Makeshift Royalty

Chapter Eight

That afternoon, I began wrapping servings of food into cloth. Each package contains four rolls of bread, a piece of jewelry and some kind of vegetable. I only had enough stuff to fill ten sacks. Poesy insisted on playing in her drawer bed with purple ribbon and whenever I took her out she would get grumpy. Hattie brought in her stash of rolls a few hours ago and I added food from my lunch buffet. Everything is going as planned. Hattie told me she took the letter to the milkman right before coming to my room with the rolls.

She said  she had to explain things to him at least seven times because of his hearing problem, but eventually he seemed quite anxious to get things rolling. He told her the whole village has heard about my capture and that for as long as he remembers he has wanted to take action. Hattie made it very clear the urgent  nature of the message and told him to call an underground town meeting in order to read the note.

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Sunday Afternoon

Hattie pops her head inside my room, “ready to get ready for your grand ball, Eve?” she laughs skipping into the room. She pulls a heavy pink gown from the wardrobe. It is bigger than her and she struggles to keep it from dragging on the ground.

“No way am I wearing that.” I groan noticing the sparkly pink jewels embedded in the bottom.

“Come on its just for the ball tonight.” She laughs helping me slip the scratchy material over my head.

“Is there not a-Ouch!” I yelp as she tightens the corset around my waist, “There it is.”

“Now for your hair,” Hattie talks to herself leading my to the mirror. She pulls a chair in back of me and stands on it. She can still barely see over my head.

“What do you do to your hair?” She mumbles struggling to drag the brush through my brown hair.

“Nothing.” I respond wincing in pain.

Hattie finishes brushing my hair, and surprisingly I am not bald. She carefully does two braids on either side of my head before setting the tiara on my head.

       “Da” Poesy squeaks holding out the purple ribbon.

       “Oh the perfect touch.” I tell her holding the ribbon out to Hattie.

She ties the ribbon around the braids in the back of head. Poesy claps her hands, drool happily seeping from the side of mouth.

I look at myself in the mirror. The pink dress is tight and heavy. The light pink material gathers at my waist and lays even at my feet. I feel so vulnerable and restrained in it, I can barely move my arms past my head and it takes awkward movements to keep from tripping over it.

       “I like the braids.” I tell Hattie, “Thank you.”

       “I think you look prettier than Merona ever did.” Hattie tells me hopping down from the chair. “Now from what I have seen of these Parties, you should be able to get by easily. Just pretend you know what your doing. Keep your chin up and-“

       “Shoulders back and stand up straight.” I interrupt.

       “You can refuse to dance, Merona never really did anyway. Just smile and pretend you know everyone there.”

       “Alright” I respond nervously glancing down at Poesy playing at my feet.

       “Do not worry, I will take care of her tonight.” Hattie says sounding mature beyond her years.