Disclaimer: This is called fan fiction for a reason. For those of you with low IQ that means I am just a fan meaning that I don't own Harvest Moon. All clear?
"Ugh," A young woman groaned as she dragged herself out of bed. Rubbing her eyes, she felt her way along the floor until she found the exit. Lifting up the hatch of the attic door, she squinted as light finally hit her deep brown eyes. She silently crept down down the old, wooden ladder. After she had bathed quickly, she dressed herself in her usual green workclothes. Careful to not make a sound, she hurried down the stairs to the first floor.
Furrowing her eyebrows, she heard the sound of rashers* sizzling from the kitchen. "Candace? What are doing up so early?" she whispered to her elder stepsister who was standing over the oven with a determined expression. The blue-haired girl gasped in shock, but relaxed when she recognised the voice.
"I thought I could help you with the breakfasts from now on..." She mumbled, fiddling with her skirt.
Angela raised a slender eyebrow. "but you already help me around the farm so much!" she complained. A teasing smirk spread across her face "Who is he?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"Wh-what?" Candace asked in shock.
Angela nodded and rubbed her imaginary beard. "Obviously, you're practising your cooking skills to impress a certain lad. Now who is he?"
"Wha- I, n-no! I don't..." Her flustered sister trailed off and looked down with a red face. Angela put a hand on her shoulder to show she wasn't fooled. "...It's Julius!" she admitted after a moment of quiet squirming.
Her younger stepsister nudged her with her shoulder. "Ah, going after money, eh?" she winked, teasingly. As Candace's blue eyes widened in shock, Angela burst out in laughter. "I'm only messing, Candace. I swear! I think it's sweet that you're finally going after him,"
The shy girl let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "I'll make the breakfasts this morning. If that's alright?"
Hikari grinned "Sure thing, Candace! Maybe I could even give you some pointers,"
"Can you two keep it down? Some of us are trying to get our beauty sleep!" A shrill voice said from behind the girls. They turned to see the piercing blue glare of Lucinda. Her long, beautiful, purple hair was hidden underneath her nightcap and dark shadows marred the pale skin on her face. She was taller than Candace by a few inches and small Angela by many more. "Candace! What are you doing making the food? That's Angela's duty. Did she force you into this?"
"Mother! Of course she didn't!" Candace gasped in shock, but in her meekness wasn't able to meet her mother's ferocious gaze. "I was just... practising..."
Lucinda smiled warmly and held her daughter close "Silly, girl!" She chided, her voice filling with pride. "When you're sister of the Queen you won't need to cook for yourself. We're all going to be royalty one day..." she sighed dreamily, then added, patronizingly "and I'll give Angela the farm,"
'Because it's not like I don't already do most of the work on it,' Angela thought, a small bit of anger bubbling up at the tone in her stepmother's voice.
"Now, Candace, go back to bed and get some sleep. Angela, I want an extra large breakfast this morning. It's going to be a tiring day for all of us!"
Nodding the brunette took over the cooking and waved to her blue-haired friend, who seemed hesitant to leave. 'I wonder what she meant?' Angela mused as she waited for the water in the pot to boil.
X.X.X
She received her answer as she finished watering the last row of Bluemist flowers. "Angela," Lucinda called from the house."Get Bronze ready. We're going into town today,"
'Her name is Amber,' Angela sighed, but did as she was told and wondered if when Lucinda said 'we' if she really meant all of them and not just her and her daughters.
Amber neighed happily as she pulled the carriage along, pleased to be spending more time with her mistress. "Come on, girl!" Angela hurried her gently. That's why she liked her mistress. She was kind, not like the purple-haired mistress. Or the pink one for that matter. The blue mistress was nice but never came to see him. Amber trotted faster in response to the prompting.
"Hey, dirt-girl! Are we there yet?" Her younger stepsister moaned from inside the carriage.
"We're only a mile away," Angela reassured her. Unfortunately this wasn't enough for Luna
"Well make this stupid horse go faster!" She ordered angrily. She turned to her mother and pouted "Mom, tell Angela to hurry on. I want my dress now!"
'Dress?' Angela thought in confusion. Why were they going clothes shopping now? 'They'd swear we were rich!' She complained inwardly. Luna's and Lucinda's near constant spending on frivolous things like broaches and parasols deeply aggravated Angela. She worked hard for that money! Yet, she barely spent a fraction of as much as they did, but she kept her mouth shut.
When she was younger Angela had briefly considered running away. However, whenever she would try, something would always stop her. Sometimes it was the idea was leaving Candace behind, others it was the guilt of knowing she would be letting her deceased parents' cherished farm go unlooked after. The phrase 'better with the devil you know, then the devil you don't' would ring through her head. Over time, she had learned to accept life the way it was, complaining only lead to punishment. Life was easier this way. There was a light at the end of the tunnel. If Lucinda's wild fantasies were ever to come true...
