The Dying Rose (Completed)

Chapter 9: Ring A'round the Roses

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of someone banging on the door. I sat straight up in the bed, momentarily forgetting everything that had happened in the last two days. It only took a beat of my heart for it to all come rushing back. Apprehension now tensing every muscle in my body, I called out, "Who is it?"

"Miss? It's Simone; I've come to help you get dressed for breakfast," called her posh voice through the door.

I stood up and wrapped my robe around myself before venturing to unlock the door and let her in.

"I'm glad to see that the nightclothes fit you so well. I knew they would, and I'm never wrong about clothes." The door pushed itself shut, and the door to the armoire floated open.

"I must apologize, but all the dresses I have are rather full. I'll have to design you a few new dresses that are more comfortable, but for now, this is the best I have, miss."

The dress was huge, and looked like something that would have been worn by a royal lady to a fancy luncheon or some court banquet. I felt very out of place just looking at it. It was huge, with a full skirt that must have had enough crinoline underneath it to cloth an army. White lace hugged the sweetheart neckline, and the sleeves were sewn on almost as an afterthought; they had been attached simply at either shoulder, forming a box type shape. The bodice was smooth and slim fitting, while the skirt was pressed into folds. It was a silk thats color wasn't quite lavender, but wasn't quite ice blue, either. The ends of the sleeve, and where the bodice and skirt joined were trimmed in the same white lace. It was beautiful.

"Oh Simone, it is lovely. I don't mind if it's a little uncomfortable," I said.

She chuckled. "Here, Miss Belle, if I can call you that?" she asked, helping me out of the nightgown.

It was strange for me to be undressed in front of a strange woman, whom I couldn't see, but it was even stranger to have someone helping me to get dressed. I was used to taking care of myself. It was strange to have people who seemed to be concerned with nothing but my happiness.

"Simone, you can call me Belle."

She gasped. "Oh, but Miss, that's not proper."

She gripped my hand and helped me step into the dress, and pulled it up over my body. It fit well, almost as though it had been made for me. However, its previous owner hadn't been quite as busty as me. As Simone laced up the ribbon on the back of the dress, my chest pressed flatter, and I gasped. She spun me around.

"Oh, goodness! Let's loosen those ribbons a bit; you're all cleavage!"

I blushed from the tips of my ears on down. I had always been buxom, and I was very conscious of it.

After I my clothes were adjusted, my hair was brushed gently. Simone wanted to fix it up, but I asked her to instead just pull it into a low ponytail, which was how I always wore my hair.

She put it in a ponytail, but kept making suggestions for different styles.

"But Miss Belle, you should show off your hair; it flatters you greatly," she said, with a tone that seemed rather mischievous

"I appreciate it, Simone. But, I'm more comfortable with my hair as it is."

She didn't say anything, and in a moment, the door floated open. "You'll either have to wear the slippers you wore here last night, or go barefoot Miss Belle. We don't have any shoes that are small enough for your feet."

***

I found myself walking down the stairway in my ruined slippers from yesterday. The sun was good and up, and I'm sure that by now Henri knew I wasn't coming to marry him. And that thought alone made being trapped in a castle quite bearable.