Chapter 12
I had never liked performing alone, not that it had ever stopped Adora from booking me solo work. The good news was that Briar and Wrenley were happy to help me choreograph a routine.
Briar lived with both her fathers and younger sister Dahlia in a gorgeous sprawling estate. It had been passed down in her family for generations, and someday, it would be Briar's, assuming she didn't marry someone with a better estate and title. Her home, Cinderwood Manor, was the centerpiece of her family's duchy, Cindwood Hills.
Her father, Basil Floreo, was the Duke of Cinderwood, and his grandmother, Florentina Marin, was the Queen of Calida. This made Briar a distant cousin to the current Queen Kriselle.
Her other father, Adlar Calix Floreo, was no less impressive. His now-deceased grandfather, Crimson Calix, had been the much beloved Warlock to the Queen, and in his own youth, Adlar had been quite a popular muse himself.
Essentially, Briar and her family lived the life Adora had always envisioned for us.
Visiting them always felt a bit strange. In almost every way, it was superior to what I had grown up around; it was all luxurious and historic, yet the atmosphere somehow felt more comfortable and relaxed.
Even though I had often stayed for dinner at Cinderwood Manor, it was a little overwhelming eating in a dining room with a gilded ceiling and a marble table long enough to feed twenty. The family of four all sat at one end of the table, with no one at the head but all clumped together so they could speak freely. Servants brought out course after course of exquisite meals as they dined and laughed.
At my house, all we had was Heloise, who left supper warming on the stovetop before she left in the evenings, meaning that we ate a lot of stews and biscuits. Briar’s family had a whole fleet of servants, and whenever I was over, they were always smiling and joking around.
When I told Briar I needed a gown for my performance at the Queen's Jubilee, she invited me over to borrow one of hers.
Her housekeeper let me in and led me up to Briar's room, where she, Dahlia, and her Lady's maid, Tally, were already waiting for me. Dahlia was only thirteen and sprawled out on Briar's fluffy blankets. An array of gold dresses were already spread around the room: hanging off the ivory wall sconces, laid carefully across the velvet chaise, or draped on the back of a settee.
"Izzy!" Briar rushed over to envelop me in a big hug as if we hadn't seen each other recently. "I had Tally pull some of my dresses before you arrived."
Briar motioned to the young woman, wearing the simple lavender uniform of the Cinderwood house servants, and Tally offered me a shy smile as she held a shimmering gown.
“I thought we could narrow it down a bit before you arrived,” Briar said sheepishly.
"Bri has too many dresses," Dahlia piped up. She was a smaller replica of Briar, with honey-blond hair, pale blue eyes, a peach and cream complexion, and a button nose.
“Give it more time, and it will happen to you, too, Dahl,” Briar warned. “Especially if you want to be a muse.”
Dahlia wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want to be a muse. I am going to be a dressage rider.”
“Then go play with the horses instead of making fun of my clothes,” Briar said. Her little sister huffed, then fell silent, and Briar turned her attention back to me. “Do you have any ideas about what you’re looking for? I have something in practically every style.”
“My only qualifications are that it’s gold, easy to move in, and that it fits,” I said.
Briar waved it off. “Oh, don’t worry about sizing. Tally’s an excellent seamstress.”
We were about the same height, but I had always been at least three or more dress sizes larger than Briar. I trusted her judgment, though. If she thought Tally could make any of these dresses work, she likely could.
“There is this one I wore at the Ashoralida two years ago,” Briar said as she picked up a gown off the chaise.
The fabric was light and gossamer, with glimmery gold sparkles covering everything. Besides the sparkles, the sleeves were virtually sheer, and the bodice was fitted with a neckline that dipped low on the cleavage. The train was long and frilly, and layers of gauzy material were used to fill it out. A slit ran down all the way from the upper thighs so that the skirt flared to the sides when the wearer walked quickly.
I was instantly smitten.
Briar grinned as she held it up in front of me. “You love it. I can see it all over your face, and I knew you would love this one. You’re going to be gorgeous in this!”
“It is stunning,” I said, admitting my longing with a bashful smile.
“Then it’s yours!” Briar looked to Tally. “Can you work your magik, Tally? I want it to look perfect for Izzy.”
Tally took my measurements, then went off with the gown, presumably to work her magik. I wasn't sure if Briar had meant that literally or metaphorically, but I knew it would work out either way.
"Are you excited about performing at the jubilee?" Briar asked me as I helped her put the other gowns away. Her closet was twice the size of my entire bedroom, featuring rows of hanging gowns and shelves filled with folded clothing and various accessories.
“I am excited,” I said. “But I’m also nervous. I never like performing solo.”
"Just think of it as a chance to have fun and showcase yourself. You can be freer and more uninhibited," Briar said when I actually felt the opposite. "Do you have your routine?"
“I elevated a few things I did at a wedding last summer,” I explained. “The bride and groom really seemed to like it, but I’m still afraid I might forget a step or freeze up.”
“Just keep on dancing,” Briar said. “The storm will rage, but we dance on anyway.”