Surviving His Royal Highnass, Prince Ashton

Chapter Thirty-Three: Charmeuse Silk

            "She asked me to leave it in her trunk, until you came again. It's almost as if she knew..." Clyde wondered with twinkling eyes.

I watched as he pulled the trunk down from a raised shelf with a grunt.

He wafted the dust away, "It's been a while since this was last opened. I apologize if you encounter much more grime during your stay, I heard that you wanted the place untouched."

I nodded, "Precisely, thank you for honoring my request."

He clicked the case open in one fluid movement and I gasped at what it encased. It was a dress that radiated a delicate pink tone. Floral embroidery danced around the hems. I cradled the dress in my arms as if it were my child. I ran my fingers over the finely knit seams. The fabric seemed to slip past my fingers because of how soft it was.

"It's charmeuse silk." Clyde stated in a soft voice.

"It's beautiful." I breathed.

He ran his fingers through his hair, "She picked the shade out herself after spending months saving up for the fabric. Her claim was that it would match your blushing cheeks perfectly."

The tears began rolling down my cheeks again, but this time I was careful to stop them before they hit the dress. I looked up at Clyde.

"I wish I could repay her somehow."

He held his hand out, "Enough of that, the bond she shared with you went beyond that of repayment."

I shook my head, "Oh Clyde, I wish I could have seen her one last time."

He knit his eyebrows together in frustration as he thought of something, "I tried my best to reach out, but no one would let me contact you during the coronation."

I shrugged, "If I had known, even the coronation would not have kept me from her. I would have left in a heartbeat to acknowledge her last breath."

Clyde gave me a warm smile, "Just hearing that is enough for her soul to rest in peace, Your Majesty."

Before I could chastise him for using my title again, someone cleared his throat from the doorway. Of course, it was Ash.

I beamed at him while holding out the dress, "Look at what Mrs. Wicker left me."

"It's lovely." He said at a glance before turning his attention to Clyde, "Thank you for appointing your home to us for this... experiment, of sorts. You won't regret it."

Clyde politely bowed, "It is my honor."

He took that as his cue to leave, but not before stopping to give me a comforting pat on my shoulder. I neatly placed the dress in my personal trunk, one of the only things I brought with me to this humble abode. A sudden chill swept across the barren, cement floors of the three-roomed shanty. I looked out the sandglass window, which wasn't ground fine enough to produce a transparent view of the outside world. I could still tell that the sun was setting as the shadows crept closer and closer. I crossed my arms and turned to face Ash, who had been rather stiff this entire time.

"We should start lighting some candles and have the hearth running if we're to see anything in time."

Ash's POV

I watched as she feebly crossed her arms, visibly affected by the cold air that had set in as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, but a nagging feeling held me back.