Three girls’ reflections slid and collided in the huge silver mirror. Swathes of vibrant dresses made from silk, taffeta, velvet and satin sat in piles around them as they tried on different ones eagerly. They stood in a well-lit, richly decorated room, cluttered with naked mannequins and shelves of cloth. Three chandeliers floated above the room and outside, a thunderstorm raged and crashed, making the windows rattle.

A stern looking woman in a beautiful purple dress sat in an embroidered velvet chair watching them, studying the dresses. Maids fluttered frantically about, worrying about the mess they would have to clean. One of the girls, the eldest one, a tall, curvy, girl with grey eyes and thick golden-brown hair, smiled and said, “Mama, look. Shouldn’t I get this one?”

She held up a peach colored dress excitedly. The woman stood up and pressed it to her daughter’s body. She nodded, “Yes Mina, darling, it looks beautiful on you.” Then she sat in her chair again. The girl sighed happily and tossed it into a large pile. Servants ran to and fro, snatching clothes from the pile, wrapping them in golden paper, and putting them in boxes that said in large, bold, letters,

                                                     .AUBREY.

One of the maids, being pushed and prodded by another, crept up to the girls’ mother. She hesitantly tapped her on the shoulder, and the woman’s elaborately braided head whipped around, her clear grey eyes clearly showing annoyance.

The mayor’s wife, Lady Adelaide Welleman was well known for her random generosity and her three beautiful daughters and so, the members of the town were always very polite to her, just in case she had a sudden fit of compassion.

“Lady Adelaide, pardon me for disturbing you, but the shop’s going to close in just a few minutes, we close at six, you see. It’s already five fifty-four. Don’t worry Lady Adelaide, Aubrey will be open tomorrow Tuesday, at ten in the morning.”

 Adelaide folded her hands together and said calmly, “Yes, we know. Of course, I would gladly leave you all to clean up, but my daughters cannot go out without their clothes for the week. Would you want my daughters to walk around in rags? I hope and think not. After all, they are the mayor’s daughters. They must be dressed nicely.”

The maid nodded her head and crept back to the other maids. The three girls whirled around giggling, recommending dresses and chatting about colors, while the pile by the maids grew higher and higher. They started packing the dresses with all their might, as the storm raged outside.

At precisely six, the shop doors burst open and a mailman, a royal mailman, belonging specially to the royal family, burst in. With him went a great deal of cold rain and wet mud. These special mailmen were only supposed to deliver news concerning the royal family, any other news they left the normal mailmen to deliver.

The girls squealed and pressed the silky dresses to their skin, trying to escape from the chilly wind. The servants stared at the sudden intruder, and the cold puddle of mud and water, which they would have to clean later. Adelaide clutched her chair and looked with genuine shock at the dripping form of royalty’s representative.

The royal mailman dressed in royal gold and grey, unfolded a long shimmery manuscript, stamped with the royal seal. His plump face was sprinkled with a generous number of freckles and his blue eyes remained fastened to his precious letter. He read out in a very unattractive, puny, trumpet like voice, orange head bobbing up and down emphatically as he spoke,

“His Majesty and Her Majesty, King Samuel Roderick Horse and Queen Jaundice Queen, are hosting a royal ball for their royal sons Prince Font Joe, Prince Samuel Roderick the Second and Prince Boory, pronounced, Boo-ree. These three princes will be searching for a bride in three nights. They will be giving out all the invitations on Saturday to Sunday at the town square, at precisely three o'clock, all invitations. These invitations will be free and only for town members. Foreign invitations will be sent out. Any questions will be available at the town square. Anyone who has been left out will NOT be able to get an invitation. The ball will start two weeks from now on the nights, Friday to Sunday. It will be held at the Royal Palace on Blue Hills, instead of at Spring Hall. All the maidens in the country must attend and if not, will be beheaded. Wear your most beautiful gown and be agreeable to our sons. Please come, signed King Samuel Roderick Horse and Queen Jaundice Queen.”

The mailman gasped for breath and steadied himself on a chair. Adelaide froze. A ball, royalty, dancing, and for the finale, three princes. A perfect event for her three daughters. She composed herself and rose from her chair, a picture of calm tranquility, if there ever were such a thing. Steadily and stealthily holding her richly dyed skirts, she walked towards the mailman, who was still gasping for breath.

She bowed low before the mailman as if he was the king himself and suddenly grasped the mailman by the shoulders.

