Sing Sweet Nightingale

Part 4

The house was quiet. The only sound in it being the soft sound of sobbing as Y/N finally let herself breakdown. She had withstood a lot of abuse in her lifetime, but this? This was just cruel.

Never had she asked for anything. Even when her clothes were falling off her back and her shoes had holes she had stood strong and not begged her stepmother for anything. The one time she asked permission to do something, requiring nothing of her stepmother, except a simple "yes", and she couldn't even have this.

Y/N cringed as she felt wet clods of dirt fall from her dress as she walked down the last few steps. She didn't dare look in the mirror that hung in the hall. She wasn't strong enough yet to look at the mess her stepmother had made.

Y/N quickly walked out the door and walked to the fountain. She sat beside it and felt a new wave of tears drip down her face. She called herself ten different kinds of fool for believing it would end any other way, but here she sat, filthy and heartbroken, next to a fountain and hopelessly clinging to the memory of her mother.

"Y/N?" Dinah asked incredulously. "What on earth are you doing out here?" She dropped her husband's arm and ran over.

Y/N opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a sob. Dinah pulled her close, not caring that she was messing up her dress. She rubbed her back until the girl stopped shaking.

Dinah pulled back and inspected Y/N's tear stained face, as well as the dirt covering both of them.

"Wait, isn't this your mother's wedding dress?" Dinah asked. Y/N nodded. Dinah's eyes grew cold and hard as she put together what had occurred. "That slimy little bitch." She swore.

Oliver moved forward and put a hand on his wife's shoulder. "As much as I would love to stand out here and call Y/N's stepmother horrible names, I think we should probably let her get cleaned up."

Dinah nodded as she guided the girl into the house. "We are going to get you all cleaned up and then I am sending you to that ball. I will be damned if that stuck up woman makes you miss all the fun." She ushered Y/N to the bathroom, calling for her maids. The women got her cleaned and brought one of Dinah's ballgowns for her to wear. An older maid took one look at the soiled dress and said she could save it. Y/N thanked her profusely as the other maids continued to work their magic on her.

When they finished, Y/N looked in the mirror and tears sprang to her eyes. Her hair was swept up and arranged perfectly. Her skin glowed as it hadn't in years. The dress that dinah had chosen for her matched her eyes and complimented her skin tone. She looked like a princess.

She was so caught up in examining herself that she didn't notice the pair of shoes Dinah brought her. They were iridescent, made of a material that felt familiar, but Y/N couldn't name. She slipped them on her feet and was surprised of how comfy they felt.

Dinah smiled as she watched the girl's eyes light up at her freshly made over appearance. She could remember when Y/N was tiny, playing in her jewelry box as she and Y/N's mother gossiped over tea. And now, there was this beautiful grown woman with her best friend's eyes and kind heart. Dinah pushed back her tears as she reached for the girl. "Now, I want you to take our carriage. Make sure you leave before your stepfamily, but most importantly, have a good time."

Y/N nodded as she walked down the stairs. Oliver was standing in the entryway, talking to the coachman. He turned to see her walking down the stairs and let out a low whistle. "Careful you don't break any hearts while you are out tonight." He teased. Y/N flushed slightly as she gave him a hug.

The coachman offered her his arm and escorted her to the carriage. She got in and let out an unsteady sigh. It felt like a dream. A beautiful, but fleeting dream. She turned to see Dinah and Oliver waving at her as the carriage started to move. She smiled and blew them a kiss as their house left her sight.

She was going to the ball and she was going to have a good time, if only because her godmother told her to. She finally let herself hope for happiness as she smoothed her hands down her borrowed dress. If this was a dream, it was better than anything her heart had wished before.