//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8: Rah Rah, Fashion Baby 
// Story: Serving A Queen 
// by Harmony Charmer 
//------------------------------//

	"Oh, Umbraaaaa," a voice said, a light tune in the tone. "It's time to wake uuuuuuup."

Umbra instinctively pulled her pillow over her head. "Go away, Bubble."

"Oh, come on!" She felt his hands wrap around her shoulders and shake her lightly. "It's almost time for breakfast!"

"No." Umbra pulled the covers over her face. "I'm not getting up. This is one of the few occasions where I don't have to worry about Feather Quill bothering me, and dammit, I am going to enjoy it."

She felt a shift in the bed beside her and heard a small 'hmmph' escape Bubble. "Well, I was gonna get you the blueberry pancakes I made, but since you're gonna be a grump, I guess I'll eat them myself!"

Umbra's eyes popped open, her covers falling from her face as she turned to look at him. "Blueberry pancakes?"

"Yep!" Bubble chirped. "I knew that'd get you up! Besides, I'm more of a strawberry person."

Umbra sighed, then sat up to face him. "How long have you been in here?"

"Not long." Bubble fell onto the bed beside her, his arms crossed behind his head. "Besides, you look cute when you're sleeping. You don't frown as much."

Umbra frowned at him. "That's creepy."

"Is it, though?"

"Yes." Umbra searched around the room. "Where are the pancakes at? I'm absolutely famished."

Bubble sat up, then turned towards her nightstand and turned back with a tray in his hands. "Here ya go! I also got some orange juice and toast with jam!"

"Crystal berry?" Umbra's eyes widened at the sight. "How'd you know?"

Bubble shrugged. "Dunno, just do. Besides, I tried some and they're super good! It's like explosions of rainbows and sunshine!"

Umbra rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, I suppose that's one way of putting it." She took a bite of the toast, then shivered with delight. "I haven't had a good meal in quite some time..."

Bubble snagged a piece of toast for himself and took a bite. "Whuh nuh?"

Umbra arched a brow. "Hmm?"

Bubble swallowed and cleared his throat. "Why not? You're the Queen, right? I figured you'd be feasting every day and night!"

Umbra frowned a bit. "I don't get to eat as much as I like. Feather tells me I need to watch my weight or else everyone will judge me for 'gorging myself during a time of war'." Suddenly, her appetite faded and she pushed her tray away. "Here, you can have the rest it you want."

Bubble frowned and he cocked his head to the side. "Why does everyone blame you for what's going on? You didn't start the war, right?"

Umbra shook her head. "No, I didn't... It started because of a communication error between the former King and Queen and the leader of the Griffon Kingdoms, Silverwing. They ended up getting into a fight with one another and it soon escalated when Razorclaw, that stupid general, charged us."

Bubble gasped. "Whoa, really?" He leaned in anticipation. "What happened next?"

"The King and Queen were killed during an attack on the castle," she told him. "And their son was never found. No one knows what happened to him or if he's even alive." She sighed. "I took on the role as Queen after I led a legion of soldiers into battle and defeated the Griffons, successfully defending the frontlines."

"Wait, you can do that?" Bubble asked. "Just, take on a leadership role?"

"The vote was unanimous," she told him. "Apparently, having magic is major ratings boost. Until, that is, everyone begins to blame you for not fixing everything within a matter of months because they're so used to peace and life being easy instead of understanding how dire times are and how change has to come with support, not a lone monarch." She looked down. "Things are much easier to deal with when you have someone to blame for it."

"Hey, come on! I'm sure things will turn around for you soon!" Bubble put the tray aside and scooted closer to Umbra. "Besides, not everyone hates what you're doing! Heck, look at all the guards who listen to you!"

"Only because they swore an oath to me."

Bubble frowned. "Darn, I thought that would sell it... Well, I think you're doing good, all things considering! I mean, you're doing so much work and you're keeping the Crystal Ball and Fair going! I bet they'll start being more supportive by the time we get to it!"

Umbra sighed. "I have a serious feeling that's not going to be the case..."

