Page 21 of Pawns of Fate

ROSE

“ M s. Peridot?” Ava asked as the bell attached to the door of the dress boutique rang out.

A musical voice responded, “Coming!”

Rose glanced around at what, over the past few weeks, had become her favorite shop in Onanish Town.

Ms. Peridot’s shop was brimming with colorful fabrics and mannequins wearing dresses or suits that looked like they belonged at the Imperial Court.

Silky, jewel-toned gowns, like a garden of butterfly wings, sparkled in the window; tunics and overcoats to match glistened on the shelves.

The owner of the charming shop had impeccable manners on top of her eye for exquisite clothing. She’d made the design process for Rose’s wedding dress enjoyable despite the time crunch the project put her on. And today was the final fitting. Anticipation danced in Rose’s stomach.

A door toward the back of the store flung open. Ms. Peridot appeared, carrying a large stack of fabrics. Jo?o, serving as the women’s guard for the day, rushed past the noblewomen to help Peridot with the clothes, leaving Rose, Ava, and Lyla a little stunned in his wake.

“Syzman told me that Jo?o and Ms. Peridot used to be childhood friends. He thinks that Jo?o still has feelings for Ms. Peridot,” Ava whispered conspiratorially as the two noblewomen watched the bodyguard set down a large stack of silk dresses.

“I think Syzman is right. Jo?o always volunteers so eagerly to accompany us on these outings,” Rose whispered back.

“There!” Peridot exclaimed as she fussed with the large pile of dresses on her shop counter. She turned to face the three women. “My favorite customers are here! Come, come! Your dress is ready, Lady Rose!”

They followed Peridot to the back of the shop. Rose always had to crane her neck to look the shop owner in the eye. She was a tall woman, and her ruby red heels made her even taller than Lyla. Combined with her brilliant green hair, which suited her name, Peridot was an imposing figure.

“Wait here, please,” she motioned to a settee covered in a shiny floral print. “I’ll go get your dress.” Then she winked and disappeared through a doorway into a workroom filled with ribbons, lace, and fabrics.

Ava wiggled with excitement as she sat down. “I can’t wait to see it, Rose. Ms. Peridot is the best dress designer in Onanish, maybe even all of Albion!”

“I’m excited too,” Rose replied. Her chest felt remarkably light today. She glanced over at Lyla and noticed that even the usually stoic mage had a slight grin on her face and sparkle in her eyes.

Ms. Peridot reappeared, dress in hand. Ava gasped and hugged Rose, who almost chuckled at her sister-in-law’s heartwarming reaction.

It took Lyla and Ms. Peridot almost half an hour to get Rose into the dress, mostly due to Lyla’s impatience and Ms. Peridot’s insistence that Rose had to have a maid who could button, tie, and lace every single feature on the dress.

At one point, she caught Ava’s eye and mouthed, “We should never have scheduled this on Betty’s day off,” causing Ava to double over with silent laughter.

Finally, after every last button was done and bow was tied, Ms. Peridot called for Jo?o to bring them a mirror.

When Rose caught sight of herself in the mirror, a tiny gasp sneaked through her lips.

While changing, she’d caught enough cheerful glances from Ava to expect that the dress was flattering.

Ms. Peridot had designed a lovely wedding gown with a lacy, fitted bodice and full skirts that fell from her waist like a waterfall of gauzy fabric.

The delicate rosebuds embroidered into the skirt and the barely-there pink hue to the dress complemented her hair and eyes. Rose had expected to look nice.

What Rose hadn’t expected was to look so happy. And it caught her off guard. Because this was the same woman who would have to serve as political collateral almost immediately after her wedding. So how could she be this happy?

Ava bounced up and down in a small dance of happy support. Lyla grinned and offered a subtle nod of approval. Maybe it wasn’t so strange for Rose to be happy at a time like this. And when she thought about Nicholas seeing her in this dress… the days till their wedding couldn’t pass quickly enough.

“What do you think, Lady Rose?” Ms. Peridot asked, fussing with some of the gold thread on her bodice. She held out a measuring tape and a few pins. “I’m going to adjust the fit in a couple of spots. Other than that, are there any changes you’d like to make?”

“No,” Rose replied, voice barely a whisper as she tried to contain all the joy bubbling inside her. “It’s perfect.”