The Cursed Wish | ONC 2024

Ch 6: The Secrets of Fairy Silk

Elowen silently cursed herself for not attending more parties with Brennon. They'd arrived at the small cottage that the family owned in Cyra to prepare for the ball that night. It was only then that Elowen discovered that the measurements that Brennon had taken to the dressmaker were two years old.

The dresses, while gorgeous, were a hand length too short and showed a scandalous amount of leg. She had hours before the ball and she had nothing to wear.

Her father sent her into town and told her to try the dress shops. He gave her an entire pouch of gold to find a solution.

The countess said that Elowen had horrible luck, especially since her daughters' dresses would be too small for the tall girl. If the dresses weren't so fine and intricate, Elowen might have tried to add a layer herself, but the silk was too intricately printed for her to find something on her own to match it.

So here Elowen was with only two hours until the ball walking into yet another dress shop to beg. She'd already been told the task was impossible by multiple shop owners. Finally one of the women told her that if Trix couldn't fix it then no one could.

Elowen found Trix's Fancies on the edge of the city. She knocked on the door as she pushed into the little shop. Above her a bell tingled and Elowen stepped into a warm and cozy store with dozens of shelves filled with glass jars.

A tan Saharite girl no older than sixteen wore a gorgeous robe and skirt and stood in the center of the shop. A woman with dark brown skin and short curly hair was adding diamonds to the cone of onyx braids on the girl's head.

"Beautiful," the woman said. "You will be the bell of the ball, Ava. It's just a shame you couldn't convince your sister to come here. I would have loved to meet her."

"I'll take a piece of jewelry back for her to wear so she isn't stuck in Cyran jewels," the girl said. "Bash disappeared this morning like always, so it's a shame Nia wanted to sleep in."

The woman turned at that moment and looked at Elowen. There was something warm about the woman and Elowen immediately trusted her.

"I wasn't planning on taking more customers today," the woman said. "But seeing as darling Ava was my last appointment, I think I can squeeze in a walk-in. Who are you darling and what do you wish?"

Elowen cleared her throat. "I'm the daughter of the Earl of Nene, and unfortunately my brother gave the wrong measurements to my dressmakers and the skirts came out too short. Is there any way you can help me? My father will be so disappointed if I miss the ball tonight."

"You're Elowen de Nene?" The girl smiled. "My brother Bash says that your family hosts the most luxurious parties in Nene."

The woman wiped her hands on her white skirt. "I am happy to help a daughter of Lyrena. She was my friend once."

Elowen was surprised to hear her mother's name. Most people didn't remember her mother. They only knew her father or her stepmother.

"She knew you?" Elowen was curious.

"Yes," the woman said. "There was a time when we were as close as sisters. Then she left our order and abandoned her duties because she fell in love. I don't blame her, but we missed her dearly when she was gone."

"Your order?" Elowen didn't know much about her mother at all.

"She means the fairies," the girl said. "Your mother must have been one of Trix's sisters."

The woman, Trix, gave the girl a stern look. "Avangelique, if you cannot hold your tongue, I shall have to ask you to leave." Then she turned to Elowen, "Yes, child, your mother and I served at the behest of the fairy empress as her handmaidens and fulfillers of magic. Sadly, our sisters and our order were all wished away by one in our number who wished to no longer be bound by our rules."