From Prisoner To Princess [amazon edition]

Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Sitting on the balcony in my hidden tower, I enjoy the view from up here as I work on my laptop. Five days have passed since the cabinet meeting and Arian with the help of his men have been collecting confessions from those that were in cahoots with Juden. True to my word, their innocent family members were released from prison with only specific assets seized. With each new confession, the Royal Coffers grow and with this, I have been setting a plan into motion of revitalizing the Slums. The first thing I want to do is fix the roads.

"Thought I would find you up here." Sky's voice calls out from the door way. Looking up from my screen, I smile at him as he comes to sit beside me on the cold concrete, a plate of sandwiches in his hand and a bottle of apple juice in the other.

"Ellisia told me to bring you food if I could find you." He hands me the plate of food, taking my laptop much to my protest, but my stomach growls reminding me that I haven't eaten anything since breakfast, and that was about five hours ago. I mumble out a thank you before digging in, the taste of turkey, bacon, avocados and spicy mayo filling my mouth as I chew the delicious meal.

"So you are hiding from Lillian to work on the Slums project." He laughs out, scanning the documents I have been typing away at all morning.

"It is a really important project." I counter before taking a long drink of the much needed apple juice.

"And the ball is a very important ball for your image as the heiress to the throne." Damnit, he has a point and he knows it. Sighing, I look towards the direction where the Slums are, the place I grew up to far away to see from here. As dangerous as they were, the Slums were my home and I want to see my home thrive, to become the greatness I know it can be. No one cares about the Slums or Provinces. No one cares about the missing children or the deaths that happen there.

"I know the ball is important. That I need to go and flounce around like some debutant." Putting my half finished sandwich aside, I bring my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around myself. I want to be able to party and be a normal young adult. To be able to relax. But that night fourteen years ago took that option from me.

"But I have so much I need to take care of with Nimairene."

"You will get it done Allisara, but you also need to relax and let loose, to let the Nobles know you're not just some dictator like Juden was." Sky is once again right. I hate that he is right. What's worse is he called my by my full name. This means he is being serious and I need to listen.

"Lillian wants to bond with you too. So why don't we put this aside and go try on the dresses she has for you in the sitting room."

"Can I eat my lunch first?"

"Of course Alli. Ellisia would skin me alive if you didn't eat." I laugh at that, watching sky save my work before closing the laptop and putting it into the case to protect it from the cold concrete. He pulls me to his side as I eat my lunch, the two of use discussing what we should do to make this place a little more habitable for us before he helps me to my feet and we make our way down the staircase and past the shelf doorway into my Study. Sky places my laptop bag onto the desk before we leave the room, a Maid taking my empty place and bottle from when she walks by pushing a cart.

Reluctantly, I follow him down the hallway and towards the stairs, knowing that my grandmama will be waiting in the front sitting room with the designer she chose for the ball gown. To think in two days time I will be stepping into the Blanchard estate dressed like a doll for all to see.

"There she is!" Stepping into the room, my grandmama is the first to greet me, pulling me into her arms and hugging me tight. Sky chooses this time to back away, closing the door behind him and leaving me to my grandmama's mercy. Traitor.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, your highness." A middle ages women comes to stop before me, giving a deep bow before she straightens herself. She is a short women with long black hair braided behind her back. Judging by the almond shape of her eyes and the paleness of her skin, I would say she is part Asian.

"Lidia Chao, owner and head designer of Hidden Treasures" Lidia introduces herself, giving me a bright and friendly smile. My grandmama begins to describe how Lidia and her family have dressed the Blanchard family for generations, how my mother wore one of Lidia's designs for her wedding to my father. I smile as I think about the video I found of my mother walking down the aisle to my father, her blonde hair just as curly as mine put into an updo. The dress was a gorgeous A-line neckline ball gown with a four foot train and as I had found and watched the video Ellisia, the Maid explained to me what the wedding day was like as she was a new Maid in the Place twenty three years ago.

"Lillian says that you look good in any dress, but I think you fit in pastels and jewel tones." Lidia takes my hand from my grandmama and leads me deeper into the room where rows on rows of clothing racks filled with gowns are waiting to be tried on and a make shift changing room sits in the back corner away from the windows and doors.

Two other women wait by the first row situated by a tri-folded mirror and they introduce themselves to me as Daisy and Harper, Lidia's assistant. With introductions out of the way, the ladies get to work pulling dresses from the racks and shooing me towards the changing room. Pasting on a smile, I decide to enjoy the moment and let these women help dress me up. If I am to be attending a ball in my honor, then I need the best dress to wear and Lidia is the best person for the job.

"Try the red dress first." Handing me a red ball gown full of tule, Harper sends me towards the changing room once more after stripping me of a fit and flair pink mermaid gown filled with sequins. We all agreed the mermaid dress is one that I cannot walk in after nearly falling face first into a table and with all the mermaid gowns put onto empty racks and put to the side, we began to focus on tule gowns. I can already tell with how itchy and uncomfortable the gown is that tule is not my thing.

"You look like a loofa." Lidia dead pans as soon as I walk out, making me burst out laughing. I though I would hate this experience, hate being treated like a little doll. Instead the five of us have been sipping on champaign and sorting through the gowns that wont suit me.

"I feel like a loofa to be honest." I agree, taking a slice of cantaloupe from the snack table and munching on it.

"So tule and mermaid gowns are definitely not your style." Daisy sighs out, a frown on her otherwise unblemished face.

"Well we know A-line and sweet heart necklines suit her. Now we need to find the right silhouette and fabrics." Harper passes me my glass of champaign while my grandmama browses the remaining wracks of dresses. I watch her intently for a moment until a triumphant smile lights her face and she pulls out a dress. One that has all of us intrigued by.

"Try this on." She shuffles over enthusiastically, taking my champaign from me before forcing the dress into my hands. I humor her, returning to the change room and quickly switching the gowns. Staring at the single mirror in the change room, my eyes widen for a moment as I take in my reflection. Stepping out of the make-shift room, everyone gasps as the fabric flows with every movement.

"This. This is the one!"