In the morning, the fairies were delighted to find that she had decided to go to the ball. They still had four weeks until the date of the ball, and the fairies said that was more than enough time to travel back to the capital, buy a dress, and do whatever else was needed to get Rella ready--she wasn't really sure what was required, but was sure the fairies could take care of it. She had been somewhat worried that Bardic might choose to go on to Likaria alone, but he had no objections to the change of plans and showed no sign of leaving the group as they turned around, so her worries faded. When asked about his scheduled visit, he simply said that it could wait long enough to accompany them back to the capital, and grinned.
It took them almost another two weeks to travel back to the capital, going back over familiar territory this time. They set up a campsite in the forest just outside the city; Emerald had wanted to get a room at an inn, but the other three had insisted upon staying out of sight, pointing out that if they stayed at an inn, it would be all too easy for Rhianna to find them. Emerald grumbled for a while, but couldn't help but agree with them, and in the end, she was the one that found their eventual campsite.
Rella had pointed out along the way back that she would be assumed to be nobility when she went to the ball, and she had absolutely no idea how to act like a noble lady. The fairies had acknowledged that, but said that they would teach her. Rella had been quite dubious of their claim that they could teach her all she needed to know in only two weeks, but had remained silent.
Once they had finally set up their campsite was when her lessons began.
"Etiquette comes first," Ruby had informed them, and so it was. First she had to learn how to curtsy, which was quite a pain; the first time she tried, she wobbled until she nearly fell over, and was informed by Emerald that she was curtsying too low for a Lord or Baron, but not anywhere near low enough for addressing a Prince. Rella had sighed and continued practicing. By the end of the day, she still hadn't any idea about how low to curtsy to various forms of nobility, but could at least curtsy without wobbling, at least most of the time.
After she was thoroughly tired of curtsying, Emerald had sat her down on a nearby tree stump and educated her in the various forms of address for nobility. Rella's name, the fairy had solemnly informed her, would be Lady Rellana tir Lorea. Rella had asked how in the world they would prove that she was who she claimed, but Emerald had simply told her not to worry about it, which was a most unsatisfactory answer. Princes and Princesses were addressed as "Your Highness," Kings and Queens were addressed as "Your Majesty." Dukes were "Your Grace," Judges were "Your Honor," Knights were "Sir," Lords were "Milord," Ladies were "Milady," and Barons and Baronesses were "Your Nobility." Rella didn't see how in the world she was supposed to learn all that in two weeks, but Emerald assured her she would be fine.
The next day, Emerald quizzed her on the various forms of address. Rella was surprised to find she remembered most of them, but then Emerald made her practice the various forms of curtsy. Curtsies to royalty were the lowest, to Lords and Ladies the highest. After Emerald seemed satisfied with her curtsies, Ruby made her memorize the various ranks, in order of authority; Lords and Ladies, Barons and Baronesses, Dukes and Duchesses, Judges, Knights, Princes and Princesses, and then Kings and Queens. That one wasn't really too hard; after all, they matched up to the forms of curtsy, from lowest to highest, and Rella found that remembering one made her remember the other.
The next day, she was on her toes as soon as the sun rose, going over the forms of address and curtsies again. Then the two fairies made her practice polite conversation with various forms of nobility, with a little help from Bardic. Rella was surprised to find how much of the past few day's lessons she remembered, despite her worries.
After dinner, Bardic entertained them with his harp playing, and, after much persuasion, managed to talk Rella into singing a duet with him. The fairies listened, entranced, as the two together sang the only song both of them knew, a simple country love song, telling of the forbidden love between a stable boy and a noble lady, accompanied by Bardic's soft playing on the harp. After they were finished, all was silent; no one dared speak, lest they break the mood.
It was also then that the fairies discovered Rella had no idea how to perform any of the formal dances performed at such balls. Rella was somewhat embarrassed she hadn't mentioned it earlier, but the fairies shrugged it off, saying that they still had a week and a half left, and that would be more than enough time.
The next morning, after being reassured that Rella had her previous lessons memorized--she could curtsy perfectly every time now, and was clear on the forms of address for the most part--her dancing lessons began.
