Page 19 of A Royal Obligation
“I can do that. Prince Barrett is the Crown Prince of Wistonia, so he’ll take over the throne one day. He is very kind, fair, and focused on his duties.” She paused and bit her bottom lip, mulling over her next words. “He can also be a little bit more quiet and reserved than the other prince of Wistonia.”
Jules nodded along as Rory continued.
“Prince Liam is second in line to the throne. He is more spontaneous and witty than his brother. I would also consider him very passionate and headstrong. He can be quite funny, yet sometimes his humor comes out at the wrong time. Liam also has a habit of showing up to events and meetings at the last second, but your interactions with Prince Liam will likely be minimal since he is not involved in the school renovation project.”
“Thanks for sharing that with me.”
“Of course. I am glad you and Lady Charlotte are here. You’re the breath of fresh air this palace needs. It’s so nice to have some women here to serve again.”
“I’m thrilled to be staying here. I’ve been so busy lately, and it’s nice to have a friendly face to talk to. Thank you, Rory.”
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. Rory opened it letting in another person dressed similarly to her.
“Hello, Miss Smith, my name is Maya. I’m Lady Charlotte’s lady’s maid.” She curtsied to Jules. “Lady Charlotte would like you to come to her room and help pick out her dress for the ball tonight,” Maya announced.
Rory looked utterly giddy, and Jules gulped. This would be her first time ever attending a royal ball.Will anyone want to dance with me? Will I fit in?
Jules nodded her head and followed her. Maya knocked briefly on the door and then opened it, signaling for Jules to walk in first.
She stepped into the room and attempted to duck when she saw something heading right for her. She was too slow, and a green silk dress landed on her head, covering her face completely with the smooth material. She laughed as she removed the garment from her head and held it in front of her. She looked around, her eyes widening. It looked like a tornado had been in the room, the only casualties being dresses strewn everywhere. Jules stepped forward and put both of her hands on Charlotte’s shoulders.
“What happened in here?”
“I can’t find anything I want to wear,” Charlotte declared as she sank into a navy-blue settee and set her chin on her palm.
“You have so many gorgeous dresses,” Jules said, motioning to the collection of clothes laying all around the room. “I’m sure we can find one that will be perfect. Are any of these options from Prince Barrett?”
“No, I already have enough to pick from so I let him know he didn’t need to bring me any.” She sighed. “I’m nervous. I want Barrett to like me. What color do you think I should wear? Chiffon or silk? Or lace? Or—”
“How about I gather some of my favorite options and you can choose from there?” Jules interrupted before Charlotte could list out every color and fabric in existence.
Charlotte enthusiastically nodded her head while Jules went to work. She narrowed it down to three choices.
Jules held up the emerald-green silk gown that had landed on her head as the first option. “This is one of the colors on the Wistonian flag, so this could be a great choice. This silk would fall beautifully on your figure, too.”
Charlotte’s mouth pulled to one side as she weighed the option.
Jules showed Charlotte her second option, a blush-pink, one-shoulder ball gown that had elaborate lace detail on the top with a cinched waist that billowed out into a beautiful, full chiffon skirt. “This would look beautiful next to Wistonia’s green. I also think pink could definitely be your color.”
Jules presented Charlotte with the final dress, a sleeveless gold chiffon ball gown. It didn’t have as much poof as the blush dress did but looked every bit as elegant. It had a neckline that was deep enough to raise the prince’s heartbeat but still modest enough for a royal. The skirt fell in soft layers forming a fantastic silhouette and was topped off with a beautiful sweep train finish. The entire dress sparkled and glittered in the light.
“That’s the one. Where did you even find that? It’s perfect. Thanks, Jules.” Charlotte grabbed the dress from Jules and handed it to Maya. “Please have this prepared for tonight.” She then turned her attention back to Jules.
“You have to get ready, too. I’ll stop by your room five minutes after the ball starts so we can arrive fashionably late together.”
Jules nodded and then headed back to her room when she was intercepted by Prince Barrett. She started to curtsy to him, but he held up a hand.
“No need for the formality, Jules. I wanted to apologize. Some things came up today and I was unable to have the dresses brought to you earlier.” Barrett turned to her lady’s maid. “Would you mind coming with me, Rory? Every lady needs a proper dress for the ball, and I think you can find the perfect one for Jules.”
Rory let out a squeak as she followed after Barrett. She paused as she passed Jules to whisper “I didn’t know he knew my name!” She raised her shoulders and stood taller as she hurried after Prince Barrett.
Jules was left alone wondering why the prince would care so much about what she’s wearing to the ball.
After what seemed like an eternity, but was really only fifteen minutes, Rory returned, pushing a rack that held multiple long gown storage bags. A rotund, middle-aged woman followed behind her with a large bag and what looked like a heavy-duty sewing kit.
Rory clapped her hands. “This is Judith. She has been the seamstress for the Wistonian royal family for a few decades.” Her eyes moved over to the rack of dresses. “Go ahead and choose which dress you would like. Judith will alter it to fit you perfectly.”
Jules excitedly opened the storage bags and ran her fingers over the elaborate fabrics. Each dress was beautiful and unique. Her hand stopped as she looked at the second to last gown on the rack. Her jaw dropped, and she had to take a moment to compose herself. “I think I would like to try on this one.” Her eyes never leaving the dress as she spoke.