Emilie of the Royal Heart

Chapter 5: To Princess Emilie (Covered in Wine, But Not Drunk)

The attendants had a lot of questions as they dressed Emilie up for the dinner. She got out of most of them by telling them that she had a sore throat and was saving her voice for the occasion. Still, Emilie could see the curious glimmer in one of the women's eyes as she weaved pearl topped pins into Emilie's thick hair.

It wasn't too long before Emilie rose from the chair in her full ensemble for the evening. She had only seen a traditional Zuhian engagement dress once before on the daughter of the wealthy merchant that lived in her town. Even so, she knew there were a few features that were required for it to constitute as an engagement dress and it seemed as though Cedric matched these notes perfectly.

As characteristic of most Zuhian dresses of the time, the blue cotton skirt stopped above the ankles and she wore brown leather slippers with a heel that was less than an inch tall. An engagement dress needed to have wide panels of eye-grabbing fabric to be overlayed around the skirt of the dress. Cedric's team did a marvelous job with swaths of white lace that flew up into the air when she twirled. The bodice was simple, a sleeveless indigo velvet with thin staps of the same material that went over her shoulders. The straps were covered by the silver attachments for the sheer, light blue cape that wafted off her back.

Emilie dared not to look at the clock. She knew she was already making poor time. Once the attendants gave her a last look over, she thanked them as she stuffed Cedric's good luck handkerchief somewhere Aurora couldn't take it (stuck deep in the front panel of her bodice) and rushed out of her new bedchambers.

She nearly careened into Aurora, who was leaning up against the wall, staring absently into the face of his pocket watch. Emilie gasped and skidded to a stop. Thankfully, she didn't have to contend with billowing skirt tangling up her legs this time, so she maintained a greater degree of control which was instantly undermined by her gawking at the Prince.

"How did you know I'd be out at this time?" she wheezed. Behind her, she heard the door open and a couple of the attendants poked their heads out into the hall.

"I didn't," he admitted, snapping the watch shut and tucking it away. He took a step away from the way and straightened up, "I waited."

Only now did Emilie notice how their outfits were coordinated. The same type of lace on the panels of her dress embellished the sides of Aurora's trousers and the cuffs of his indigo jacket. She had a second to wonder how the Tailor managed to synchronize their costumes so well in the span of one afternoon.

"I was worried you'd lose your way again," Aurora added in a voice that was patronizing and not deserving of the 'aw's' and coos it elicited from the attendants behind her.

Emilie held her head high and floated her way over to him. She waited for him to offer his arm and when she took hold of it, snaking her hand up to his upper arm to make the gesture look a little less formal.

"I think you underestimate me, your... Rory," she covered poorly as he led her briskly down the corridors, "maybe I wasn't lost at all when you stumbled upon me outside your door."

"Are you admitting to premeditated eavesdropping on a prince and his council? You would rather be accused of treason than let me believe you got lost, is that it?" he mocked her. Not in an affectionate way. In a he thought she was being genuinely stupid and wanted her to know way.

"Eavesdropping constitutes as treason here?" she objected with a scoff, "what kind of weak government must you have for it to come under serious threat by a commoner overhearing a few words?"

It came out of her mouth before she thought about what she was saying. Emilie stiffened. She couldn't believe she openly criticized the law to a prince's face. Her life had taken a number of shocking and devastating turns in the last three months, but never in all her life did Emilie anticipate herself speaking so callously to a royal.