I peered through the drapes, and to my surprise, I saw Helena bring the gown into the suite’s sitting room instead of taking the queen into the closet. She gently held the deep purple gown for the queen to see. It was slightly wrinkled after my handling of it, but not enough for anyone to notice. The glamorous dress was far from understated— it was embroidered with golden thread and bejeweled in rich red rubies with long trumpet sleeves that hung by the waist.
“Will this do, Your Majesty?” Helena asked. “We took all of your requests into consideration and believe this gown to be the most suitable option.”
She admired the shimmering golden swirls trailing the skirt. “Yes, this will do nicely.” She smiled pompously, grazing the fabric with the tips of her fingers. “I will just need one of you to touch up my hair to compliment it. I believe it came slightly loose during my morning walk. Plus, adding a few ruby hairpins would truly complete the ensemble,” she explained as the ladies helped her step out of her blue day dress. Olga muttered something about adding more pins, but I was too lost in thought to catch it.
How dare she upstage me? There was no doubt in my mind it was her intent to do so. She clearly told me to appear understated, but here she was dressing as if she prepared to attend the grandest party of the year. I bit my lip out of frustration, but quickly felt some of my anger release into twisted glee as I saw her step into her new gown. Anxiously, I watched through the drapes, hoping my hard work wouldn’t be undone too soon. It just needed to last long enough for the ambassador to arrive.
“Oh my,” the queen exclaimed as Helena cinched her into the gown. “Are you sure this dress was tailored correctly? It feels a little looser than my other gowns.” I sucked in a breath, hoping my plan hadn’t already been foiled. The two maids looked at each other, puzzled, but didn’t get a chance to say anything. “Actually, I believe I have simply lost weight!” She grinned proudly. “I suppose my walks have been doing me more good than I had realized!” The queen laughed airily at her self-proclaimed accomplishment, and the two dressers smiled along with her. They then continued toward the back of the room, nearing the closet to allow the queen to view herself in the mirror.
This was my chance. I poked my head out of the drapes, ensuring they were out of the room before stretching my legs onto the floor. My limbs had already gone stiff from being crowded in the cold window seat. Tapping my toes quietly to life, I hurried out the door, slipping back into the corridors.
By the time I made my way downstairs to the entry hall, a bell chimed softly in the distance, signaling for tea. I suppose I wouldn’t have time to change my dress before our visitor arrived. Technically, I could skip tea hour, but that might increase my odds of being suspected of mischief. So instead, I made my way to the eastern parlor and enjoyed a few biscuits and sugared tea before making my way to the front garden. Earl was already waiting for me by the door with my cloak in hand. He helped me slip on the beautiful pure white cover before escorting me out the doors into the garden where my mother already stood. She looked me up and down and seemed to notice I had neglected her advice to change my jewelry. She shot me a stern look, but I pretended not to notice. Her attire was concealed by a golden yellow cloak, so I couldn’t see the tampered dress underneath. Everything seemed to be going according to plan.
I placed myself at the top of the garden steps, just to the left of my mother. From there, we could view the entire cobblestone road used for visitor entrances. The whole yard was covered in a light blanket of fresh snow that let off an enchanting glow. We didn’t wait more than a few minutes before the heralds trumpeted and a luxurious coach pulled by four black horses rolled up the frosty path, pulling to a stop in front of us. The coach was followed by nearly a dozen other Draconian guards and servants on horseback, all of whom were bundled tightly in thick coats and hats where I could hardly see their eyes.
The doors on the carriage swung open, revealing a short, stout man with salt and pepper hair and a cheery smile. He proudly wore the Draconian crest on a brooch that held a navy-blue cape at his shoulder, and a matching blue scarf wound tightly around his neck. His strides were slow and choppy, probably feeling stiff from the long trip, but he didn’t let any discomfort show on his face as he approached the edge of the steps. He seemed to eye-down both me and the queen as he drew near, as if to gauge whom he was dealing with upon this visit. Something about the way he looked around made me feel slightly uneasy. Finally, after he reached the bottom of the steps, he doubled his smile and lowered into a full bow.
“Greetings from the Kingdom of Drancos, your majesties. I am Sir Nickolaus Rugmere, ambassador to King Garrett Cyprus.” He spoke loudly as if the falling snow risked muffling his voice. “It is my honor to present myself as a representative of my king and prince. I would like to thank you for welcoming me into the home of such distinguished royalty. Our king speaks much of your kingdom and has been eagerly preparing to meet with the enchanting queen and princess of Isalla.” Mother blushed at his compliment and smiled like a giddy little girl, while I struggled not to roll my eyes at his overly flowered words.
“The honor is truly ours,” the queen replied. “We are so glad to have you here with us and would like to fully welcome you into our proud kingdom. I do hope your king is able to join us soon, so we may welcome him as well.” She batted her eyelashes and tilted her head slightly to one side.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Was she flirting? No, it couldn’t be. My mother would never display any interest in a man like Sir Nickolaus. He was far too unattractive and low-ranking for her to even consider wasting time on, but why was she trying to act so charming? Was it to make a good impression before the king arrived? I stifled a chuckle when I remembered how well her first impression would end up.
“Please do come inside, Sir Nickolaus,” she continued. “This weather is hardly suited for a warm welcome. Allow my servants to tend to your men and horses while you join us inside for some warm drinks.”
