Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 267: Violet: Pretty Peacock

The glow of the sunset was a fiery shade of orange as it spilled through the single high window of the twins’ bedchamber. Violet had already brushed out her hair and was braiding it again. She could see Ilse fiddling with the stiffened gold lace of one of her circlets. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Honestly, sister. What are you doing? You’ve been wrangling with that circlet for an hour." Violet frowned dubiously.

Ilse giggled as she looked up from sitting on the bed. "Making a costume, of course."

"How in the world is that a costume?"

Holding up the circlet, Ilse explained, "What’s a woodland ball without at least some animal ears?" She had twisted and pinched the lace to form a pair of small pointy ears.

Even Violet had to admit it looked rather cute.

"I plan to be a little fox tonight. Do you want me to do the same to one of your lace circlets?" Ilse asked.

Violet hesitated. She didn’t want to attend the ball looking like she’d barely tried to comply with the woodland theme. Then again, maybe even that would be better than showing up with no costume at all.

"Come on, Vy. Don’t be so prim about it. Relax, for once." Ilse coaxed with a grin. "Besides, you’re as sharp as a little fox. The ears would suit you perfectly."

"Fine then." Violet raised a hand in surrender. "I’ll wear a fox ears if it’ll make you happy." She watched as her sister opened her clothes chest and started rummaging through the contents to search for a circlet.

A sudden rap at their door made both girls jump.

Violet approached the door slowly, exchanging a confused look with Ilse. No one ever called upon them in their bedchamber like this, especially at dusk. She opened the door a little to see a slender youth perhaps Abel’s age. He was wearing distinctive red and black livery.

"Yes?" she asked sharply.

The boy bowed and said in a shaky voice, "Is this where I can find Lady Ilse Thierre? I have been sent to deliver gifts to her."

"I’m Ilse." The young woman stepped forward and opened the door wider, beckoning for the boy to enter. "Who has sent you?"

"His Highness Prince Leo has sent me, my lady. I’m one of his pages." The boy indicated the satchel on his shoulder. "The prince commanded me to bring you a few items."

Ilse nodded mutely, looking flabbergasted.

The young page pulled out a length of beautiful golden silk. "His Highness said you gifted him your sash this morning and he’d like to return the favour."

Ilse beamed in delight as she took the silk from his grasp. "Please let the prince that I’m eternally grateful."

The boy gave her an odd look. "That’s only the first of several things though, my lady." He carefully pulled something else out from the satchel. To Violet, they simply looked like several peacock feathers until she saw the golden pins at their ends.

"There are hair pins." explained the page. "I’m afraid I don’t know anything else about them, my lady. But His Highness told me you’re supposed to wear these without a veil."

Ilse took the feather pins into her hands with care, looking like she might weep.

"Please don’t get too excited, my lady." The young boy looked a bit panicked. "His Highness cannot let you keep these permanently. I’m afraid they’re on loan for tonight only, as is this."

The boy then pulled out what looked like a cape from the satchel and flicked it out to make the fabric ripple. Ilse gave a small shriek of astonishment.

Violet nearly screamed but for very different reasons.

What had first looked like a sheer cape was actually a long, sleeveless outer robe, made to be worn over a gown. It was made of the palest golden gossamer, looking almost as if it had been woven from spun starlight. The robe was very simple at the top but as it cascaded, it was dotted with peacock feathers that grew more and more dense until they were clustered near the hem in a burst of spectacular colour.

Ilse tied the golden sash under her bust, cinching her dress to show off her slender waist. She then carefully slipped the robe on and the explosion of feathers shimmered against her cream silk gown, the blues and greens flattering her complexion and making her eyes glow.

Quickly unbraiding her hair, Ilse slid a feather hairpin into her loose curls, then a second. Once she’d fastened all the pins, she turned to Violet expectantly. "How do I look, sister?"

Violet just stood there, unable to say a word. The annoying page had to go and open his mouth though.

"You look so very beautiful, my lady."

It was true. There was no denying Ilse looked like a glorious, exotic bird. Everyone at the ball would be captivated by her beauty.

Violet had to say something in response. She could feel her twin’s expectant gaze on her. But when she opened her mouth to speak, she didn’t mean for her voice to ring out quite so harshly.

"Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t go out without a veil, Ilse! Only immoral women go about with uncovered heads."

"Oh no, my lady, the prince was adamant. The pins are supposed to be worn without a veil-" The page abruptly turned quiet when he saw Violet’s furious glare and realised that she didn’t appreciate his opinion.

Ilse looked crestfallen at her reply. The hurt in her eyes was hard for Violet to see.

After another moment of awkward silence, Ilse finally said quietly, "Well, I suppose I’m ready for tonight’s event. If His Highness has been kind enough to arrange my borrowing of such beautiful gifts as these, I should wear them as he intended."

Violet nodded, trying to swallow the envy and bitterness churning in her belly. The two girls shared another uncomfortable glance.

"Here." Ilse said as she handed over the circlet with the little pointed ears. "You may as well wear this, since I won’t need it." She looked away and resolutely stared down at the floor.

Violet stared at the circlet, eyes burning. She then took it and crammed it onto her veiled head. She had little choice - either wear a poor excuse for a costume or plead illness and miss the banquet altogether.

- - -

A little while later, Violet found herself walking down the corridor to Queen Celia’s chamber in frosty silence, trailing behind Ilse. The jewel tones of the peacock feathers on her robe glittered at Violet in the light of the wall sconces, winking like dozens of laughing eyes.

The fates were surely laughing at her too in that moment. How could they not be, Violet thought in despair? Through no fault of her own, she was now stuck in the position of having to walk into a banquet as a drab little fox in a dark dress. She’d be a complete contrast, and not in a good way, to the magnificent golden peacock that Ilse had been transformed into.

When the twins met up with the rest of the queen’s ladies, they all stared at Ilse in open mouthed shock, then crowded around to examine her. Their faces were a mixture of admiration and naked envy as they gasped at the exquisite craftsmanship of her costume.

None of them bothered glancing in Violet’s direction.

Queen Celia finally emerged from her apartments, wearing a golden brown dress and a dramatic lion skin stole about her shoulders. Her ladies all dutifully rained compliments over her.

Violet thought she looked ridiculous, but couldn’t even find it in her heart to silently mock the queen. She was too steeped in her own anger and impotence. All she could do now was walk into the banquet hall with her head held high, as if the idea of silly costumes was beneath her.

She did her best to not be impressed by the decoration of the enormous hall, but failed. How could the King of Islia be so fabulously rich? Even after several weeks at court, the decadence still shocked Violet.

A canopy of gnarled branches had been suspended from the high ceiling, spanning almost wall to wall and creating the impression of being under the shade of a dense forest. The tables were all decorated with greenery and the scent of roses and honeysuckle was rich in the air.

Queen Celia took her seat next to her husband, who was dressed in a matching lion pelt and had a headdress made to resemble a lion’s mane.

Violet was quite sure the symbolism of the royal couple dressed as a pair of golden lions was supposed to send some kind of message to all their subjects. Or it would’ve at least, if King Edward didn’t look so uncomfortable in his costume. In fact, to Violet’s keen eyes, the mighty king looked rather embarrassed.

He wants to be dressed up about as much as I do, she mused.