Dress to Impress

“Enya, which of the dresses looks nice?” I asked for the umpteenth time and Enya rolled her eyes at me.

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I stared curiously at the dresses lying on the bed as though I hadn't done so the previous night. I wanted to be perfect or close to being perfect.

To fit in the social class, you have to be from a noble family, and that I already passed but when it comes to fashion and music, I have no high taste in that.

“I chose this one,” Enya pointed at the pearl-embellished ball dress with the flowery print on it.

“Sir Ogan will be there, Enya! I cannot look like a child to the opera!”

“My lady, you would look the best out of all the ladies if you have this on,”

“I would look like a child!” I said back as I paced around the room.

Enya got up and walked to my closet. She came back with tons of dresses in her arms blocking her face. She dumped the dresses on the bed and I got a little overwhelmed by the number of dresses there were.

“Then, you would try every one of these dresses.”

“Or get a new one from the seamstress.”

“That would take three days to get in there and three more days to get a dress that would fit.”

“But none of these dresses look good anymore.”

“You haven’t even worn this,” she separated one of the dresses. “Not a single time did you wear this. And this, and this. Oh, this…Lady Vanie. Do you remember this dress? You haven’t ever worn it either.”

“They all look old now. I want to be the only lady Sir Ogan sees tonight.”

“And I shall make that be!”

I stared intensely at Enya as the look on her face hardened with seriousness. She looked like she was going to perform magic and I felt like I could trust her.

“How?”

“Do you trust me, my lady?” she asked as she held my arms with her intense look focused on me.

“I mean, aside from the fact that you have been with me since I was little, I don’t think there is any reason to doubt you.”

“I made little Oswald attend your fifth birthday even when he said he wouldn’t.”

“Oh, yes. How did you do that?” I smiled sheepishly.

“I just make things happen, my lady, and tonight, I will do just that!”

“Enya. You’re making me curl up my toes,” I said with a broad smile on my face and Enya raised my dress to look down at my toes.

“But they aren’t curled,” she said and I chuckled, hitting her playfully.

---

The giant doors flung open and the chandelier showed on my face. The music playing slowly filled my ears as everyone’s eyes settled on me.

I twirled my finger around the strand of hair that dropped stylishly like a raindrop before holding my dress a little above my ankle and turning my head to the side, smiling at Enya.

“You look exquisitely out of this world!” I heard a gentleman say on the side as I walked deeper into the hall and the people moved to the side for me to walk as though I was a bride.

“Thank you,” I muttered as I walked further with the smile still planted on my face.

“I told you I was going to create magic.”

“And you did, Enya. You did,” I said to her as I turned my face back to the front only for my eyes to meet with that of Sir Ogan.

My smile was immediately replaced by an awkward expression as I could feel his eyes buried into the pores on my skin.

The violin seemed to increase in sound and the mezzo-soprano hitched higher and the intensity filled the air. Enya stepped aside from me with a bow Andi walked closer to Sir Ogan.

Just like I wanted, his eyes were on me. Just me.

“My lady,” he said with a slight bent of his knee as he stretched his hand out for me and I took it with an awkward smile.

“Would you do me the honor of granting me a dance with you?”

I was going to say no as I could feel the anxiety creeping in under my dress but I nodded.

“Yes, please,” I replied with a slight bow and he smiled.

He pulled me closer to his chest so that now, he was staring deeply into my eyes. He rested his hand on my waist while I did the same. He raised his other hand in the air and I interlocked my fingers with his.

Slowly, we moved to the rhythm of the music. The slow, gentle ambiance occupied the remaining tension that was left between us.

“Sir Ogan,” I called out of nowhere and he raised his eyebrow.

“I have fancied you since I was little.”

He paused for a while and I was unable to read his expression before he spoke. “So have I!”

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This is my submission to the Inleo prompt suggestion for May. The topic is "Music throughout history.....". You can join here. This is the calendar