Tilda thumbed through Cosaria's remaining dresses for what she would wear that day. She picked out the first one. Shabby, that's a no. She picked another. Frayed hem and sleeves. Absolutely not. The next were not much better. Faded cloth, splotchy cloth, was that a stain? No, no, and no.
Tilda said, "None of these will work! Curse that darn family of yours for neglecting their precious daughter's appearance!"
Cosaria said, "That's okay. This dress is fine."
Cosaria was wearing a second rate, last decade's style that was four sizes too big. Not only that, but the collar in the back was ripping.
Tilda palmed her forehead.
"Lady Cosaria," she began, "If you're going to represent the Dukedom for a year you need to present yourself as the finest of ladies. I'm talking, jewelry, makeup, shoes, dresses and fabrics, designer fashions from head to toe. But don't worry about looks, you're gorgeous." Tilda clutched the fabric of the dress she had been contemplating and complained, "It's these darn dresses!"
Cosaria said, "But I don't care about any of that."
Tilda had to squint at Cosaria's blinding goodness. Her purity was like a beacon of beaming light.
She's too pure, Tilda thought.
"My Lady," Tilda sighed, "It's not about what you want. It's about what's best for the Dukedom."
"I couldn't agree more," Delrik said standing in the doorway.
Tilda bowed deeply and greeted, "Lord Delrik!" The man moved like a ghost.
Cosaria gasped and curtsied. She too, had been taken by surprise.
"My Lord," she said in her innocent I'm-not-trying-to-entrance-you voice.
Delrik pushed into the room and asked, "What seems to be the problem?"
Tilda clamped her lips and glanced at Cosaria. Would she say anything about needing new dresses? This was the perfect opportunity. Go on, Cosaria. Speak up, Tilda thought.
Cosaria said, "Oh, nothing. I couldn't ask for anything from you my Lord."
That was disappointing. Tilda bowed again and interjected, "Forgive me Lord Delrik, she needs new dresses. Badly." If Cosaria wouldn't address the issue, Tilda would.
Cosaria said, "Not really. What I have is just fine."
Tilda picked up one of the dresses and openly displayed the sleeve to Cosaria. She said, "My Lady. The seams are fraying!"
Delrik said, "Let me see."
He approached and inspected the dresses. They were shabby. They were all shabby.
He tossed one back and said, "These drabs look like last decades hand-me-downs."
That's because they are, Tilda thought.
Delrik asked Cosaria, "Don't you have anything better?"
Cosaria looked at the floor and said, "I only have what my family provided."
Delrik frowned. Again with that nasty family. Something would need to be done about this injustice and it would need to be done immediately.
"Felux," Delrik said.
Felux poked his head in the door and said, "Aye Sir?"
Delrik said, "Prepare the carriage, we're going into town."
"Aye Sir."
Tilda grinned sinisterly at Cosaria. Her plan had worked perfectly. Now Cosaria would be getting new clothes.
"But-" Cosaria argued.
Tilda interrupted as she pushed Cosaria along, "Let's go!"
༻✧༺
Tilda couldn't believe her luck. She was in the dress shop of the number one designer in all the kingdom. Commoners were not even allowed near this place. The other castle maids were going to be so jealous when she bragged about this to them. She tried to memorize every dress design so that she could give detailed descriptions later.
Delrik was perusing some fabrics. They were nice but he had seen better. He contemplated importing higher caliber material for his bride to be.
Felux observed the overall atmosphere of the shop and its clients. It was a pompous place made for flashing money. Though, he enjoyed watching Tilda. She had this buzz of excitement as she helped Cosaria pick and fit dresses.
After helping Cosaria in the dressing room, Tilda returned and announced to the two gentlemen, "Presenting her Lady Cosaria Evangeline Baxarte."
Cosaria's entrance took Delrik's breath away. She wore a fitted silk bodice with a center front opening, revealing a decorative stomacher underneath. Her sleeves were elbow-length with lace cuffs. The vibrant green skirt was pleated in the back and formed a flowing train as she walked.
She was beautiful.
"Do I look okay?" Cosaria asked.
Everyone in the store turned their eyes to Delrik. Now was his shining moment to compliment Lady Cosaria, his fiancé, his future wife, his intended lover (but not really).
He cleared his throat.
"Uh..." He paused. The crowd awaited his reaction. Finally, he articulated, "Yes."
Well that's boring, Tilda thought.
And the day continued as Cosaria tried on more dresses:
Intricate embroidery woven through virago sleeves and an A-line skirt that fell gracefully to the floor. A square neckline and a bodice made perfect to emphasize Cosaria's small waist. The dress was plum purple and the golden accents helped to bring out the slight red undertones.
