"Let's stop in there, shall we?" Clair decided, pulling Raven into a little side shop. Raven blinked at the dresses confused as Clair giggled. "If there is going to be a ball, we need to look our best don't you think?" Clair asked with a wink. Raven smiled as her mother started to browse the dresses hung up on display. Unlike other shops where the dresses were all crammed together on a rack, these were laid out carefully on display, as if each dress was a work of art. Though they really were.
Raven reached out, touching the expensive silk with her fingertips. The dress was a deep violet color with silver embroidered designs. She traced the silver trees on the bodice as she looked over the rest of the beautiful gown. It had a high collar and a skirt that seemed to hug the hips, flowing away gradually from body at the knee. It had quarter length sleeves with slightly extra fabric that seemed to flow away from the elbow. Raven loved it glancing around the shop at the other green and blue gowns on display. She frowned confused, jumping when she noticed an unfamiliar woman standing behind her.
"Sorry child. It was not my intent to startle you. Do you not like the dress?" She asked as she shuffled forward making Raven blink unsure. Raven was sure she had seen her somewhere before though she couldn't pin it.
"That's not it really. I love the gown, but it is so different than anything else on display." Raven told her in a nervous voice, trying to be polite. The old woman nodded her head, the snow-white braids swaying gently.
She looked to be the oldest woman in the world to Raven as she tried not to count the wrinkles that creased the old woman's forehead. Her hands were like twisted tree roots, grabbing the dress's sleeve. Her soft brown eyes glancing over the rich gown.
"Aye, it would seem different. I used to work in the castle, but this old bag of bones is just too tired to be sewing gowns for royalty anymore. Every dress you see here was once made for the queen and princess. Though our queen and princess have looked them over, they have never been worn." The old woman sighed regretfully as she petted the gown. Raven nodded realizing she must have seen her during one of her castle trips with Hank. Though that had been many years ago since the last one. She tried to avoid places she wasn't wanted.
"All except this one. This one was special ordered and already paid for." The old woman explained to her as Raven tried her best not to seem disappointed.
"I am sure the owner will love it. It's a beautiful gown." Raven told her as the old woman beamed up at her.
"Perhaps you will find something else you like, though I must warn you, none of these gowns come cheap." She stated as she waved at the rest of the shop. Raven had to stifle a laugh when she saw her mother's defeated look as she nodded.
"I am afraid it is a bit out of budget for us. Though your work is marvelous, I adore every piece in this shop." Clair said sincerely as she shook the old woman's hand. "Perhaps next time. I wish you and your shop well." Clair told her as the old woman chuckled, hugging Clair close.
"You two are already so pretty, I doubt my dresses would do anything for you. But your kind words about my work, fill me with joy and pride. Stop by again sometime and maybe we can work out a deal." She said with a confident nod as she walked them to the door. Raven bowed her head as the kind old woman smiled and waved goodbye. Stealing one last glance at the beautiful dress. Clair sighed as she hung off Raven's arm.
"Did you look at the price tags? The cheapest dress I could find cost more than what I make in a single year." Clair whined softly as Raven smiled, leaning into her mother. The life of an herbalist wasn't grand by any means, but they were happy in their small little hut on the forest floor.
"Just think, once word of the secret ball spreads, with its foreign prince's and sexy bachelors, that shop will be sold out by the end of the month." Raven stated making Clair scoff before she paused. She narrowed her eyes at her daughter, feeling her lips quirk up when she saw her husband's blank face being impersonated by their daughter. She is too much like you, Clair thought silently as she sighed in defeat.
"You don't even believe in such things and yet you are still probably right. She said she used to work in the palace, no doubt she knows what's coming." Clair sighed dramatically as Raven chuckled at her mother. They browsed the market together, keeping their quiet scheming to themselves as Hank eventually found them.
Hank was as tall and as sturdy as any tree in the forest. He towered over his two girls, reaching six and a half feet tall. He was older than Clair by a couple years, and mostly looked it too. Raven tried to keep her giggling to a minimum as Clair whined about his beard and mustache making him look too rugged.
His long dark brown hair reached his shoulders, but he mostly kept it in a bun on the back of his head. He was strong and kind as Raven had to hide her guilt at his exclusion from the royal guard.
The men her father worked with had made it clear that Hank’s decision to take her in as his own child was not the right one. It was merely superstition that they believed her mother had been that of a crow hence the dark black hair. Hank had to admit her hair was the reason for her name choice.
Though not very original, it was a familiar animal of the forest, and he had hoped it would comfort the people she met. However, they mostly ignored her when she dropped off lunch while he worked the border patrol and ignored him outside of work.
Clair always said he chose to work the worst job on the guard to be closer to home, but Raven felt it had more to do with her and less with Hank's "Choice" since he was the best at his job. At least she had heard people talk when they thought she wasn't around.
Not that he ever seemed to mind. Hank and Clair never seemed to feel burdened to have her, often calling her their gift. Raven only loved them both even more for it. When they were finished browsing the market for trinkets, Hank helped his girls into a carriage, and they headed home.
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