Page 9 of House of Blood and Roses: Vol. 2
FOUR
There's lots of chatter around the room as the seamstress and her assistants do their work. I feel like a pin-cushion when they have me standing on the platform, moving me around so they can make sure that my dress fits right and seeing where there should be alterations. It's such a change from having to do sewing and mending for other people like I used to when we lived in the village, and sometimes I'm not entirely sure what to make of it.
The door opens and I look up to find Lady Ermentrude heading inside. I smile at my brother's wife, not having realised she also has a fitting.
"Lady Beatrice," she says.
"I think Beatrice is probably fine at this point," I say. "You are married to my brother."
"And you are about to become a princess," she reminds me. "We should all be addressing you properly."
"Perhaps not in our own home. Should things progress the way we wish them to, I imagine we'll be in one another's lives for a long time to come." Which would be easier to think about if I had any idea who she was as a person.
"Lady Beatrice, would you mind turning?" one of the assistants asks me.
I do as she asks, making sure to keep my arms raised so that I'm not making things more difficult for her. And don't stick myself even more full of pins.
"Beatrice it is," Lady Ermentrude responds. "But perhaps you can call me Trudie."
"If that's what you wish."
"My mother never let me shorten it," she says as she disappears behind the screen to remove her dress so she can be fitted properly. "But Bastian sometimes refers to you as Bea, so I think it might be acceptable now I'm in House Rothorne."
"I believe so. I still call him Bash sometimes."
"Bash," she repeats. "It suits him."
"I suppose so." I've never really thought about it, but that's because Bastian has been Bastian to me my entire life, whereas she's only just met him.
"Turn, please, My Lady," the assistant asks me.
I do as she suggests and she pins something in place that I think might be a sash.
Lady Ermentrude leaves the screen behind and takes a position on the other platform. Several of the seamstress' assistants swarm around her, helping her into the dress they've designed for her.
"This is my first time wearing the House Rothorne colours," she says, looking down at the black and red dress.
"They suit you," I respond, though it's partly a lie. She's a little too pale for the black, and the red almost looks too bright on her. But she doesn't need to hear that when these are the colours she's supposed to wear now. And anything is better than the ghastly green and yellow she's forced to wear for House Tufflion.
"Thank you." She beams. "I wish I had some rubies to wear with it."
"I don't have any either," I assure her. "No one will think it's strange that you don't."
"Yes, but you'll likely get some. The Prince is sure to get you an extravagant gift for the ball."
"I don't know about that." And I also don't know whether I want Linc to get me anything extravagant. It doesn't really feel like a me gift.
"I do. It will be expected of him. He's the Prince, and the ball is to honour you. If he doesn't get you something impressive, it will be considered a slight against our entire House."
"Oh. I didn't realise."
"How could you? You're so new to court that it's no surprise that you don't know the way things work." The way she says it is a little bit more dismissive than I'd like, though there's truth in what she's saying. I am new to court and I'm only just learning how things are working. I wish I knew whether it was considered bad etiquette for me to ask Linc about a potential gift to see what he says.
"You're done, Lady Beatrice," the assistant working on me says.
"Thank you," I respond, stepping down and heading behind the screen so she can help me take off the dress.
It doesn't take me too long to be back in my normal clothes, which is a relief even if they are far more ornate than anything I used to wear before coming to court.
