Starlight And Mist

The Ball

Dusk seemed in a hurry to arrive, much to Eiris' chagrin. The sky lit up with orange and pink, the breeze cooling down, and the birds' chatter grew into a soft symphony that blended with the emerging song of the crickets. Thane gave her a tearful hug, and she returned it, her heart aching at the thought of never seeing her childhood friend again. He had reached out to grab her hand before she left, pulling her in close. They had been back at the stable, hiding in a dark stall as they said their tearful goodbyes.

"I want you to have this."

In his outstretched hand was a small bag of coins.

"Thane, I can't accept this. I can't take your earned wages from you."

"You may find yourself in need of it someday. Coins that only you know of, in case you need them to get away." He gave a solemn nod as he pressed the small bag into her palm. Tears filled her eyes, and she gave him one more squeeze before setting off alone to her fate. The gesture was small, but she knew how terrible and difficult arranged marriages could be, and the fact that he cared for her safety when no one else around her seemed to give it a second thought made her feel a little choked up. The closer she got to the large stone structure, the more weight there was on her chest. She felt sick as she opened the large, heavy doors. As she walked in, the hustle and bustle of maids could be heard throughout the great hall, and she saw them bustling to and fro, some bearing fresh flowers from the markets, some carrying articles of freshly pressed clothing and packing them into trunks. All of her clothes and necessities were being packed away. She had left her sword with Thane as a gift since she could not smuggle it discreetly to her new home. She missed its weight against her back as she made her way up the grand spiral staircase.

She had hardly begun to undress when a large group of maids came rushing into her chambers, picking things up off the floor, stripping her bed, and sweeping books into trunks. A rotund older lady with a round face and fire-red hair swept back from her face approached Eiris with a "tsk," examining Her disheveled state from head to toe.

"I suppose we should be grateful we have as much time as we do, ladies. We'll need it!" she laughed, and the other ladies responded with polite laughs.

Eiris frowned as a bath was drawn, and she was told to hurry and scrub. She took as much time as she dared in the warm water, the smell of honeysuckle and lemon wafting from the water. She was yanked rather unceremoniously from the tub, toweled off, and sat before a large gilded mirror hanging from the bathroom wall. She sat on a stool as the red-headed maid from before carefully toweled her hair and used a brush and her skilled fingers to sweep the top part of it up and away from her face. The rest of it was left hanging in romantic waves around her shoulders. Two strands were left on either side of her forehead and carefully curled. After they were satisfied with her hair, they moved onto her face. They powdered over her freckles and pinched her cheeks to make them rosy. A shiny concoction was spread onto her lips, making them look supple. She stared in disbelief at the mirror as her reflection slowly morphed into someone older, someone she didn't know, someone almost...pretty.

She was pulled from the bathing room and into her sleeping chambers, where her towel was removed, and she was made to stand on a stool. The women had hushed conversations as they fetched fabrics, shoes, and jewelry, none she recognized.

"Did Sildra pick these things out?"

"No, dear. Your betrothed requested your outfit for this evening. And might I say, he has excellent taste!"

She clenched her jaw and furrowed her brow. Not only was she to be sold off to the highest bidder, but now she was his plaything. She was dressed and made up as if she were a doll. She clenched her fists as she was poked, prodded, and measured again. Someone finally came in with her dress for the evening, and she almost gasped. It was a form-fitting gown made of silk, the color of her skin, which flared out around her knees. Over it went a midnight blue overdress that was almost entirely transparent. It was embroidered with little stars and moons, embellished with tiny diamonds. The gown was held up by tiny gold chains adorned with matching diamonds. It left her shoulders and neck bare, making her feel uncomfortable. The servants gasped and tittered with excitement and admiration as she stood in front of the mirror, her skirts adjusted and hemmed.
"I say he won't be able to look at anyone else with you there in this!" Surmised the red-headed maid, Willow.
Eiris mustered a polite smile. On the one hand, it was nice to be called beautiful; however, this was not her choice. As she was rushed downstairs to the waiting carriage, a heavy fur cloak crossed her bare shoulders at the last minute. She thought of her mother and how she wanted to confide in her and cry in her lap, as she had done so many times.