Tailored to size

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| At the Kingdom of Azalon |

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Peeking out of her room, Princess Aria opened the door slightly, her shoes in hand, she carefully opened the wooden door wider, trying her best to avoid the annoying creaking sound it makes.

*C-r-e-a-k!*

Princess Aria winced to the sound, expecting to be caught in the act soon.

"Your Highness, would there be anything you need?" A guard turned in the direction of the noise.

"No, no, carry on!" She put on a big smile, waving her hand in dismissal.

Bowing, he took his position right back at the far end of the hall.

°Try the window next time!° Her thoughts suggested.

"There's a bed of beautiful red roses below my window, and those lovely thorns would go well with my porcelain skin, now wouldn't they?" She sarcastically whispered, hitting her head.

°I need a door change, how am I meant to sneak out if this door keeps announcing my presence?° Princess Aria shrieked as the sound of footsteps could be heard heading her way.

"Hide!" She whispered to herself, closing the door behind her. "So much for sneaking out!" She sighed in disappointment, holding her chest, trying to steady her breathing.

*Knock* *Knock*

The wave of the action on her door, reverberating on her back. Clearing her throat, she took a step back, facing the door squarely, dropping her shoes to the ground.

°Do I really need to wear this uncomfortable 4 inch black peep-toe platform? Why don't they have a 3 inch close-toe wedge of any color at the very least?° Princess Aria grudgingly slipped her legs into the shoe. Wobbling a few times, she finally got her balance.

°Whoever prepared this shoe for me would pay for all the damages to my feet and probably my pride it might cost° Princess Aria nodded to her claim.

"How did the shoe get to my room anyways? I remember I made sure to always lock my door." Princess Aria wondered.

"Princess Aria?" The knocking persisted from the other side.

"She's not in!" Princess Aria yelled in mischief.

"Princess Aria! This isn't the time to play games, you've just recovered, I had expected a solemn approach to your attitude." The voice scolded.

"You can't tell me how to live my life!" Princess Aria retorted. "Hmph!" She turned her head to the side, folding her arms.

"If I remember correctly, I thought the voice which answered a few seconds ago, said she wasn't the Princess." The voice replied.

"You are one boring lady-in-waiting, do you know that?" Princess Aria replied.

"I do my job with uttermost care, if that's boring, then I think I'm doing a fair job carrying out my duties." Lady Leah knocked once more on the door.

"What do you want Leah?" Princess Aria questioned, she wanted nothing more than to escape the night's activity.

"It's almost the hour for the Royal dinner, please do try to put on something befitting a Princess." Lady Leah advised.

"Whaaa?!" Princess Aria's mouth hung loose for a moment. "I do dress well! It's just that most of the clothes here are sort of tight at my bosom." Princess Aria burned a deep red on her cheek as she spoke without thinking, in her fit to defend herself. "And not my taste!" Princess Aria quickly added.

"Oh!" Lady Leah deapanned, her knocking paused. "Good thing I brought a dress along! You would totally love it and it was tailored to size."

"How am I sure this isn't one of your traps?" Princess Aria walked up to the door, contemplating opening the lock.

"I live only to serve the Royal Household, and it's my duty to live by that standard, so please open the door.' Lady Leah pleaded.

"Duty! Duty! Duty! There's more to life than the mere word duty." Princess Aria clicked her tongue, shaking her head as she opened the door, pulling in Lady Leah.

Towering over her, Princess Aria gaze latched on a blue material which cozily rested on Lady Leah's arm.

"Ah!" Lady Leah exclaimed, "I see you've finally worn the shoe I personally picked myself, the King would love them." She commended in self appraisal.

°So... she was the one!° Princess Aria's eyes widened in realization.

"How were you able to access my room?" Princess Aria looked down at her.

"W- We always have a spare key." Lady Leah cowered in fear at the hard glare from the Princess.

"Even while I'm kept here like a prisoner, I can't have my kind of alone time?" Princess Aria muttered to herself.

°Spare key° These words rang on in Princess Aria's head over and over again until she finally lost it.

"Spare key?" Princess Aria repeated. "So you're trying to tell me I can't have the privacy I deserve?"

