FOUR | pipe dream

Dresses. So. Many. Dresses.

Two chipper clerks ran up to my father and I. "Welcome!" They both cheered in unison. The red head handed us a catalog while the blonde presented a bell.

"Let us know when you're ready!"

"And we will assist you in anyway and every way we can!"

As they scurried away to greet the victims entering behind us I couldn't help the uncomfortable expression carved into my face. "This is hell. I think I'm standing in the fiery pits of hell!"

By father rolled his eyes, " it's just a dress shop Josie." He headed straight for the VIP section which no one dared to question. The purple eyes and hair was enough to prove our identity.

The dresses in the store were... colorful. "It looks like a rainbow barfed on a piece of fabric." My father ignored my complaints and continued to flip through the catalog. He pointed to a couple pictures which the servants quickly brought forward.

Dress after dress I was forced into various outfits with more and more complicated designs. I grumbled at the puffy orange gown. My father shook his head and waved it off. A maid guided me back to the dressing room. As she helped me peel off the orange monstrosity my ears picked up on a pair of soft whispers across the room.

"Your highness Eleanor you look gorgeous in every dress!" The voiced giggled causing me to roll my eyes. The maid brought forward on last dress. "Your highness, this is the dress you requested," she nervously handed me the gown. It took me a minute to realize she was nervous because of the God given scowl that was forever imprinted on my face. "Calm down kid. If you get all nervous around your customers some might get offended."

The girls eyes widened, "oh! I didn't mean-" I smiled and slipped on the gown. "Do you mind tying the back?"

"Well if it isn't Josephine Violet!" A chorus of cackles echoed through the VIP dressing room. "She is actually wearing a dress?" More cackles, "you can put makeup on a pig but it's still a pig." I could tell by the shrill voices that it was Eleanor's posse. Eleanor never did the dirty work herself. She just watched from a far like the spoiled princess she is.

I closed the curtain behind me and grabbed the bell. I aggressively rang the tiny instrument. Like ninjas the two clerks popped there head in the room. "How can we serve you miss!"

"There are two rodents scurrying around this dressing room. Please get rid of them." I could hear the small snicker from the girl beside me. "Of course miss."

"Did she just call us rodents?" "Hey! Don't touch us!" We are accompanying her highness Eleanor!"

I turned to the mirror and nearly gave myself a fright. I couldn't help but stare in awe at my reflection. I looked pretty.

The little maid handed me s small blue mask to match the royal blueish- purple dress. "It's a mascaraed ball right? I think the mask will look wonderful with your purple eyes," she beamed.

I walked out the room and came face to face with my arch nemesis.  Her pink hair tattered over her shoulders just so. Her blue eyes held no animosity. "It's been a while," she smiled. I scoffed and turned towards the door. "It could have been longer." She frowned, " I really don't understand why you hate me so much."

My head snapped around, "you're kidding right?" I looked into her eyes and saw genuine confusion.  This spoiled brat thinks everyone should like her no matter what she does!

"Your whole life you've been pampered and treated like the light of the earth! You've never experienced a single hardship in your life. That's why I hate you. Because you don't like to get your hands dirty... And you'll never have to."

I turned back to the door. "Word of advice. Get new friends," I warned before walking out the dressing room.

***

"Sire I have a question," Herbert slowly applied the temporary hair dye on Zion. The young Duke was comfortably sitting in the tall chair as he listened to Herbert talk. "Mhm," Zion hummed. "How did you know the knight that princess Josephine was fighting against had a heart disease before an autopsy was even done. And how did he enter the competition while he was that sick? And why do I feel like you knew all this would happen from the very beginning?"

Herbert knew the twenty year old duke better than anyone in this world. He may act clueless but truly his mind was way beyond it's years. It was this reason that a power war over who would become the next Duke never happened. His sister had gladly handed over her inheritance and no one argued. He was a hidden gem. A ruby in the rough, if you will.

Zion grinned and placed a finger over his lips. "Not all questions need answers, right?" Herbert felt nervous going into their plan with so little information but he trusted his master. "All I can tell you is that at the end of the day this country will finally find peace. No more feuds. No more war. Just peace."

Herbert scoffed, "sounds like a pipe dream." Zion shrugged, "maybe. But some of the most magnificent creations started out as a pipe dreams." Zion snuggled back into the chair and hugged the towel tighter to his chest.

"And some of the brightest people started out as dreamers."