"The first dance you should learn is the waltz," Ruby had said, and so she did. Bardic had volunteered to help out, but despite the coaching of the Bard and the two fairies, all she did at first was step on Bardic's toes and trip over her own two feet.
"No, no, no, you're trying to lead again," Bardic admonished her. "You have to follow, and let me lead--yes, like that. Only now you're stepping on my toes again."
She blushed. "I'm not any good at this," she protested. "I really don't see how you three think I'm going to survive the ball."
Bardic shook his head. "You're better than I was when I first starting learning all these formal dances. I lose track of how many times I tripped over my own feet and stepped on my partner's toes, and I didn't even start to get the hang of it for about a month. You'll be fine."
Rella doubted that, but didn't say as much. Shrugging, she and Bardic took up their places again, his arm lightly encircling her waist--sort of awkward, but not altogether unpleasant. Ruby played a waltz on the fairy flute they had only recently discovered she possessed, and they began twirling again. Rella was actually starting to get the hang of it; she managed not to try to lead that time, and only stepped on his toes once.
By the time the day was over, she had mostly learned the waltz, but was exhausted. Falling over into her bedroll, she was asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow.
The fairies woke her not too long after the sun rose, and made her go over the curtsies and forms of address again. Rella was sure by now she had it all memorized, but didn't voice her irritation, and instead just obediently went through the lists of curtsies and names.
They set about learning a new dance that day. "The Cariare," Emerald said. "It's a local dance, and one of the Prince's favorites. You're bound to use it at one time during the ball."
The Cariare proved to be something of a complicated pattern dance, hard to learn but easy to perform once you knew the right steps and the right timing. The dancers moved in groups of four and two, so it was easy enough to practice with the two humans and two fairies. Rella had to stifle a giggle when Emerald solemnly asked Ruby if she wanted to be the man or the woman this time.
The Cariare was also quite simple once Rella knew the steps, but the fairies made the four of them go through it all until they were both satisfied that she could go over them in her sleep. Then they made her go over the waltz again, just to be sure she hadn't forgotten what she had learned yesterday. Twirling slowly around the flickering firelight, drifting slowly to the lilting music of Ruby's faerie flute, she felt somehow quite at home, and peacefully drowsy as she spun in Bardic's arms.
The fairies and Bardic set about teaching her several other dances over the next few days, and Rella was thoroughly exhausted at the end of each day. "How many dances are there going to be in one ball?" she had asked the fairies once.
"Certainly not all that we're teaching you, but we don't know which ones will be used," Ruby replied. "Better that you know them all then only know the more common ones, have someone call for a dance not so often used, and have you be proven not to be a noble."
They still had a week to go until the big day of the ball when she finally got a break from her dancing lessons. Emerald dragged her into town, taking her to the same dressmaker Lianne and Anastasia had gotten their dresses done at. Emerald had sat her down in the chair and told her to wait. Looking around, Rella was amazed at the pure quantity of fabrics hanging around; everything from expensive silk and velvet to plain cotton and linen lay on the store shelves.
It wasn't long before Emerald came back, with the dressmaker in tow. The dressmaker had looked at Rella, and then back at Emerald. "She the one the dress is for?"
Emerald nodded. "She's the one. I was thinking, something that wouldn't clash with auburn hair, but maybe something that would bring out the green in her eyes--she has beautiful eyes, don't you think? Something soft, but comfortable--I was thinking maybe silk or velvet. Oh, and please, none of those gigantic skirts everyone is wearing now, they make everyone look horrible. Something that would make her look...oh...stunning."
The dressmaker had been looking her over, nodding and making approving noises at things the disguised fairy said. Now she nodded. "Come along with me, dear," she beckoned. "I've just got to take up your measurements real quick."
The dressmaker had whipped a measuring tape around her bust, waist, and hips so quickly it had been nothing but a blur, and had then left, coming back with several fabric samples. Murmuring to herself, she held each up to Rella's side, sometimes discarding it immediately, other times quirking her mouth from side to side as she thought.