Bubble put his hands on his hips. "OK, that's it! We're gonna cheer you up!" He rolled off the bed and stood up, his hand outstretched towards her. "Come on, get dressed!"

"What for?" Umbra asked. "What do you have planned?"

Bubble smiled at her. "Just get ready!" He held up a hand. "No armor, though! Just wear a dress or pants or something other than that!"

Umbra frowned. "What about my duties? I can't just get up and leave without an excuse."

"Yeah, you can!" Bubble said as he rushed to her wardrobe. "You're the Queen, you can do whatever you want!"

"No, I can't--Ah!" She snatched the dress that Bubble that threw off of her face. "Bubble!"

He turned towards her and held out his closed hands, where Umbra could see dozens of multi-colored ribbons dangling from his grip. "And this time, I'm gonna put these ribbons in!"


*	*	*


"Bubble!" Umbra called out. She tugged her arm tirelessly as Bubble dragged down the streets of the Empire,  her other hand occupied with trying to keep her dark cloak on. She couldn't afford to explain why she was out with such an eccentric person or to be recognized to begin with. Or explain why her hair had dozens of ribbons in it. It was probably the last one.

"Oh, calm down!" Bubble told her. "I got something really fun planned for today! You're gonna love it!"

Umbra looked around her, her unease growing as people stopped to watch them pass by. "Bubble, please, stop running! You're making people stare!"

Bubble slowed down, allowing Umbra to go to his side as he stood. "Sorry. I guess I'm a lot faster than I thought. I don't usually have to worry about anyone keeping up with me."

Umbra sighed in surrender. "It's fine... Just, we're trying to keep a low profile, remember? I can't afford for people to see me in public, especially since that revolt a couple days ago..."

Bubble frowned. "Aw, geez, I'm sorry..." He perked up. "Come on! Let's get to it!"

"Get to what, exactly?" Umbra questioned, pulling at her hood so it wouldn't fall. 

Bubble stopped abruptly, nearly making Umbra topple over. He pointed a finger at a building. "There!"

Umbra arched a brow in confusion, but she looked to where he was pointing nonetheless. Her eyes widened in horror and she attempted to back away. "Oh, no. Please, no."

Bubble began bouncing towards the shop. "Come on, I told you this was gonna be fun!"

Umbra tugged her arm in a futile attempt to get away, but Bubble's grip held fast. "Please, Bubble, I'll do anything you want. Anything. Just, please... Don't take me in there!"

Bubble turned back with a smile. "Aw, come on! The ball's going to be in a couple weeks, and you need a dress!" 

The building in front of them shone with a standard crystalline sheen, though it's pink coloring made it stand out from the rest of the street's buildings. There was a sign that hung over the entrance, proclaiming: "The Lady Boutique" in elegant, fuzzy cursive writing. Umbra could feel the itchy pink dresses from afar.

He turned his whole body towards her and grabbed her other hand with his other one. "Let's go!"

Umbra let out a loud cry of surprise as he whirled her around and she prayed that she didn't trip from the fast movement. She found herself swirling into a new area, then dizzily stood on her own as Bubble released her hands. She thanked whatever deity above that her cloak stayed on during the whole ordeal.

"Here we are!" Bubble exclaimed, skipping over to her side. "Let's go look at some of the dresses!"

Umbra shook her head, ridding herself of any remaining dizziness, then turned to glare at him. "Bubble, if I had known you were going to bring me here, I wouldn't have gone with you." She scowled at the pink dresses that hung on the racks. "I was never a fan of dresses."

Bubble pouted. "Aw, but you have to wear one! I mean, think about how pretty you'll look!"

Umbra frowned. "I've gone plenty of years without wearing a dress to a ball, and I'm sure another won't hurt." She crossed her arms. "Besides, I'm not going to actually be at the ball. I just... make an appearance and that's it. No one really cares if I'm there for long or not."

Bubble gasped. "That's awful! Why not?"

Umbra pulled her hood back, trying to ignore the scrape of the fabric against the multiple ribbons on her head. "Because, they didn't care when I wasn't Queen, so they aren't going to now that I am. At least now when I'm Queen they have the decency to keep their comments to themselves." She detached her cloak, revealing her to be wearing a simple tunic with tights. "Besides, no one cares what I wear."

