Priceless

Anna started putting her vulneraries back on her shelf, having finished up counting them for her inventories. It was a cold day outside the shop, harsh winds and snow blowing past her tent. Anna didn't mind the cold, especially not with the flame burning in her rather large hearth. However, the cold made people a lot less likely to come to her store. And no people meant no money. Which was a problem, because Anna couldn't keep her shop open much longer if she didn't get more money.

'Maybe it's time to relocate…' Anna thought to herself. She often would get no customers for days at a time during the winter season. But she couldn't close her shop. It just wasn't done for any Anna shop. They were all open for sales and trade every day, anytime. Anna sighed and rested her chin on her palm. While it didn't make sense for her to have a shop open here, she couldn't imagine moving anywhere else. She always felt like here was the right place to be, and she couldn't bear the thought of moving.

She was, however, quickly interrupted from her thoughts as a cold winter wind pierced through her shop as the door was opened. She looked up from her counter to see a cloaked figure, standing in her doorway. She was unable to see his face, but his black and purple cloak was covered in snow, which was already beginning to melt in the relative heat of the shop.

Anna was immediately all business, plastering a smile on her face and saying in a fake, upbeat voice, "Hello! Welcome to the local Anna shop! Anything I can grab for you today?" It was the same greeting given at any of her sister's shops, but Anna tried to make it her own. Of course, that was all of the Anna's ever tried to do, to distinguish themselves from their identical sisters.

The figure in the doorway didn't seem to pick up on the forced happiness in her voice, as he didn't say anything immediately. She almost called out again to see if he was ok, when he slowly pulled back his hood, saying, "Sorry sorry, I was just trying to get warmed up before I attempted conversation." As his hood was removed and she was able to see his face, and Anna was surprised to see that his hair was as white and pure as the snow that still coated his shoulders. To contrast, he had warm, brown eyes, and a kind smile.

Anna, of course, didn't let her surprise show. She was a professional after all. Instead, she just let a mischievous smile replace the fake one on her face, as she said to her visitor, "My my, it looks like you didn't have your hood up before you went outside today."

Her customer merely laughed a small laugh, rubbing his hand through his hair. "Well, I can tell you that it has always been a worried that if I was buried in the snow, they wouldn't be able to find me because I would blend in with my surroundings."

Anna let herself to laugh in return, and relaxed a bit from her previously professional demeanor. She leaned a bit on the counter as he approached, stomping the snow from his boots and generally trying to clear off any snow before it soaked his clothes. "Well, what brings you out to my part of the woods in a blizzard Mr…" she asked in an open-ended manner.

"Just call me Robin, no need to get particularly formal. And I'm assuming I can call you Anna?"

"You assumed correctly, Robin," Anna replied.

"Well Anna, to answer your question, I'm actually looking for a book on magic. I've gone through my last one, and had nothing else to do. I was hoping to see if you had one I could purchase."

"Everything in here is for sale, Robin, you just have to be able to pay the price."

Robin raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. "Everything in the shop? Including you?"

Anna smiled at him again as she replied, "I said everything Robin. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a person alive who would have enough gold to buy me."

They both laughed over that, Robin eventually replying, "Well I suppose that's a unique way to look at it. I'll have to keep it in mind the next time I meet up with anyone who has money to spare." Anna called out her sarcastic thanks as she went to go get a selection of magic books that might interest the stranger. She returned with a variety of basic magic books, one in each of the three animus magics, one of light magics, and one of darkness. Robin looked at her selections before pushing them lightly back at her. "I'm sorry Anna, I should have been more clear. I'm looking for more advanced magic books, preferably for animus magic."

Anna shrugged as she lifted the books again. "I don't care either way. I just didn't want to assume and offend you. As long as you understand that more advanced tomes will cost you more." She replaced the books, and grabbed a few of her more technical books. She ended up coming back with one for wind, and one for fire. At the sight of the rarer books, Robin's eyes lit up, and he immediately started flipping through both of them.

After looking through both of them briefly, he brought out his bag of gold pieces and bought both of them. Once the transaction was complete, he put the books in the inner lining of his cloak, which had large pockets obviously designed to hold such cargo. He then did up his cloak, and started to head towards the door.

"Thank you very much Miss Anna. It was a pleasure to meet you."

"Trust me Robin, it was an absolute pleasure to do business with you." Anna replied. Robin nodded and smiled at her, before turning towards the door. He pulled his hood over his head, preparing for the cold. Then he turned the handle of the door, and walked out of the shop.

In the following days, Robin stopped by Anna's shop again and again, having rapidly finished the books that Anna was selling him. He was going through them so fast that Anna had to put in an order to her sister stores to send her some of their rarer tomes just to keep up with him.

However, as he visited more and more, they also seemed to grow longer and longer. Soon, whenever Robin would stop by Anna would immediately start warming up some water for some tea, and they would sit by her fireplace. She would tell him about all of her tales from working in the shop and all of the weird customers that she has had over the years. In return, he told her stories about what he has read, and about his general day to day life.

Soon, these turned into daily meetings, and Robin would stop by the same time every day, no matter what the weather was outside. While there was the occasional other customer who would stop by in need of something, no one other than Robin ever showed up more than once. Which was fine with Anna. She was enjoying spending time with Robin, and quickly his visits became her favorite part of the day.

