EVERMORE (COLBY BROCK)

17. THE BITCH

You didn't really want to be out and about. Honestly and truly, you wished to spend the rest of the social season locked away in your room. Just the mere idea of having to go out and risk seeing Cole or Lady Serena or, even worse, the two of them together, made you feel like your heart had been ripped out of your chest and stomped on.

Nevertheless, your mother would never allow you to hole yourself up in your room. You needed to show yourself with the dignity and grace you were born with, she said. Whatever that meant. She said that you needed to show all of high society, and the prince in particular, that you were not affected by what the prince had done. You had to show the entire kingdom that were above whatever game he was playing. And, maybe then, your prospect for marriage wouldn't be totally damaged.

So, your mother drug you out of bed, and told Eliza to make sure you were a picture of perfection. You had to pick up a dress from Aurelian Designs, apparently. Something for the next ball. You hadn't even known you had another dress to be picked up, but your mother explained she had it commissioned to show the prince "exactly what he was missing". You weren't too sure that was going to sway his opinion, but you figured at the very least, you might find another eligible bachelor with it.

And so, now you stood in front of the mirror, watching as Devyn and Xepher work on the final touched. You had to admit, the dress was stunning. It was a soft, powder blue reminiscent of the dress you wore for your debut. It had an umpire waistline, and fell in elegant waves. You were sure that when you danced, it would look like the ocean waves were kissing at your feet. Your eyes fell to the neckline, and for a brief moment, you wondered if the necklace he had given you would look nice with it. But, you shook the thought from your head, both because you knew that necklace would look brilliant with anything and because you never wanted to think about that stupid piece of jewelry ever again.

"I think this is our best work yet, Dev," Xepher was saying as she took the dress in a bit more at the waist.

Devyn stood to the side, looking you over. "I do think you're right, Xeph. We really outdid ourselves here."

You laughed, feeling that fleeting moment of happiness for the first time in a while. "I'm sure you say that about every dress you make."

"Because every time, we get better," Xepher said.

"How can you improve perfection?"

"By raising the bar," Xepher said, finishing what she was doing. She took a step back, joining Devyn, and admired her masterpiece. "Miss Y/N, you may think that perfection is something stagnant, but let me assure you that it's not. Just like everything in life, perfection is fluid. It ebbs and it flows. What you thought was the best thing in the world one day, may be subpar the next. It's just how it goes. It doesn't change its earlier perfection or how you felt about it. But the standard has changed, and so must you."

Your mouth fell open as you tried to figure out a reply. Then, you settled on, "Thank you. I...I don't think you know how much I needed to hear that."

Before Xepher could say more, the jingling of the bell above the shop door pulled you out of your thoughts. You turned your head, your heart sinking to your stomach. Oh, why did she have to be here?

You quickly looked back at the mirror, trying to steady your breathing. "You know what could make this dress even better? Some pearl accents."

Devyn's face lit up. "Oh, I like the way you think, Miss Y/N!"

She went off to the back of the store, before returning shortly with a box of pearls to sew onto the dress. She and Xepher immediately got to work, discussing how they would sew the pearls to the bottom of the dress and let them disperse upwards. The entire time, you kept your back straight, looking in the mirror and not at...her.

"Oh, Y/N!" she said. "What a wonderful surprise to see you here!"

"Yes, wonderful." You tried to keep your tone level, but you were aware that it came out more with a tone of hostility than you had intended to it.

"You know, I must thank you."

"Oh?"

"Yes, if it wasn't for your incompetence, I never would've been able to get the prince's favor once more."

Your heart hammered in your chest. You didn't know what her game was, but whatever it was was working. You wished you weren't so sensitive. You wished you had more of a backbone. You wished—

"Lady Serena, kindly fuck off."

It was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Did your mother really—

"Excuse me?" Serena hissed.

"You've gotten a prince, congratulations," your mother said. "But, it's quite evident his favor ebbs and flows. You may have it today, but who knows about tomorrow?"

Serena stomped up to your mother, stopping barely an inch from her face. "What are you trying to say, wench?"

Your mother stuck her hand out and pushed her slight.y "Know your place. You may have the favor of a prince, but as it stands, I still rank higher than you. And, for what it's worth, my daughter and I still have the favor of the Queen, who'll always rank higher than you."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Just for you to know your place. I'd hate for something to happen to you."

Serena huffed. "You may rank higher than me now, and so may the Queen, but when I marry His Royal Highness, I'll soon be above all of you!"

"Be that as it may, you currently aren't. And one wrong move can ruin everything you're trying to build. Keep that in mind before you do something...irrational."

Serena bared her teeth, and said, "You're testing my patience."

"Then leave. I have an appointment here that'll last til the end of the day. You're not welcome here. Go."

Serena let out of shriek, before turning and stomping out of the store. The door slammed shut behind her, and a moment of silence passed over the four of you. No one said anything, either out of fear of your usually mild-mannered mother turning on them, or shock of what she had done.

Finally, you looked away from the mirror, tears brimming your eyes, as said to your mother, "You didn't have to do that."

"She's messed with my child. No one get away with that scot free."

"She could have you ruined."

"It'll be many years before that happens."

"She doesn't seem the type to forget."

"And the prince doesn't seem the type to stay with her. She'll get what she deserves, and so will we. I can promise you that." She turned her attention to Xepher and Devyn, watching as they sewed the pearls on. "Yes, I do think this looks much better with the pearls."

And, as she discussed the dress's design with Xepher and Devyn, you let out a low laugh, forever grateful that your mother was in your corner.