At last the dressmaker was done, and had led Rella back out to the main room. She had a brief discussion with Emerald, in which the dressmaker agreed to have the dress done in time for the ball; at last the dressmaker named a price, a sum so high it made Rella gasp, but Emerald simply agreed nonchalantly and paid the woman.
"Isn't that an awful lot of money for one dress?" Rella had asked Emerald as the two had left.
"No, not really," the fairy had replied. "A lot of the nobles pay much more."
Emerald had then gone off on her own, leaving Rella to make her way back to the campsite. Bardic and Ruby had caught and fixed lunch while she was gone; Rella fell to with a will, surprised to find how hungry she was, although not too long ago she would have been still full from their large breakfast. By the time she was through eating, Emerald had returned, carrying a shopping bag mysteriously full, and fell to her own lunch eagerly.
The day of the ball grew ever nearer; each day, the fairies made her go over her curtsies, forms of address, and dances. By the day before the ball, she knew her lessons well enough so that she was actually thinking this masquerading as a noble just might work. And then at last the big day came.
Rella, finishing up her lunch, wiped her hands on her skirt and took a thirsty gulp from their canteen. A trickle of water dribbled down onto her shirt; scowling, she wiped at it with her hand, but it left a very visible streak. Good thing I'm not wearing these clothes to the ball, she thought.
The sound of soft, barely audible footsteps alerted the other three to Emerald's approach. Bearing a large package wrapped in brown paper under one arm, she grinned and lay the package next to a tree. "I have your dress," she greeted Rella. "You'll die when you see it. You're going to look simply stunning."
Rella certainly didn't think she would ever look stunning, no matter how pretty a dress she had on, but said nothing. Instead, she rose, wiping her hands on her skirt once more, heedless of the dirt left on the dark fabric. "I just have one question: how am I going to get to the ball?"
Ruby and Emerald exchanged glances. "You'll see," Emerald said, grinning. "For now, come with me." Grabbing the package and the mysterious shopping bag she had come back with a week ago, she strolled off into the woods without waiting to see if Rella would follow. Rella, shaking her head, obediently followed. After the fairy's quiet passage, she made so much racket it seemed as though anyone with half an ear would be able to hear her.
Emerald sat in a pint-sized clearing, barely big enough for the two of them to fit in it and surrounded by trees on all sides, but filled with moss in the middle. She sat tailor-style in the center, cutting loose the ties on the brown package with her knife. Last tie broken, she unwrapped the paper, shook out Rella's dress, and held it up for her to see.
It wasn't just a dress, Rella thought; it was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. Light blue and white lace, it had short sleeves, and a skirt that was full without seeming ridiculous. Also in the package were two white gloves intended to go almost up to the elbow, and a petite pair of blue slippers.
Gaping, Rella shook herself. "That can't...I mean...that's my dress?"
Emerald grinned. "It certainly is, Rella dear. Go ahead, change into it."
Shaking her head, Rella obediently stripped. Taking the dress from Emerald's grasp, she slipped it over her head and fit her arms through the sleeves. Turning, she let the fairy button it up the back. Sighing, she shook her head. "It's too tight."
"It just feels that way now," Emerald said. "You get used to it really quickly."
Shrugging, Rella accepted the gloves, pulling them on up to her elbows and stretching her fingers out into them. Slipping her feet into the shoes, she blinked; they feet her own small feet perfectly. The heel was slightly raised, enough to look elegant, but not enough of a raise to make her lose her balance, unused as she was to walking on high heels.
She spun around, admiring the way the blue and white skirts billowed out around her. "I feel odd."
"It's because we're not done yet," Emerald said, pulling a hairbrush out from her pack. "Come here."
Obediently, Rella came over to the fairy. Standing, Emerald began to brush Rella's hair, then did some odd twisting and pulling thing with it, securing it with some sort of hairband. Rella tried to blow the loose strands of hair out of her face, but the fairy reprimanded her, so she want back to being still. Taking a finger, Emerald took the loose strands and curled them, letting them hang loosely to either side of her face.
It seemed hours before Emerald was done making her up, and yet at the same time, it was over remarkable fast. Taking a small, handheld mirror out of her pack, Emerald somehow unfolded it so that it was full size, and held it in front of Rella, so that she could see how she looked.
