Page 5 of Enchanted Kingdom
I had yet again been thinking of Will’s early morning offer and sighed as I pulled open the door of Flora’s shop for her. The bell on the door dinged our arrival. “I’m clomping, not stomping, which is far more dignified. I just don’t want to be here.”
She gave me a pointed look. “I gathered that.”
We both wiped our shoes on the door mat upon stepping foot in Flora’s shop. It had rained the previous night and the roads had still been slightly muddy. I wasn’t mad; I would deal with the mud to be able to smell the fresh air blown in from the sea. We didn’t get down to see the port often, but it was one of my favorite views in Nerede. Sea storms brought the best smells and clouds with them.
“Eleanor and Jorah!” Flora’s voice sang out as she walked up front to greet us. “So glad you’re here. Let me finish this last consult and then I will be with you both.”
She had some sort of measuring device wrapped around her neck. While I suspected she was close to the age of my mother, she did not have even the slightest whisp of gray in her red hair. She was also so very tall I sometimes felt bad for her for having to bend over and measure people all day.
“Thank you,” my mother smiled at her. “Do take your time. We are in no rush.”
Not wanting to make any more awkward small talk with Mother, as we had all day while baking, I walked around the shop. I looked at some premade day dresses on a rack before heading for the bolts of fabrics along the back walls. The giant rolls of fabric were arranged by color, and that made me feel a bit of contentment despite not wanting to be there.
What color did I want to wear? Because though vomit colored would send the correct message, this would be the one and only time I would wear a gown of this level.
I ran my hand across the fabric. Some were silky feeling, some cotton, and some had a rather fuzzy feel. The different textures all together felt odd on the skin of my hands.
“I have something in mind. Come, come.”
I didn’t even know Flora had snuck up on me until the woman was right there. I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. I couldn’t avoid this. I was going to the ball. I was wearing a fancy gown. It was time to face the music and get this over with. The quicker the ball came and went, the sooner my life could return back to normal.
After leading us back to the consult area, my mother sat down on a chair next to the mirrors, a chair designated for a mother hen to sit and wait for something to be tried on. There were three massive mirrors angled together to give the full view of the gowns. A slightly raised portion of the floor sat next to the mirrors. It was a vain sort of mirrored pedestal, but I did have to admit it would allow for seeing all angles of a gown.
My stomach lurched slightly in looking at it all. It was set up lovely enough. Mother had informed me proudly that people from Rallis even occasionally came to Flora’s shop because she was the best and most talented seamstress in all of Wylan. Mother was biased, but also probably correct.
I took a deep, calming breath and exhaled slowly. I could do this. I could do this. It was just a dress.
Most people in Nerede who stood here were not getting a gown for being in the Assemblages of Consorts for the crown princes, they were instead purchasing wedding gowns. Before yesterday, I thought I was a long way from any gown fittings.
Yet here I was.
“So if you hate the color that’s fine...”
I turned around to see what was in Flora’s hands and gasped, cutting her off entirely. I couldn’t help but reach out and touch the fabric lightly. It was stunning. So stunning it stole my nerves and gave me the first hint of excitement I’d felt about this ball since the wretched letter arrived.
“What do you think?” Flora asked.
I was still stroking the material lightly. “I think you have spent every spare moment since finding out about my letter on this based on how far along it is at this juncture.”
She smirked. “I meant about the color and style. I didn’t need you critiquing my work ethic, because you calling me a workaholic is a severe case of pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think, Jorah?”
I snorted a laugh. “That’s fair. I’m sorry. I just feel guilty. This is so lovely. I adore it, but I also feel bad about how much time you must have already spent on it.”
She pinned me with a motherly scold. “Jorah, when else will my designs get to be seen inside the castle? I started a few gowns for the Nerede women months ago. Just in case a couple of you were selected.”
I was stunned into silence. There went my game plan of going with an ugly gown to further my cause of going unnoticed. She was right. This wasn’t just about me. It was about carrying myself in a way that did Nerede proud. The crown princes could get lost. This gown wasn’t for them. It wasn’t even fully for me. It was for Nerede. It was for all of us.
With that thought in mind, I gently took the dress from her and headed to the small, enclosed area to change. Soon enough, I stepped into the thing while she tightened up the lacing in the back. The gown was a light blue hue, but at the same time almost gray. There was beading around the top portion before a ribbon separated the upper half from the lower, where the dress flowed outward.
I felt unworthy of the dress I was standing in. I’d never seen anything like it. Women who worked in bakeries did not wear fine things such as these.
A full minute later, when Flora had me tied in and I was finally able to wear it on my own, I walked over to the mirrors.
My mother brought up a hand to cover her mouth. She obviously approved.
I had to admit, in the huge mirrors, the gown was breathtaking. “There is no jacket over the top?” I asked Flora.
She shook her head. “Strapless gowns are popular at the castle from what I understand. I will send you a scarf of sorts for the trip there, or a blanket for the long ride.”
