Is It True Love?

Chapter 18: True Beauty

Blanche

She simply can't help but spin once more while admiring her reflection in the long mirror. The red ruffled dress is exactly like she envisioned it, and the only problem is the slight looseness around the shoulders. Luckily, the dress designer fixes this material on her properly and takes careful measurements with her hands.

"So, your honest thoughts?" Oliver's mother, Paula, asks the noble girl. She chose to visit after hours and try on the piece made for her with a mere two days until the pageant. The woman had no difficulties in bringing her detailed sketch to reality.

"It's absolutely stunning! I appreciate you making a custom order for me. It seems the outer beauty section of the pageant I already have nailed." Blanche glances over at the black-haired male reading a book by the window. If he didn't put a good word in as promised, she would've had to settle on some bland dress from another shop. Though according to him, it didn't take much effort at all for his mother to agree.

"Well, I'm glad you like it. I don't accept custom orders, but I feel honored you prefer something I sewed over Everlane's gowns. I'll have this bit around the shoulders fixed tonight, and Oliver can deliver it to you tomorrow afternoon. You'll need time to collect proper accessories before show day," she finishes, stepping back to examine her work.

"Oh, thank you, Paula! For accepting my request and even throwing in these beautiful red pumps. You're being far too kind to me," she gushes, but his mother simply waves off her praise.

"Well, my husband had a steady job as a hired hand for your family for several years. This is a small way to pay back the generosity your parents have done toward us. I was surprised when hearing that you all moved here to Calestra. Furthermore, because you scored an engagement with the young prince."

"Yes, all thanks to my father's high standing in Quincy it was arranged."

"You're a lucky lady to be uniting with him while bypassing the typical marriage banquet. Tell me, how was His Highness?" The woman wears a childish smile, and she cannot leave out to her a single detail.

"Oh, he was quite the charmer! The two of us had so much chemistry when dancing at the ball, and we even went on a second date to explore the rest of his home. The castle layout is huge! Without a doubt far larger than our current home, including the old mansion back at Quincy. I can hardly believe that come next month, I'll be the queen of Calestra!" Blanche slips on her new heels to break in and gracefully twirls around--imagining when she'll obtain that throne. Everything she wished for since a little girl is going to be granted once they tie the knot. It feels like a dream with how dramatically life can change when people least expect it.

A certain scoff from the only other presence in the room interrupts her daydreams. Oliver's eyebrows furrowed although his scarlet eyes don't waver from the book in hand. Perhaps her friend came across a part displeasing, the girl unsure what genre he's reading.

"That sounds amazing, Blanche. I truly am happy for you. The prince's upright nature is the best catch with him being mature, kind, and talented. I'm sure he's an angel to raise compared to my rebellious son..."

Paula suddenly appears more tired as if all of her energy has been zapped away. She shoots the boy a stern gaze who buries his nose deeper into his novel.

"A perfect example is earlier this morning when a man came by saying you injured his child. There was a faint bruise on his arm, and I apologized just hoping our neighbor would let this incident go. The fault is those pointless 'patrols' you do which only causes me trouble."

"Considering that guy's age matches mine, he is in no sense a defenseless kid. You saw the bruise yourself, thus knowing it was hardly visible. Besides, he fell on his own when I was trying to kick him out of the vineyard. Martin and his friends were destroying crops for fun, that residents toil hard to grow. I stepped up so Dalton wouldn't have to deal with those idiots himself," he explains, and she can understand his good intentions. However, Paula frustratedly runs fingers through her dark tied hair. Her deep sigh implies they've had this exact discussion numerous times, yet neither of them are willing to compromise.