Pride and Ashes: A werewolf Story

Chapter 13: In which I See Him

"You don't want to ruin the makeup now do you love?" Honey said.

"O hush Honey," Trish, another maid spoke up, "It's waterproof so let her cry her eyes out. I would be crying too if I was as pretty as her and got to go."

I sniffed and smiled at them.

"Want to look in the mirror now?" Honey asked, excitement written on her face.

I nodded. They had shaved me in places that I didn't even understand (It's not like anyone would be seeing my legs?) and had curled my blond hair, leaving it as Maize said, "long, hanging and beautiful," only adding a few pins here and there to keep some parts in place.

The makeup had been minimal. Each maid agreed on that.

"Just enough to bring out those pretty blue eyes," Trish said.

After all that prodding and primping I hoped I would see a change in the mirror.

But I never expected what I saw.

The girl standing in front of me looked like she was gliding. She looked confident. She looked....happy.

I stared at the face that looked back at me.

It was me. I could see it. Just enhanced in a way that I never thought possible.

But the dress.

Oh, the dress.

It was the right choice.

"You're radiating," Honey said softly, as we all took in my figure.

I turned to the maids and kissed and hugged everyone. "Thank you," I whispered.

Walking now in the Ball Room, I felt like I was radiating.

I had never experienced such a feeling before of dressing up. It was like I was a new person - like I had taken a mask and pulled it over my face, hiding the broken parts and replacing it with this beautiful new girl.

Then the clock struck nine.

A cheer went up from the bystanders. They were tired of waiting.

Soon the people began to flood in at an overwhelming rate. I waited and watched. Then it was time.

"Jane?" I asked.

"Right here," she said. I could hear Lizzy yelling in the background that she was there too.

"Cue the lights."

*  *  *

The effect was immediate.

People gave gasps of amazement as the ceiling became a picture of a moving night sky.

The King, Queen, and Prince who had entered upon a balcony looked up at the work.

"Amazing," The King whispered, looking at the ceiling that had somehow become a duplicate of the sky outside.

The Queen gave a small smile.

The King noticed and turned to her.

"Why are you smiling?" He asked warily.

"This is only the beginning of her work," The Queen said, almost in the tone of a proud mother.

The King picked up on it but decided not to pursue his curiosity. He glanced at his son, who still had his head tipped back gazing at the sky above.

"What do you think?" He asked the Prince.

The Prince didn't move and for a second the King worried that he had not been heard, but slowly the Prince's head lowered down until he was looking into his father's eyes. The King repressed a shudder that threatened to sneak down his spine. He refused to break eye contact, but the process was very painful. The Prince raised his head slowly back to the created sky and said, "Glorious."