Then one day, out of the blue, Robin turned to her and said, "I'm sorry Anna, but I'm going to be gone for a while. I'm not sure when I'll be able to see you next."

Anna was surprised, but didn't let it show. "Finally found work as a male escort then?"

Robin grinned a bit, but was obviously nervous not to make some quip back. "No, but I am leaving for my job. I'm sorry I can't talk about it, but I need to make some more money."

Anna sat more upright, and squinted slightly. "Why do you need to make some more money?" she asked cautiously.

Robin didn't seem to notice as he replied, "Well I need to save up some money, and with how things are going right now I nee-"

"So you're spending too much right now? That's why you need to go? Afraid I'm draining you of all of your money?" Anna cut him off suddenly.

Robin blinked, realizing finally that something was wrong. "No that's not what I meant, I was just saying that I need more money."

"Well that's ridiculous. It's not like you need to buy something everytime you're here."

"Anna that's not what I'm saying."

"Then what are you saying."

"I'm trying to say goodbye dammit!"

Anna was shocked into a halt. This was the first real time that he had both sworn and yelled at her. She paused, and then turned away. " Then goodbye Robin. Close the door on your way out."

"Wait Anna"

"Goodbye." She then got up and went to the back room. She sat there, tears silently flowing down her face. She didn't hear anything for a few minutes, but then she heard the rustle of clothes and the door closing as Robin left. That day was the first day in all of the years that she had the shop that she had closed early

The winter ended, and spring was in its full glory when the door opened, and Anna turned around to see a familiar hood. She knew what his smile would look like even before he pulled down his hood to reveal his face.

"Hey Anna, how are you doing?"

"Hello Robin, glad to see you're back in town from…"

"Oh, I was here and there, traveling around for a while."

Anna decided to skip the small talk, and cut right to, "So what can I get for you Robin?"

Robin's smile only faltered for a moment, before leaning on a cabinet close to him. "Well I'm actually looking for something a bit more odd today. I'm looking for a ring."

Anna almost tripped over her own feet from surprise. She managed to regain her composure, and paste a smile on her face. "Who's the lucky lady?"

Robin's smiled and looked up, obviously trying to recall her as he said, "Well she's a really lovely girl. I met her pretty recently, and I felt like we really connected. So I'm taking a shot and asking her to be my wife."

Anna managed to hold it together as she grabbed the store's rings, and turned saying, "Well I'm sure that she's a lucky girl." She put the display down on the counter, displaying them for Robin.

Robin came over, and looked down at the selection. He picked up a few and looked at them, looking at them close and from far away. Anna just watched him, offering no advice or comments, until Robin asked, "And I can get this in any size?"

Anna was monotone as she said, "Yes, we can adjust the size of those to any size." Robin nodded in satisfaction, and continued to examine the rings.

Finally, he shook his head, and turned the box so that it was facing Anna. "I was always bad at this kind of thing. Which one do you like the best?"

Anna almost told him that he would know better than her what his girl would like, but her professionalism kept her in check. She decided to humor him, and glanced down at the rings. One in the corner caught her eye, a ring of silver, studded with sapphires, and a large diamond. She smiled too as she realized that that was one of her more expensive rings too. She turned the box back around, and pointed at the one that she thought.

Robin picked up the ring, and looked at started looking at it. He finally nodded in agreement, and put the ring on the counter. "I'll take it!" he exclaimed, handing her the ring.

Anna's eyebrow shot up. "Not even going to ask how much the ring is that you're buying?"

Robin faltered, and finally frowned at the ring. "Well it can't be thaaaaaaaat expensive can it?" Anna told him the price, and Robin visibly winced, and grabbed his money bag, and started counting what was in there. After he finished counting he paused, and then leaned on the counter. "Anyway that I could get that discount because we're buddies applied?"

"That was with the discount applied." It wasn't, but he didn't need to know that.

Robin paused again. Anna had never seen him hesitate so much, which gave her a bit of guilty pleasure. However, he finally sighed and shrugged. "Well, I guess I'll have to take a loan on that one."

Anna's eyes glinted. "We don't do loans here." She started gripping her sword as she continued, "There have been too many times where we had to…find our loanees."

Robin didn't falter. "I think that you can make an exception this time"

"And what makes you so sure of that?"

"Because I'll have a very very long time to pay it off." He grabbed the ring off the counter, and got down on one knee. Anna didn't even fully register what was happening, as Robin asked, "Anna, I'm very sorry that it had to happen like this, but would you do me the absolute pleasure, of becoming my wife?"

Now it was Anna's turn to pause and falter. "But- what- how?"

Robin, still on his knee, smiled. "Well, the reason I had to leave for work was so I could save up to buy this ring for you. But I couldn't tell you that…for obvious reasons."

Anna continued to falter, before spluttering out, "I'm sorry, I just don't know what to say!"

"I mean, I'm hoping you'll say yes."

Anna smiled, and then nodded. "Yes!" was all she could say.

Robin got up, and swept her into his arms. They hugged for a very long time. Robin slid the ring on her finger. She looked at it while they hugged, before turning to him and saying, "I think you're right, I can make an exception this time." And then, for the second time in a very little time, Anna closed the shop early.