The Accidental Princess

4. Black Dress

    Designing takes up so much time that I hardly noticed the passing of the days. Before I knew it, it was the day before the ball. I came to my studio, finding the royal family waiting for me. I took a breath, happy that I had finished all of the outfits. I let them all in, and they settled on the couch. I turned to the family.

            “I know you all normally try on the outfits individually,” I said. “However, I thought it would be fun and good for family bonding for you to try on together. What do you say?”

            “I see no harm in it.” King Alvin said. “Let’s do it.”

            I smiled. “Thank you, your highness. Then I will have you and the queen start.”

            I handed the king and queen their outfits. They quickly ran to the changing rooms and closed their curtains. I waited with the rest of the family for them. Jade and Ashely began joking around, mostly making fun of Jacob. He scowled, trying his best to ignore them. I stifled a laugh, turning away. The king and queen walked out at the same time.

    “Well, what do you think?” The queen asked.

            The general consensus was positive. The kids thought the suit I had made for the king looked terrific on him. The queen’s red lace dress was also a hit. The princesses fawned over it, telling me how gorgeous it was and how they wanted something just like it. I laughed, knowing that they would all like their personalized dresses.

            Next was Jacob and Jade. I handed them each a garment bag with their outfits in it. Jade rushed to the changing room after the queen changed back into her regular clothes. Jacob took the bag from me without really glancing in my direction, then waited patiently for the king to finish changing. When the king returned to the room, Jacob quickly slipped into the changing room.

    Jade skipped out in her dress, swinging the bottom this way and that. It was similar to the queen’s outfit but blue and with small cutouts on her ribs. She twirled, looking at herself in the mirror. The princess was smiling ear to ear, and then she turned to the king.

            “What do you think, Daddy?” She asked.

            The king scratched his chin, leaning back against the couch. “It’s a little bit more risqué than I like, but if you like it, it’s good.”

            Jade grinned. “Thanks, Daddy!” She turned to me. “Thank you, Bri. I love this dress.”

            I bowed to her. “It was my pleasure, Princess.”

            She turned toward where Jacob was changing. “Jacob, hurry up and come out here!”

            “No!” He yelled back.

            “Jacob, come out.” The king said harshly. “You’re ruining family time if you don’t. We all want to see your outfit.”

    Jacob huffed. “Fine.”

            He pushed the curtains aside with both hands. He stepped into the room, fixing his tie. He looked around, not really looking at anybody. He adjusted his tie again, looking at himself in the mirror. Jade squealed.

            “Jacob! That looks great on you!” She rushed over to inspect the outfit. She turned to me. “And you made us match in colors? I love it.”

    Jacob rolled his eyes. “Is it too late to change my shirt color?”

    I nodded. “It is.”

    His eyes held mine in the mirror. Jade caught this, looking over her shoulder at me. She winked at me, grinning. Jacob looked down, pink filling his cheeks. Jade turned away, looking back in the mirror. I caught a glimpse of something black on her shoulder. When she looked over at me again, she found me staring.

    “Something wrong, Bri?” She asked.

    I shook my head. “Not at all, my princess.”

    The family continued to chatter loudly, waiting for their turns. Jade walked over to me. She put a hand on my shoulder, giving me a sly look. I bit my lip, wondering what the girl was up to. She smiled.

    “What were you looking at?” She asked. “My brother?”

    “What’s on your shoulder?” I asked quietly.

    She grinned. “Oh. You saw my eagle. Don’t worry. My parents know about it.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Isn’t that right, Jacob?”

    He was suddenly by her side. He glared at her. “They know about yours?”

    She nodded. “Do you want to see, Bri? I’ll show you.” She turned around, pulling at the back of her dress. Her tattoo was an eagle made out of letters. “Do you like it?”

    “I do,” I told her. “Who’s Jason?”

    I heard the king stand up. “How do you know that name?”

    “Relax, Dad,” Jade said, releasing the back of her dress. “She was looking at my tattoo. No harm in it.”

    I looked over at the king. “You should’ve never gotten that tattoo.” He shook his head. “Whatever. Go get changed so that we can get a move on.”

    Jade nodded, looking defeated for a moment. “Yes, Daddy.”

    The twins retreated to the changing rooms. When they were finished, we started filing the rest of the princes and princesses into the changing rooms. When Jade was done changing, she leaned against the table next to me. Rory came out and paraded around us in his suit. Jade giggled. She elbowed me in the stomach softly, winking. Rory winked at me, then went to change back into his regular clothes. Jade grabbed my hand.

    “This is interesting. Two princes eyeing you.” She laughed.

    I elbowed her back. “Stop it. You’re joking. They’re not eyeing me.”

