By Design
Summary: Amber feels frustrated that she can't fix a tear in a dress that belonged to her mother. Just as she plans to take it to Cedric or Sofia for help, James offers to help instead, leading to some sweet bonding time. (Takes place during the Beyond Enchancia timeline. Take your pick during which story/time of the year!)
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything.
A/N: I thought it was time for another twin story since those seem to be popular. 😊 I hope you enjoy! Also, as this works in a very maternal way, consider this a semi-Mother's Day story. Happy Mother's Day!
Sighing for probably the fifth time in the last hour, Amber frustratedly shoved a pile of beautiful fabric to the side of her bed. Her father had recently given her a lovely jade green dress that had belonged to Lorelei, but in her haste to try it on, she'd accidentally torn some of the stitching on the side. When she'd attempted to fix it, it was obvious that she'd only made it worse as the fabric had begun to sag and then pucker in an almost taunting way. She heard a knock on her door and looked up, frowning lightly. "Come in, I guess…"
"Wow, what a nice greeting," James teased as he entered, shutting the door behind him. He walked up to his sister's bed and frowned at the pile of what appeared to be a dress next to her. "Planning for another costume ball or something?"
Even though she was used to James being his normal inquisitive and silly self, Amber was not in the mood today. It was written all over her face as she glared up at him. "No."
"Eh, calm down, Amber… I was just asking…" He folded his arms as he turned away from her, eyes roving over the very Amber décor in her room. He'd always found her room to be kind of nice, even though it was a little over the top. But then again, so was Amber.
The blonde princess looked up at her twin, sighing. "Oh, James… I'm sorry. I just…" She gestured toward the dress on the bed. "I've completely ruined my—well… This dress was our mother's, and… I kind of ripped it…" Feeling forlorn and disheartened, she reached over, aimlessly picking at a few sections of the dress. "Maybe Cedric or Sofia could fix it with their magic or something…"
"But Amber, I think it looks pretty good…" James stepped back over to the bed, lifting the part of the dress that his sister had attempted to fix. "It just needs a little polishing, and you're good at that." He picked up her basket of sewing supplies and passed it over to her, smiling. "Don't give up yet. We both know you're a perfectionist, but I'm sure our mom would appreciate the fact that you even tried to fix her dress. And it'll look nice no matter what!"
Amber smiled softly, a sense of warmth flooding her as she felt her spirits lifted by her brother's words. "Sometimes you can be an absolute bonehead, James."
"Bonehead?" He scoffed, folding his arms. "After I tried to be nice and encouraging, you call me a-?" He blinked when she placed her hand over his mouth, a little smile still on her face.
"You can be a bonehead, but… You're also really sweet." She lowered her hand, placing it into her lap. "Who would have known that between the two of us, you'd end up being the sugar-sweet, nice one? And so sentimental…"
He grinned, feeling a bit sheepish at her words. "Well… I don't do it for just anyone. You know that." He nodded toward the dress. "Want some help?"
"Oh…" She nodded, passing a thimble over to him. "I'd love that, James. And thank you."
Eyeing her with a more subdued smile, the prince nodded, accepting the thimble. "I'd do anything to help make you feel better, Amber." He looked down at the strange metal item in his hand and laughed lightly, a bit intimidated by it. "Even…try to sew a dress, I guess." Resolving himself to the idea, he grinned at her, nodding. "Let's do it."
Before long, the twins had a plan in mind. Amber would do the sewing while James would hold the fabric and assist where needed. It had taken a lot of trial and error, not to mention a boatload of patience, when Amber discovered she would have to start over with the section she had already attempted to repair, but ultimately the outcome was worth it. The dress looked closer to its original style, and the edited stitching looked far more natural. Even James was in awe of the outcome.
"Amber, you should totally wear that for the Wassailia Ball. It's definitely you." He helped her replace the tools in the basket before standing, pulling her to her feet.
Giggling, the blonde girl nodded. "Yeah, maybe… Or maybe I can wear it to a dance at ERA or something." She smiled, leaning forward and hugging her brother, startling him. "James, I know I don't say it often enough, but you're the best."
"Geez, Amber…" He chuckled, returning her hug. "You never used to be this mushy and…huggy. You've been hanging around with Sofia too much." He watched her shrug and pull the dress from the bed, moving over to her closet to nestle it into a special bag. James sat down on her bed again, yawning as he leaned up against her pillows. He looked over to the side of her bed before reaching out curiously, picking up a small frame. Seeing its contents, he smiled.
Every year the day before their birthday, ever since they were younger, the prince and princess had gotten their portrait painted while sitting on their mother's swing, tucked away in her garden. Over the years, each portrait had changed, of course. They were older, wiser, and generally different from their younger counterparts. However, one thing didn't change: the pose.
They always leaned against each other, his arm around hers, as they swung slowly back and forth while patiently allowing the painter to finish. During that time, they'd talk about any and everything, and it was…cathartic, for lack of a better term. This particular painting, while still hosting the same pose, was actually angled from the back instead of the front, like most of the others. To him, it was kind of neat, because it just looked more natural than the posed or rehearsed smiles that usually existed on the other portraits. He looked up from the portrait to his sister when she returned, and then he turned the small painting toward her. "This was last year," he pointed out. "I didn't know you had a smaller version of it though."
Amber nodded. "Sofia had a spell to shrink it so it would fit on my bedside table." She took the painting, brushing her hands over the frame. "I like looking at it before I go to sleep… I see everything I love: our mom's swing and garden, the sky's beautiful colors…" She smiled at him fondly. "And you, James."
"Look, there you go again, being all mushy," he teased, laughing as she giggled. "But I get it. And I love you too, Amber. Even if you act like a complete weirdo sometimes."
"I'm the weirdo?" She rolled her eyes, folding her arms. "I'm not the one with a weird obsession for cannons, dear brother."
"Fair enough," he admitted. "But let's not forget that you're obsessed with those sky fireballs that you literally can't touch, even if they are kind of cool."
Entertained by his description, she laughed. "Stars, James. They're called stars… Don't be difficult." She smiled when he reached up, playing with some of her loose hair, almost like a sleepy cat pawing at a ball of yarn. "It's getting kind of late, and you're obviously tired. Maybe you should get some rest."
"Aww… But I'm so comfortable." He grinned at her. "You really do have literally the best bed in the entire castle. Wanna switch?"
"Quit that and hop up." She pulled him off the bed, only a little surprised when he hugged her. "James…?" She blinked when he released her and stepped back a bit, before grasping her hands in his.
"Up to a fun day tomorrow? We probably need a little break, and we don't always get to spend a lot of time together anymore… And you could wear Mom's dress if you wanted and show it off." He twisted sideways, striking a silly pose as she rolled her eyes with a smile. "And be like, 'Yes, my loyal subjects. This dress is fabulous, by design, but what else is new?'" He snickered as she smacked his shoulder and then grinned. "Just let me know." He kissed her cheek briefly, almost laughing when she sighed in exasperation from his suddenly affectionate interactions with her. "Night, sis. Love ya."
Amber watched as her brother left, and a warm smile came to her face. She eyed the portrait on her bedside table, sighing happily. "Love you too, James…"
The end