Consequence

Chapter 5

June 3, 1805

Today marks my eighth birthday. It started out as any other day: Mrs. Helen tutored me and the other orphans, I assisted in the daily chores, and I had an hour to practice embroidery.

But then as night crept in and all the other orphan girls in the nursery slept, I decided to sneak out of bed and head to the library.

The library is the most precious place in the orphanage to me. It's filled with hundreds of books containing all sorts of things. I only really read the fairytales and myths, though.

I love to hide behind the curtain of the large windowsill in the library, just so I could gaze up at the stars with a book about astronomy on my lap. There are all sorts of constellations with amazing stories behind them.

Each one fascinates me and brings me to a world far from the one I've come to know.

Tonight I was going to make my annual wish upon the second star only seen by children in London, according to legend.

I looked up through the window and the twinkling lights of the sky filled my eyes with hope. I closed them leaving me in darkness so that I could make my wish.

Suddenly a hand tapped my shoulder. My eyes shot open in surprise and closed tightly again at the sight of Mrs. Helen. She dragged me by wrist back to the nursery and locked the door behind her as she left.

She may have tried to ruin my dreams but she was too late. I had already made my wish.

April 14, 1813

My eyes fluttered open to the light from the curtains of my chambers. I glanced around me wondering for a moment where all the other girls' beds had disappeared to.

I looked down expecting to find myself laying in my simple white linen comforter and blanket. My eyesight was still a bit blurry and my body was between sleep and reality.

A strange feeling of nostalgia overcame me when I realized I had just been dreaming. I was no longer staying in the orphanage.

I lay in silk sheets as I examined the bedroom, trying to absorb all it's beauty.
The bed itself could fit at least four other orphan girls, the golden vanity to my right was delicately handcrafted, the wardrobe could fit hundreds of dresses, and to top it all off a golden chandelier hung from the intricately painted ceiling.

I felt like a princess, perhaps Cinderella, as I sat up and looked to my left to see a neatly folded deep purple gown next to a large jewelry box laying on a glass nightstand.

I don't remember owning that dress. Are those jewels at the hem? They don't expect me to wear it, do they?

I stood up to look for my suitcase but I couldn't find it anywhere. Perhaps the maids have already put my clothes inside the wardrobe.

I pulled it open and my hands flew from the golden handle to my mouth. Gowns in every color and material you could possibly imagine filled the wardrobe. Not a single one was mine yet every one of them was in my exact size.

I felt a blush reach my cheeks. Had Dominik done this? How did he know my measurements? More importantly, I know how long it takes to make just one gown but I only met him like nine days ago. How could so many dresses be made so quickly?

"Did he buy out an entire dress shoppe?!" I whined not noticing I had said it aloud. "No of course not!" An unfamiliar voice answered.

I turned to see a beautiful girl around my age. She was dressed in a gown similar to the ones in my wardrobe. "Those dresses were mine." She did appear to be my same size.

"Pardon me but who are you?" I asked. "I'm Veronica Klein but my friends call me Vera." She smiled brightly and her blue-gray eyes lit up. The same shade of eyes as Dominik.

"Are you Dominik's sister?" I asked already knowing the answer.

"Sadly, I am." She chuckled and I couldn't help but laugh with her.

"He is my twin but we're obviously fraternal because he looks nothing like me." She said holding the g in nothing for an exaggerated effect.

They did look pretty different, though. He had brown hair while she had platinum blonde hair. She was also a lot fairer than he was.

"That and you're a girl and he's a boy." I said sarcastically.

"Oh yeah, sometimes I forget that considering how he acts like a spoiled little girl all the time." She rolled her eyes.

I was about to ask how so but then she continued saying, "He's always so bratty and when he doesn't get his way he gets really mad and throws a fit." Reminds me of someone I know...I thought looking at myself through the vanity mirror.

She continued degrading her brother, telling me all sorts of interesting stories, and finished off by saying "He's like the devil's incarnation. I swear he unleashes hell on anyone who stands in his way."

"Wow. Well, thank you, that was very detailed. Also, I don't understand why your dresses are in my wardrobe and I can't seem to find my luggage."

"Oh, that. I threw...I mean, one of the maids threw it away. So I brought it upon myself to rescue you from your predicament. I had three wardrobes full of clothes and I decided to give you one. You have to keep them. Think of it as a part of my wedding present to you."

I had almost forgotten about that. I'm not getting married to that man, even his sister hates him. But I can't seem suspicious by not excepting the gift so I guess I'll have to.

"Thank you so much. They are all so pretty!" I said with a slight bow. I don't know why but it felt like the right thing to do. She laughed at me so I guess it wasn't.

Vera placed her hand on my shoulder and said "The purple dress on your nightstand  would look really nice on you. Plus it's the color of royalty and you practically look like a princess."

I turned to say thank you but she was already gone just like my very own fairy godmother. And like Cinderella, I was stuck with hand-me-downs but who was I to complain. They were gorgeous after all, maybe a little too gorgeous.