The Mating Gala

Chapter 2 - The Dress

The next day arose, I woke up very early in the morning out of excitement. 

"ONLY TWO DAYS TO GO" my mind and wolf joyfully screamed as I woke up. I rushed out of bed washed myself and brushed my hair. Tonight was time for celebration but also time to say goodbye to those I was raised with. That thought saddened me a little, but not for long. 

"Today I would finally get to take a look at my dress, the dress I would meet my mate in." My heart making a little hop of joy at that thought. "A dress that might just get torn apart soon..." My thoughts wondering what my mate would look like and fantasizing about what we might do after we find each other, my eyes darkening a shade.

Straight away I mind linked Lyria, I got a happy message back and we agreed to meet later today to show each other our dresses and to help each other prepare for tonight's goodbye party, organized by our alpha and luna. One of the few and most important celebrations of the year. 

I moved downstairs where my mother was already waiting for me, looking surprised at first but she couldn't do anything but smile back when she saw my face glowing with happiness. She chuckled "Are you alright dear? You are never up so early." She asked. "Owww I am so excited, I just can not wait!" I said, no almost screamed as my mum chuckled again. A little louder this time.  "I am sure you will love the dress that the seamstresses made for you," my mum said with a bright smile. "You're right mum, they never disappoint," I replied, smiling even more than before. Then my dad came down the stairs growling: "What's with all this commotion? I was still trying to get some sleep," he complained while rubbing his eyes. I stared at him in disbelief, would he really have forgotten? As the beta ... who needs to help organize this party??? My mother was looking at him with a slight smile on her face already. "Joking!" he yelled as he ran up to me and lifted me off my feet. "My big girl is going to the royal gala tomorrow and I couldn't be more proud!" He said while pulling me in for a hug rubbing his cheek against mine. "Just promise me you'll come home to show him to us after you met him, alright?" He said in a somewhat more serious tone. "Of course I will dad"

After breakfast just when I was about to leave my mother walked up to me and gave me a beautiful ribbon. "Melanie I've wanted to give you this for a long time, and finally the time is right. This ribbon was on my dress when I went to the royal gala and on my mother's before me. It's a family heirloom and I want to give it to you. When you are at the seamstresses workshop ask them to attach it to your dress wherever you see fit. And don't forget to keep it and pass it on to your oldest daughter by the time she is going." She said while a single tear ran down her face. "Wow mum, I don't know what to say. It is so beautiful thank you," I said. "But why are you crying?" She pulled me into a hug. "Oh Melanie, I just can't imagine what it will be like without having you around and you grew up so fast. It feels like you shifted for the first time just yesterday and tomorrow you will leave for the gala to find your mate. I am so proud of you!" She said with a small tremor in her voice. "Now go, before I really start to cry." She said softly giving me a soft kiss on my cheek. 

I walked to Lyria's place holding the ribbon in my hand. She was already waiting for me at the front door. "Are you ready Mel?" She asked me, full of enthusiasm. "More ready than ever!" I replied. "Let's go!"

When we arrived at the seamstresses workshop there was a small queue already. Both of us were surprised. We had come pretty early, guess we weren't the only ones with that idea. Then we figured out why there was a queue. Rossina was inside making a scene demanding a lot of last-minute changes to her dress. 

"I can't wear this, look at the other dresses here! They all look exactly like mine! I need a unique dress, not something everybody else is wearing too. The prince will even have to see me in this! Change it, add ribbons to it, or make a whole new dress. I don't care how you do it, I want to look different!" She squealed. The seamstress was looking down plucking the ring on her finger clearly collecting the courage to say something. "Rossina, we can not change your dress. We don't have time for that. These dresses were made ... " before she could finish Rossina cut her off growling: "If you won't change my dress, my father will make you. I will be back soon, you better have it ready by then!" Rossina angrily walked out of the store pushing everyone in line aside to get to the door. The seamstress shakingly took her dress back to the back of the workshop.

Some time went by and it was our turn now getting to see our dresses. Lyria went first, but while she was putting on her dress an older seamstress waved at me to follow her to the back of the workshop, her eyes on the ribbon in my hand. I followed her, she took me to her personal workplace. "Melanie, I've got something special for you." She said with a bright smile. I looked at her with a confused stare, waiting for her to say more. As she pulled down a cloth from a mannequin, on it was a beautiful red off-shoulder dress with a tight top and a long wide skirt. I looked at her with big eyes. "Is that dress ..." I gasped. "Yes, I hope you like it," The seamstress said with a twinkle in her eyes. I wondered why she had made such a beautiful dress for me, I wasn't used to getting special treatment like this. But then it hit me, the ribbon in my hand had the exact same color as the dress. This dress was my mother's and my grandmother's. "Wow..." I gasped while I stared at it in awe. "Now, do you want to try it on to see if it fits?" The kind lady asked me. Still speechless I nodded. The dress fit perfectly, I looked like a princess. I felt honored to wear a dress so special as this one. "Let's give it a little bit of you, shall we? Your mother told me you would bring the ribbon I gave her earlier?" She asked. "Yes," was all I could get out of my mouth. I handed her the ribbon. "So where do you want it?" I totally forgot to think about where I wanted it. But it took just one quick look at the dress to know where I wanted it. "Oh ehm... On the neckline here I think." I pointed under my left collarbone. "Excellent choice young lady," The woman said as she picked up needle and thread from the table beside her. I took off the dress and she attached the ribbon to it flawlessly and bagged it so I could take it home. 

I kindly thanked the old seamstress and walked out of the workshop where Lyria was already waiting for me. "Did they get your size wrong? That took long," she teased. "No, my dress is perfect. How is yours?" I asked. "It's beautiful, I totally love it. It's my favorite color, blue. What color is yours?" She replied. "Mine is red," I said with a bright smile picturing the dress in my mind again. 

"Let's meet again later today to prepare for the goodbye party. I want to show my dress to my mother first." I said. Lyria agreed and said "I'm going to show off my dress at home as well, the party tonight will be grand! See ya!" Lyria ran off and I walked home.