Howl's Twisted Castle

38: Fighting fire with fire

In our tattered oil stained clothes, Alex and I stuck out like a sore thumb in the immaculately clean shop. We walked up and down the rows of exquisite suits and elegant dresses, intent on finding the right look. 

The poster had given no further details about the venue, apart from its location, so we were at a loss for ideas when it came to our attire. It only took Alex flashing his hefty coin purse to gain the tailors attention and he was all too eager to assist us in our search. In no time, Alex was fitted with a sharp looking tuxedo and matching glossy shoes. 

I, however, was lost in a sea of chiffon and silk. The tailor showed me several dresses, but they were all too fluffy and frilly. What I needed was something that made me look older and more feminine, not young and girlish. 

It took me a while to explain the kind of dress I was looking for, but eventually the tailor was able to guide me to a more sophisticated selection near the back of the room. Extravagant in both colour and price, these were the kind of dresses I only ever dreamed of wearing, but never the money to acquire. With rich tapered silk and delicate beaded bodices, each piece was more exquisite than the next.

"There is one thing that bothers me about this plan," I said, sifting through the dresses opposite of Alex. "Doesn't Calcifer know who you are? Won't he recognize you right away if you make an appearance at the ball?"

"We know of each other, but I've never met the man in person," Alex admitted, "but if you are concerned about such things, I can change my appearance."

I found him standing across the aisle and snorted. "How exactly do you plan to do that? Your hair can't get much shorter than it is," I pointed out.

"No, but I can change it," he said, removing his cap to expose his bright silver hair.

Dumbstruck, I reached out to touch it. "You can change your hair just like that?"

"Among other things, yes,"

"What kinds of things?" I asked, pressing him further.

"See for yourself," he said, pointing to the elegant floor length mirror propped against the back wall. 

It was difficult to maneuver myself through the sea of dresses, but Alex had piqued my curiosity. As I stepped into the view of the mirror, I was baffled by what it was that he wanted me to see. In the mirror, I saw nothing out of the ordinary; I still had on my boyish disguise, black polish still smeared on my cheek from our earlier endeavor. 

No wonder the tailor gave us such an odd look when we entered his shop, he was probably worried that we would ruin the merchandise.

"I don't see anything," I admitted, rubbing the last of the black marks off of my face.  Standing behind me, Alex removed my cap with a flourish.

"And now?"

The long tendrils of my silver hair fell over my shoulders, covering the nape of my neck with warmth. I grasped long silky ends of my hair and stared in disbelief. A hint of a smile tugged at my lips in my reflection. How long had it been since I'd felt this happy about something? Overcome with emotion, I threw my arms around Alex, startling him, but he returned my embrace with a smile.

"I don't think you know how much this means to me," I laughed into his shoulder, willing my lip to stop quivering.

"I said it would grow back, didn't I?" he teased. 

Tucking his hands in his pockets, Alex stepped away so that I could get a better look in the mirror.

"I swear. . . why didn't you tell me that when you cut it off in the first place?"