Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.
I know this is coming extremely late, and I realized that there aren't enough excuses to apologize for it, so I won't even try. All I can say is sorry, and that I hope you're not too upset with me. I hope this chapter will be enough to earn forgiveness! Enjoy!
I had never finished cleaning the grand hall in so quickly a time before. I don't think I ever got it as clean either. That was how I finished the rest of the day's chores, as quickly and as perfectly as possible.
I couldn't have Victoria saying anything was wrongly done. If she found a speck of dust on a mirror, or a spot of dirt sprinkled on some sort of furniture, she would use it as an excuse to forbid me from going to the ball. I knew she was waiting for me to make a mistake; it was almost like I could feel her watching every move I made. So every one of the task she gave me, I finished with complete accuracy, not leaving a single detail unnoticed. Not only that, but I did every one of those tasks in half the time they usually took me. I was going to need that extra time.
Victoria's demands had been too simple. Only to finished all my appointed chores for the day and the chores for tomorrow as well. Then all I had to do was find an outfit. But knowing my stepmother, along with her daughters, those tasks were going to be a lot harder than they needed to be. I figured that they wouldn't try anything tonight, mostly because Victoria was just that cruel. She would give me an inkling of hope, a dream to cling to. Then, tomorrow, she would give me an enormous amount of impossible chores, and no outfit I picked out would satisfy her expectations. She would rip all of my dreams right out of my heart, then stomp on them.
So I needed extra time today, because tonight was the only time I was going to be able to find an outfit. When the final chore on my list was done, dinner had been served, and the girls and Victoria had gone out to look for their own dresses for the ball. I grabbed my mother's locket from the special box I held it in, picked up my warm cloak, and snuck out to the barn.
I needed to be very secretive about what I was about to do. I wasn't usually allowed to leave the house, Victoria didn't want me to try and run away before repaying my debts to her. If she knew I was sneaking out without her permission, she would most definitely ban me from going to the ball. The house was set a few miles away from the town, so if I wanted to get there and back home before Victoria returned, I would have to ride.
Out in the barn, I saw that my step-family had taken the carriage. I had been expecting this, so I went straight to the horse stall. I found Jacob lying on a bale of straw near the door. I patted his head as I walked by. In the stall I walked to, I found my old and faithful friend Pippa. A big, brown farm horse, Pippa once belonged to my mother. She was now rather dirty and her mane unkempt, but she was still very striking.
I grabbed an old saddle and bridle from the tack room and set them aside. I led Pippa out of her stall and let her stand outside while I returned for the tack. I knew she wouldn't try to walk off, she was too well mannered. My mother had trained her, and she herself had been a master equestrian. When I was young she taught me how to ride on Pippa, and the horse and I had formed a tight bond. She was one possession I was unwilling to give up and sell in order to pay back my debts, she was much too precious.
After I had arranged the saddle correctly and strapped it in place, I went around her to put on the bridle. As I slipped it over Pippa's head, her big brown eyes looked me up and down, examining me. When the bridle was securely in place, I kissed her nose and walked to her side. I felt Jacob nudge my leg, and I looked down. His puppy dog eyes were gazing up at me lovingly, and he let out a short whine.
"You're not going to fool me with that." I told him sternly. "You can't come, Jacob. If Victoria saw you, I'd be in big trouble. And I doubt they would let you into the store. Unless you would like to buy a dress as well?" He let out a snort and retreated to the warm barn. I let out a laugh and mounted Pippa. I pulled on the reins, turning her where I needed to go, and with a tap of my heels we were headed toward the town.
On the way there, we passed many of the farmers who were heading home for the day. They tipped their hats to me as I passed, and I inclined my head toward them in greeting. I didn't get out of the house too much, but I knew some of these men, and they in turn knew me. Not well enough to know of my life under the servitude of my stepmother, but they knew me.
A little while later, when the town came into view down the road, I made a sharp turnoff onto a small path that led into the woods. Following the path, I found what I was looking for. A small shed, no bigger than two horse stall, with a flimsy straw roof and weakening wood walls, stood almost invisible in the woods, blending into the tree surrounding it. I dismounted Pippa and led her into the little shelter, tying her reins to a pole in the first stall. I had found this little barn when I was a child, and now used it whenever I needed to hide Pippa whenever I came to town. I didn't have enough money to board her in the expensive barns for so short a time, and walking around town with a horse as big as Pippa was bound to draw unwanted attention.
