can you help me find the tailor's workshop? I have some things to fix and I don't think my dad will be happy if I get back so late."
Claudia nodded and pointed to one of the large towers. "Papa says it's right there! Come on!"
Enya followed Claudia, grateful she didn't have to ask any of the guards and feel quite embarrassed. She happily answered the questions the young girl asked, like where was she from, did she make her own clothes, and so forth until they reached the familiar tower she and her father were shown earlier.
"Thank you Claudia, I don't think I would have found this on my own." Enya said with a sigh of relief when they reached they reached the tower. "Seriously this needs a flag at the top or at least it's own building near where my father and I are living in."
"You get to overlook the training courtyard, it's got a nice view." Claudia giggled as Enya set the basket down to open the door. "It's cool that you get to sew your own clothes."
"Oh it's fun, I get to pick the fabrics I want if we have them available and I get to design it as well." Enya said as she led Claudia into the workshop where her father was busy unfolding a bolt of cloth. "Hi Dad! Got some clothes and a boot to fix!"
"Already? How much?" Her father asked without looking up as she placed the basket on the table. "And who's your new friend?"
"Oh this is Claudia, I would say the whole basket is full but that'd make me a terrible daughter for lying."
"Ah, well at least we got some work on our first day." Damian said as he turned around and rubbed his hands. "Now, what do we have to work with today?"
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"You fixed it!" Callum cheered, holding up his newly fixed boot and shirt. "They look good as new!"
"We actually had to take it to a shoe maker, we don't know how to repair boots. I hope the wait was worth it." Enya chuckled as Callum slipped the fixed boot onto his foot. "I suggest having your other boot checked to make sure it doesn't have any sort of tears."
"I can barely see the stitches!" Callum gasped as he examined the newly sewn sleeve. "They're so tiny!"
"Pricked my finger a bit trying to get them that small, without thimbles because they made it hard." Enya added, holding her hand out to show Callum her bandaged fingers. "But it was worth it. Now no more using your clothes to play tug-of-war with Bait, otherwise my hard work will come undone or ruined."
"I won't!" Callum promised as he folded the shirt and went to put it away. "Can you come watch my sword fighting lesson if you're not busy?"
"You want me to try and fight that boy?" Enya asked, recalling the one who had knocked Callum to the floor and he nodded.
"Please? It will be fun to see you try and beat him!"
"Callum the only thing I ever poked with a metal object is cloth. But how can I say no to those big green eyes of yours."
Callum eagerly led Enya out to the training courtyard where Soren was waiting with two large wooden shields and a bored expression on his face.
"On time for once, didn't have to send Claudia to come find you." He said in a bored tone, but then his eyes widened a bit when he saw Enya with the young prince.
"I'm just here to watch, and maybe participate when Callum gets bored." Enya stated before Soren could even ask why she was there. "I'll be on the bench under the tree watching, okay Callum?"
"Aww, but I wanted you to spar with Soren first!" Callum protested and stuck his bottom lip out in a pout. "You promised, remember?"
Enya gave a small sigh before chuckling. "Fine, just one sparring match. But I'll warn you, I am not good at fighting with a sword."
"Yes, yes, you've only poked people with a needle." Soren muttered, to which Enya glared at him and held her sword ready.
As unfamiliar as she was with sword fighting, Enya at least knew the basics from hearing Soren yell them at Callum every other day since her and her father's sleeping quarters/workshop was located near this courtyard.
"I'll go easy on you, since you've never practiced before." Soren offered as Callum watched eagerly. Enya even caught sight of some of the other guards watching them, seeming eager to see their sparring match play out.
"Don't bother." Enya replied, and with a loud yell she lashed out at him.
Soren gave a loud yelp and jumped back to avoid getting hit before Enya's sword hit him right in the forehead, sending him falling to the floor. Callum gave a loud cheer as some of the guards laughed before one hurried over to help Soren up.
"No fair! I wasn't ready!"
"Well this is why we practice Soren, so you can get better and not get knocked down like that again." Enya said with a smirk and dropped the wooden sword. "A little lesson I'd like to give you for being so hard on little Callum. I, Enya the tailor, have avenged prince Callum's honor this afternoon."
"My honor has been avenged!" Callum yelled and ran up to Enya to hug her. "I have been avenged!"
"To the kitchen! Jelly tarts to celebrate!" Enya yelled, scooping Callum up and seating him on her shoulder the way her father used to do when she was little.
"Let's get Ez first! He and Bait will want to celebrate too!" Callum exclaimed as he held onto Enya's head.
"Unless they're already sneaking tarts from the baker, let's go before they take them all!"
"Hey practice still isn't over!" Soren protested as the two started to walk away.
"It is now!" Enya yelled over her shoulder.
⚔️⚔️⚔️
"I still can't believe it, you got knocked over with one blow!" Claudia cackled as her brother rubbed his forehead. "You got taken out by my best friend!"
"Since when is she your best friend?" Soren snapped in annoyance.
"Since we met, I even told her and she's quite happy about it." Claudia said with a smug grin. "Hey wouldn't it be cool if she took up learning how to fight and kick butt like you? She could be like General Amaya!"
"Well she's not, she's a tailor! Her dad won't even let her fight, he told our dad himself when he dragged her over to the infirmary to apologize for hitting me."
"That's not fair, she beat you fair and square!"
"Probably because he was scared dad was going to turn Enya into a frog or something for hitting me."
"I don't think you can, at least with dark magic."
Glancing at the window, Soren walked over to it to look out and saw three small figures running around the courtyard where they normally held ceremonies. Even from a distance he knew it was the princes and Enya down there, playing like they had no worries in the world. Opening the window slightly, he heard their high pitched laughter as they played, probably chasing Bait, until he heard Enya say something about getting back to work.
"At least you get to have fun." He mumbled to himself as he watched her walk away and thought, 'Why am I starting to like you so much?'