The next day was eventful to say the least. I did manage to rope Rachel into coming with me, but only because she had some last minute style ideas that she had to give to Vestmàrr, the dress maker. Apparently he ran the family business that had been passed down through generation after generation of female descendants. His parents only had sons, so he inherited the store after they died.
The shop itself is was only small out front, but you could see through the door into the back room. The back room was filled with rolls upon rolls of fabrics and boxes of little buttons and accessories. The front room had a few manikins in it, two with dresses on. In the centre of the room was a small platform that I assume the person taking the fitting would stand on.
Through the door into the back room came a man no older than thirty, dressed in a simple tan tunic with dark brown trousers. He had small, round glasses perched on the end of his nose, framing golden eyes. His sandy coloured hair was cropped short enough to stay out of his eyes but long enough so it had a bit of style.
"Ah! Lady Rachel!" Vestmàrr beamed, hugging her fiercely. His voice was deep, rich. "I see you have come to give me more ideas, yes?"
"I have!" Rachel gushed, pulling a makeshift sketch pad out of her bag. "Also, this is Eden, who couldn't attend the fitting yesterday. I can see you've gotten around to finishing the dress for her."
"Oh, yes, I did," he said, going over to the dresses. "I love the design: subtle yet elegant, truly marvellous."
We followed him over to the dresses. One was ruffled, a complete mish-mash of materials what surprisingly went together. It had simple spaghetti straps and was mainly fuchsia in colour. The ruffles began at the waist. Obviously Rachel's. The other was altogether plainer, but still gorgeous. It was beige in colour, smugly fitting the manikin. It was gently folded from the hips down, the bottom all different lengths down to about where my knees would be. Probably mine. I gently fingered the hem and felt the soft silk under fingers. It was the most exquisitely made dress I'd ever seen!
"You like?" Rachel asked, peering over my shoulder.
"I love," I said hugging her. "Where did you come up with the idea?"
"Well," she began. "I know how much you like earthy colours and that sort of always-going-to-the-beach style you have. So, I sort of combined the two then made it a little bit more formal."
"Of course, as with any design there had to be a few adjustments made when making the dress," Vestmàrr explained. "But I tried to stay as true to Lady Rachel's design as I could. I even managed to persuade the jeweller to make some of the other things you designed."
"Did you?" Rachel gasped. "Oh, Vestmàrr, thank you!" She threw her arms around him, nearly knocking him to the ground.
"Thank me later, Lady Rachel, by showing me more of your designs," Vestmàrr said, prising Rachel off of him. "For the time being, allow me to make the final fittings to Lady Eden's dress. If you'll go behind that screen and put on the dress? Lady Rachel can assist with the fastenings as my assistant Ljót isn't here."
Rachel grabbed the dress of the manikin and followed me behind the screen. A few minutes later I emerged from behind the screen and stood on the stage. The dress fit perfectly, even though I'd never met him before. Vestmàrr was truly an amazing dress maker. Still, he would not let me look in a mirror.
"It's a little bit too long on the straps," Vestmàrr mumbled. He quickly snipped at the straps and yanked the dress so it met the back of the dress before it fell down. "Would you hold these, Lady Rachel?" She ran around the back and held the straps dead still while Vestmàrr carefully sewed them back together. Vestmàrr began to circle me once more.
"Once we get the accessories on, add the right shoes… Everything will be perfect!" Vestmàrr exclaimed, rushing into the back room and coming back with a small box. He motioned for me to sit on the stage. He undid the box and I saw all the extras that were to go with the dress, as well as a large piece of paper with sketches and instructions on it. There were the shoes, a matching necklace, appropriate make up and more hair pins than I'd ever seen before in my life.
"For you," he said, smiling while he handed me the box.
The first thing I removed was the shoes. They were like gladiator sandals, but had a large band of beige leather around the ankle. There were buttons around the outside as a fastening so that the shoes didn't fall down. The feet part was like flip flops with comfy soles. Feeling them, the material was soft and easily moulded to the shape of my fingers, and so will mould to my feet, making them easy to walk in.
I slipped them on my feet and walked around the shop in them. They were the comfiest pair of shoes I'd ever put on. I was reluctant to take them off afterwards so they could go back in the box.
Aside from all the hair pins that I wasn't willing to take out, there was an absolutely beautiful necklace. It was in the style of a beige dream catcher, with beige, green and gold beads on it – the same colour of green and gold as in my eyes. I picked it up and noted the chain was thin rings of actual gold.
"These are amazing!" I said. "Thank you so much."
Vestmàrr waved my thanks away. "No need to thank me for doing my job. And as with all my work, feel free to keep everything."
"What do I owe you?" I asked him, wondering how the hell I was going to pay him for this.
"The Queen has graciously agreed to pay for all of the dresses and formal outfits I make for you, not only for the ball but for as long as you remain on Asgard - and afterwards, if you can reach us," Vestmàrr explained.
Wow.
"Come on, then," Rachel said, pulling me up. "Go get changed and then we can find somewhere for lunch. I'm starving!"
"Wait! I haven't seen myself yet," I cried, pulling out of her grasp. I went to the other side of the shop and looked at myself in the floor to ceiling mirror.
The dress hugged my minimal curves just right, accentuating them where I had them. Even though the dress was beige it looked a completely different colour to my ever so slightly tanned skin. It was long enough to cover me up decently but short enough to show my legs off. The hem of the dress wasn't too girl for my taste but was enough to make it actually look feminine.
In other words – perfection.
"Thank you so, so much," I said to Vestmàrr, giving him a hug.
"It is a pleasure to create such a masterpiece for such a beautiful young woman," he said, smiling warmly as he released me.
I went back behind the screen, changing into my considerably less glamorous shorts and t-shirt combo that I'd come in, and Rachel and I headed off in search of lunch.
AN: I know this is just a bit of filler, and I'm sorry. But I needed a bit of girly indulgence and a chance for Rachel to show off her amazing art skills! I promise after that it gets better in the next chapter... the ball!
Fronk x