"Well, they're going to this time!" Bubble told her. He pointed a finger to the sky in a exclamatory manner. "I vow to make sure that you look absolutely beautiful for this ball! Which, actually, isn't going to be hard. You're already super pretty!"

Umbra rolled her eyes. "Fine, alright. Just... keep me away from the itchy dresses. I can't stand those."

"OK!" Bubble replied. He rushed over to a rack, then gasped exaggeratedly. "Oh, this looks pretty!"

Umbra blanched at the sight of the glittery pink dress that had puffy sleeves and far too many ruffles for her taste. "Ugh, no. Pick something else, please."

Bubble frowned, but it faded as he put the dress back and pulled out another one. "How about this one?"

"No puffy sleeves. I can't stand those."

"How about this one?" Bubble put the dress in front of him and twirled. "It looks great for dancing!"

"I don't dance," Umbra told him. 

Bubble gasped. "But, that's the best part of the ball! Well, and the food. And the music. And the dresses. And the decorations. And the--"

"Bubble." Umbra pointed to the rack. "Maybe we should look at something less... couture?"

Bubble frowned, but he obliged and put the dress back on the rack with a smile. "OK! Let's go see if they have anything in a different color!"

Umbra let out a small sigh of relief. "Alright. Let's just hope there's nothing too-- Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

Bubble's eyes widened, and he put his hands on both sides of his face. "Oh my gosh! This is cool!" He zoomed down the row, his hands grazing the dresses as he giggled with delight. "So many colors, so many patterns, so many pretty dresses! I can't wait 'til we see how you look in these!"

Umbra crossed her arms over her chest. "Bubble, I'm not going to try on all of these-- Ack!" Umbra wrestled beneath the fabric of the dresses that landed on her, her arms breaking out from their itchy, lacy prisons like they were drowning. "Bubble, stop throwing things at me!"

"Go on, let's get you dressed!" She felt him grab her upper arms and push her to an unknown destination. "I'm real excited about that rainbow one! It'll look so good on you!"

Umbra tried to fight against Bubble's grip, but found she couldn't as she was pushed into two doors. She let out a shriek of surprise as she collapsed into the small space, then stood up uneasily as her vision lolled about. She shook her head, then snatched the dresses off of her shoulders. "Bubble, how many dresses did you give me?"

"Only the ones I wanted you to wear!" Bubble answered. She could hear his feet tapping excitedly from outside the apparent dressing room. "You'll look great in them!"

Umbra rolled her eyes, then slipped her tunic off and picked up a dress. She gagged at the cornflower blue top and multi-spectral skirt that had golden lightning bolts on it, then looked to the door. "Bubble, I'm not wearing this dress! It looks like someone slapped it with a rainbow!"

"Aw, but that's why I picked it! It reminded me of Rainbow Blitz!"

Umbra groaned, but slipped the dress on nonetheless. "Fine, fine, I'll be out in a second." With a begrudging smile on her face, opened the doors and stepped over the heap of dresses to leave. "How does this look?"

Bubble stopped moving, and he stood up straight with a hand on his hip. "Girl, you were right about the rainbow... It does not work for you." He wrinkled his nose a bit. "Also, blue is not your color."

Umbra rolled her eyes. "Alright, so that rules out that selection." She walked back in the dressing room, then shoved out every blue dress Bubble had thrown at her. "Oh my god, why is there so much pink in here?"

"Because I think you'll look nice in it! Everyone looks nice in pink!" Bubble told her.

"Now, to that I must object." Umbra stepped, resisting the urge to scratch her arms and torso. The dress she wore was pink and lacy all over, taking up to three feet in circumference. Umbra spat a bit as glitter twinkled in the air and into her mouth, nearly making her gag. "What is with your obsession with glitter? I swear, I might never get it all off of me!"

Bubble crinkled his brows. "Wow, I was sure wrong."

Umbra spat once more, her lids falling in annoyance. "You think?"