Rella stared, mouth hanging open. Instead of the plain old Rella the scullery maid she was used to seeing when she looked in the mirror, a beautiful lady was staring back at her. The dress made her look far more beautiful than she knew herself to be, somehow accenting her modest curves and making them seem not quite so modest. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, with two little curls hanging down on either side of her face. Her face, with its wide, shocked green eyes shining in the light as the moon began to rise, added to the overall picture and somehow made her seem quite beautiful.
No longer was she Rella the scullery maid. The reflection staring back at her in shock and surprise was that of the Lady Rellana tir Lorea.
Emerald chuckled. "Surprised?"
Rella could only stare speechlessly. Grinning, Emerald folded the mirror back up and stuffed it back into her pack. Slinging the pack over her shoulder, she solemnly informed the other girl, "You can close your mouth now." That said, she strolled off towards the campsite, leaving Rella with nothing to do but follow.
Emerald re-entered the campsite, grinning. "Presenting...the Lady Rellana tir Lorea," the fairy stated, and swept aside grandly, leaving the still-surprised Rella to enter in her wake.
Bardic gaped, looking entirely as stunned as Rella herself had a moment ago. Ruby seemed pleasantly surprised as well. "My, my," the brunette fairy teased gently. "You do make a very nice noble Lady, don't you?"
"I feel silly," Rella informed her. "Like...like a little girl playing dress-up."
"You're certainly being silly," Emerald told her. "She looks lovely. Doesn't she, Bardic?" she added with a grin.
"Very lovely," Bardic said softly, still staring at her. Something in his voice made her look up at him, and the way he was looking at her made her feel somewhat uncomfortable, but yet at the same time, sent a pleasurable shiver of excitement down her spine.
"And now, it's time for me to work my magic," Ruby sighed, sitting cross-legged in front of the fire.
"Don't sound so thrilled," Emerald told her tartly. "It's not that hard to conjure up a coach and some horses."
Ruby merely closed her eyes and didn't respond. By the time Rella could actually look away from Bardic and the odd, new way in which he continued to watch her, there stood in the empty side of the large clearing, a large white coach, and four snowy white horses to pull it.
Rella blinked. Despite knowing that the fairies could work magic, the most impressive thing she had ever seen was them changing themselves to look like normal humans. Never before had she seen them honestly conjure something up out of thin air.
Ruby, seeing the way she was staring at the coach and horses, grinned. "It's not as amazing as it looks. The coach is really a pumpkin a farmer was growing nearby, and the horses are really field mice. It's not really any different from us putting illusions on ourselves, to look like normal humans."
"And I," Emerald put in, "will be your driver." While Ruby was talking, she had spelled herself to look normal, only this time, dressed in blue and white livery, with a crest of a unicorn's head and neck on the front of her coat. Climbing nimbly onto the driver's seat of the coach, she grinned and took the reins. "Ready whenever you are, milady," she informed Rella.
Rella took a deep breath and looked at Ruby and Bardic--Bardic, who, while he wasn't still staring at her, still had that odd look in his eyes, the look that made her uncomfortable and yet was pleasurable at the same time. Are you ready to go through with this? she asked herself. Yes, part of her said bravely, while at the same time another part of her screamed, No! You don't want to go through with this! Why marry the Prince? You don't even know him!
She cut that thought off before it was really through, and took a deep breath. Looking at Ruby and Bardic, she nodded. "Well...good-bye. I'll see you when the ball's over."
Ruby, nodding, gave her a quick hug, careful not to rumple her dress, and gave a whispered "Good luck." Bardic just nodded, oddly silent.
Taking another deep breath, she climbed into the coach, feeling entirely out of place. Emerald grinned at her as she settled uneasily into the cushioned seat. She heard the faerie cluck to the horses, and they were off, cantering off into the twilight, an uneasy Rella nervously gripping the edge of her seat.
A/n: Ohmigoodness! A chapter finally didn't end with Rella going to sleep! I think I'm going to have a heart attack! Okay, not really. Anyways…er…I was gonna say something, but now I can't remember what. Oh well.