    She grinned. The other kids came and went, and Geoffrey was the last kid to try on. His nanny helped him get changed. When he was done, he rushed out to me. He twirled around, showing off his little suit in front of me. I grinned down at him.

    “Do I look good, princess?” He asked.

    I smiled. “You look so handsome, little prince.”

    He beamed. “Thank you, princess.” He turned to his parents. “I need to look good so that Rory and Jacob don’t steal my princess.”

    The queen laughed. “That’s nice, dear. You’ll be the life of the party. The most handsome man in the room.”

    Cory scoffed. “Talk about favoritism.”

    “Oh, hush,” Linsey said to her oldest child. “You were that cute once, too.”

    The young boy went back to change into his regular clothes. Jade leaned into my shoulder, giving me suggestive eyes. I rolled my eyes, turning away. Linsey was looking at me, giving me a sly look that resembled her daughter’s. I turned away, trying not to roll my eyes.

    Queen Linsey stood up and crossed to me. She took my hand, patting it. “Take the rest of the day off. The car is ready for you whenever you are.”

    I raised my eyebrows. “For what, my lady?”

    “For your dress. You need something to wear tomorrow.” She told me.

    “You want me to go to the ball, my queen?” I asked, baffled.

    The king approached us. “That’s right. We want you to see how your hard work pays off. Would you like that?”

    I nodded. “Yes, my lord. Thank you.”

    He smiled. “Good. Now, head off to get your dress. We can handle ourselves from here. Pick something that is classy but won’t distract from the royal family.” He handed me a card. “I trust you know what to pick.”

    I bowed. “Thank you, my lord.”

    The next night, I stood in front of my mirror, looking at myself. I had bought a black, form-fitting dress that took my breath away. I never got the chance to wear anything extravagant. A knock on the door made me turn away from my reflection. Jade came prancing in, smiling. She stopped when she saw me, her smile growing.

    “You look wonderful, Bri.” She said. “Every man is going to fawn over you.”

    I laughed. “Not as much as everybody’s going to fawn over you, Jade.”

    She laughed. “I hope so. Are you ready to go? I need some wine already.”

    I shook my head, following her out. “You’re just like Jacob.”

    We walked out of the room and towards the ballroom. We laughed and gossiped together, arm-in-arm. When we got to the dance hall, we found Rory and Emi standing just outside the doors. Emi smiled at us. Rory looked over and seemed surprised to see us. Or maybe just surprised to see me.

    “Good evening, ladies,” Rory said. “You both look lovely.”

    Jade and I giggled together. “Thanks, Bro. Is Jacob in there already?” Rory nodded. “Alright. Bri, this is where I leave you. I’ll see you later.”

    Emi smiled at me, following his sister inside. I was left alone in the hallway with Rory. He kept his eyes trained on me, looking like I amazed him. I smiled, starting for the door. He caught my arm, and I looked back at the prince.

    “Bri, before we go in, I have something to ask you,” Rory said. I turned to him. “I was wondering if, after all this, you’d like to go on a date with me.”

    Oh. So it was true. I turned away. “I don’t know, Rory. Let me think about it.”

    “What’s holding you back? We have chemistry. I like you, Bri.” He said.

    “That may be so, but you’re still the son of my employer,” I told him. “And the rules forbid relationships. I don’t know if I can risk my career like that.”

    He huffed. “Fine. Think about it. Let me know.”

    Rory walked into the ballroom, leaving me behind. I sighed, following him into the hall. Nobody even noticed me. They were too busy talking to Prince Rory. I ventured down the stairs into the room, feeling the need for alcohol. When I got to the refreshment table, I found Jacob leaning against it. He seemed unamused by what was going around him. He looked up at me as I approached the counter.

    “You look nice, Bri.” He said.

    “Thanks.” I didn’t even look at him.

    I grabbed a glass of red wine, then leaned against the table. Jacob and I sipped our wine in silence. I watched the royal family twirl around in the outfits I’d made for them. It seemed like they were a hit. I smiled to myself.

    “You did well,” Jacob said. “Everybody loves your outfits. You should be proud.” I didn’t answer. “I’m sorry for the way I acted the other day. I’m sorry for being rude to you since the moment you arrived.”

    I looked over at him. “Did Tanner tell you to apologize?”

    He shook his head. “This one is genuine. I’m doing this all on my own. Do you accept my apology?"

    I watched him for a moment. “I forgive you.”

    Jacob smiled. “Good. Shall we toast then?” He grabbed a new glass of wine. “To you, my lady.”

    I smiled. “To you, my prince.”

    We clinked our glasses, then went back to sipping our wine. I continued to watch the crowd as they chatted and danced. Jade came up at some point and grabbed me, pulling me to dance with her. I laughed, and we danced together until the music moved to a slower song.