A GOLDEN EMPIRE

CHAPTER THIRTY- EIGHT

AURORA GRACEFULLY SITS DOWN in the elevated, plush, director-style chair, her name written in a glimmering, twenty-four karat gold paint stylized on the back. The long elegant high ponytail Phillip had put her hair into is swept demurely over one of her shoulders, embedded with a silver SWAROVSKI headband that shines starkly through her carefully-groomed mane. She places her phone onto the vanity in front of her, eyeing the makeup caddy that is filled to the brim with all of her favorite selections as she crosses one knee over the other.

"Part your lips, dear." Her make-up artist, ANASTASIA softly commands as she runs MAC's lip liner in cherry red around the rim of Aurora's full lips and then fills it in with the complementing Ruby Woo.

"All done." Anastasia finishes, standing back to admire her work, not that Aurora even needs much. She's a walking advertisement for beauty with or without make-up.

"Thank you." Aurora grins, her teeth pearly white against the red lipstick. "You always make me look amazing."

"Anytime, dear."

With her hair and makeup finally finished, Aurora moves from the vanity make-up set in the parlor, up the stairs, and into her bedrooms she would retire to after the ball to rest school for tomorrow morning. Standing in front of the full-length mirror, the heiress cocks her head to the side to stare at her reflection. She looks good, really gorgeous if she has to say so herself. Her dress is stunning, the black acrylic disc embellished ATELIER ZUHRA mermaid gown is elegant and hugs her in all the right places. She's opted for a nude natural make-up for her light caramel skin tone with a bright lip in part because she loves bright colors, but more because she knows her lips are a feature people love.

And by people, we're specifically talking about Justin.

She steps into her closet over to the shoe section, more specifically a pair of black and silver  AMINAH JILLIL soleil open toe sandals. Now you are probably wondering... no LOUBOUTINS??!? Nope, not this time. Mainly because couldn't find any to match the vibe of her dress. So she's going in a different direction. On her left wrist is a diamond HARRY WINSTON bangle, a diamond TIFFANY'S cuff on the right right, SWAROVSKI hoops in her ears. 

Just need to add one more special accessory- a silver TIFFANY T true wide diamond ring that Justin gave her last night. He slipped it on her finger after their late night tryst. You know what happened after that, I don't think I need to tell you.

Aurora walks out of the closet back into her room, immediately taking notice of Odette who's pinning the last braid into her side bun completing her Greek goddess revival look. After three hours of prep, she is finally ready. The dress she was going to wear at first got completely ruined (even the mere thought of it makes her cry) so Charles had called in a favor to his dear friend who headed GUCCI to unlock their vault after seeing how rough a time his youngest daughter was having with being able to get another one made. This resulted in a limited edition (read: only four were made in the entire world) floor-length, strapless oxblood gown with a slit for her right leg that ends just below her hip. The cinched waist accentuates her tiny waist while her favorite pair of glittered LOUBOUTINS accentuates her recently formed calves. Thanks to the morning runs and workouts she had scheduled in order to get ready for tonight.

"Bubs, you look stunning!!"

Odette looks up at the sound of her sister's voice and goes to turn around. What she sees leaves her in shock. "Oh my fucking god! Aurora! Oh my god, you look... holy hell you look incredible, big sister."

Aurora grins brightly. "Thank you."

They stand side by side in the floor length mirror and pretend that they're in front of screaming paparazzi snapping away while begging for a few short words on their life intimacies. Odette slips on her ruby red ring onto the pinky finger of her right hand and attaches her favorite pink diamond tennis bracelet onto her wrist.

"I'm ready. Oh god, I can't wait to see Christian in his tuxedo." Earlier this week, the boy had asked her to accompany him to Rodeo Drive. He needed her help on picking out the best suit. Tried some from HUGO BOSS, didn't work. Tried some from TOM FORD, those didn't work either. So she took him into the ARMANI store. Perfection.

Aurora has seen those two together and frankly, they're truly smitten with each other.

"You like him, don't you?

"Real shit. I truly do. Yesterday, he told me that I'm his favorite girl. Truth be told," She opens the doors to step into the hallway. Aurora right behind her. "His mother was standing there when he told me. I could sense some jealousy."

Honestly, Odette is very much right about that. At brunch yesterday, Christian's mother STEPHANIE noticed at first look how much her son liked being around Odette and her family- immense jealousy, especially for Juliette and Charles and how stupidly in love those two are.

"Are they coming tonight?"

"Yes. He told me earlier. He, his parents, and his sisters and his brother. Being in the same room with Stephanie and Natalie. God Ro, I want to yell just thinking about it."

On their way down the hallway to Juliette's parlor (because they know that's where everyone else is), Aurora is telling her that anytime she and Chris need to get away, come hang out with the Empire.

The double doors of the parlor open and out steps Juliette who looks heavenly. Damn that woman must've born with a need to sparkle because this dress she's wearing... whew, she's a vision in a gold mirror shard embellished ATELIER ZUHRA gown. As usual, her makeup looks flawless, her long black hair is straightened and silky, flowing down her back like a waterfall.

"Girls! Oh you two look exquisite!"

"Us? Mom, have you seen you? You're a queen!"

This is why most girls are jealous of the two sisters, they have parents who were blessed with insanely good looks. They all walk downstairs to meet the others. The women look stunning in their gowns, the men look dangerously handsome in their TOM FORD, VALENTINO, ARMANI and BOSS tuxedos.

For the younger girls, we have Autumn in her blush colored strapped MARCHESA embellished organza gown and her nude LOUBOUTINS, Adrianna in her black CHRISTOPHER JOHN ROGERS gown with multicolor stitching and black GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI sandals, and Avalon in her silky off white halterneck ELIE SAAB embroidered cape gown and satin strap LOUBOUTINS.

Basically, everyone in here looks magnificent and now, after hours of calculated preparation, it's officially time to head to the hotel. The author (me) is too fucking lazy and tired to name every gown and suit worn this in the chapter. Next up, the ball. FINALLY.