A few days later, preparations for the ball were almost complete. The day before the ball Astrid found herself being whisked away by a very excited Dysis. Dysis had taken the Princess into town to show her something "special" or so she said.
"Where exactly are we going?" Asked Astrid curiously.
"I told you. It's somewhere special! Yesterday I was taking a walk in the village with papa and I came across a merchant. He was selling paintings and jewelry that he had made. I haven't seen him before so I don't think he's famous but he's incredibly skilled at crafting. We can go and pick out some pretty jewelry for you to wear tomorrow. I also wanted to show you a painting he had. It looked just like you!"
Dysis' rambling had piqued Astrid's interest. She followed Dysis through the streets, the afternoon sun beating down on their backs as they shuffled through the crowds. Dysis spotted the merchant she was looking for and ran up to him with Astrid in tow. He was sitting on the ground, underneath a small shelter providing shade. In front of him were pieces of jewelry displayed on decorative cloth that was spread out the entire length of the stall. There were a few paintings displayed beside him, the rest were sitting behind him against the wall. As Astrid approached, she realized that she knew this particular merchant.
"Albus?" She asked excitedly.
He looked up at the two girls, surprised to see Astrid.
"Astrid! It's...good to see you again!"
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She hadn't seen him since the little scuffle at the palace nearly a week ago. She shifted on her feet awkwardly, unsure of how she should react.
"You know him?" Asked Dysis.
"This lovely butterfly whisked me away for a midnight rendezvous not too long ago," he chuckled.
Astrid smiled. She had missed this banter. Dysis raised an eyebrow at his words, shooting Astrid a suspicious glance. Astrid dramatically put a hand over her heart and flourished sarcastically.
"Don't be silly. I had but the purest intentions in bringing you with me and you know it."
Her antics earned her a laugh. "So what brings you here today?" Asked Albus.
"My friend," replied Astrid, pointing to Dysis.
Dysis greeted him with a little bow. "Nice to meet you Mr.Albus. My name is Dysis. I brought Astrid here today to pick out some jewelry for the ball we're holding tomorrow. She has to look her best for her future Prince!"
Albus' smile dropped and he looked at Astrid. "You're really getting married to that Cheng fellow?"
Astrid shook her head. "No no! Well, I mean....it's possible. He'll most likely be the one I end up marrying eventually but tomorrow's ball is just your average social gathering. Nothing that serious."
Albus looked down. "I see..." He picked up a necklace and stood up. "In that case, we'll have to make sure you look even more stunning than you already do now!"
He stepped out from under the stall and walked around behind her. His fingers brushed away the hair on her neck, the cold sensation making butterflies swarm in her stomach. Albus put on the necklace for her. It was simple, with a single black opal pendant.
She looked at it in awe. "It's beautiful..."
He smiled. "Trust me Princess, it doesn't even begin to compare to your beauty."
Albus pulled out a little mirror from his pocket and reached in front of her to show her what she looked like. Astrid marvelled at the necklace, not a single scratch or crack marred its beauty. For a brief moment, she glanced up in the mirror to see the gentle look on his face from behind her. She felt her face heat up and she promptly turned around. He put the mirror back in his pocket.
"What do you think?" He asked.
"I love it!" She mused.
Dysis nodded in agreement. "I do too. I think we'll take it. Oh! I almost forgot. I saw a painting here the other day that looked just like Astrid. I wanted to show it to her. Maybe even buy it off of you?"
Albus spun to face Dysis in a panic. "That's—uh...well I mean it's not really for sale..."
"Oh please! Can we just see it at least?" Albus sighed apprehensively. Astrid tugged on his sleeve.
"I'm interested too! Please?" She asked.
Albus stared at her for a moment before reluctantly walking back to his stall and rummaging through the paintings in the back. He pulled it out to reveal an intricately painted girl, standing amidst the fireflies of a very beautiful garden, the moon cascading down onto her shiny golden hair. Astrid immediately recognized it as what he was sketching that night she brought him to the palace. When her eyes met his, the same rosy hue that was on her cheeks, appeared on his. The red tulip above her right eye hid her dual coloured eyes. A little detail that prevented anyone from identifying the girl in the painting as the Princess.
"See Astrid! I told you it looked just like you!" Cheered Dysis.
Astrid ran her fingertips along the painting, feeling the brush strokes that clearly had a lot of care put behind them. She could tell just how cherished each stroke was."It...does doesn't it. It's...breathtaking..."
Albus looked at the painting and then at Astrid. "It's not for sale but...if you fancy the painting so much I'll give it to you!"
Astrid shook her head. "No, I couldn't!"
He took her hands in his. "It's fine. Consider it an early wedding gift!"
She admittedly didn't hear anything he said after he took hold of her hands. She just nodded slowly, not exactly sure what she was nodding to. Albus smiled and packaged the painting for them. He handed it to Astrid and Dysis paid him for the necklace. The girls waved goodbye at him as they walked back down the street. However, every so often Astrid would peek back at him to see him doing the same. She had gotten pretty far but she could tell that he was laughing with her each time they caught each other staring. Dysis captured her attention once more to lead her back to the palace to put the final touches on the preparation for the ball.