Leaving her there with enough free rein to graze if she wanted, I walked the rest of the way to town. I wrapped my cloak tighter around myself, the sun beginning to set. I was afraid at first that the store may have closed, but when I walked into the town, I knew that was not a possibility.
I hadn't realized the full extent of the size of this ball. When the invitation had said every maiden, it really meant every maiden. Girls from all over town were running from store to store, bags and boxes in their hands. Many had servants or brothers carrying things for them, while they looked in windows or paid for purchases. The main square was full of families and their daughters, making it impossible to pass through. I thought I saw Victoria at one point, and the thought sent shivers running up and down my spine. I quickly hurried out of the crowd and into a small alley. The crowd began to thin as I walked away from the square, and eventually the street contained only a few strangers. Walking down back alleys and hidden lanes, I eventually reahed my goal.
A small store, hidden from all the clamor of the main shopping district of the town, brightened the alleyway with its lights and colors. The building itself was a light brick red, but the overhang for the windows was a brilliant purple that matched to door, and the window itself gave off much of the appeal. Beautiful gowns hung behind the glass, lace and beads dangling from the sleeves and bodices. The patterns on the dresses showed that they were of the finest craftsmanship, the flowers and intricate designs sown into the delicate silk were beautiful beyond belief.
As I entered the store, a small bell on the door chimed, announcing my entry. A few girls and their escorts were here, not many knew of this hidden treasure of a shop. But those who did were willing to pay good money for their designs. I myself would never be able to afford such luxury, but I was hoping that wasn't going to be a problem. A kind looking old woman walked up to me as I looked as some of the dresses on display.
"Can I help young, young dear?" She asked in a tired voice. She must have been doing this all day, and I felt very sorry for her.
"Yes, I think you can. Can you tell me if Angela is working here today?" The elderly woman's eyes narrowed as if deep in thought. She suddenly nodded.
"Yes, I remember now. Angela is working in the back today. Would you like me to go get her for you?" She inquired, and I nodded. The woman hurried to the back, and a few moments later, returned with a nervous Angela in tow. When she saw me, her anxiety disappeared.
"Oh, Isabella!" She said joyfully while rushing over to give me a warm hug, "I thought you were an unhappy costumer. I've had to deal with them all day! Some of these young girls can get so worked up over such little things! Then again, I probably would too, if I didn't have Benjamen." Of course, Angela wouldn't be going to the ball since she wasn't eligable anymore. She and her beau Benjamen had been married nearly a year now.
Angela's father had been a friend of the family since we were both very little. We had grown up together as young girls, until I had left with my mother. When I moved back and eventually started working for Victoria, she had been my only true friend. As time passed I was able to visit her less frequently, but we still remained close. I told her everything, about my life with Victoria, my sadness over the loss of my parents, she knew all about my life.
"So, did Victoria give you permission to go to the ball? She has to since it's required by the royal family, right?" She questioned me. I smiled, enthusiastic.
"Yes, she said I could go if I finished all my chores for today and tomorrow." She clapped her hands and was about to speak, but I cut her off before she could continue. "But she also said I needed to have an appropriate outfit. Which is the reason why I came to see you tonight. I need to ask you a favor."
"You need a dress, of course. A heart-stopping, gorgeous dress that will win the prince's heart, and you know that only I can make a dress like that." I nodded eagerly, but then she added the last part. "But you have no money, do you?" I could feel my face fall slightly, but I kept my smile on.
"I don't have any money, but I do have something I'm willing to trade." I dug into the pocket of my petticoat and pulled out my mother's locket. I had been keeping this until something special came up. My mother had never worn this locket, but it was one piece of jewelry that I always admired. When I was a child, I would sit on her lap in front of her vanityandplay with it as she got ready for the day. When she was dying, she gave it to me, telling me to use it to make me happy, not matter what that meant. Until now, I had taken that to mean that I should keep it, and I used it as a reminder of her. But now I knew what would make me happy, and I knew it would make her happy as well. This was going to be my night, and I was willing to do anything to make it perfect.