Tilda and Felux ooooooohed while Delrik remained speechless.
Damask fabric of vibrant red expressed a round neckline with a pointed front and bell-shaped sleeves with a ribbon trim. The dress accentuated a train in the back and the front was open, revealing a layered petticoat underneath.
Tilda and Felux awwwwwwed while Delrik remained speechless.
A blue wisteria colored velvet dress with floral embellishments and puffed sleeves. The bodice accentuated the décolletage with its low square neckline. The back featured lace-up ties to give off a corset-like effect.
"You have such a good figure and a pretty face. Anything would look good on you," The dress seller said and everyone agreed that the words were pure truth. Then the dress seller held up two different dresses and asked, "Which one do you want?"
Delrik finally regained the ability to speak, he said, "We'll take everything. Including any jewelry and accessories you may have."
Cosaria gasped, "Oh, I don't need that much-"
Tilda grabbed Cosaria and said, "Yes, yes you do."
The dress seller was ecstatic and said, "We'll get that packed up and sent to the castle immediately! Thank you so much for your patronage!"
They quickly discussed the logistics of pricing and whatever alterations needed to be made then began to exit the store.
Felux watched as Tilda stopped on her way past a case of necklaces. Such a beautiful green emerald inlay with gold lining. Tilda smiled as she touched her neck. What would it be like to wear such a thing? Then she gasped and turned to the dress seller.
She asked, "Can we take this one with us now?"
The dress seller said, "Of course!"
In the main market Cosaria was twirling in her new gold dress with green accents. (There was no way Delrik and Tilda were going to allow her to keep wearing that drab oversized garment. Tilda asked it be thrown away while Delrik wanted to see it burned.)
As she came out of the dress shop, Tilda rushed over to Cosaria.
She said, "Lady Cosaria, this will go perfect with your current ensemble."
Felux exited the shop just in time to see Tilda putting the necklace on Cosaria. Delrik was busy observing the street.
Cosaria said, "Thank you," as Tilda finished the clasp.
Tilda put her hands on Cosaria's shoulders and turned her to face Delrik. She said, "Don't say thanks to me. I'm not the one who bought it for you." Then she gestured her head to Delrik.
Cosaria swallowed. Would she dare?
She approached Delrik and curtsied.
"Thank you," she said.
Cosaria was undeniably adorable.
Delrik looked away as a blush tainted his normally stoic face. He said, "It's only right for the new Duchess of Arquix."
Felux raised an eyebrow when he saw Tilda smile and the two's interaction. Tilda thought that it was kind of cute seeing those two together. They were like two nervous love birds.
Suddenly, Cosaria's stomach growled loudly. Her face turned red with embarrassment.
Felux elbowed Delrik and said, "Looks to be the Lady's hungry."
Delrik caught the hint and said, "Let's get food."
Cosaria hid her face as she said, "I'm so sorry."
"Oh don't be," Tilda said. Cosaria was afraid of inconveniencing the Duke and Tilda knew it. So to ease Cosaria's horror, she needed to normalize hunger. She said, "Lord Delrik was also feeling hungry, isn't that right?"
Delrik looked confused so Tilda gestured to Cosaria, who was shying away from attention. He felt like he was supposed to do something but he didn't know what it was.
"Yes," Delrik said, still not understanding, "I need to eat."
That was good enough. Tilda turned to Cosaria and said, "See, it's only natural."
Cosaria relaxed, "Oh, okay." And she smiled again.
Delrik felt proud as he thought that it was his words that had helped to calm Cosaria's anxiousness.
༻✧༺
Cosaria and Delrik were sitting at a table in the more private section of the elite dining establishment. Felux was outside standing guard at the entrance. Tilda was stationed inside on the wall, waiting with the other personal maids and servants brought by other nobles. It was weird to know she shared similar lives to these people; each were servants yet each had ties to nobility. It was like she was a strange upper class commoner. She thought she'd take advantage of the gossip train since she was still too new to be recognized as the soon-to-be Duchess's personal maid.
The first servant to start gossiping was a man named Henry. He turned to his friend Catherine and asked, "Is the Duke Arquix?"
Catherine turned back and said, "With a woman?"
They'd only seen the mysterious man in passing, yet to see him here was a shock to the entire gallery.
Tilda could see this was the perfect place to interject. She said, "I know right? They look so good together."
Jane, a maid who's noble worked in the King's court, said, "I heard it was supposed to be an arranged marriage by the King himself."
