Stepping inside the brightly lit room, the girls finally let go of each other.
The royal dressmaker greeted them warmly. “Welcome, Your Highness,” she said. “Please, have a seat. I will bring out the gowns I have prepared.”
Clapping her hands together, the dressmaker summoned her assistants. Seeing that the princess had come, they darted off to retrieve the gowns. Within seconds, several elegant gowns of varying colors were presented before her. “Do you have a specific color in mind?” the woman asked.
Lisalla glanced at Danna and smiled. “Not yet,” she said.
The servants laid the gowns on a large wooden table that had been covered with a blue velvet cloth. The room had several windows, allowing a good amount of light to fall on the garments. Lisalla began inspecting each gown and running her fingers over the fabric. Danna followed suit with a dreamy look in her dark eyes.
Lisalla moved rather quickly through the dresses until she came to a simple lavender gown. “This one,” she said, stroking the fine lace that adorned the dress. “I like this one.”
“My lady that one is too plain for a wedding,” the dressmaker said. “The girls shouldn’t have brought that one.” She gave a severe look to her servants, who bowed their heads apologetically.
“No, it’s perfect,” the princess insisted. “I can see it isn’t quite finished, but this is my dress.” She lifted it from the table and held it in front of her. Her bright blue eyes and pale skin were accentuated by the lavender hue of the fabric, and her blonde ringlets cascaded on top of the lace, emphasizing the two distinct colors.
Danna gasped as she looked upon her friend. “It’s so beautiful on you,” she said as tears filled her eyes. “You look like a bride.”
Lisalla smiled warmly and asked, “How soon can you have this finished?”
“An hour, my lady,” the dressmaker replied. “Do you have any special requests for it?”
“Can you weave some silver threads through the lace to give it a bit of sparkle? Also add some small pearls, since I’ll be living near the ocean.”
“Of course, Your Highness,” the woman said, bowing.
Lisalla handed the gown over to one of the servant girls and again grabbed Danna’s arm. “We need shoes now, don’t we? Let’s go and visit the shoemaker in the marketplace.”
“My lady, we don’t have time to go all the way to the market. You have to be ready to leave by morning.”
“Your Highness,” the dressmaker said. “I can have satin shoes with lace trim ready for you as well. They will match the dress perfectly.”
Lisalla tried to hide her disappointment. “That will do nicely. Thank you.” She regretted that she wouldn’t have one last chance to visit the marketplace. Shopping was one of her favorite activities. She loved to see all the new items from across the seas. It brought to her mind images of far-off lands where the items had been crafted. She doubted she would ever travel to those places, but having small pieces of those lands brought to her was enough to satisfy her thirst for adventure.
The girls returned to Lisalla’s room where Danna began hurriedly packing more of the princess’s belongings. Lisalla sat on a cushioned chair facing a large window.
“I hope my prince likes lavender,” she said.
“When he sees you in that dress, it will become his favorite color,” Danna replied.
Lisalla couldn’t help but laugh. She was growing more and more excited and also a bit nervous. Tomorrow I will leave my home, and in a week I will meet my future husband. “I hope you are right about everything, Danna.”
Chapter 16
Recent storms in the area had created choppy waters near the docks in the Kingdom of Na’zora. The elven slaves wore thick chains, and their backs bore the scars of the fierce beatings they received when they refused to work for the humans. Only ten of them remained out of the twenty-three who had been taken captive. Thirteen had been beaten to death because they refused to work or could not perform the duties required of them. The slaves spent their days carrying heavy loads to and from the merchant ships docked at Na’zora’s coast. They were given one small meal at the end of their long work day and lived in a tiny warehouse that was infested with rats.
Today the slaves worked without complaining. After weeks of servitude, they had learned the best way to stay alive was to keep their mouths shut and do as they were told. Constantly looking for a method of escape, their hearts were always hopeful. They had yet to give up and resign themselves to the situation. For now they would bide their time and work, hoping that one day they would escape and take revenge on their captors.