𝚂𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚍 ✔

Chapter Four

The rest of the day had been spent shopping for accessories. However, the later it got the more congested the shopping district became and the less there was to pick from.

By the time we neared the last store, mother had already ordered a little over thirty things to have made for me. The expense must have been high, but she was dead set on getting me everything that she thought I needed.

Though, if she had already gotten me those things previously when she should have, she would have saved herself all the money and energy that she had been forced to spend to make up for her neglect.

"The last things we need to get you are undergarments." Mother looked over at me and spoke softly so that only the us three could hear. "Then you will take extra lessons on etiquette."

Adela had been quiet for most of the day, pouting as if it was going to make mother change her mind. And every time I would happen to make eye contact with her, she would cut her eyes at me. I understood her anger, truly, but I just wished it had not been directed at me and instead at the ones who actually deserved it.

Because I had felt terrible for Adela, more so than I probably should have. To be selected to court a prince was very rare indeed, and just as fast as the opportunity had been presented to her, it was immediately snatched away. There was no doubt that she had always dreamed of marrying a prince, as most girls do, and it was rare for chances to arise that could make such grand dreams like that come true.

As we continued down the sidewalk we occasionally ran into dense pockets of women that had been piled outside of stores waiting for their turn to go inside. The shopping district was filled to the brim, something I had never personally seen happen before.

While making our way through all the chatting women, I accidentally tuned into one of their conversations.

Though, despite how loud they were talking, compared to everyone else around them, it was hard to catch everything that was being said. Especially because I was also focused on not losing sight of mother as we tried to weave our way through the congestion. But what caught my attention in the first place was the mention of Prince Thomas, the man I was being sent to court in Adela's stead.

However, I was not the only one whose attention their conversation had attracted, Adela too had been listening. Unlike me who kept walking, she completely came to a stop when she heard his name and proceeded to stay behind to listen. Something I could not do. I figured the women had just been gossiping about this new Courting event, like many had been doing throughout that entire day. But after seeing Adela stop dead in her tracks, I started to wonder what exactly was being said about him that would cause her to pause.

Mother and I had made it three stores down the sidewalk when Adela finally caught back up with us. I turned, expecting her to be pouting again, but instead her entire attitude had changed. One would have thought that her hearing any news pertaining to the Courting would have upset her, but whatever those ladies had been talking about had done quite the opposite. Adela now had a smug grin on her face, and a twinkle in her blue eyes.

"Where did you go?" Mother snapped, "I told you we needed to hurry if we are to make it to the next store before they become over-saturated with orders."

"I apologize, Ma'ma." She gave mother an innocent look, "I got stuck in that group of people back there, I shan't do it again."

"Good. Now come the two of you, no more delays." She lingered on Adela for a moment, then turned back around and started walking faster than before.

I glanced over at Adela only to find her staring at me. Once our eyes met she diverted hers and huffed, "You heard her, get moving."

As I started to walk forward, a glimpse of her grinning to herself caught my attention, and made me rather uneasy. I didn't know what exactly she had heard that could have changed her attitude so abruptly, but whatever it had been seemed to have rid her of her anger and left a feeling of superiority in its place.