The seamstress returned to the shop, closing the door behind her. "Oh, the things I have seen..." She said, wiping the sweat from her brow, shoving aside her black hair.

"Oh, you're back!" Said another woman, a veteran seamstress. She had been working at Madam Carp's for many years, and was still getting adjusted to her snappy attitude and rudeness. She was a slightly plumper woman, with frizzy brown hair tied back underneath a simple cloth bonnet."You finished the princess's dress, right?"

The seamstress smiled. "Of course I did! Now, where is Madam Carp?"

"Out front. I don't think she's busy now." Said the older woman. For years, Madam Carp had been running her shop with an iron fist, controlling her workers. But on rare occasions, like a request to make the princess's wedding gown, she would send for much more skilled seamstresses from afar to design it for her. This was one of those times, with this seamstress being summoned from a far-off kingdom, somewhere in the desert. Because of this, the black haired seamstress had really never seen Madam Carp's employees.

And more importantly, she never saw Christina.

As the seamstress went out to the front of the shop, she tripped over a dropped pile of clothes, falling onto her face. When she looked up, she saw a young girl, sitting on a stool, her head resting on the table on top of a red gown, fast asleep.

"Um..." The seamstress said, getting back up.

"Oh, don't mind Christina. She was up all night last night, working on a special order." Explained the older woman.

"Is Madam Carp okay with her being asleep?" 

"No, but she doesn't do anything about it, other than giving her a scolding." The woman shrugged. She chuckled softly. "Nothing breaks her spirit."

The black haired seamstress took a closer look at the sleeping girl. Although she was dressed plainly, in a blue dress she had made herself, the girl still stood out. Even in her faraway desert kingdom, she had never seen a woman with hair as short as hers before.

Suddenly, the door flew open. Madam Carp, in her blue poofy dress and ridiculous feather hat were both standing there. "Christina!"

Christina screamed, falling off the stool. "You lazy little-"

"You lazy little what?" She asked, a smirk on her face, as she picked up the fallen threads.

"You- you- You haven't finished any of your work! Just take a look at that-" But when she pointed at the dress that Christina was previously sleeping on, she found that it was gone. She turned around to see the hired seamstress holding the dress.

"Beautiful dress... you did this in one night?" The hired seamstress asked.

Christina smirked. "And I added the gold embellishments."

The seamstress was shocked. "Amazing! Back in my home, no man or woman could sew this beautifully, or this fast!" Madam Carp took the dress out of her hands and threw it over the stool.

"Yes, yes, it's wonderful. Now, about your payment..." Madam Carp started, trying to change the subject. "You go out front. I need to speak with Christina quickly. I'll be right there."

The seamstress shrugged and went out to the front of the shop. As soon as the door was closed, Madam Carp was screaming. "You were asleep?!"

"No, I was just resting my eyes." Christina sniggered.

"Laugh while you can. You'll be working for me for another thirty-seven years!" She said. Christina's smirk faded, and transferred to Madam Carp, happy to see her frowning.

"But I've already paid off more than half!" She shouted.

Madam Carp chuckled softly, her true intent obvious. "Yes, but there's an interest isn't there? Your parents should have thought of that before they borrowed so much from me, especially in these times!"

"They did it to feed me!" Christina shouted angrily as Madam Carp went towards the front of the shop.

Madam Carp smirked, stepping halfway through the door, before turning slightly to Christina. "Their mistake." Then she slammed it behind her.

Christina growled, ready to charge at the door, but the older seamstress stopped her. "Let's not challenge her today, dear. We still have quite a bit of work to do." 

"I know, but... that was low! Mentioning my parents like that... she drags their name through the mud, then forces me to work off the debt! What am I supposed to do?" Christina simmered down. She sighed. "No, I know what I'm going to do." 

Christina ran over to the window, opening it up, and looking out upon the clifftops. She smiled, determined and proud once more. She turned to the older seamstress, who was smiling back at her. Now there's the Christina I know. She thought. 

"I'm going to work until I repay my parent's debt! And when I do, I'll redeem my parents, and then travel the world!" She shouted, grabbing the older seamstress's hands excitedly, before running back to the window and leaning dangorusly over the railing.

"Travel the world, huh? Can I come along?" The seamstress asked.

"I don't know. My number one priority right now is to repay their debt. Once that's done, then I can worry about traveling the world and all that. I've had a duty since birth, and if it means that I have to stay here for thirty-seven years, then I will! Duty means doing the things your heart may well regret." Christina's smile faded, albeit, only a little, as she tried to see something new in the distance, trying to see beyond the mountain tops. She knew she couldn't run past them and see what was there, she had a duty.

"Really, really, really regret."