The town's marketplace was full of hustle and bustle as people went about. Butchers eagerly shouted the freshness of their meat, while not too far away, seamstresses hawked their wares. Food was present in abundance, the rich and savory aromas wafting through the air. In the middle of all this, the Princess happily walked, with Momo by her side.
"Even at night, such a trade town like this is seeing so much business," Tsumami observed. "Ever since the end of the war between our nations, the people have been flourishing," she added, briefly licking her luscious lips, eyeing some of the hot food for sale. The offerings themselves told a story, with Hakata ramen being sold within a few footsteps of something like Takoyaki, delicious meals and morsels from completely different regions. "Aoki-san, is there anything you have in mind?" the princess asked.
Aoki scanned the marketplace and saw a smaller restaurant tucked away in a corner that served more izakaya style food. "After that adventure on the road, I wouldn't mind a drink." But she remembered that it was improper for a princess to go to a pub to eat and drink... but they were pretending to be merchants. It was unladylike regardless. "Perhaps, ramen?" She spotted a stall that was not as crowded, there was a young man in a stained apron advertising their prices and fresh noodles. "Over there?" She kept her eyes moving through the crowd, her elaborate skirts hiding her saya from view.
She smiled, "That place looks like it might be good." Momo didn't see the mercanaries that were travelling with them in the marketplace among the faces in the crowd around them. Perhaps, if they went to some place less crowded, their companions would find them again. "How about it, my Lady?"
"Hmm," the princess pondered. "I have another idea," she smiled, looking at Momo from head to toe again. "How about we get you some nice dresses? Perhaps a yukata or a kimono?" the woman offered. Tsumami was always one to play around with Momo, and even now, with her life on the line as the bait to draw out their pursuers? She made to play with the yojimbo. Made her feel like just another woman accompanying her during another outing.
Aoki smiled with a soft, girlish giggle as she covered her mouth with a dainty hand movement.
"How can I refuse such an offer? There looks to be a seamstress further down the road." Her thoughts were calm, she did not particularly care for putting her charge at risk but they desperately needed information so that they could act rather than just react to the attacks. They wouldn't be able to gain any ground without information. Of course, they hadn't told the mercanaries in their band what they were doing either, since there was a danger of one of them being a mole feeding their information to those that hunted them.
"I'm so glad you agreed!" the princess exclaimed, taking Momo by the hand. Within just a few moments, the two women were surrounded by lantern lit rainbows of cloth. Dresses of various cuts and sizes, made with fabrics and silks from all corners of the world seemed to be here. Looking about for something suiting of Momo, Tsumami asked, "How often do you wear more womanly clothing by the way? Or, what do you wear when you do? I can't recall ever seeing you wearing something normal," she offhandedly commented, busily looking through the various offerings.
"...my hakama is my normal clothing," Momo replied softy, noticing that inside the shop surrounded by textiles that the sounds of the bustle outside were muted. The shop was dim despite the lanterns and the selection was large, it would be easy to hid amongst the bolts of fabric in these aisles. "This is what I am wearing that is womanly." She looked at the fabrics with only passing interest, trying to look interested for the sake of those that were following them. She cold not see them yet, but she knew they were watching.
Her keen hearing heard heavy footsteps entering the store and the door slid closed with too much force. The yojimbo's hand reached for her katana's grip. "I have been partial to peach blossoms, my Lady," she added, her voice sounding louder in her ears as the sounds in the store faded away. "I guess, I like pink silks?"
"Then peach blossoms it is!" The smile that Tsumami gave her was like a ray of sunshine in the dark, something that banished the black, if only for a moment. Flying into a flurry of motion, the princess soon found exactly what Momo's heart desired. With cherry blossoms intricately woven into the delicate pink, the yukata looked as though it was the spirit of summer spun into silk. "Come on, let's have you try it on, right now!" the princess gleefully urged her on, pushing and bumping Momo into a changing stall. "Off with that hakama!" she giggled with glee.
Momo tensed as she was shoved into a stall. It was too quiet in the store. She was certain they had been followed. Her hand tightened on the grip of her sword, she waited with a motion to the princess's flurry of movement. She had to play along and girlishy giggled and protested despite her actual stillness. The floor creaked outside. She pushed the princess behind her as she readied herself for the attack.
"Is everything going alright?" the voice of a sweet old woman asked from outside.
"The dress is so gorgeous, she can't imagine herself wearing it~" Tsumami replied, girlishly giggling. As the store owner outside their changing stall laughed, stepping away, Momo felt warm and slender fingers slip in. Ticklishly poking, prodding away, she was unwrapped like a treat by the mischevious princess. "Let's see what you're hiding!" Deftly plucking at the bodyguard, her wrappings fell away before she was suddenly cupped from behind "Ara, ara, so that's what you hid?"
Momo raised an eyebrow. The princess had seen her naked before, why was her figure such a surprise. "Eiyah, please don't touch me there~" She protested girlishly, still clutching her sword, not quite glaring at the princess.