Angela's eyes grew wide with surprise when I held the locket up to her. She, of course, knew what it was, as well as what it meant to me. "Bella, you're not honestly going to pay for a dress with this?" She asked, astonished.
"I don't have anything else to pay with, and I really need a dress. I don't have time to make one." I told her quietly. There was still a part of me that would miss the locket, but I couldn't let that part of me take over.
"Isabella…" Angela started, but she must have seen the determination in my face, because she simply sighed and said, "Fine, if this is what you really want, then I'll make you a dress.
I sighed from relief, and then gave Angela a hug. She grabbed my hand and led me into another room behind the front to f the shop. Girls with scissors and measuring tapes worked on dresses that the young maiden's attending the balls were trying on. They adjusted ribbons and shorten skirts, measured sleeves and marked things down with chalk, intensely concentrating on their work. The ladies and their families glanced at us as we passed, but deeming us unworthy of their attention, went back to chastising the workers. Angela led me through to a back room, and I realized that this is where she really worked. Fabric and lace lay scattered around the room, mannequins stood with different dresses on them, all at different stages in their development.
Angela pulled me over to work table that held a stack of papers on it, all covered in dress designs. She sorted though them, sometimes holding them up next to me, trying to figure out what would look best. I stood by quietly, letting her do her work. Few people knew this, but Angela was a rather famous gown designer. More than one of her dresses had been worn by members of the royal family, and many by members of the court. Her expertise in this area astounding, and I knew that my knowledge about fashion was more than lacking. I was usually only concerned with whether or not the dress I was wearing could get dirty and wet without ruining it.
When she finally found a few designs she liked, she once again dragged me all over the room to the different mannequins. She stood me next to them and glanced up and down, trying to see what I would look like in the gown. Many of them were so incomplete that I didn't see how she could possibly be imagining me in them. But she paraded me around all the same until she sat down in a stool and threw the papers across the table.
"This is impossible!" she yelled and let her head fall onto the table with a loud bang. I felt myself twinge, noticing that it sounded like it had hurt. I could make out her voice, smothered by the papers, as she kept her head on the table. "None of these are you! It's not going to work!" I came over and placed a and on her back.
"It's okay if you can't find anything; I know this was really short notice. Don't worry about it, really." I wanted to make her feel better, but I was actually dying inside. If I couldn't find a dress, I wouldn't be allowed to go to the ball. I couldn't afford anything else, the only reason I would have gotten this dress was because Angela was a close friend. I had almost given up all hope when Angela's head suddenly snapped up.
"Wait a second!" she said, "What if…" her head slowly turned to look at a closed door on the left side of the room. She got up and walked over to it and after fitting a key into the lock, turned the knob and opened the door. I couldn't see what was in the room, but Angela kept turning her head back and forth between me and whatever it was. Her smile grew more pronounced and she finally nodded her head. A moment before I nearly died of anticipation, she turned to me.
"I've been working on a dress for a special client. She gave me guidelines for it, but it never seemed to be what either she or I imagined it to be. I'm going to start anew with it, and I was planning on scraping the dress I had started, even though it was in its final stages. But…" and she gave me a wicked grin.
"But?" I asked, the eagerness in my voice apparent.
"But it's the perfect dress for you!" She cried, and pulled me into the room. In front of my eyes was a mostly finished dress, and though some elements still needed to be added, its beauty was more than apparent. It was a light blue color, the train flowing out behind the gown, but not far enough to be a hassle. The thick fabric was covered by a thin veil of material that seemed to sparkle in the light. Deep red flowers and vines ascended the dress from the floor, a delicate design that provided a perfect contrast to the light blue color. The torso continued the design, and the top of the dress stopped low enough that it wasn't gaudy, but was still daring all the same. The sleeves came off the sides, showing my lower neck and shoulders. They were tight to my elbows, and then billowed out into a collection of fabric that almost mirrored the bottom of the dress. I stood in awe of the masterpiece before me.
"Angela, it's magnificent…" I finally managed to mumble. "I can't accept this." I thought out loud. Something this grand was too glorious for some one like me to wear, much less afford. But she was quickly shaking her head.
