Arc 722, 3 Cylus
Wedding planning was a lot more time-consuming than Elisabeth had initially thought it would be. Even for the small ceremony they were planning. In some ways, it reminded her of all the planning and work that had gone into the farm. Lots of moving pieces and parts. Of course, it was the only wedding she had ever planned, so there was an element of uncertainty involved and fear of messing everything up. Still, the young woman intended to arrange everything to the best of her ability and create a beautiful trial for them both and their guests.
It was Reclamation Trial, and Haven’s settlement leader was beyond thrilled that Balthazar would be joining them for the joint ceremony with Hopetoun. Darius and the people from that settlement would arrive mid-trial, leaving Elisabeth time – by design – to attend to one of the first things that needed attention – her wedding dress.
Knowing the man she loved as she did, Elisabeth had scheduled the seamstress from Saoire’s Dream to come to the settlement that morning and assist the couple with their individual piece of wedding attire. Balthazar was expected to depart Haven within the subsequent few trials to attend to Element matters, and she never quite knew when he would return. No, it was better to let him get his clothing sorted before leaving, for it was one less thing they would have to deal with later.
Balthazar was out in the settlement someplace, and Elisabeth and Silk waited at the edge of Haven for one Gianella Borghese. The young mage hadn’t known who to reach out to for her wedding dress and thought to see if one of the instructors at the school were interested in a private commission. This Gianella had written back, accepting the commission, and the pair had made arrangements for her to visit that trial.
Silk glanced at Elisabeth curiously, prompting the young mage to look back, arching an eyebrow. “Use your words, Silk. What’s on your mind?” The guard grinned a bit, eyes moving around to scan the horizon. “I was just curious if you were nervous?”
Furrowing her brow a bit, Elisabeth managed a small laugh. “Nervous about meeting a seamstress? Hardly. Fabric doesn’t scare me.”
The avriel rolled her eyes a bit. “No, not the seamstress. Nervous about getting married.” Silk’s voice was different than usual, losing a bit of the bite the guard customarily possessed. Elisabeth could tell Silk was genuinely interested in what she would answer and not simply poking at her, as she and Ronan so often did.
Sapphire eyes moved away from Silk’s face, keeping a sharp lookout for their soon-to-arrive guest. There was no hesitation in her voice as the answer came. “No.” The guard gave a surprised look and pressed more. “Not at all? Not a little?”
A smile slipped across the settlement leader’s lips. “Not even a little, Silk. I will admit to being nervous about screwing up the planning for the wedding. I want it to be perfect. But regarding marrying Balthazar? None. I loved him long before I told him I did, and I want to be with him for as long as life allows.”
Silk’s eyes turned to Elisabeth again but flickered back as she saw a form approaching from the northwest. “There’s our guest, I think.”
Elisabeth simply nodded, beginning to walk out to meet the figure, calling back to the guard. “I’ve got this. Go back to the settlement and let Balthazar know that she’s arrived. I’m sure she and I will be busy for quite a bit, so I’ll find him when she’s ready for him.”
Walking out to greet their guest, Elisabeth smiled warmly and extended her hand gently. "Thank you for coming, Ms. Borghese. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Elisabeth." The snow leopard cadouri grinned slightly at the young woman, shaking her hand back firmly. "Well, hello darling! It's the bride herself! Look at you! Stunning. You'll be a stunning bride! Please do me a favor and turn. I need to see what I'm working with."
Arching her eyebrow briefly, Elisabeth did as she asked, although admittedly slightly perplexed. Perhaps she had done similar at Faith's shop in Rharne, but the young mage couldn't quite remember.
Whatever she was doing, though, it was precisely what she needed to do, based on the cadouri's reaction. "Lovely, simply lovely. Great lines, lovely neck, dark hair to contrast with all the light colors. It's all marvelous. Oh, and just call me Gianella. We will be fast friends soon enough. Let's get down to business, shall we?"
Gesturing towards the settlement proper, Elisabeth swiftly led their visitor to Haven House for a bit of privacy and the inevitable measurement taking. Gianella began the conversation as they walked, asking her about her dream dress. "Just describe what you envision for your big trial, darling. Let Gianella do the rest, hmmm?"
Nodding her understanding, the young woman had to confess that she really had a minimal idea of what she wished her dress to look like. Oh, there was one thing. "Nothing tight-fitting around my legs. I want a fuller skirt, if possible. I've owned two fine gowns, from Rharne and the other gifted by Saoire, and I'm very fond of both."
