In a land of magic on the brink of war, three stories are fated to meet.
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Lilac is being forced into a marriage she never wanted, for the benefit of her kingdom.
Lily is trapped in a life of servitude and endless poverty after her mother dies...
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I almost wanted to believe it was all a dream; the fine clothes, the rich food, the huge bed.
Somehow, the fact that I wasn't sharing any of it with Lilac, put a damper on this fantastical, never-ending dream.
If only Simon and Jo could see me now.
I was awake when Alexia quietly came into the room, the soft clinking noises of a tray accompanying her, but I didn't alert her of my awareness. I heard her move about the room, and a warm light flooded over everything as she pulled back the drapes over the window.
"Lily?"
"I'm awake." I confirmed, sitting up from the plush softness of the mattress around me.
Alexia nodded, her wild curls bouncing, and put her hands on her hips, "Good, 'cause we've got a lot of work to do if you're ever gonna be presentable to the Prince."
My stomach curled at the thought of the Prince, but I hid my expression of distain from Alexia. There was no point in getting worked up, since I was meeting him in a few hours.
"Here," she placed a silver tray in my lap, "Eat, I'll lay out your dress."
I stared at the spread before me. I had never seen so much food on one plate. Breakfast had been pitifully simple when I lived in the laundry house; porridge with sugar if I was lucky, plain if I wasn't.
I tucked in, savoring every last bite I took. Did they really eat like this all the time here, while the villagers scrambled for food and oftentimes starved?
It was an unpleasant thought.
Once I had eaten my fill, Alexia took the tray and I looked over the dress I'd be wearing. It had a finely stitched Basque waistline with a slight sweetheart neckline, creating a sliming effect for the bust. The silk was a beautiful peach color, with cream tulle softening it, and cream lace fitted over the bodice
The next hour was spent on just getting dressed, as I learned there was much more involved than I originally thought. The peach silk and cream tulle fell heavily around my legs with a swish, and I gasped when I felt Alexia pull the strays tight.
The bodice was so tight that a constricting corset wasn't needed.
I ran my fingers over the fine lace, feeling the silk beneath it and admiring the fine stitches.
"Put these on." Alexia put a pair of silk slippers in front of me, and I gratefully slid into them.
They were so soft and suple, so comfortable.
"Sit." Commanded Alexia, and I obeyed.
She brushed through my hair, leaving it soft and shiny, and began to style it with masterful fingers. In the end, she had done my hair up into a braided crown with a cream colored ribbon woven into it.