"Bella, if you don't take this dress, I'm going to disassemble it and throw most of it out. You'd be doing me a favor getting it off my hands. Now come over here so I can see you in it."
I walked over in a daze, still staring, transfixed, at the dress. I felt as Angela started to help me undress, and then slowly place the dress on me, careful to not prick me with the pins that were still in it. I noticed that the room had a mirror on one wall, and I turned to look at myself. Somehow, even though it had been designed for another, the dress fit almost perfectly. It was a little too long, and the sleeves a bit too big, but otherwise it was exactly as Angela had said. This dress was perfect for me.
Angela immediately began to flutter around me, measuring and pinning the dress. "This must be some sort of destiny mixed with a lot of good luck that I had this almost done. I should be able to make all the necessary changes before the ball tomorrow. You can come pick it up beforehand." Then my heart skipped a beat. I grabbed Angela's hand.
"I can't come pick it up tomorrow. I won't have time; Victoria's probably going to be working me to death. I need this tonight." I pleaded with her. "How fast can you make the adjustments?" I questioned, panicking.
"I can't do them all tonight. Its partially done, yes, but not that far finished." She tapped her fingers on the table. "If I worked all night I could get it to you in the morning, maybe…"
That was enough, I had had enough of all the false hope. I began to slowly take off the dress, partly because of the pins, partly because I was already somewhat emotionally attached to it. That had to end now. I mumbled apologizes as I put my own clothes back on.
"Please understand, Angela, I like the dress, I really do! But it's too much, I would never be able to afford it, and I don't want to put you through so much trouble, and I would never be able to sneak it home with out Victoria knowing. Plus I can't…I can't…"I realized I was rambling, and I cut myself off. This whole idea had been a mistake, thinking I could go to the ball and meet the Prince. What would happen? Did I honestly think would he fall head over heels in love with me? That he would sweep me off my feet and ride away with me into the sunset?
"Bella, stop it. You're being ridiculous. You are going to go to the ball, and you are going to wear this dress. Now, I said that I couldn't finish the dress tonight. And what I meant was that I couldn't finish it alone. I'm just going to need some help." She gave me a wink and ran out of the room, returning a few seconds later with some other girls I didn't know. They walked in circles around me, Angela pointing out what needed to be hemmed or altered. In no time at all they were all poking pins into the dress and measuring fabric outside. They helped pull the dress over my head and I put my own clothes back on as they carried out to the work area and began sewing lace and ribbons on it.
By the time the dress was finished and packed into a box for me to carry home, the store had begun to empty out, and only a few costumers were left. Angela handed me the box, and I put it down on a counter and pulled the locket out from my pocket. Her eyes grew wide.
"Bella, put that away right now. I will not take that from you." She said sternly.
"Angela, I don't have anything else to pay you with. Please, be reasonable." I pleaded with her.
"I am being reasonable. That was your mother's; I'm not going to let you pay for this dress with something so precious to you."
"I'm not going to take this dress without paying for it. You spent too much time and resources on it for me to just walk out of here with it. So either you take this locket, or I don't take the dress." I put the locket on the table and crossed my arms. Angela sighed, knowing I wasn't going to budge on the subject. She hesitantly reached out and took the locket, her eyes never leaving my face. I smiled reassuringly to her, but she only kept looking at me sadly. With a sigh, I threw my arms around her in a tight embrace.
"I need to be getting home before Victoria gets back and figures out I left. I will never be able to fully thank you enough for this Angela." She smiled then, and handed me the box with the dress in it. I took it and with both of us saying our goodbyes I walked out the front door of the shop. Being careful to not drop the package, I ran down the street back to the towns exit. I ran up into the woods to find Pippa where I had left her, waiting patiently while chewing on some grass. I mangaged to ride home without dropping the box, and after returning Pippa to her stall, carried the box upstairs and placed it under my bed, hidden from prying eyes. Hidden, until tommorow night, when the whole world would see it, and the whole world would see me as more than Cinderbella.
As you can see the story is starting to pick up now! I'm glad I got over this hump, I know what I want to happen now. This trend of unfrequent updates that I have seemed to slump into is something I am trying very hard to cure. But if it doesn't stop, I'm very very extremely sorry. Please try to stick with me, I'm honestly trying my hardest!