Chapter 180: First War of The Evening

Elara:

I watched the four people standing in my bedroom assess the gown I had just pulled from my wardrobe, waiting for at least one of them to answer the question I had asked nearly a minute ago.

Jasper stood beside the window with his arms crossed, Magnus leaned against the couch wearing the expression of a man who had already guessed how this discussion would end, while Mrs. Nettle and Sera stared at the dress as though I had just suggested attending the welcoming party in my pajamas.

This was the same gown I never expected to end up wearing and had been sitting in my dorm’s wardrobe for months. It was bold, undeniably beautiful, and absolutely unlike the traditional gowns Sera had spent the past week trying to convince me were appropriate for a Crown Princess.

"Well?" I prompted, shifting the hanger in my hand. "Does it work, or should I choose something else?"

Magnus was the first to answer, because apparently he possessed either remarkable courage or absolutely no instinct for self-preservation. "It’s one of a kind," he said, studying the gown thoughtfully. "And it suits your personality rather well."

Sera turned toward him with a glare sharp enough to make a lesser man reconsider every decision that had led him into my bedroom. Magnus merely raised an eyebrow, looking entirely unbothered.

"The dress is beautiful, Princess," Sera began, choosing her words with the careful patience of someone addressing a particularly troublesome child. "But it is not suitable for tonight. The back is far too revealing, and that slit is entirely too high. You are attending a welcoming party as the Crown Princess of Starfall, not a private fashion event."

Mrs. Nettle nodded solemnly, and Jasper followed with a slight movement of his head. I looked at all three of them and sighed inwardly. Exactly as expected. But I wasn’t giving up that easily, though.

"Let me ask you something," I said, shifting my attention toward Sera and Mrs. Nettle. "The daughters of the influential families attending tonight - do you honestly believe they’ll all be dressed in modest, traditional gowns?"

Neither woman answered immediately. Sera pressed her lips together, while Mrs. Nettle glanced at the dress again, clearly considering the question despite herself. Their silence was answer enough.

I continued before Sera could find a convenient excuse to lecture me. "I have spent the entire week being told how important it is to make a good impression, how I need to understand the expectations of the noble families, and how I must learn to navigate their social circles. So tell me, why am I expected to dress differently from the very people I’m supposed to meet? If their daughters can wear modern gowns that show more than a little skin, why must I look as though I have stepped out of a history book?"

Sera inhaled, apparently preparing to remind me that being the Crown Princess meant I was held to a different standard, but Mrs. Nettle spoke first. "Well..." She paused, looking at the gown more carefully. "Perhaps it isn’t quite as inappropriate as I first thought."

Sera turned toward her so quickly that I almost laughed. "Mrs. Nettle!"

"I’m only saying that it’s still an elegant dress," Mrs. Nettle defended herself, lifting both hands slightly. "Yes, the open back is revealing, and the slit is rather high, but the gown itself is beautiful. It isn’t vulgar, and it certainly doesn’t look cheap. Besides, it suits the Princess. She’s bold, confident, and hardly the sort of young woman who would be comfortable pretending to be someone else."

I gave Mrs. Nettle a grateful smile. I had always known there was a reason I liked her. Sera, on the other hand, looked as though the foundations of her carefully organized world were beginning to crack.

Before she could argue, Jasper finally pushed away from the window. "I agree with Mrs. Nettle."

All our attention shifted toward him, and he glanced at the gown before looking at me.

"If Elara wears this tonight, everyone will notice. More importantly, they’ll understand that she isn’t interested in disappearing into the background simply because the people in the room have powerful surnames." His expression softened slightly as he added, "It makes a statement. A bold one, certainly, but not necessarily a bad one."

I tried very hard not to look too pleased. Jasper rarely involved himself in clothing discussions, which made his support particularly valuable. Magnus nodded in agreement, leaving Sera as the final obstacle between me and the dress I had already mentally decided to wear.

Four people had entered this room, and three had now supported my choice. I turned toward Sera and gave her my sweetest, most pitiful pout, adding a slight tilt of my head for good measure. I knew perfectly well how ridiculous I looked, but desperate situations called for desperate measures.

"Sera," I said softly, holding the gown against myself, "please?"

She stared at me for several long seconds before closing her eyes and releasing a weary sigh. "You are going to be the death of me, Princess."

I brightened immediately. "Does that mean yes?"

"It means," she replied, pointing a warning finger at me, "that I am agreeing to this under certain conditions. You must carry yourself with dignity, you must remember that people will be watching your every move, and you will not give anyone an excuse to question your conduct."

She paused, looking at the gown again as though trying to convince herself she hadn’t made a terrible mistake. "Besides, you haven’t been formally crowned yet. You are the Crown Princess, but you haven’t undergone the full coronation ceremony. You don’t need to follow every royal protocol as rigidly as you might afterward." Her voice became a little less certain as she added, almost as though she were reassuring herself, "And times are changing. This is a new generation." ℯℯ𝑙.

I bit back a triumphant smile. "Of course. A new generation."

Sera narrowed her eyes at me. "Do not repeat that phrase to justify every questionable decision you make in the future."

"I wouldn’t dream of it."

Jasper coughed suspiciously into his fist, and Magnus turned toward the window, but I caught the amusement in both their expressions.

The first war of the evening had officially been won.