The soft, golden light of the magical lamps in our hotel room felt like a warm embrace as I slowly blinked my eyes open. It was still dark outside, but in this underground city, it was always dark. The room was quiet, except for the rhythmic, soft breathing of Elphyete on one side of me and little Salphy in the middle. The huge bed was so comfortable that I almost didn't want to move, but I knew we had things to do. We still hadn't found the Building of Entertainment, and we still hadn't found the King, but looking down at Salphy, I realized we had a more immediate problem. She was still wearing the oversized shirt Elphyete had lent her after their bath. She needed clothes of her own, something that wasn't dirty rags from a slave cage or borrowed adult clothing.
I nudged Elphyete gently. Her long ears gave a sleepy twitch, the tips a very pale pink against her silver hair. She opened her eyes and smiled at me, then looked down at the sleeping dark elf girl between us. Elphyete's ears perked up, turning a slightly deeper shade of pink as she reached out to stroke Salphy's black hair. We moved quietly so we wouldn't wake her up too fast, but Salphy was a light sleeper. Her silver eyes fluttered open, and she immediately reached out to grab both of our hands.
"Good morning, Mommy. Good morning, Daddy," she whispered, her voice still thick with sleep.
After we all got ready, we headed down to the lobby. Tokine and Celdrich were already there, sitting by the stone fireplace. Celdrich was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his expression stoic as usual, while Tokine was bouncing her leg, looking a bit bored. When they saw us coming down the stairs with Salphy, Tokine's face lit up. She hopped off her chair and ran over to us.
"Are we finally going to do something today?" Tokine asked, her eyes darting to Salphy. "Wait, she can't go around in just that shirt all day. She looks like a little ghost!"
"That's exactly what we were thinking," Elphyete said, her ears twitching with a determined flick. "We're going to find a clothing shop before we do anything else. A princess—even a new one—needs to look her best."
So, Tokine, Celdrich, Sogha, and Elphyete will take Salphy to a clothing shop. We stepped out into the dark streets of the underground city. It was still like walking inside a lamp in a blacked-out place. The air was cool and smelled of damp stone, but the streets were busier than they had been the night before. We walked past several shops with heavy iron doors and glowing signs until we found one that looked like it sold high-quality fabrics. The sign above the door showed a golden needle and thread, glowing with a soft white light.
As we walked inside, a bell chimed somewhere in the back. The shop was filled with racks of colorful clothes that stood out vividly against the dark stone walls. There were silks that shimmered like moonlight and heavy wools that looked warm enough to survive a blizzard. A worker, a woman with short, practical hair and measuring tapes draped around her neck, walked out from behind a counter. She looked at our group, her eyes lingering on Elphyete's silver hair and then on Salphy's grey skin and silver eyes.
"Welcome," the worker said, her voice professional but not unkind. She looked down at Salphy, who was hiding slightly behind Elphyete's leg. "She's a beautiful little thing. We have many styles that would suit a dark elf. But I need to know the size. What is Salphy's age?"
Salphy peeked out from behind Elphyete, her silver eyes shimmering with a bit of nervousness. She looked up at the worker and then back at us. "I'm 5," Salphy said, her voice small but clear.
The worker nodded and smiled. "Five years old. A wonderful age." The worker put them in an aisle where the clothes for 5-year-old kids is there. It was a long section of the store filled with miniature versions of the adult clothes we had seen earlier. There were tiny tunics, small dresses, and even little pairs of leather boots.
Tokine was the first one to dive into the racks. "Oh, look at this one! It's bright orange! You'd be easy to spot in the dark with this, Salphy!"
Salphy looked at the orange tunic and shook her head quickly. Elphyete chuckled, her ears twitching in amusement. "Maybe something a bit more subtle, Tokine. We don't want her to look like a piece of fruit." Elphyete reached into the rack and pulled out a soft, violet dress made of a fabric that looked like it was woven from spider silk. "Try this on, Salphy."
We spent the next few hours in that shop. We've looked and made Salphy try clothes for a few hours, turning the small fitting area into a mini-fashion show. Salphy would disappear behind the curtain with Elphyete's help and then come out a few minutes later to show us the result.
