Midnight

Five

Chapter five:

The chilly morning air was blowing in my hair as I slowly and quietly crept out of the house, shutting the door soundlessly behind me. The sun was starting to make an appearance on the horizon and the birds were just beginning to chirp.
I had started breakfast already in case the trip to the market took longer then expected, that way I didn't have to rush home. My stepmother and both my stepsisters were still fast asleep, and they would be for quite a few more hours.

I swung onto Elspeth and tucked the leather satchel that was meant for my shoes behind me. I was excited to see Dulcy again, to see the shoes she had bought for me, yes, but also to hear of her second experience at the Palace marketplace.
So I didn't waste any time in coaxing a sleepy Elspeth out of her pen and down the road towards the marketplace. We didn't run, we had no hurry, so Elspeth trotted along casually as she still woke up.

We arrived at the market when the first shops were beginning to open, and surprisingly, Elspeth and I were not the first people already there. There were a few women, mostly with younger children, doing their shopping early on. I smiled to the ones that passed me as I tied Elspeth to a pole and went looking for Dulcy.
I found my friend a few moments later by a small bakery. She was holding a cloth bag tightly in her hands and her face lit up when she saw me.

"Ella! I'm so excited, the Palace was wonderful, just like last time!" She said in a hushed voice, running up to my side. She then handed me the cloth bag she had been holding.
"Here, take a look at these. I think you will like what I got."
I smiled nervously at my friend and slowly opened the bag. Inside, lay two of the most beautiful shoes I had ever laid eyes on, including the extravagant pairs my stepmother owned.

The shoes were white, just like my dress, and had two straps crossing over each other in the front. The heel wasn't too high, about three inches, which was practically nothing compared to what I had seen in some of the stores yesterday. And around the heels of both shoes was a small strip of what looked to be silk. The person wearing the shoes would tie the silk around their ankle in a bow, for decoration and to keep the shoe on. I had seen a few ladies with this style, and I rather liked it myself.

I looked up at Dulcy wordlessly and she smiled widely.
"Do you like them?" She asked, although she already knew me answer. I nodded and pulled her into a hug.
"Dulcy, they're wonderful! Thank you so much, I can't believe you did this for me."
"Oh really, it was nothing. I actually enjoyed it, I wish I could go to the Palace marketplace everyday!"
I laughed and looked back at the shoes before closing the cloth bag and holding it protectively.
"Well maybe sometime I can find a way to go with you." I said quietly, in case anyone was listening in. Dulcy smiled and nudged my side.
"Your turning into an adventurer, Ella, don't let your stepmother find out about anything I've done to help you. Say the shoes were your mothers, she'll believe you."
"I hope so." I sighed. "That is, if she'll even consider me going to the ball."

Dulcy sighed and placed a small hand in my shoulder.
"She has to let you go. You'll find a way, I know you will. Now, you must hurry back home before she wakes up, you know she has a tendency of waking early sometimes."
I nodded hastily, having forgotten about that. There had been a few times where my stepmother had indeed woken up at the crack of dawn and demanded her breakfast right then and there. I silently prayed that today was not one of those days.

With a quick goodbye to Dulcy, I rushed to Elspeth and within seconds I had untied her, swung onto her, and was trotting out of the marketplace.

As we rode back home the sun came up slowly behind us. The warm sun on my back felt nice and I let myself smile.
Despite everything my stepmother had said to me about not going to the ball, I felt confident that I would indeed find a way to go, just like Dulcy had said.
But as we neared the house, I felt that something was wrong. There was a light on upstairs even though I had left the house completely dark. I swallowed the lump in my throat and quickly led Elspeth back into her pen. Then I clutched the cloth bag safely and ran to the front door.
I softly opened the door, trying not to make any noise, and slipped inside the foyer.