My Fairy Queen Anne

darling, you look perfect

Anne looked at herself in the mirror nervously. She gave her body a onceover. She shook her head and changed into another dress, this time a light pink with red ribbon at the collar and waist. It was given to her by Cole, insisting that this shade would flatter her. It was imperative she looked beautiful (or however close to beautiful she could get) for this dinner.

"No, no, no!" she groaned. "I'm a redhead! Why would he even think that I could wear pink?" She slipped out of the dress and changed into a beautiful evening gown that she had bought with some writing contest prize money. Immediately, she knew it was the one. It was light sage green with an enchanting sheen on the fabric. The pattern was plain and ever so simple, but the silhouette was up to all the latest fashions. It included her beloved puffed sleeves that closed around the elbow and a ruched bodice. It accentuated the curves on her stick-straight body with its enchanting empire waist. The waistline had a gold adorned ribbon that literally and figuratively tied the outfit together.

She smiled in satisfaction, indulging a childish whimsy and twirling around once in her black boots. She giggled in delight at the way it surrounded her like she was a water lily on a bright green pad and the way her hair looked auburn and ever so dignified against the green background. She was a wood nymph in summer, traipsing around the sunflower fields and delighting restless wanderers into spending eternity with her.

"Hair, what to do with you?" she murmured, picking up her silver comb and running it through her thick hair. She decided to comb it and let it cascade down her shoulders, tucking a blossom from her dear Snow Queen behind her ear. She squealed again, bouncing on her toes in delight.

"Anne!" Marilla called from downstairs, her tone half amused. "Stop your preening and come down right now! Gilbert is here!" Was it that time already? Her eyes widened and she quickly blew out the candle in her room, descending the stairs slowly, being sure not to slip on the long dress. It was so much more convenient in the short dresses of her girlhood. She could run about and play in those.

Meanwhile, Gilbert was graciously greeting his hosts, shaking Matthew's hand and thanking Marilla for hosting the dinner.

"Marilla, this is Alexander Whitmore, my roommate at U of T."

"Pleased to meet you," he greeted the older lady sweetly. "You raised an excellent young lady."

"Oh, I like to believe so," she replied. Suddenly, they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Gilbert swiveled and could've died happy right there at the angelic sight in front of him. Anne was descending the stairs smiling shyly, waving to him. He barely registered his hand waving back lamely, a mechanical response to the beauty in front of him. 

"Keep your mouth closed, Blythe. You might catch flies," Bash jibed, nudging him playfully before gesturing to Anne. "You look mighty regal tonight, Queen Anne."

She laughed sweetly, bowing her head as if she was a coolly acknowledging queen. "You're quite kind, Sebastian."

"No, you're quite kind to put up with Gilbert's foolishness. We've been here two minutes, and he's scarcely said a word!" 

Gilbert ignored him, still utterly starstruck. Even Marilla chuckled slightly at the boy, recollecting a moment from so many years ago.

Instead of Anne and Gilbert, for a moment she saw John in a dapper suit, extending his arm out to her about 40 years ago, escorting her to an event in Charlottetown, taken with her just as much as Gilbert was taken with Anne. Back then, she hadn't the foggiest why a boy would be smitten with her, but looking at his son, she thought that she had some semblance of how love worked. It didn't matter how much you thought you didn't deserve it; that person saw you for every mite of beauty in you and thought you perfect for everything, just as Marilla had done with John and vice versa. It had always been her life long regret that she didn't run to him back then, but now, looking at Anne and Gilbert, she thought it may have been for the best.