First, it was the violet dress. It matched her silver eyes perfectly, making them pop against her grey skin. Salphy twirled around, the skirt flaring out. "Do I look pretty, Mommy?" she asked.
"You look beautiful, Salphy," Elphyete said, her ears turning a very bright, proud pink.
Next, Tokine insisted on a set of practical travel clothes—dark green trousers and a sturdy beige shirt. "She needs to be ready for anything if we're going to find the King," Tokine argued. Salphy came out looking like a tiny explorer, and even Celdrich gave a small, approving nod.
"It is practical," Celdrich said, his voice deep and calm. "It will keep her warm in the lower levels of the city."
Then there was a midnight-blue cloak with a silver fur trim. When Salphy put it on, she looked like a little noblewoman. She walked with her head held high, mimicking Elphyete's regal stride. We all laughed, and Salphy joined in, her silver eyes crinkling at the corners. We looked through racks of shirts, stockings, small boots, and even some warm pajamas decorated with tiny embroidered stars. Every time Salphy tried something on, Elphyete would adjust the collar or smooth out the fabric, her long ears moving with every focused movement.
I mostly stayed in the back, holding the growing pile of clothes that we decided to keep. My arms were getting full, but I didn't mind. Seeing Salphy go from a scared, shivering kid in a cage to a happy girl playing dress-up was worth the wait. Every now and then, Salphy would run over to me and ask, "Do you like this one, Daddy?" and I would just nod and tell her she looked great.
After getting a lot of clothes—enough to fill several large bags—we finally finished. Elphyete paid the worker, who seemed very happy with the large amount of gold coins Elphyete handed over. We left the shop with Celdrich and me carrying most of the bags, while Salphy walked between Elphyete and Tokine, wearing her new violet dress and the midnight-blue cloak. She looked like a completely different person.
The walk back to the hotel was much faster this time. We were all hungry and tired from the hours of shopping. The dark streets didn't seem as intimidating now that we had something to celebrate. We saw a few more of those rare food stalls along the way, but we decided to just get back to the hotel and eat something there.
When we arrived back at "The Deep Rest," we went straight to the dining area. We ordered a large meal of roasted meat, fresh bread, and some of that sparkling soup Salphy liked so much. We all sat together, Tokine and Celdrich included, and they went home and eat. The conversation was light, mostly Tokine teasing Salphy about how many clothes she had now, and Salphy giggling between bites of bread.
"You're going to need your own pack just to carry all those dresses," Tokine joked.
"Daddy will carry them!" Salphy said, pointing at me with a greasy finger.
"Hey, why is it always me?" I asked, though I was smiling.
Elphyete smirked at me, her ears giving a playful flick. "Because you're the strongest, Sogha. Isn't that right?"
I just shook my head and kept eating, feeling that familiar warmth in my chest. After we finished the meal, we were all exhausted. The shopping had taken a lot out of us, and the heavy air of the underground city always seemed to make sleep come easier. We said our goodnights to Tokine and Celdrich, who headed to their own rooms.
Elphyete, Salphy, and I went back to our huge room. The golden light of the lamps was still flickering, casting soft shadows on the walls. Elphyete helped Salphy change into her new star-embroidered pajamas, while I put the many bags of clothes in the corner. The room felt even more like a home now with Salphy's things scattered around.
We all climbed back into the giant bed. Salphy took her spot in the middle, yawning widely as she snuggled into the blankets. She reached out and grabbed Elphyete's hand on one side and mine on the other.
"I love my new clothes, Mommy. Thank you, Daddy," she mumbled, her eyes already starting to close.
"You're welcome, sweetie," Elphyete whispered, leaning over to kiss the girl's forehead. Her ears were a soft, peaceful pink.
We all lay there in the quiet room, the only sound being the faint hum of the city outside and the steady breathing of the three of us. The search for the Building of Entertainment and the King would have to wait for tomorrow. Today had been about Salphy. As the darkness of sleep began to pull at me, I felt a sense of peace I hadn't felt since we entered this dungeon city. We and sleep, drifting off into a deep, dreamless rest in the middle of the dark world. The three of us were safe, and for now, that was all that mattered. The giant room felt smaller and cozier as we all fell asleep, tucked away from the dangers of the underground.