It Started With A Mask (A Cinderella Story) [revised]

Chapter Four

7:00PM (6 HOURS TO MIDNIGHT, THE BALL HAS BEGUN)

Coralie stood behind me, her hands gently combing my hair up into an elegant chignon, allowing a few curls to frame my face in golden waves. Mouse had left to retrieve whatever it is that he was referring to. I quickly slipped into my dress, smoothing out the blue-white material. Cora adjusted the back, fastening the short line of buttons, before resting her hands on my shoulders.

“You look beautiful Danielle” she murmured, and I raised my eyes to the mirror in front of me.  A stranger looked back. Her eyes were a melted brown surrounded by long, feathery eyelashes, and her skin had a golden glow, her lips stained pink. Her dress clung to her upper body in just the right way, until the waist, where it flowed into a waterfall of gossamer blue material, with some bunching at the back. Was that girl really me?

“Are you sure? While I don’t want to stand out, I’d really rather not look out of place” I told her, doubtful of my appearance. I wasn’t the most self-conscious of my looks majority of the time, but in this case, a Royal Ball is definitely the time in which to care about my appearance. But I never truly understood how much self-consciousness was a nuisance emotion to feel. It makes doubts arise that I usually wouldn’t pay mind to.

“Danielle Alecksa Rousseau. You are the most amazing, beautiful, incredible young woman I know, and no one holds a candle to your beauty right now” Cora told me firmly. I opened my mouth to argue, but she glared at me in the mirror. “That includes me. When Mouse returns with his little project, you will look simply…divine” her smile quirked in that funny way of hers, as if she knew some inside-joke I wasn’t aware of.

I looked down at my feet with a frown. Unfortunately, my divinity will not reach all of me. Cora followed my eyes, and a little furrow touched her brow.

“That is a predicament. Also, you have no mask. Being that our objective is for you to not get caught by your aunt, I suppose we will have to think of something” Coralie opened my trunk and looked through it. As if I had any extravagant foot wear, or a mask sitting in my trunk.

“What’s this?” I turned to see her lifting the wooden box that Edaline had given me. I waved a hand at it dismissively.

“Edaline gave me that. She told me to open it when I needed it” Cora tilted her head to the side, scrutinising the beautiful carvings and small pieces of shell inlaid in the box.

“Well, if ever there was a time for assistance, now would be it” and with those words, she gently lifted the lid, her eyes widening, and her mouth emitting a soft gasp as she stared at the contents. I strode towards her, careful of the hem of my dress.

The breath left my body. Inside the small chest were two beautiful boots that reached my ankles, and had thin, dark polished, wooden heels. The fabric of the boots were died a dark, dark blue, and when I tried them on, they fit snugly against my skin; also raising my height a couple of inches. On top of the boots was a beautiful, white lace mask, with delicate beading on the upper left corner, where a brooch was surrounded by fine ribbons that hung down past my cheek.

I slid both on, making me Cora smile delightedly at me.

“Perfect. All we need is-” Mouse burst in, a triumphant smile on his face.

“The finishing touch!” he exclaimed, producing two, delicately sewn angels wings, that stretched around 1 metre either side of me. I stared at the wings in awe; the feathers glowed in the lamp light.

“They are incredible Mouse. Simply beautiful” I praised him, but when I turned to look at him, I saw that he had frozen. His eyes roved up and down my body, the shock, surprise and…pride shining in them.