The Children of When (Complete)

Chapter 29 - Kitsunes

he silky soft fabric of the dress floated around her calves and tickled her legs. Belle looked at herself in the mirror attached to the back of the door, and her jaw dropped, stunned at her own reflection. I almost look pretty!

Thinking of Lyricus, she pulled her hair up into a bun, thinking it might make her look more sophisticated. And then her jaw dropped. She stared at the tip of the one pointy ear she'd exposed in awe. I'm an elf!

A sense of belonging flooded through her for the first time in her life. She'd been the odd one out for so long; she'd almost given up on ever being accepted. It had started with her friendship with Leah and Raff, but this euphoria she felt at being the same as those around her was an entirely new experience.

She smoothed the silky fabric over her hips one more time, took a deep breath, and opened the door to the sitting room. Leah and Raff were sitting on the lounge chairs chatting, but the conversation died when they saw Belle.

Leah grinned. "Wow, Belle, you look gorgeous!"

Belle laughed self-consciously. "No, you look gorgeous. But the dress is pretty isn't it?" She twirled in a circle, the dress billowing out around her.

Raff smiled sheepishly. "Well, personally I think you both look spectacular. But can we please go eat now, I'm starving!"

They jumped up from their chairs, and Belle's eyes widened at the sight of Raff in his elven outfit. The white, loose fitting shirt hung almost to his knees, cinched in with a belt the same as the girls'. It had big blousy sleeves tied at the wrist, while the baggy pants were flared and ended at his ankles.

"You don't look so bad yourself." She grinned, then laughed when both Leah and Raff instantly blushed.

* * *

The meeting hall looked amazing. A long dark table fashioned from the most exquisite mahogany coloured wood had replaced the Oracles' chair, along with the round table and chairs placed there earlier. The table legs were dark and twisted, flecked with threads of silver, the chairs the same. The whole piece reminded Belle of the trees they'd passed earlier in the Forever Forest.

Belle glanced at Raff and Leah, wondering if she was the only one who'd noticed the fine details of the table setting. Raff beamed from ear to ear, which did little to hide the drool edging its way down one side of his chin. Leah just looked overwhelmed. Belle reached up to touch the tip of her pointy elven ear and smiled. Must be an elf thing.

And then she noticed what was on the table. Lilies, baby's breath, and candles infused with the scent of the Forever Forest itself, lay in every crevice of the table not taken up by food. The smell and the sight combined was intoxicating.

"Your friends Dominic and Dub have opted to dine in their hut tonight. They will join us later for coffee. I suspect it may have had something to do with the elven dress requirements for dining, which I would happily have overlooked had they asked. Never mind, we shall enjoy our dinner and put talk of serious matters on hold until they arrive." The Oracle was probably right. Belle tried to picture Dominic and Dub in outfits like Raff's, and almost burst out laughing.

Belle was so distracted by the spectacular setting, she didn't notice Leah grab Raff's hand and lead him around to the opposite side of the table. But she watched her plonk herself down next to the Oracle, pulling Raff down beside her. Of course, this left only one other seat available, the one next to Lyricus, who smiled warmly.

Belle blushed, and shot Leah a look of desperation. But Leah just smiled and winked. "Wow, this all looks so good. I don't know where to start."

Belle sighed, and slipped into the seat beside Lyricus. How was she supposed to eat when her stomach was doing backflips at the thought of sitting next to the handsome elf? Determined to at least look normal, she focused her attention on the feast laid out before them.