Heart of Fire

Chapter Twenty Eight

The familiar bell rings as I step into Paisley's shop, closing the door behind me. A smile comes to my face when I spot her behind the counter sewing a dress. I walk up to her, pulling down the hood to my cloak. She looks up from her piece, her face lighting up the moment she realizes it's me in her shop.

"Adira! I wasn't expecting you!" She beams, setting down the needle and thread in her hand.

"I know, I'm sorry for the short notice. There's a ball tonight and I'm in desperate need of a dress." I say.

"Oh honey, no need to apologize. You are welcome here anytime." She waves off my apology as she comes out from behind the counter to embrace me.

"Thank you. Do you think you can find me something now that Kenton hasn't sworn you to secrecy?" I smirk, giving her a knowing look.

She laughs, beckoning me back to the dressing rooms. "Yes, I think I can do that. Let's get you something as beautiful as you are, dear."

I smile to myself, following her to a dressing room.

***

I knock on Amelia's door, holding two large garment bags in one hand. Not only did I find a dress for myself, but I also happened to find one that I thought would look amazing on Amelia. I bought both dresses without hesitation, but I also tipped Paisley a little extra in gratitude for helping me on such short notice. She of course tried to deny my extra money, but after a little bit of convincing she took it gratefully.

Amelia opens her door, smiling when she sees me. Her hair is wet, most likely from just getting out of a bath.

"I hope you're here to get ready for the ball. I need your help since King Bastian wanted to tell everyone on such short notice, I don't think I even have a dress to wear." She stresses, letting me into her room. Amelia's room has much more decoration than mine. It's a complete reflection of her with girly trinkets and clothing around the space.

"Don't worry, I got you a dress to wear." I say, laying the garments on her bed.

She rushes over to me, revealing her dress from the bag. She gasps as she runs her hands over the light pink material. I have to admit, it's a very gorgeous gown, with a sweetheart neckline and baby blue flowers scattered throughout the pink material.

"My gods, Adira! This is too perfect." She breathes, her eyes not straying away from the dress. "Wait, how much did this cost?" She snaps her head towards me, looking at me in concern.

I wave off her concern. "Don't worry about it. I saw it at Paisley's shop and I knew you would love it, so I got it for you."

If I were in a different situation where I didn't have a lot of money, perhaps I would be worried. However, Kenton did in fact give me full access to his supply of overflowing riches a while ago, so money isn't a problem for me anymore.

She beams at me, her eyes twinkling in happiness. "This is why I keep you around. Thank you." She says sincerely. I respond with a nod, smiling at her pure happiness from the smallest gift. "Let me see your dress!" She says, gesturing to my garment bag.

I reveal the dress to her, to which she responds with a gaping mouth, no words coming out. The dress is vastly different from what I would normally pick out, but Paisley convinced me to go through with it despite my hesitation. It's a deep green silk dress with two slits going all the way up the legs, stopping at the top of the hips. The sleeves are separate from the dress, meant to be worn at the middle of the arms, trailing all the way down to the floor. A cross halter top goes around the neck, meeting a gold choker with insane jeweled details. The midriff of the dress matches the gold choker in the style of a corset with the same detailing. It's truly one of the best dresses Paisley has done.