Then Lady Adelaide burst out, “Now, give us our invitations. I am the mayor’s wife, Adelaide Welleman. I demand early invitations. If you do not give them to me, I will complain to my husband who will complain to the king and the king will punish you. I want four genuine ball invitations.”

She released the mailman and stared at the him with cool grey eyes, folding her hands in front of her calmly. The mailman, terrified, shook his pockets and gave her four plump golden envelopes each stamped with the royal seal. She nodded and said, “And give all the maids in the room one too.”

The maids sighed and squealed with gratitude as the mailman hurriedly gave them all an invitation. Then he quickly left the shop, much more at home with the howling storm, than with Lady Adelaide. The three girls crowded around their mother, excitedly chattering about the prospect of a ball. She read the invitation, with a smile on her face. Turning to her daughters, she kissed each of them on the cheek. “Girls, now we must be prepared, this is the chance of a lifetime. I must have our travel preparations arranged tomorrow. After all we will be making a long journey. The journey of our lives.”

The girls each clutched their envelopes happily. One of them, a slim young girl with lustrous golden hair, said with questioning eyes, “Wait, Mama, shouldn’t we be looking for our ball dresses?”

Adelaide stared at her daughter for a moment then reeled with realization and said worriedly, “Yes, yes Lia, go find your dresses at once. Wait, no. Stop. We can’t get your ball dresses here in this shop. This shop is merely fit for your everyday clothes. We must have a private milliner, one that can tailor to your specific needs and tastes.” Then in an entirely different tone she continued, “Well, servants, don’t just stand there! You!” She pointed to a footman standing by the door. “Get those boxes in our carriage and mind they don’t get wet! They’re my daughter’s dresses! Handle them as you would with your life!”

Picking up her purple skirts, she conducted her daughters to the carriage. Struggling in the rain, the servants were tying the boxes onto the roof of the carriage covered with a water proof cloth.

The horses slipped in the mud and started at the rumbling thunder and the flashes of lightning. It was a wild night.

Servants covered their mistresses with umbrellas, but it wasn't enough to completely shield them from the storm. As footmen helped the girls in, they also helped in a great deal of wet mud and leaves. Sighing, Aurelia with excitement in her bright green-blue eyes smoothed her moist silks and leaned her head on her sister’s shoulder saying, “Mina, what do you think the ball will be like?”

Adelaide plucked a leaf from Wilhelmina’s hair and settled in her seat, waiting for her daughter’s answer.

“Well, I don’t really remember the last royal ball. I was too young then. But I do know it will be absolutely wonderful, right Mama?”

Lady Adelaide nodded and fondly caressed Ernestine’s head in her lap. “I remember going to my first ball, it was where I met your father. My mother arranged everything, the carriage ride, what I was wearing, everything.” She paused, reminiscing her first ball.

“I feel it my duty to do the same with you three. You see, a ball is a girl’s chance to get a husband and settle down, have a family. And if not, I hope all you girls have a nice time. I’ll make sure of it.”

Lia, Mina and Nettie squealed in excitement and started chattering about the ball. Lady Adelaide smiled at all three of them fondly. It was going to be a wonderful experience for them all.

Outside the servants were yelling at each other over the thunder and the pouring rain. They were struggling to get all the dress boxes firmly strapped to the back of the carriage. Finally, the driver leapt in his seat and the jittery horses pulled the carriage out of the slippery mud. Picking up speed the green carriage rolled along the bumpy dirt road like a huge green bead on lumpy brown cloth, into the countryside. The trees wailed in the wind and shook their trembling branches at the sky. Heavy rain came beating down onto the ground. Far into the night, sitting on a hill was a large brick mansion. The glass windows were closed, and several lanterns were hung near the gate to show the way.

The carriage made its way through the thick foliage of greens that surrounded the mansion. It bumped the gates and a footman hopped off the carriage and opened the wet iron gates. Slowly the horses pulled through the mud halting right in front of the main door, wrought with lifelike wreaths of roses.

A servant unhitched the horses in the pouring rain and led them to the warm stables. Hurriedly the footman opened the carriage door and holding his coat over him like a canopy, he held an umbrella for Lady Adelaide as she trailed her long skirts in the wet dirty ground. Her daughters followed her, similarly protected by drenched maids shivering in the cold. The rest of the servants trailed behind carrying large, lumpy packages tied with ribbons. The dresses.

Two more servants held open the door and Lady Adelaide stood by it waving everyone in. “Come on, nobody gets left behind in this cold. Just leave the carriage! Get in!” After everyone had hurried inside, she closed the doors firmly behind her.