Chapter 3 The invitation

Her father had not wanted her to leave for work that morning, but Elora strongly kicked against it.

When she had finally managed to convince him, Douglas picked up the basket and turned on his heels. From where she stood, Elora watched the only person she had left in her life walk to the door.

He touched the crooked door knob and turned to her.

"When you're on your way back..."

"Remember to make sure no one is following you behind..." Elora cut in, folding her arms against her rather full chest as she swayed her head dramatically.

When she chuckled, her eyes fell back on her father.

"I know that Papa. I'll be careful."

Douglas could not help the smile that crept to his face and spread his lips apart.

"Silly girl." He muttered, loud enough for Elora to hear.

"I love you too Papa!" She called out.

She stayed fixed to where she stood until she heard her father's horse gallop out of their yard.

Heaving a sigh, she turned on her heels and retired to her bedroom.

She had a lot of errands to run for Madam Delacroix today. Only then would she be paid.

Her lunch of unleavened bread and ginger water was packed in a woolen bag. She held the strap of the bag over her shoulder as she made it out of the house. She locked the door behind her and threw the metal keys into her bag.

Elora did not have a horse of her own; a measure put in place by her father to make sure that she constantly stayed under his watch. And it had worked tremendously.

There were some distances which she could not walk, and Vincent, her father's horse, had never seemed to care for her.

The walk from her small cottage to the community market could have taken nothing less than thirty minutes.

As she walked past market stalls, she greeted the women who sold fruits and walked around with crying babies tied to their backs. The girls who helped their mamas with carrying the basket of goods got from the market, the Carpenters and all who cared to return her greeting.

However, something had been particularly peculiar about this day. Every girl seemed to be extremely excited about something. Their mothers were not left out.

Mothers and daughters beamed with smiles as they walked, young girls gathered in fours and fives as they chattered discreetly, making faces and pointing to the card in their hands.

That was when it dawned on her.

Almost everybody seemed to have the card in their hands, or at least, seemed to be excited about it.

Then there she was, with no clue about what was going on.

"Get in, buy what you want, and get out." Her father's voice thundered in her head.

Elora knew she ought to have looked down at the floor and hurried to her mistress's dress shop. She knew that she ought to have sent the card and everything it symbolized to hell. It was what her father would have wanted, it was what was expected of her.

Still, she could not control the curiosity in her heart. Whatever news was spreading its contagious happiness around the village, it had certainly not gotten to her side of it. Not that she could blame it anyway.

Her feet came to a halt in the middle of the road. To her right, three girls - two of whom she had been familiar with since childhood, stood by the side of a bar.

Elora stood and examined them. They stood in a circle, eyes fixed on what they had in their hands as they smiled and laughed.

This was Elora's chance to find out just what was happening.

So, she crossed the road and walked over to them.

Andy, just the same age as Elora, but with blonde hair and a rather chubby face, saw Elora first. On reflex, a genuine smile plastered itself on her lips.

"Elora!!" She called out first, earning her the attention of the other girls.

Their eyes fell on Beauty's rather scrawny frame.

"Andy!" Elora called out, equally happy to see her friend. When the two met, they locked each other in a tight embrace and planted courtesy kisses on each other's cheeks.

"Where have you been all these days? It's been days since we last saw you!" Andy exclaimed, causing the other two girls to nod in agreement.

Elora recognised the slim girl with chestnut hair as Andy's cousin, but the dark haired tall girl, she did not know.

"I have been so busy taking care of Papa." Elora lied.

How was she supposed to tell her friend that even at twenty, her Papa still controlled her movements.

"I shall come by to see you some time."

"Hmm. Your dress is absolutely lovely!"

Elora said aloud, admiring the apparel of a yellow cotton dress that clung on to her friend's bosom. She was certain it was her mother's way of chasing Andy into the courtship market.

"Why thank you my dear friend." Andy was genuinely flattered.

"I am very certain you have one more beautiful than this for the ball tonight. Seeing as you're madam Delacroix's apprentice." Andy spoke. The excitement in her tone knew no bounds as she tugged on the sleeves of Elora's worn out shirt.

Firstly, Elora did not have any form of beautiful dress whatsoever.

Secondly, there was a ball?

Elora did not know she had spaced out, until "You did know there was a ball, did you not? The prince's ball!"

"Surely she would have known! There is not a maiden who does not!"

"I doubt so, she seemed lost when Andy mentioned it." The unknown girl spoke.

Elora feigned a smile. How did they manage to talk about her as though she were not there?

"You do have a dress to the ball, do you not? It is a once in a lifetime opportunity! For some reason, the Luna queen mother has been gracious enough to invite us to the royal ball! Mama thinks I might finally snatch myself a noble Alpha wolf ! How delightful! Oh, you must come, Elora! You must!"

She had not even gotten an invitation.

