Page 21 of The Bride of Lycaster
Annalisa yanked at the shimmering blue bodice. Rage crashed behind my eyes like lightning and lit up my handslike fire.
“Get out!” Annalisa screamed. “You presumptuous,annoying, half-gia—!”
Slap.
Annalisa fell to the ground. Everyone gasped. No one moved, not even me, with my right arm still raised after making contact withAnnalisa’s cheek.
“Brietta isnota half-giant.” My words were pointed as knives and my eyes burned. “And she does belong here. You will never,everspeak to her thatway again.”
Annalisa’s maid helped her up. Annalisa did not answer me, or even look in my direction as she slowly rose from the floor. Neither Camille nor Dinah offered Annalisa any help. Annalisa could not influence Derrick through her letters any longer, so their friendship had apparently dissolved.
All the power in the room lay with the future Duchess, who was certainly not the brat being scraped off the floor byobliging maids.
My white glove was stained red from the paint on Annalisa’s cheek. Shit! Oh well, no time to fix it. I tossed both gloves aside before pointing to Camille and Dinah. “Help me take offthese buttons.”
I directed Merri to get me a needle, thread, and scissors. Brietta stood still but quietly choked on her sobs. I ran around to her and reached up, taking her face into my hands. “I will fix this, but you have tostop crying.”
“All…all right,” Brietta said, wiping tears from her eyes with the back ofher hand.
I patted her cheeks and went around to the back of the dress. I whispered an apology to the spirit of the Diamond of the North and tore the first silver button off, leaving a small hole in its place. Camille, Dinah, and I all ripped off the rest of the buttons in a flurryof hands.
We needed to make a lace and a back-panel, but nowhere to getextra fabric.
Soon, Merri re-appeared with the sewing supplies. I ordered her to cut off the train of my dress along with a portion of my black underskirt. She asked if I was sure I wanted to mutilate my own dress, and I assured her I was. She knelt down and cut the train off and then disappeared under the green overskirt to cut off a piece ofblack fabric.
The maids quickly cut and tore the fabric from the train of my dress into tiny strips and braided them into a long lace. I threaded the lace through the twelve buttonholes on either side of the dress and pulledit tight.
“It fits, Brie!” I cried. I slid the black fabric behind the laces, covering up Brietta’s skin and chemise. “Now justhold still.”
My fingers quickly sewed the black panel securely into the dress. I stepped back to inspect the work, but I was not satisfied. The black and dark green securing the back of the bodice looked out of place amongst the rest of the silvery blue dress. I tied pretty ribbons of green fabric above her elbows and around her waist to try to help with the clashing colors. The extra dark green helped with the balance, but the outfit still neededmore black.
I reached up to take my black choker off, but I stopped. I knew my cover-up had worn off underneath the choker. All of the Barons of Lycaster were outside for the Presentation and none of them would believe I was stung bya bee.
But I had a man who said he loved me waiting for me. I did not need to look perfect to marry the man I needed. Brietta, though, needed a fighting chance at the Presentation. She deserved to look like she belonged with the restof us.
I untied my choker and handed it to Brietta. “This will makeit perfect.”
Brietta lowered herself to my eye level and I tied the choker around her neck. Merri placed an emerald tiara on Brietta’s head before she rose to herfull height.
Brietta gave me a thankful hug, careful not to mash my face into her chest, and we turned to the mirrors to admire our work. The emerald tiara coordinated with the green ribbons on the dress and my black choker was the perfect final touch. The hem of Ilsa’s gown only made it to Brietta’s ankles, but her breasts were bursting out of the top of her tight bodice so much that none of the suitors would noticeher feet.
I was underdressed and small while standing next to Brietta in all her silver splendor. My elegant train was gone, my neck was covered in red marks, my hands were bare, and other than the pearls sewn into my dress and my old family diadem, I did not have any jewelry. I was the perfect embodiment of the House of Ravenwood—torn, bruised, and strippedof riches.
“How can I ever repay you, Sera?” Brietta asked in awe as she lookedat herself.
I could not help but smile, even as ragged as I looked. “Just remember me after you marry your handsomesuitor, okay?”
As soon as the words left my lips, it was time for the Presentation. Father waited for me in the hall outside the ballroom where the Presentation would take place. The hardship of leading Ravenwood through poverty had worn on him—his hair was fully silver and his face crinkled with deep lines as he smiled when hesaw me.
Father’s arms twitched like he wanted to hug me, but his warmth was contained to his voice. “You look sobeautiful, Serafina.”
Either Father was a man who truly did not notice details like Headmistress Blackiston said or being an excellent liar was a Ravenwoodfamily trait.
“I cannot believe you ordered this dress,” I said, hoping he would not notice the alterations I made. “How did youafford it?”
Father’s eyes twinkled. “Miss Elvar’s father sold me the pearls at a discount. Worth every last coin we had. My future Duchess needed to shine,after all.”
Trumpets blared inside the ballroom and my body went numb. My vision turned fuzzy and I held onto Father’s arm to keepmy balance.
