42 Chapter 42 A Ball Gown (1/2)
”Do I have to wear this?” she asked in quiet horror.
Joseph turned his head sideways, to see the dress from a different angle. He couldn't see what was wrong with it.
”Is something wrong?”
”It's…It's so pink!”
He blinked.
”But, don't girls like pink? It was really hard to get the fabric in that color.”
”It will be fine.” Her voice was strained.
The dress was beautiful, if overly pink. There was a layer of pink that was covered by a sheer layer with white and baby blue flowers and b.u.t.terflies scattered throughout it. It had cost him a lot to get it, but his father didn't mind. If she didn't like it though…
”What color would you like it to be?” he asked, puzzled.
She chewed on her lip, as if she knew what she wanted, but wasn't sure if she could say.
”Stella, whatever you want, you just have to say it. We still have plenty of time to get a new dress made. I want you to be as comfortable as possible.”
”Okay,” she finally nodded.
”I want it to be blue. Blues and greens, I think.”
She went into great detail, describing the dress. The seamstress was looking back and forth between the two of them, with a confused, horrified look in her eyes. There would be a dark navy-blue bodice, with matching undersleeves. Then a lighter cobalt blue for the over sleeves that tied into a collar around the neck. The underskirt would be a darker cobalt with a lighter cobalt overskirt matching the sleeves. Woven throughout the lighter cobalt pieces there would be green ivy on the back mostly, with small flowers only on the back of every color.
The seamstress almost dropped her pins.
”Do you have any idea how much work that would take?” she asked, dismayed.
”You have enough time, right?” asked Joseph. This may take a large chunk of the money his father had left, but he agreed it would be beautiful.
”Yes, of course. Do you have a moment to discuss the pay?”
After an hour of has.h.i.+ng things out, Joseph, Stella, and their guards were on their way back from the seamstress to the castle. Spying a market stall selling what looked like chicken on a stick, Joseph steered them over, knowing that his guards, at least, needed to eat, and possibly Stella too. He was thinking of buying reduced consumption so he didn't have to eat as often, but the system wouldn't let him get less then two meals a day. If he couldn't go for days without eating, what was the point?
With fresh meat sticks in hand, they headed towards the castle again, dodging the droppings of horses, and the crazy drivers of carriages and wagons. None of the normal street kids bothered them, because they were just kids, themselves. Hardly a worthy target.