Chap 16 #2
Bright pink pillows were piled against the headboard.
A circular rug in shades of pink and green sat beside the bed.
Strings of folded paper flowers hung from the ceiling.
The whole room felt cheerful.
In the middle of the bed sat a stuffed creature Penny didn't recognize.
Mary noticed immediately.
"Oh!"
She scooped it up and squeezed it.
"It's from Kaiden."
The creature's bird-like head flopped dramatically over her arm.
"It's a griffin."
The stubby wings bounced as she hugged it.
Sable had already climbed onto the bed.
She picked up one of the folded paper flowers and examined it closely.
"You have to teach me how to make these."
Mary beamed.
"My da taught me."
Her expression softened.
"He traveled before he died. Said a monk showed him."
Carefully, she touched one of the flowers hanging from the string.
"After he died, I couldn't afford fancy paper anymore."
Then her grin as she tossed the fluffed creature back on her bed and got back to task.
"My attendants get me as much as I want now."
By then she was already crawling under the bed.
Only her feet remained visible as she reached into the far corner.
"Teach me too."
Another flower immediately spoke up.
"Me too."
"Me three."
A chorus followed.
Soon half the room was demanding lessons.
Mary's muffled laughter drifted from beneath the bed.
"Fine, fine. I'll teach everyone."
She emerged a moment later with dust in her hair and triumph on her face.
Folded in her hands was a carefully preserved gown.
The room went silent.
Every flower leaned forward.
Even Sebastian.
The crime was officially underway.
Mary stood and shoved the folded flower gown into Penny's arms.
"Here."
Penny grinned.
Then looked down at the gown.
Then at her own gown.
Then slowly turned around.
The intricate lacing ran all the way down her back.
Penny frowned.
The realization struck her immediately.
She had absolutely no idea how to get out of it.
Flowers never dressed themselves.
She lifted the flower gown toward Sable and mimed putting it on.
Sable blinked.
Then laughed.
"I don't know how."
She tossed both hands into the air.
"I've always had attendants help me."
A grin spread across her face.
"Or Tarquin."
The mention of her officer caused every flower in the room to slowly turn toward Prince Sebastian.
The prince looked up.
Immediately concerned.
"What?"
No one answered.
The room simply stared.
"What?"
Sable walked over and placed the flower gown into his hands.
"You've taken dresses off before."
Sebastian nearly dropped it.
Several flowers burst into laughter.
"And helped put them back on," Sable continued.
"So help our Songbird."
His eyes widened.
"Shouldn't you call an attendant?"
"No."
The answer came from half the room.
"The attendants that dress us are vampires."
"They're busy."
"They'll tell on us."
"We're committing a crime."
"Don't tell him that."
The last comment came too late.
Sebastian looked horrified.
Penny felt heat flood her face.
For one terrible moment she considered abandoning the entire plan.
Then the corset squeezed her ribs when she breathed.
The plan immediately became worth it again.
Sebastian looked between the gown in his hands and Penny.
Then back to the gown.
Then back to Penny.
His expression suggested he was reconsidering every life choice that had led him to this moment.
Finally he stepped forward.
Holding out the flower dress.
"You want me to help?"
Penny glanced longingly at the soft white gown.
Then at her own elaborate prison of ribbons and laces.
After a brief internal struggle, she nodded.
"Yes."
A collective cheer erupted around the room.
Penny immediately regretted everything.
She turned around before she could change her mind.
The room fell silent.
Sebastian stared at the maze of laces running down her back.
His face went completely red.
"Oh."
One of the flowers giggled.
Then another.
Then all of them.
Penny closed her eyes.
This was somehow becoming more illegal by the second.
Behind her, Sebastian's fingers trembled slightly as he loosened the first ribbon.
The room exploded into commentary.
"You're doing it wrong."
"You've barely started."
"Pull harder."
"Not that hard."
"She's not a loaf of bread."
"Someone get snacks."
Penny groaned.
