16

"Pri-Prince Drake!" A servant stuttered with her eyes wide open in shock as she came in without a knock.

"What is it?" He asked annoyed at her stutter. Stuttering was one habit he could not handle. Especially when the person knew how to speak properly.

"Its a girl! At the footsteps!"

"Mrs Weatherly, meet our bride to be, Miss Izabelle. I hope you were notified about why your services are required." Becka said as they entered the a large room. In the dark manor, this was the first room that was lit so much apart from her own. Torches lined the walls and fabric cover the floor. In middle of it all stood a lady of a thin frame. She looked much like Becka, aged, but she handled herself in way that if she were to dress up Izabelle did not doubt that the woman could make people mistake her for a queen.

"Yes! I was. But you should have brought her in weeks ago! We have no time!" Mrs Weatherly said and pulled her to the center of the room. The room was lively much like the seamstress. Dressed in a bright orange mixed with an array of colors the seamstress looked right at home in the room.

"Mayhaps we should have. Anyhow, I will leave her in your care now. " Becka said to the seamstress and turned her fragile looking body towards Belle and smiled. "I hope you get just the design you like."

Izabelle gave a gentle nod in response and watched as the old maid disappered in the darkness outside. Belle stood awkwardly in the room feeling on the edge as Mrs Weatherly came up to her and started examining every inch of her. She pushed both of Belle's hands up and took a turn around her examining the waist.

"Hmm," Mrs Weatherly started with a hand resting on her waist and head cocked to a side. "You have a beautiful figure darling, much better than the last one if I say so. Now tell me, what will it be? Tulle? Silk? Velvet? Cotton or georgette? Would you have it in color white like of brides or delecious red like of blood? Heavy on embroidery or heavy on the draping Mayhaps?"

Izabelle thought hating the fact that she had to be here for this. This should have been a special moment; going with her sister and mother to a seamstress to design a beautiful white gown for her. If Belle hadn't sworn to herself that she would stop with the self pity she would have went on to be frustrated about the situation.

"How about a little blue Mrs Weatherly?" Izabelle said taking a deep breath. If she was going to have a gown anyway, she wanted the best.

"Blue? I would have thought you would say red or pink. Blue would do. A blue brides gown. Aha! Who has made such in the entire kingdom?" The seamstress clicked her fingers twice and gave herself a twirl. "What more young lady?"

"Um.. Drapping on the skirt?" Belle answered unsure. The seamstress looked at her eagerly with a shine of something in her eyes.

"Yes, yes. Go on."

"Bare shoulders, shimmer, something like the dress you have hung on that window." Izabelle said pointing at a closed window on the other side of the the room. There hung a big yellow and white dress that sparkled better than anything ahe had ever seen before. She could imagine it being the center of attention. A dress like that of a queen with embroidery in gold.

"You like that gown?" The old seamstress asked. Belle nodded quickly,"That's for your engagement ball next week! I could not take you measures so I do not know how i will fit you, but when you wear it, I will be there to fit it."

"Pardon me. What ball?" Izabelle was puzzled. No one had mentioned any ball to her. Not like anyone told her anything till a moment before the thing was to take place.

"Your engagement? Darling, how do you plan to marry if you do not have a ring on that finger and a celebration to go with it?" In a un-lady like manner the seamstress rolled her eyes. If Mrs.Weatherly's body did not tell Belle her age she would have thought she was in her teens.

"It seems like no one told you. Worry not child, everyone here has lived so long that they have forgotten how to communicate. Anyhow, let us think of the dress now. Shall we? Becka would be coming back soon enough." Mrs Weatherly said walking to a desk to grab her feather and parchment. Izabelle frowned but soon started to discuss the dress unaware of everything going around her and mystery looming in the background.

Love,

Princess_arielanna

P.S.: still need covers for my other stories.. anyone??