Bubble smiled and he stood on his toes in excitement. "You look great in pink!"

Umbra blinked. "Wait, what?" She stepped towards him, nearly stumbling as she did. "What makes you think this is a good choice for me? Also, what did I tell you about puffy sleeves? I... I look like Glinda from the Wizard of Oz!"

"Aw, but you're way prettier!" Bubble told her, glowing with admiration. "I mean, you're so pretty and sparkly!"

"I'm not wearing this." Umbra slipped the dress off, not caring if she all she had underneath were her undergarments and tights. "Don't you have something that's not pastel and just over the top girly? I mean, I don't mind others wearing it, but it isn't to my tastes."

Bubble frowned a bit, his brows furrowing in thought. "Hmm..." He snapped his fingers. "I got it! Be right back!" He zoomed away, then leaned back into the hall. "Oh, and, uh, you might want to get in the dressing room before someone sees you. Not a lot of people are OK with nudity."

"I'm not-- Oh, right." Umbra sighed a bit as she stepped into the dressing room. "Bubble, would you hurry it up? I'd rather not put up with Feather Quill showing up unannounced and deciding to lecture me on punctuality and such when I get back."

"OK, I'm here!" Bubble proclaimed. "I got the dress! Here!"

Umbra looked over the door and watched as a tumble of purple fabric came over it. "Hmm, purple. I like this direction."

"Excuse me, sir, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Umbra heard a voice say from outside the dressing room.

"Hmm?" Umbra wriggled into the dress with ease, the fabric smooth and relaxed. "Bubble, is someone there?"

"Hang on a sec!" Bubble told her. "Um, why do I have to leave? My friend and I were just trying on some dresses! Well, I'm not, but I'm picking them out and she's trying them on."

Umbra heard a very haughty sniff come from the feminine speaking voice. "Well, this store is for only the best of clientele, and judging from your... attire, you don't seem to fit this standard."

"Don't seem to fit the standard?" Bubble repeated, and Umbra could just see him blinking in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I'd rather you leave. You're making the other customers uncomfortable with your... exuberance."

"But there isn't anyone else here!" Bubble protested. "I've been around this store three times and I didn't even see you until just now!"

Another sniff. "Well, I'm sorry, but I would suggest taking your business elsewhere. This store is for only the highest class and you aren't even close to reaching that level."

Umbra stepped out, clad in her gown. "I'm sorry, but is there an issue here?"

The woman, dressed in a rather fashionable dress of her own, froze. "Oh, dear... Um, Your Majesty, I wasn't aware of your presence."

"No, but that doesn't excuse your behavior," Umbra snapped, her hands going to her hips. She hoped that her sparkling purple gown didn't take from her intimidating stance and expression.

"Ma'am, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean--"

"Didn't mean to what? To humiliate my friend because of your prejudice?" Umbra stepped forward, her eyes narrowing and her voice growing more venomous. "I thought that perhaps the prejudice in this Empire would have disappeared, but it would seem I'm wrong. Maybe it's a good thing you wanted to kick us out."

"Umbry, it's fine," Bubble said, taking a hold of her arm gently. "She didn't know."

"No, but that doesn't make this alright." Umbra turned to the woman with cold eyes. "Perhaps I'll take your advice and take my business elsewhere." Umbra slipped off her gown, uncaring of the presence in the room. She no longer felt anxiety and she stood proud as she glowered at the store owner. "Bubble, would your grab my tunic and cloak for me, please?"

"OK," Bubble said, not even sparing her a second glance.

Umbra continued to glare at the woman, even after Bubble returned with her items. "I would have thought you'd know better." Umbra snapped her fingers, her clothes appearing on her in a sparkle of red magic. "But it seems that I put far too much credit on my citizens, as usual." She stepped past the woman, pulling her hood over her head as she did. "Bubble, we're leaving. Say goodbye to the nice lady."

"Bye nice lady!" Bubble said, scurrying to catch up to Umbra.

After the pair left the store, the store owner could only stare in wonder and she looked back to where Umbra once stood. "My lord, I simply must find out who did her hair!"