"Poor girl," Henry said as he twirled his wispy mustache. "That man is pure evil. Involved in black market deals and such."
Tilda thought, Probably to get holy water if he needs it as bad as he seems to.
The maid named Ann spoke up next, "I heard his men were ordered to kill on site anyone who dares to enter his castle unannounced."
Tilda feigned ignorance, "That's just so weird. He doesn't look like a tyrant at all."
Especially since I was able to walk right in to get help, Tilda thought. So far he hadn't actually done anything Tilda would deem to be the actions of a tyrant. He was rough, sure, but tyrannical? Not so much.
Tilda thought, Duke Delrik. His reputation is...
"He's like a demon masquerading as a perfectly chiseled walking sculpture," Henry said indefinitely.
Tilda dropped her fake act and looked at Cosaria seriously.
Is she really going to be okay faking a relationship with this guy for a whole year?
༻✧༺
As Delrik escorted Cosaria to the carriage they passed by stalls selling seemly jewelry. Nothing of the quality a Duke would be interested in, but when Tilda passed by, she couldn't help but admire the wares. Her eyes caught on a bracelet made out of wooden beads, each bead displaying a painted butterfly.
Tilda stopped as she wondered how much it cost, but no. She didn't need anything. She had no status to uphold or position to prove. She probably didn't have the money for it anyway. It was a lovely trinket but it was more important to make sure Cosaria was taken care of. It was silly for her to covet something for herself.
Felux watched as Tilda shrugged and kept walking after Cosaria. He came over to see what it was that she had been looking at.
Delrik gave Cosaria his hand and helped her into the carriage as Tilda hopped up next to the old coachman. She was becoming fast friends with that old man.
Delrik turned to see Felux still standing by the commoner's stall. He called over, "Felux, what are you doing, we're leaving."
"Aye Sir," Felux said as he hurried over to the carriage and mounted his horse. He would be riding beside the carriage while the nobility would ride inside in their comfortable padded seats and drawn curtains.
༻✧༺
The entourage had been riding for a while now and Tilda was swapping stories with her companions. She was currently wrapping up the telling of an embarrassing story about her younger brother.
She said, "So then my brother had chicken scratches on his arms for the next week."
Tilda, the coachman and Felux laughed. It had been so long since Tilda had been able to freely express herself around others. Not only was it fun, but also therapeutic. Her stress seemed to melt away.
The coachman started, "That reminds me of the time..."
In the coach, Cosaria kept sneaking looks and blushing at Delrik. Delrik too, was sneaking glances at Cosaria. For anyone else, it would have been obnoxious that they weren't talking to each other, even though they clearly had interest in it. To themselves however, it was like a battlefield. Even Delrik, who had engaged in battles, felt this combat to be harder than any he had ever faced before.
I've never felt this way before, he thought.
He brought his hand up to cover his face and the slight blush that had dusted it.
༻✧༺
At night, after the eventful day, Tilda finished tucking Cosaria into bed. She waved as she shut the door behind her.
Tilda said, "Goodnight my Lady."
She heard the muffled and tired "Goodnight" from Cosaria and her heart melted. She was such a cutie.
As Tilda turned to go she met Felux who was standing by the door.
"Sir Felux?" she said, "Did you need me to get my Lady?"
"Naw, I..." Felux rubbed his neck then held out a small box to her. He said, "This's fer you."
Curious, Tilda took the box and opened it. Inside was the wooden beaded, butterfly painted bracelet.
She said, "When did you? How."
Felux was fidgeting.
"Why? For me?" This came as such a shock to Tilda. Until now she had no reason to believe that Felux might favor her in any particular way aside from being fellow servants.
Felux said, "I'd been thinking, after today. We're out shopping and I was wanting you to have something too."
"Oh," Tilda said. She didn't realize he had been watching her while they were out. She would have teased him about it if she had known.
She took the bracelet out of the box and held it up. She asked, "Will you help me put it on?"
Felux laid hold of the bracelet, wrapping it gently around her wrist, and then managed a few seconds later to fasten the clasp. Once completed, Tilda held her arm up and said, "Thank you."
Felux blushed as he expressed a little, "hehe."
Then he all but skipped off. He was so weird and awkward and Tilda kind of found it adorable.
She screamed mentally.
What am I doing!?! I'm gone in a year. I can't be messing around like this.
As she fingered the bracelet she realized that the clasp was going to be a pain to try and take on and off. She might just end up having to sleep in it. Why did people have to make bracelets so wretchedly hard to wear? But... did she really mind?