𝑩𝑹𝑰𝑻𝑰𝑺𝑯 𝑩𝑬𝑳𝑳𝑬 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐝 [𝟏]

THE HANDMAIDEN'S TALE

CHAPTER SIX | the handmaiden's tale

Long ago, when European royals grew bored with palace balls, they took a page from the peons and added some pageantry. Couture and canapés are just another Saturday night. Until you add a mask. But preparing for a ball is an event itself, which is why queens invented handmaidens.

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MADELEINE, SERENA AND Blair were lounging on blair's silk bedsheets, discussing Blair's plan for the Saturday night masked ball.

"So Kati was telling me there's wigs and corsets involved?" Serena laughed.

"It's a masquerade, you have to conceal your identity." Blair informed her best friend. "But I do have something special planned for Nate tonight. It's a game. It's a scavenger hunt. Nate starts the night with a clue which leads him to a lady-in-waiting, who gives him a clue to the next lady, until he finds me."

"Wait, you have ladies?" Madeleine questioned, trying to understand what Blair was planning.

"If he finds me before midnight when the masks come off, he can claim his prize." Blair smiled.

"Well what's that?" Serena questioned, earning multiple eyebrow raises from Blair. "Oh, right. Look, if you don't want me to come tonight I totally understand."

"What! No, I want you to come." Blair laughed, moving towards her friend. "I'm hoping both of you will be lady's-in-waiting. Serena, I'm hoping you'll give Nate the final clue, and M, the one before that."

"Of course!" Madeleine tackles Blair into a hug and fits of laughter. "Anyways, Blair's got a date so on to you blondie. Humphrey coming?"

"I know Dan, he-he'd never come to something this pretentious. Where he has to wear a mask and a tux." Serena waved off the comment.

"Oh please he'd wear a mask and a tux even one of my mother's dresses if it meant he got to go out with you." Blair scoffed.

"Are you worried he already has a date?" Madeleine questioned softly.

"I mean he is Dan Humphrey." Blair laughed sarcastically. "Look call him right now and invite him, I insist." Blair passed Serena her phone with the hopes she'd call Dan.

Madeleine and Blair watched Serena slowly pace beside Blair's bed whilst her phone rang quietly.

"Hey, hi." Serena began, looking over at her giggling best friends. "I was just wondering are-are you doing anything tonight?" Serena questioned shyly, waiting for Dan's reply.

"Good, because there's this thing and you're probably gonna think it's stupid— who's that?" Serena questioned down the phone

Madeleine turned to Blair, the two girls exchanging confused glances between each other. "Who's there?" Blair mouthed silently to Serena who waved her away.

"No, um, never mind. Have a good- I'll see— have a good day." Serena snapped her phone shut with an exasperated sigh and fell onto Blair's bed. "I think I need a date."

"Woah, woah woah. Why?" Madeleine began, scuttling across to Serena. "Humphrey's blown you off?"

"There was a girl there, but—I just don't want to talk about that right now." Serena sighed, waving her arms in front of the girls.