Genevieve

ChapterFive: Toxic Air

The day of her engagement ball had arrived. 

Every breath she took felt heavier and heavier. Sometimes Evie wondered if it would be possible to drown without water. Was it possible to drown in air?

Could air be poisonous?

No, it wasn't. It was the thing that kept her alive even when it was the thing that drowned her heart and brain. Panic started to rise as the maids tightened her corset to enhance her waist. At that moment Evie hoped from the bottom of her heart that air would kill her. 

Her dress wasn't white. 

No, that was reserved for her wedding. Her dress was the color of blush with golden details all over the bodice and hem. A small golden tiara was on the top of her head making her feel like a true princess. 

Perhaps she was a princess. 

She turned to look at the oval mirror on the wall. 

She was a princess that wouldn't get her happy ever after. There was no prince charming coming for her. Or perhaps Florian was her prince riding a white stallion and she was waiting for the villain to rescue her. To wake her up from this dream.

When the maids were finished with her corset they ushered her to sit on the bed. Evie sat on the bed and winced. The corset was crushing her ribs. One of the maids rushed out of the room and quickly returned with a wooden box in her hands and gave it to Evie.

Evie opened the box and looked at the delicate pair of shoes in it. 

They were one of the prettiest thing she had ever seen.

A pair of heels covered with white silk with golden details. It matched her dress almost too perfectly as if someone would have made them just for the occasion. Evie blinked. They probably were meant to only wear tonight. 

Evie lifted the hem of her dress and the maids put them in her feet that were covered with a pair of high socks that were tied by light pink ribbons on her thighs. 

"Thank you," Evie said as she put the hem of her dress down.

The maids smiled at her before leaving the room and closing the room behind them. Evie stood from the bed and adjusted the hem of her dress to look more proper. She looked at herself from the mirror one more time. 

The person staring back at her wasn't her. 

It wasn't Evie.

It was Genevieve. 

Evie quickly looked away and straightened her back. 

"I can do this."

A deep breath in and out. 

She closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing to calm her racing heart. It felt like it was running through her ribcage trying to break free. 

"Calm down," she whispered and put her hands on her stomach. "You can do this Evie. You can do this."

"No, I can't do this." Panic rose in her chest. She needed to get the dress off of her. Breathing became harder and her heart started to race even faster. 

Her hands flew to her back trying to open her dress.

Panic grew in her as her fingers couldn't open the tight knot in the ribbons holding her dress up. At that moment the door to her room opened and Florian stepped in. 

Evie froze and looked at him straight into his eyes. They shouldn't be in the same room alone. Even when times weren't as conservative as they had once been two unmarried people from the opposite sex shouldn't be alone.