That night Amelia dreamt of the past. It wasn't a bad dream like one might have expected, rather it was pleasant.
It had been summer. The sun had shone brightly but it hadn't been too hot. She was sitting on a well lit bench in the square and next to her were the boy looking just like she remembered him, his brown hair shining dazzingly in the sunlight.
"William" she'd said to him with the rest of her words choking in her throat. He'd given her his usual mischievous grin as a response, that which made him resemble a cat.
When she woke up only a sorrowful feeling remained in her chest. She had tried not to think of that boy ever since he disappeared but yesterday's events must have broken her resolve.
She didn't have much time to ponder though. Even though the banquet would not begin until after sunset the maids started working on her appearance early that afternoon.
The bath that she was poured was even more drenched in scented oil than usual and when she came out of the bathroom even more was applied to her hair and skin.
'Do they want people to be able to smell me before they even see me?'
The dress that had been delivered early that morning hung by the door with its gold adornments shining spledidly. The maids continualy referenced it when choosing how to do her hair, makeup and what accessories to use.
"We should go with the lace ribbon since silk will look too heavy with that design" one of them suggested.
"Oh but the silk is better in color."
In the beginning the maids had been asking for Amelias opinion but after being left without any proper answers one too many times they started coming up with the decisions amongst themselves instead.
It was better that way since Amelia did not feel comfortable enough to comment on such matters.
Including the breaks for food and rest her appearance took hours to finish. It was already sundown as the final string of the corset was tightened, and the result reflected in the mirror was truly astonishing.
Her hair that was partly braided back with a thin ribbon had been curled and fell down her shoulders like a red waterfall, resembing the fall of the dress' skirt. The makeup that had been applied was light but effective as it subtly emphaziesed her natural features. It all married together perfectly with the light design of the lavender colored gown.
If she had seen herself like this only weeks ago she would not have recognized herself. Even though she was still thin her skin had a warm healthy glow to it, whether it was due to the skincream, the makeup or the color of the dress she did not know. The imortant part was that she looked like a true noble lady.
She touched her cheek gently, afraid that her fingers would smear the makeup, and said to the maids behind her.
"You've all worked hard. It looks beautiful."
***
One of the maids offered to escort Amelia to the main hall where she was told that the duke was waiting for her. Though grateful for the maid's consideration she wished that she had been alone, because the closer they got the more her throat tightened and it was becoming increasingly more difficult to hide her discomfort.
As they arrived to the stairs leading to the main hall Amelia could see the duke waiting for her. He was clad almost entirly in black but the gold details added to his clothes indicated that they had been matched to her own gown. Amelia hadnt expected it considering his usually rugged presentation, but he looked aristocratic and even handsome.
When Dario heard their steps atop the stairs he turned his head and Amelias eyes met his. For onlookers it probably looked like a scene from that of childrens novels; an impoverished lady rescued by a wealthy duke who was now being taken to her very first ball, dressed in the most magnificant garment.
'The ladies from those books probably didn't feel this much dread though' She thought as she placed her first step on the stairs.
'And the lords probably didn't look so stern.'
Like a true cavalier the duke kissed the back of her hand after she'd given him her greetings, though with his usual stony mannerisms.
"You look beautiful tonight" he stated curtly.
"Thank you, Your Grace."
There was an awkward moment of silence and Amelia became unsure whether she'd responded to him incorrectly. She realised though that, rather than being irritated, the duke seemed to be looking for something.
"Gordon" he called out over Amelias shoulder. "Hand me the box please."
Said box that was given to him by the butler was so big that it needed to be held in both his hands and it was covered in navy blue satin. It appeared to be a box used for jewlery.
"This was sent for you to wear by his Majesty. I meant to give it to you sooner but it seems it slipped my mind."
When the duke opened the box enough for Amelia to see its contents she let out an involuntary gasp. So did the nearby servants who were in close enough proximity to see the same thing that she did.
In the box layed a necklace and a matching pair of earrings, all made out of gold and adorned by the largest diamonds that she had ever seen. It looked like something that she imagined royalty to wear.
She couldn't do other than to stare at the box, frozen in place. She knew that she needed to say something but couldn't find the words. When she finally spoke it was something stupid that slipped out her mouth.
"That is for me to wear? From His Majesty? But... why?"
The duke only shrugged.
"Don't overthink it. That man likes to act however he pleases so there's no use in pondering over it. Now, if you turn around I can put the necklace on for you."
Amelia did not quite understand the meaning of his words so she simply turned around like he asked of her. She layed her hair over one shoulder to expose the back of her neck.
Unlike his rough exterior the duke's touch was gentle as he placed the necklace around her neck. The cold metal against her skin combined with the man's quiet breath in her hair made her shiver, though somehow not in an unpleasant way.
"There..." he murmured when he eventually pulled away from her. "I reckon it's easier if you put the earrings on yourself?"
There was a softness in his voice that she hadn't noticed previously, similar to that in her dream from her first night in his chamber.
"Yes..." She answered, somewhat absenmindedly. "I think that would be easier."