Thread drove through pricy fabric, piercing the material over and over again, binding together two separate pieces and unifying them into one. There were few in this domain who had the means to wear such pristine products and even fewer still who had the privilege of working on them.
It was an honour to be one such craftswoman and Abagail was very much aware of this.
This was lion's fur, a fine silky fabric that came from lands that were just upon the edge of this realm's diplomatic world. Though it was also a material that didn't seem to bear any resemblance to the creature it was supposedly borne from. Still, it was an amazing material: light, flowing, and radiant in the light.
"How is my design coming along, Abagail," a voice finer than this material asked.
Abagail looked up from her soft brown hands and towards the source of this voice. It was a beautiful but powerful looking woman who was staring at the seamstress in front of her. She bore a half smile, the most mirth she seemed able to afford at times. One of her chocolate hands ran through her charcoal hair, playing with one of the many gorgeous curls that nature had seen fit to bestow her with.
She wore something far more casual than the bountiful dress that Abagail was crafting. Though it was still an outfit of a royal caliber. It would seem that even her casual wear was afforded such luxurious treatment.
"It is coming along nicely, Your Highness," Abagail replied.
The Princess clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Still boring yourself with pomp and circumstance?"
"There are protocols we are taught to follow that are hard to unlearn," Abagail stated, winking at her. "Plus, I know how much it gets under your skin, Sol."
Sol snorted. "I should have you executed, you brat."
"Then you would not see this dress finished," Abagail rebutted, unphased by such threats. "And that would really be a shame, don't you think?"
She finished with some stitch work, so expertly woven that it barely showed upon the lightly coloured garb. This pile of semi-finished fabrics would one day become a beautiful work of art though it would still be many sessions until such a goal was achieved.
Though Abagail's gaze once more returned to the Princess, watching the way she looked out the window and upon the countryside beyond. It seemed like she had something upon her mind, something festering away as her brow tented.
It wasn't uncommon for such things to plague their encounters. After all, the work of a monarch was never an easy labour. The wants and worries of a Kingdom were upon her shoulders, a weight that no other man nor woman could claim to bear.
"How have you been, Sol?" Abagail asked.
Sol smiled though her expression was still strained, practiced, hiding something and poorly at that. "Stressed... though I am sure you are able to pick up on that easily enough."
"You are not the hardest woman in the world to read," Abagail conceded. "Is there something that I can assist you with."
"No, there are few who can help me," Sol replied, biting her lip. "Sorry, that was a horrible unproductive answer." She sighed and shook her head. "I am required to attend a social function that I would rather avoid."
"Anybody that I know?" Abagail asked.
Sol glanced towards her, suddenly looking quite sad. "Baron Trembly of Applewood."
Abagail hissed. "That is... a rather awkward situation to be in."
"It's a fucking nightmare is what it is," Sol grumbled, reaching up and massaging her brow between a forefinger and thumb. "I should've just locked that bastard up for what he did to his servants but..."
"He won over the courts and you'd be seen as a tyrant if you overruled them," Abagail offered, turning her attention towards Sol. "It wasn't a winnable situation to be in."
"Not in the slightest," Sol grumbled.
Abagail pushed needle through fabric again and again. "But that doesn't mean that you need to be happy about it."
"No, I don't," Sol agreed.
She shook her head and leaned back into her chair, closing her eyes. Her brow tented and it was obvious that some more unkind, unproductive, and laborious thoughts were coming forward to fill her thoughts with fresh torments.
Abagail had worked with this woman for years and knew her as well as she knew the fabrics she worked with and the stitches that she made. Which meant that every little twitch was a tell that she could pick up on with intimate familiarity.
The way her brow cocked now spoke to a deep anxiety, possibly about public perception or her own honour.
"Can I just bestow you with my crown?" Sol asked.
Abagail snorted. "Absolutely not, this is your mess and I have no interest in inheriting it from you."
"Bitch," Sol jeered though there was no legitimate anger behind her words, only exhaustion and fatigue.
"Call me such things again and I might need to remind you of our informal dynamic," Abagail warned, looking up from her work.
Sol smirked and cracked open an eye. "Are you threatening me with a good time, seamstress?"
"Good is subjective," Abagail replied.
"Oh, so you are threatening me with a good time!" Sol beam, an excited edge entering her voice. "Very well, please remind me of this dynamic that you think we have."
Abagail couldn't help but notice the shit eating grin that Her Majesty now bore.
Sol got to her feet and made her way over, ensuring that she put a little extra swing into her step as she approached. Her presence was enticing and it was hard for Abagail to return her attention to her work, keeping her gaze locked upon the Princess' face.
"Maybe I desire to continue with my work," Abagail teased, cocking a brow. "Did you ever think of that, Your Majesty."
Though she knew that such words were futile. There was nothing that could sway Her Majesty when there was something that she wanted. And judging by her body language, she very clearly had a rather crude objective in mind.
Abagail briefly glanced towards a mirror on the table, taking a moment to straighten her wild blue hair. She hoped that she looked fit for royal consumption, praying that the bags under her eyes were not off-putting.
"You do know that I cherish our time together," Sol stated.
She was now at the desk, bracing her hands upon it. There was a predator's smile upon her lips as she slowly licked them, pushing out her chest and trying to look as enticing as possible. Not that she really needed to try very hard. At the very least, it seemed that her worries had fled quite quickly, leaving her mind rejuvenated.
Abagail tilted her head to the side. "I couldn't tell." She then smirked. "You only call upon my company on a biweekly basis like clockwork after all."
She reached out and carefully placed a hand upon the Princess' arm, carefully stroking her flesh.
"What are you in the mood for this afternoon?" Abagail asked.