°It's incase of an emergency or when we need to do some cleaning while you're out!° Lady Leah had wanted to say, but her mouth gulped down any trace of defending her claim.

"Uh! Umm..." Lady Leah was short of words, she never expected that kind of outburst.

"I'll be sure not to change your shoes or anything for that matter, while you're not in your chamber." Lady Leah replied sadly. "Please do forgive my thoughtless behavior, Your Highness." She bowed.

Those words pierced deep into her very being, realising her mistake, Princess Aria's rage disseminated immediately, "I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking straight, I totally didn't take into consideration this is all part of your work, I should be more thankful you even put up with me."

°She's apologizing? Why?° Lady Leah looked at the Princess in confusion. Never has she heard in all her training as a courtlady, the Royals can be wrong, they could also apologize?

"I'll try to be more understanding..." Princess Aria pulled on the awestricken Leah's cheeks like a baby, "of your boring work!" She concluded, laughing heartily.

All awe went down the drain as Lady Leah was finally able to process the words. "Aish!" Lady Leah exclaimed, shrugging off Princess Aria's hands off her cheeks. "When would you grow up, Your Highness?"

"Apparently I'm 23, so I'm pretty much an adult at this point." Princess Aria clarified in a whisper, flashing her index and middle finger with a wink.

°Oh I see, so she's just 4 years younger than the King° a smirk played on Lady Leah's lips.

"Why are you whispering?" Lady Leah whispered back.

"The walls are listening!" Princess Aria pointed at the wall.

"We all know that's not true!" Lady Leah deapanned, the thought of the Princess age making it all the more confusing as per her attitude.

°She says she's 23 but has the brain of a 10 years old° Lady Leah zoned out in disbelief.

"Don't you know when to have fun?" Princess Aria shook her head in disappointment. "I don't want that baddie Maelin to listen in, who knows if she has spies in the castle.

"What do you mean by that?" Lady Leah questioned.

"Nevermind that, it's just a hunch." Princess Aria answered cryptically. "Now, you did say you have a dress for me, didn't you?" She pointed at Lady Leah's arm.

"Oh! Right!" Lady Leah facepalmed. Unfolding the material, she laid a blue bodycon mini dress in a double layer slinky fabric with asymmetric strap on her bed. "Tada!"

Princess Aria brows twitched in discomfort, "You expect I wear this?" She pointed at the dress.

"I did notice you had an awful time fitting into some of the dresses already here, so I thought let's try out a stretchy material which could accommodate your... um..." Lady Leah coughed up the last part, not daring to say another word on the issue, which earned her a hard glare from the Princess.

"Do I really have to wear this?" Princess Aria whined, the thought of making her appearance to a dinner with a dress like the one right in front of her made her blush in embarrassment.

"Not a chance! Time isn't on our side, Your Highness!" Lady Leah raised her index finger in front of her face, raising her chin for added effect. "Please just try it out."

"Fine!" Princess Aria mumbled, snatching the cloth from the bed. Walking towards her ensuite dressing room, she kicked off her heels, her height reducing to her natural 5'6.

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"Wow! it totally fits!" Lady Leah exclaimed as Princess Aria twirled, showing off her dress.

"I feel naked!" Princess Aria looked at the mirror, observing the bare cut back on her dress in the reflection.

"It's just the back that's open, nothing too serious!" Lady Leah wiggled her brows in mischief.

"Right!" Princess Aria rolled her eyes.

"Hold on a moment, how was it tailored to my size?" Princess Aria's mind did a marathon on different possibilities, one making her tremble slightly.

"Well..." Lady Leah stressed the word, playing with her fingers, "While you were unconscious, your body measurements were taken, we had to do away with some of your clothes."

°While I was unconscious! I was undressed?° Princess Aria froze stone cold at the news.

A loud scream echoed throughout the castle.

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"Did you hear that?" A guard placed his hand to his ear, nudging his comrade in the ribs.

"No- ow!" The other guard groaned in pain.

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Closing his book, King Zane looked towards his door, the faint sound of a scream not going unnoticed.

°What was that?° King Zane stood up, pulling off his coat from the chair, he headed out.