The crime had become a spectator sport.
"Um... we should probably leave."
Sable nodded wisely.
"For plausible deniability."
Mary looked horrified.
"But it's my room."
"Exactly."
Sable grabbed Mary's arm and started dragging her toward the door.
"If anyone asks, we were all somewhere else."
"We were?"
"We are now."
Several flowers immediately agreed.
A few looked disappointed.
One looked around for a better hiding spot.
Within moments the room had emptied.
Mostly.
Penny was fairly certain at least half of them had simply relocated to nearby windows and bushes.
The silence that followed felt far louder than the crowd had.
Mary's gown sat folded over his arms.
Penny looked down at her own dress.
Then slowly turned around.
The lacing stretched from her shoulders all the way to her lower back.
An elaborate maze of ribbons.
Sebastian stared.
"Oh."
Penny nodded.
That seemed to summarize the situation nicely.
For a long moment neither moved.
Then Sebastian cleared his throat.
"You want me to help?"
Penny considered the corset squeezing her ribs.
Then nodded.
"Yes."
The prince looked as though he regretted asking.
He set the flower gown carefully on Mary's bed.
Then approached the back of Penny's dress like a man approaching a sleeping dragon.
His fingers found the first ribbon.
He tugged.
Nothing happened.
He frowned.
Tugged harder.
Still nothing.
Penny looked over her shoulder.
Sebastian looked offended.
"Who tied this?"
Penny sighed wishing for her mother's sewing scissors, or a sharp knife.
The prince studied the laces again.
Then loosened one.
Immediately tightened another by accident.
The dress somehow became tighter.
Penny wheezed.
"Sorry!"
He quickly reversed what he'd done.
The dress loosened.
Then one side loosened much faster than the other.
Penny leaned alarmingly sideways.
Sebastian caught her elbow.
Both immediately pretended that hadn't happened.
Several suspicious giggles drifted through the open window.
The prince closed his eyes.
"Leave."
The giggling intensified.
Eventually he found the correct pattern.
One ribbon.
Then another.
Then another.
Slowly the elaborate structure began to surrender.
Penny felt the first real breath she'd taken all day fill her lungs.
The final knot slipped free.
The gown loosened.
Then promptly tried to fall off.
Penny squeaked.
Sebastian panicked.
The flower gown flew through the air.
Unfortunately it landed directly over Penny's head.
One arm got trapped.
Then the other.
For several horrifying seconds she stumbled blindly around wrapped in fabric.
"I'm sorry."
The prince grabbed the wrong sleeve.
"I'm very sorry."
He pulled again.
The situation somehow worsened.
Penny's muffled complaints only made him apologize faster.
Outside, someone snorted.
Then a bush laughed.
An actual bush.
Penny covered her face the moment she finally emerged from the gown.
Not all the flowers had honored the agreement to leave.
Not even close.
Penny held the lighter flower gown against her front and turned her back to Sebastian.
Waiting.
The prince picked up the single braided cord that secured the gown.
Unlike the court dress, this one was simple.
One pull would loosen everything.
His fingers hesitated.
For a moment he simply stared at the braid.
Then he stepped closer.
Close enough that Penny could feel the warmth of him at her back.
Close enough that his voice wouldn't carry to the suspiciously giggling bushes outside.
"I should probably tell you something."
Penny tilted her head slightly.
His fingers found the end of the braid.
"I have never done this before."
The confession came out in a rush.
"I've never helped a flower dress."
A pause.
"Or undress."
Another pause.
His ears were turning red.
"So I'm sorry for how this is about to look."
Penny pressed her lips together.
Very hard.
The braid slipped free.
The flower gown loosened immediately.
Simple.
Practical.
Nothing at all like the elaborate monster she had just escaped.
Behind them, a bush made a choking sound.
Sebastian closed his eyes.
"I can still hear you."
The bush fell silent.
For approximately three seconds.
Then the giggling started again.
The prince sighed.
Penny finally lost the battle and laughed.