Innocent Sorrow: A Tale of Twisted Hearts Book One

Chapter Eight

“Lift your arms… Step into this… Turn… Close your eyes. Smile. Stand straighter.” Hilda’s stern but gentle voice directed her movements as she was prepped and dressed for the upcoming event. “Oh Hilda! Do you think my parent’s will like how I have grown? I don’t have either of their heights but I do think I have filled out rather well…” Hilda smiled gently as she laid another swath of silk along the dress. “It matters not what you look like child. Your heart is large and your compassion boundless; that is what will make your parents happy.” Hilda had studied the dress that had come from the tailor and deemed it too plain for an unwed Princess though she didn’t say why the garment was so average even though both knew why. The Queen had been the one to order the dress but Hilda wouldn’t have that, not for her little one. Helping Feli off the dressing stand, the black haired girl made her way to a full length mirror that sat in the corner by the terrace entrance. Now that she was fully dressed and her hair had been put up before hand, she was ready to find out how she looked. What she saw reflected stole her breath away.

The dress had a corseted top instead of the normal under-corset with a sheath, it made her breasts press tightly against the ribbed fabric and seem bigger for the slight swell as they strained against the curving metal but she didn’t mind, it was comfortable enough. Her waist was tapered down before flaring out at the hips and buttocks. The corset itself was white with black ribbing and black laces. Since it was the Winter Gala, the colors were black, silver, gold, blue and white; luckily all colors Feli looked lovely in. The skirt was a full A-line split style with the overlay in snow white and the underlay revealed by the panel deep black. The hem of the white skirt was embroidered with black lace ivy while the black panel was embroidered with the same in white. The entire thing was covered in beautiful silk but on the skirt, to match the ribbing on the corset, Hilda had cut up a black velvet curtain and sowed on matching stripes. The embroidery, embellishments and split style had been done by Hilda who found some matching white silk and took the remaining black velvet to create detached sleeves since the dress had none. The dark black velvet was laced tightly around her upper arms with white silk ribbons and the white silk started at her elbows, falling loosely around her forearms to end at her wrists at the top yet the lower hanging silk went almost a foot beyond her fingertips.

Her long hair had been gathered up except for two strands at the front and her bangs which were curled to frame her face and stand off slightly from her forehead. The two long strands went just past the top of her corset. In the back, her hair had been split into a few braids and some messily curled strands that had been piled on her head intricately and beautifully. They were held in place by two clips and two crisscrossing hair pins. The clips were decorated with black and clear diamonds while the pins were carved out of ivory and had two black stripes painted on the ends. On top of her head sat the tiara her Father had left her, its gems glittering softly at the crown of her skull. Around her neck hung her mother’s necklace and a simple black velvet chocker with soft white lace ruffles was buttoned into place around her throat. Her shoulders were lay completely bare and her collar bone almost completely exposed except for that one silver heart. Her feet rested in high heeled shoes with rounded toes in a rich black and a white ribbon that wrapped around her ankle. She wore a pair of short bloomers underneath and no socks or stockings so her legs were free and quite beautiful though none could see them for the long skirt though she did lift the skirt to examine how the shoes rested and if she wobbled at all.

Turning to Hilda with a brilliant smile she hugged her maid. “Oh it’s wonderful! Thank you so much Hilda, oh you are absolutely amazing.” While Feli gushed, Hilda just smiled and smoothed her hands over Feli’s back, careful of the black laces that stitched it tightly together. “The only reason this looks beautiful is because you are beautiful to begin with. All I did was enhance it. Now I want you to go down there and wow them my beautiful child.” Feli brushed the stray wetness from her eyes and smiled at the old maid before walking towards the door. Hilda would come down a bit later, after the main gathering had started with Valkea who would be dressed up and brushed out for the event as well. Her shoes clicked loudly on the stone steps and when she reached the bottom, she looked around a bit before noticing Bren standing by the arches to the main castle. He was dressed in black slacks and a white dress jacket, black dress shirt and brilliant white tie. He had glossy black, leather shoes and silver cufflinks to finish off the stylish but simple outfit. At his hip was the sword given to Generals yet wasn’t used for battle, a light weight silver sword with an ivory hilt and a spiraling, golden guard that covered the hand when held.