Looking at the dark girl's hand, an idea lit up in her head like a light bulb.

Suddenly, a mischievous smile crept into her face. Her eyes rested on the dark girl's frame before rising.

She pretended as though she was examining something over their shoulders.

Andy and her cousin sisters looked over at Elora suspiciously, what could she be...?

"My word! Could that be the Alpha king himself?"

On hearing her, the girls all made an attempt to turn back.

That was her moment! Elora snatched the card from the dark girl's hand, laughing as she did so.

The girl turned back to her, a horrified look in her eyes.

"Hey! Come back here!"

But it was rather too late. Elora was quick on her feet, and the dark girl thought herself rather too proper to chase her.

Elora dashed away with speed. Hoping to be ready for a fight whenever she saw Andy again.

She continued to run until her fists met with the wooden doors that had the inscription "Delacroix dress shop" calligraphed with white paint.

When the doors flew open, Madam Delacroix, who stood just in front of it, a black silk dress in her hands, almost jumped.

A tall and curvy woman even at her late age of forty and seven, madam Delacroix had found a way to make her name for herself amongst the many men.

"Goodness child! Have you been running a marathon?!" The lady screamed in dread at how unkempt Elora appeared.

Smiling, Elora wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead off with her palm and brushed the palm against her woolen skirt, a gesture that caused Delacroix to frown.

"Do not set those hands on any of my light colored fabrics until you have properly washed them." She ordered, making her way to the shelves of fabric, with the black dress in her hand.

"I would have you carry out some very essential deliveries today. It is the Prince's ball today. It is said that he would pick Luna from the maidens present today. I rather find that odd, after he got rejected by his mate ..."

"He got rejected by his mate?!" Elora cut in. Her green eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at her mistress.

Why? Who had thought it wise to reject an Alpha prince?!

Who could have been crazy enough to pass up on the opportunity to be Luna Queen?!

As she made her way past Delacroix's wooden counter, to the boxes neatly wrapped and heaped in a corner, her eyes never left her mistress.

"Of course he was! On his wedding day for that matter. Before you know it, word spread that she had moved to France. Can you just imagine?"

She did not know who he was, as a matter of fact, she had never met him or been blessed enough to come across a picture of him. Still, her heart broke for him at the thought.

"I believe you have an invitation to the ball?"

This time, Delacroix's voice was so close, Elora could tell the woman was just standing above her.

Elora fought back the urge to laugh.

Oh! She had one alright!

One she had so graciously stolen.

"I have one madam."

"So you'll be attending?"

Delacroix's voice had now drawn closer to Elora. She leaned into the younger girl and stretched her hand over her head, picking up the scissors that rested on one of the boxes.

"I am not quite sure." Elora managed to say,as she finally raised her head up. She felt drowsy from all the looking down she had been doing and fought to stand upright.

"I do not have a dress." Elora blurted out. Hoping, immediately the sentence slipped out of her lips, that she would not have a reason to regret it.

The moment Madam Delacroix's eyes narrowed on her, before turning away in what appeared to be mock pity, Elora regretted ever opening her mouth to speak.

"You can have the green dress on the mannequin outside." Madam Delacroix spoke softly, Elora's eyes widened.

"Madam, I..."

"No, Elora. You've worked for it."

Elora smiled to herself, her heart danced for joy.

It was already dark by the time she arrived home. Giving her only ample time to keep the box her gown lay in, until she got permission from her father to attend the ball.

The knock on the door caused her to leave the kitchen. She knew it was her father when he made their secret knock rhythm.

"Papa!" She hugged him in ecstasy as he stepped inside.

Douglas did not know which surprised him more; the over excitement of his daughter, or the sweet aroma of stew emanating from the kitchen.

Yet, he allowed himself to relish in both.

"Are we celebrating something?" He finally asked when Elora served his meal.

"Why, why, Papa, just eat!" Elora replied, laughing.

And so he ate. At least, he tried to, until Elora popped the question to him.

"There's a ball tonight Papa. I received an invitation to attend. Can you imagine Papa,me, at a royal ball! I can only..."

Blood drained away from Douglas's face, and his appetite disappeared.

He cut into Elora's sentence by sending the plate of food in front of him, down to the floor with one sweep of his hand.

Elora rose in shock. She stared at the spilled contents of the food before raising her eyes up to meet her father.

"So this is what the food was about?" His deadly tone was an even match for his deadly glare.

Elora staggered back, tears rushing down her eyes.

"Papa..."

"There would be no words about this ball again. And I forbid you from leaving this house tonight, or any other night, until I say so..."

In front of him, in the dimly lit dining table, Beauty's heart broke.

"You cannot do that Papa!" She screamed at the top of her voice as she watched her father walk past her. Douglas brushed past her shoulder, before he stopped and turned to her.

"Little do you know."

With that, he walked into the dark of the house, leaving a heart broken Elora behind him.