The ambassador nodded graciously and followed us inside to the toasty castle while a few of his guard followed closely behind. I removed my cloak and made my way to the plush velvet furniture by the entry hall fire, handing my cloak to the nearest footman as I walked.
“Sir Nickolaus, please do join me by the fire, I’m sure it could do you some good after such a long winter journey.” I smiled kindly and gestured to the lavish armchair positioned by the hearth.
“That sounds wonderful, thank you very much, Your Highness,” he said gratefully as he approached the fire and settled into the chair. “And might I be so bold to say, Princess Arabella, that the rumors of your beauty do not serve you true justice.” He respectfully bowed his head.
“Why thank you, ambassador. That’s very kind of you to say.” I put a hand on my cheek to fake a blush. I tried to sound genuine, but it was difficult not to appear bored. I settled onto the sofa across from Nickolaus and looked up just in time to see a footman walk off with my mother’s cloak. The moment I’d been waiting for all day had finally arrived, and it didn’t disappoint.
Oh my. It really worked. I bit my tongue to keep from laughing and directed my gaze to the fire. Mother hadn’t noticed the change to her dress yet, and I didn’t want to be the first to point it out. I could hear her footsteps striding proudly, probably expecting an awestruck reaction from the ambassador over her richly designed gown. The ambassador turned his head at the sound of her footsteps, and I watched in full glee as his jaw dropped to the floor.
“Oh my, Sir Nickolaus, is everything alright?” the queen asked with a blush, posing with her chin held high and a hand gently gracing her hip. I bit my lip trying to hold in my bursting laughter.
“I—I beg your pardon, Your Majesty,” he managed to stammer, “but I believe… ahem, there has been a malfunction in your wardrobe.” His face turned a shade of red that would put an apple to shame.
She then shot a glance down at her dress and screamed in horror. This, in turn, alerted every servant in the surrounding area and chaos unfolded within the castle.
The queen’s dress was quite literally falling off her. The once beautiful trumpet sleeves lay in cleanly separated pieces, now hanging loosely off her arms. The detailed bodice was in a similar state, with neatly cut pieces drooping over the line of her skirt, exposing her cream-colored corset almost entirely. Her skirt was covered in slits that bared her petticoat when she moved. It was as if the dress had never been stitched together at all, but instead, all the pieces had been laid upon the queen’s body and left to the fate of gravity. Or… as if someone with a seam ripper had gone through the dress and methodically ripped out every fourth stitch…
But who would ever come to that conclusion?
At the queen’s cry, the ambassador raced to his feet and searched for something to cover her exposed undergarments with. The servants all flew around in a complete panic, trying to console the queen. The footman suddenly rushed back into the room, holding the queen’s winter cloak, then passed it off to the ambassador like a game of ball. Sir Nickolaus sharply turned to run back toward the now bawling woman, but instead, collided full force into a steward holding a tray of hot tea. The sound of smashing china echoed through the entry hall, along with the wails of Sir Nickolaus crying out in pain from the burning liquid. He dropped the cloak to the ground and frantically wiped at the scalding tea that had splashed his face. Like magic, Earl stepped into the fray and in the blink of an eye, had placed a cool towel in the ambassador’s arms and was holding the freshly tea-stained cloak. He threw the garment over the queen’s shoulders and stepped back into his place along the walls just as quickly. He then cleared his throat loudly, causing the staff to suddenly remember their sanity and settle back into their roles. The ambassador looked up from the towel Earl had given him, his face red with heat. I don’t remember standing, but I was now only feet away from my hunched over mother.
Oops, things may have gotten a little out of hand.I’d only meant to embarrass her, not stir the entire castle and burn the ambassador. As the chaos calmed back down, I watched as my mother slowly rose her crumpled form off the floor.
“Mother?” I asked quietly, cautiously reaching a hand toward her. “Are you alright?”
She shot up to her full height. Her blues eyes were blazing down on me with a fury I had never seen before. I took an involuntary step backward.
“Arabella,” she said the name with an icy resonance, “go to your suite immediately. I will speak with you shortly.” And with those words, she turned from the room and left without as much as another sound. I stood frozen for a moment before remembering I wasn’t alone. I looked up at the ambassador, who appeared just as stunned as I felt. I stared back with a blank expression.
“Please excuse me,” I said in a shaky voice before turning to leave without giving him a chance to reply. The walk back to my suite was similar to walking on haunted ground, and all the typically friendly servants wouldn’t even look up at me. News passed quickly through the castle when Earl was involved. The only sounds heard were those of my slipper soles tapping against the polished marble floors. As I passed by many of the windows, I could see the sky had grown much darker, and the snow was beginning to stick to the corners of the frames. When I stepped into my room, I found it was empty. The usually bright, comfortable space felt cold and desolate. I paced the floors for a bit, wondering what my mother was going to say when she finally graced me with her fury. Did she know for sure it was me? Or was she simply assuming because of my history with pranks? Either way, the situation did not appear to lie in my favor. I was midway through creating a fake alibi when there was a knock on my door. I swallowed hard, and my stomach knotted up as I faced forward.
“Come in,” I said in as strong of a voice as I could summon. The door creaked open slowly, and I prepared for the scolding that was to come, but it wasn’t my mother who stepped into the room.