Ella's Story

Untitled Part 9

Word Count: 1400 

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I hear a horse stop by the front door. I stop hitting myself. Is it mistress Amaya back for more? Or is it one of her friends coming to kill me?

I hear quiet giggles and a knock at the door. "Hello? Ella?" It's Ash's voice.

My voice cracks without my consent and a sob slips out.

"Ella?" Their voice says, now clearly concerned. They come in without knocking again.

I can only imagine what they see. A broken, crying person in a torn woman's ballgown, what a sight.

"Oh Ella, darling." Their voice is soft, they come sit next to me. "What happened?"

I try to breathe in a few times, each with varying degrees of success. "It-it-t-t was all...it was all a lie."

"Can I touch you?"

I nod, knowing my voice isn't remotely stable

Ash wraps their arms around me and gently squeezes. It feels so genuine I tear up again.

"Only you can figure out who you are for sure. I'll always be here to love you, in whatever way you need."

Several shaky breaths and a few stable ones later I pull back and respond.

"Mistress says I'm just like the dress. And no matter how much I do to fix it up it's still rags." I hold up a shredded part of my skirt to prove the point.

Ash takes a deep, serious breath before responding. "A lot of people don't like us, they'd rather stick we to the script. But that's the wonderful thing about people like us Ella, we're not normal. We're extraordinary."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes you are Ella. You took my old clothes and put so much time into making them into something that I know could have easily beaten any of Annie or Anna or Amaya's gowns."

I stay silent.

"...But clearly they were jealous and ruined it for you. Thankfully I came prepared."

I look up confused.

"stand up, I have to go get something." They can't help but smile at the thought of their surprise.

I use the table and pull myself up to a standing position and wait for them to return.

They come back with their endless bag. Thats literal, they enchanted it so it can hold an unnatural amount inside it.

"I wanted you to have some options, just like anybody who goes to a ball would, so I've been working on an outfit for you too. I originally wanted to give you the choice, but I don't think its needed much anymore."

I chuckle dryly. I'm now slightly numb from crying so intensely.

"Here, put this on please" Ash hands me a blindfold. "unless you really don't want to, but I'd prefer to keep it as much a surprise as possible."

I put it on silently and step away from the table and wall so they can work their magic.

They put on a cage and corset first. It's an overbust corset too, so my silhouette doesn't have to be so obvious. Then they put on an impossible number of petticoats. It's a wonder the dress doesn't feel heavy at all. I wonder what fabric they're made of, air? I could barely tell the difference with or without them on.

As they put on a final petticoat I feel some weight on it, finally, and the jacket has a much lower neckline than mine ever did.

"I also want to fix your makeup, but I can't do it with the blindfold on, okay?" Ash tells me.