"Angela! Are you evening listening?" Lucinda screamed.
Her brown eyes widened as Angela realised she had gotten lost in her thoughts. "Sorry!" she apologized hastily "Come on Amber," she practically pleaded with the horse. She still had bruises on her hands from last time.
X.X.X
"Hello, ladies. Welcome to my shop. Feel free to browse and take as long as you want," A kind old woman said from behind the counter as they all entered the tailors. "Angela!" The tailor suddenly exclaimed and ran to hug the brunette. (A/N: no she's not related to them)
"Hello, Shelly. I hope you found the wool and yarn alright," The farmer smiled, embarrassed at the show of affection.
"It's the best quality I've gotten since your father passed," The old lady smiled, sadly as she released her. She turned to the eldest of the girls. "Candace, hows your dressmaking coming along?"
"Um.. It's alright, I hope it'll look, er, nice..." She replied, fidgeting with her plaid skirt.
X.X.X
"But Mother, I don't want a blue dress!" Luna pouted childishly, crossing her arms and looking away.
"Blue is his favourite colour," Lucinda coaxed, shoving the extravagant forget-me-not blue dress at her daughter.
"So every girl is going to be wearing it!" Luna explained, rolling her clear blue eyes.
"That's my girl," Lucinda said proudly throwing her arm around Luna's shoulder "always thinking ahead. That's what'll win you his heart!"
Angela and Candace stood off awkwardly to the side, listening to the two women discuss what dress would suit the pinkette best. "Why do they want a new dress so suddenly?" Angela asked, tilting her head to one side in confusion.
"You didn't hear?" Candace asked in shock, turning to her stepsister. Angela just shook her head. "The King is holding four balls for Prince Gill- one at the end of each week. At the end of the final ball his highness will have to propose to the girl of his choice, or the King will set an arranged marriage with a princess from another country. All the information was sent to us in a letter,"
A ray of hope flickered in Angela's mind. If Luna married the prince, she could have the farm! Then she could finally be free of her stuck-up stepsister. 'I'd never see her again!' She squealed inwardly with glee. "Are you going to the ball with Julius?" she asked the bluenette.
"Yes...but just as friends," She sighed, a dreamy expression on her face as she undoubtedly pictured the 'fabulous' jeweller in a suit and mask.
"I'm sure you both want it to be otherwise," The brunette smiled, half-wishing to be as lucky as Candace. Working from dawn to dusk did have its drawbacks. Frowning, the farmer realised something "Why aren't you getting a dress then?"
Blushing her shy friend said "I made my own," Angela smiled and clapped her sister on the back, proud of knowing someone as talented with sewing as Candace. "And one for you too,"
Angela's mouth fell open "R-really?" she asked in disbelief. "but I don't know the first thing about Balls!"
"I'll tell you all that I know... it may not be much but..." Candace's shyness came back with a vengeance.
"You'll be a great teacher, Cand. I'll just won't be a very good student," Angela grinned sheepishly
X.X.X
In the end, Luna and Lucinda finally agreed on a short, golden dress with white roses attached to add and a very noticeable, extravagant matching mask, with large white feathers sticking out of one side. On the journey home Lucinda was over-the-moon with joy as she would brag endlessly of how her little girl would be Queen by Winter.
"Candace, you'll be sister to the Queen!" She squealed, clutching her eldest daughter's hand tightly in her own, pale, bony hand. "You should be more excited!"
"Of course, Mother," She smiled half-heartedly.
"And you, Angela! You'll have your own farm, won't that be exciting?" She called to the girl outside in the cold evening air.
"I can't wait," Came the reply, but the farmer didn't seem to paying attention, only gazing at the millions of stars that shone brightly in the night sky, wondering how much things would change before the snows of Winter would arrive.
X.X.X
"Her stepsister appears to have... done the work for us," Wizard observed.
"No way!" The Witch exclaimed "I don't trust the younger one. Luna's going to cause some trouble, and that's where we come in!"
"You're enjoying this... too much," The man said, regretting agreeing to help the Witch in another of her schemes. Why had he ever agreed in the first place?
"Since when was having some honest fun bad, Gale?" She replied, teasingly, her beautiful pumpkin-colour eyes twinkling mischievously, lighting her her entire face. Oh yeah, that was why.
*Rashers = Bacon, well at least I think is the American way of saying it. Them things made of pig that you fry!
A/N: Okay so what do you guys think so far? Opinions please! Oh and let me know for any grammatical mistakes! (is that what a beta does? I'm not sure)
Link to Luna's dress and mask is in my profile!