A sharp rap on the door woke Izzy up from their nap.
“Miss Izzy, dinner is served,” the cook/maid of the month called through the door. Izzy’s father’s fortune was running low, so they couldn’t keep help for very long since they couldn’t pay well.
“I’ll be down in a moment,” Izzy yawned. They sat up and went over to their closet to pull out a simple, green dress with lace trimmed princess seams to wear for dinner. Their family would be dressed to the nines, like always, but Izzy had learned that if they at least put on a dress, Chandra would keep the commentary to looks.
Izzy heard excited chatter as they walked down the stairs. Upon entering the dining room they saw their stepsisters huddled around a letter. Izzy sat down and started eating their food. Whatever had Tiffany and Beth so excited probably would just bore them.
“Girls,” Chandra said. “Tell Bella the exciting news. She needs to know, too.”
TIffany rolled her eyes, but obliged her mother. “The king is throwing a ball for all of the royal families!” She could barely control her excitement.
“And why do I need to know this,” Izzy asked.
“Really, now,” Chandra chided. “The prince is still in search of a wife. Surely he will choose from those who attend the ball.”
“I still don’t get why I need to know this.”
“Bella! With your figure and a fine ball gown, why, you would have almost as much chance of catching the prince’s eye as Tiffany!”
“So not much?”
TIffany gasped. “Take that back,” she cried. “Mother, tell Bella to take that back!”
“What,” Izzy shrugged. “She’s the stepdaughter of a baron. Why would the prince choose to marry the stepdaughter of a baron? And a dead baron at that.”
“You will speak more respectfully to Tiffany and about your father,” Chandra scolded.
“I’m just being realistic. Not talking about him won’t change the fact that he died,” Izzy muttered. Izzy hated how their stepmother wouldn’t even speak of their father. It made them feel like they were the only one that missed him.
“Anyway,” Chandra continued. “We will be going into town tomorrow to order new gowns. The ball is the Saturday after next, so there is no time to waste.”
“We can’t afford 3 new gowns and I wouldn’t wear a gown, anyway,” Izzy said. “Just take TIffany and Beth if you’re so insistent on going.”
“Oh, we won’t be buying 3 gowns,” Chandra said. “You and Tiffany are the perfect marrying age, so Beth will be staying home.”
“Mom,” Beth exclaimed. “I wanted to see the palace! This might be my only chance. We aren’t invited to many functions!”
“You will have plenty of chances to see the palace when your sister marries the prince,” Chandra stated matter-of-factly. “You are only 15. You have a year before you could get married, anyway.”
Beth folded her arms and pouted in her chair. Izzy felt for her, they really did. Beth was constantly overshadowed by Tiffany. Tiffany was everything Beth was not. While Tiffany had bright golden hair that was the perfect texture to hold any shape, Beth had flat brown hair that was stubbornly straight. Tiffany was thin with just the perfect amount of curve and Beth was lanky with no curves to speak of. Tiffany was outspoken and Beth was shy. Tiffany could command a room and Beth blended into the background. Tiffany had several suitors by the time she was 15 and Beth hadn’t a single one. If Beth could go to the ball, maybe she could separate herself from her sister and shine on her own.
“Let Beth go in my place,” Izzy said. “I have no desire to be a princess, anyway.”
TIffany looked slightly relieved to hear Izzy say that. She had been worried that she would be outshone by her stepsister. While TIffany might have easily overshadowed Beth, she had to work hard every day to outshine Izzy. It infuriated her. Izzy didn’t try to do their hair. They put on just enough makeup to keep their stepmother happy, not that they needed much with perfect skin, high cheekbones, large blue eyes framed with dark lashes, and naturally plump lips. They wore plain clothes. They were sassy, spoke out of turn, and everything a lady was not supposed to be.
Yet they had a perfect, voluptuous hourglass figure that they did not even try to accentuate, not that they needed a corset much anyway, with that tiny waist. Everything they did appeared graceful, even when they insisted on helping the servants with the dirtiest of tasks. For every suitor Tiffany had, there had been two more she had to scare off from Izzy. It wasn’t until a few went to Izzy directly, who told them in rather rude terms that they would not marry anyone who only liked them for their looks, that the suitors started to lose interest. Everything about Izzy infuriated Tiffany.
“Beth will be staying,” Chandra said again. “Bella and Tiffany must marry first and they must marry well if we are to keep ourselves from falling into obscurity.”
“We’re already in obscurity,” Izzy muttered. “There’s no falling about it.” Chandra gave Izzy a warning look.
“Mother, let Bella stay instead,” Tiffany pleaded. Izzy looked quizzically at their stepsister. They never agreed on anything. “She’ll only spoil the fun.”
“I have made my decision and you will not be changing my mind.” Chandra lifted her fork and knife and began to eat, signalling the end of the conversation.
Izzy finished their meal quickly and rushed back to their room. They had one night to figure out how to convince Chandra that they really didn’t have to go to the ball.
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