The comment visibly piqued the cadouri's interest as they neared Haven House. "Oh? Do tell me about this gown from Rharne! Do you still have it? I would love to see it." It was curious that she didn't mention the Saoire gown, but then again, perhaps she knew more about it than she let on. Gianella's impish little smile hinted that perhaps she did. Had she been at the Feast? Elisabeth couldn't recall.
As it so happened, Elisabeth did still have the dress from Rharne, saved for special occasions and the like. "Of course. I'd be happy to show you." The young mage opened the door and waited for Gianella to enter before closing the door behind them.
For a split second, the young woman wondered where Storm was but then remembered that the feline was keeping the guards company at the clam farm, assisting with a few issues that had come up due to colder than typical weather.
"Excuse me for just a moment, Gianella, and I'll fetch the dress." Wandering back to the bedroom she shared with Balthazar, it took her only a moment to locate the dress and bring it back out to the common area, holding it out so the seamstress could get a good look at it.
The cadouri's discerning eye jumped from stitch to stitch, seam to seam, getting a sense of the gown and remaining silent until finally, her voice emerged. "An Augustin?!? Why, of course. That is the only place you could have acquired such an exquisite piece. Now, tell Gianella what this dress means to you, dear girl. That is where we shall begin."
What did the dress mean to her? Many things, but a few thoughts seemed more in line with what the cadouri asked. "Well, it was what I was wearing when Balthazar said I was beautiful for the first time, and I had my first dance with him wearing it. Oh, first half a dance, actually." Laughing softly at the memory, Elisabeth continued. "I was wearing it the night I realized I wanted more nights with him."
Gianella remained silent, eyes still searching the gown's fabric as if expecting it to speak to her. As Elisabeth finished, the cadouri nodded, replying confidently. "Then this is what I think. Your wedding dress should be the same body style as this one, with a few adjustments. Color, obviously. As well, the sleeveless style is all well and good for indoor affairs or hot weather weddings, but Ashan, not so much."
Looking at Elisabeth again, the seamstress took note of her neck and shoulders. There were more questions. A lot more questions, but each served the purpose of giving the cadouri closer to figuring out the young woman's vision of a wedding dress. To be fair, most brides had little idea of what they wanted, and that's where an experienced seamstress was invaluable. Meshing the practical side of creating a gown with the emotional weight of the moment was a hefty responsibility, but it was an honor to help others bring their wishes to life.
"I think…yes. Off the shoulder, long sleeves. It gives the impression of being sleeveless, a tribute to this gown you love so much but slightly different to account for the cooler Ashan temperatures. Princess style, which is just a fancy term for a full skirt, like you wanted. Minimal embellishments, I think. I know it's not the done thing, but sometimes they can take over a dress, and I don't want that to happen here. A little gold edging here and there, to help tie in the Saoire gown. Where will the wedding take place?"
That was a good question and one Elisabeth really hadn't discussed with Balthazar. Haven, obviously. Plans would be underway soon for the chapel, but building wouldn't be able to begin until the light of Ashan. It would be tricky. "Here in the settlement, either in a chapel we will be building or on the beach. That decision is up in the air. On the 100th of Ashan."
Writing a few quick notes down in her notebook, Gianella nodded her head a bit absently, thoughts somewhere else as she appeared to sketch something out quickly. "Alright then, we'll want to make sure to hem the skirt just right so regardless of inside or outside, no dragging on the ground. Easy enough. It also ensures no tripping, but that's true with regular gowns too."
The seamstress took out a small strip of measuring tape, setting aside her notebook for the moment. "I'm going to get your measurements now, and I think we will be done with you for the moment and can get started on the groom. If I have questions during the creating process, I can get a message to you, but I think I have a clear idea of what you want. I will bring the dress here the trial before the wedding and do any last-minute alterations that need to happen. Because the wedding is next season and relatively close, there may not be anything to alter, but it's an insurance measure. Oh, and before I forget, there's the matter of payment we discussed."
The measurements took a few bits, but the pair wrapped up their conversation before long, and Haven's leader handed over the vouchers awarded to her for payment of the engaged couples wedding attire. Elisabeth then excused herself to find Balthazar so she could let him know that it was his turn to be poked, prodded and answer a million questions.
