Chapter 8 - Ball Gown

The mansion's three ladies were very busy with the royal ball. Ursula's lessons were given whenever they had free time, and the rest of the time was used for the party preparations for that event.

Day and night, their faces were covered in a sticky or slimy substance with disgusting colors, beauty masks.

They could barely walk, or do anything, with the corsets too tight, in order to they feel more natural using it. They've been wearing that garment for a long time, but now their mother thought they could go a little further. Daphne wore one that literally squeezed her entire body, reducing all her measurements. Cordelia was trying to shift meat where she didn't have it.

They danced until their feet hurt, they smiled until their jaws hurt, they bowed until their arms hurt.

Meanwhile, Cinderella was making their dresses. And shoes. And hair accessories. And purses. And fans. And she even cleaned the family jewels. Jewels that once belonged to her own mother, the Viscountess before Ursula, and those were supposed to belong to hers. But when she was accused of hurting Aldo, she lost the right to be the daughter of that family, and now she was a servant, a slave. And someone like that would lose the right to inherit the family jewels, staying with their daughters who had no transgressions in their history.

Even if they don't share that family's blood.

The design of everything was extremely sophisticated and complicated to make. And it wasn't just because it was a royal ball. They didn't expect Cinderella to complete everything in such a short amount of time, even using magic. Everything they asked for needed a lot of details, there were so many little things! She could never complete! Especially when his normal chores seemed to have doubled.

That was the plan. As they imagined that they could be invited to a big event, they had all their costumes prearranged in advance for that day to come. They just didn't expect it to be a royal ball. Anything Cinderella couldn't finish would have a replacement.

It was noticeable the exhaustion of Cinderella. That was the plan.

The condition for her to attend the ball was, besides finishing her usual chores and making everything for her stepmother and half-sisters, she made her own garments, in a quality that wouldn't make any of them ashamed to be with Cinderella. The girl couldn't ever do all that.

Just in case, they were watching Cinderella closely. They verified that she didn't even start making her own clothes.

Cordelia saw a mouse, from a glimpse, carrying a piece of fabric, one of those they said the girl could use. She warned her mother and sister, but since they didn't see her sewing anything for herself, they didn't care.

The mice might even help carry one thing or other, but Cinderella couldn't make her own clothes.

Then the day of the ball came. It was a day of preparation for the three of them to get their skin spotless, clean, fragrant and dress a dazzlingly dressed.

To give them the identity as sisters, Ursula asked her stepdaughter to make two equal dresses for her daughters, changing only the colors. In this way, even if one of the sisters didn't stand out much among all the other guests, she would be recognized as the sister of the other. They were elaborate, sophisticated, full of draped and embroidery, with a detail in gold threads in the neckline. Daphne wore a dress in shades of purple, the color remitted to nobility, while Cordelia wore a little combination of blue and yellow. She asked for those colors herself, saying that people would definitely remember her.

Besides the family jewels, they used a hair prop with tropical bird feathers, a luxury from afar, that by the time there was a war in the southern countries, it was more expensive than those centennial jewels. The kingdoms south of the one in which they lived were on war. The merchant who wanted to bring products from the topics to their kingdom, would have to make a huge route to divert from the war, or would still have to risk his life to cross a combat zone.

Despite being a more distinctive style, Ursula also wore a dress that showed her nobility. Although it was also purple, his tone was darker.

And with the work of doing all that, apart from his conventional chores, it was no wonder that Cinderella ended it all at the last minute.

"Uhmp! Seems like you didn't make your clothes, Cinderella!" Exclaimed Cordelia, trying to don't show her delight when Cinderella was finishing fixing the bar of her dress. Daphne was with them, applying a cosmetic on the lips to become reddish, as the fashion dictates.

Although it's considered to be of bad taste and vulgar, makeup was something that all noblewomen wore. In order to don't be ridiculed, they only wore makeup that might look natural. However, with the pale lips that Daphne have, even that very faint red dye looked artificial in her face.

"It's a shame!" Said Daphne, checking her lips in the mirror. By the reflected image, she saw the figure of his half-sister in the background, which made her frown. "I really wanted to go to the royal ball with you too, sister..."

"Oh! That won't be a problem, Daphne, Cordelia! I managed to finish all my chores, and also to make all my costumes for the ball."

At that moment Ursula entered the room. As the ones that should shine were their daughters, she let Cinderella occupy herself solely to assist both. She just got dressed up and went to the room to see how they were getting ready, and she thinks Cinderella's happiness seemed strange. She was a girl who hardly showed herself sad, so this wouldn't be something really abnormal. Except in that situation: since Cinderella really wanted to go to the ball and couldn't go, at least there should be something of disappointment in her face.

"Daphne... Cordelia... Great, you guys look great! No, no, no, no. Cinderella, put more reddish powder in Daphne's hair. I want you to be more... detached in the crowd." At that time, although makeup was vulgar, coloring the hair wasn't. Since they could not change color permanently, they jus colored they hair for special occasions. They used a powder for that purpose, which they dap in the hairstyle after it was finished. "There will be many girls in those halls, you must stand out! Always!"

"Mom, I really can't use some white powder on me?" grumbled Cordelia. "You know it's the latest fashion!"

"Cordelia, I explained that. This ridiculous fashion isn't for moments like this! Do you want to get gray hair like me at your age? All the dark-haired girls at the dance will look like a bunch of old widows, and I don't want my daughters to look like this on the most important day of their lives. And how many women will have immaculately dark hair? Only you! White powder is fashionable for blonde women."

The girl dropped an ugly look at Cinderella, who just took the little cosmetic jar to apply on Daphne. And her glossy platinum hair, the same color had by the ladies who were considered the most beautiful in the kingdom. So she said, disdainful "Mom, Cinderella said she made her a dress."

Ursula raised an eyebrow. Although the mother's arrival distracted them about the problem that just appeared, Cordelia's speech awakened all three to the danger that just appeared.

Cinderella couldn't go to the ball. No way. And it wasn't just because of her beauty overshadows these two young women!

If she did something in the midst of the highest nobility and shows that she was a witch...

"How wonderful, darling!" Said Ursula, forcing a smile. "You're really a gifted girl. You should go change, it's almost time to go. And if you don't get ready in time..."

"No, no, ma'am! I'm going to change!" She was almost running out of the room when Cinderell remembered. "I'm going to put more red powder in Daphne's hair and I'm going to get ready. I'll be ready in ten... five minutes!"

Daphne was extremely tense as Cinderella applied that powder on her, especially since she wore a mask for her face wouldn't get dirty, that prevented her from seeing what was happening. But Cordelia and her mother exchanged startled looks.

Despite applying quickly, she made Daphne's hair well done, and then ran off to change. But before leaving, the stepmother said:

"And Cinderella..."

"Yes."

"I didn't see your dress, but remember, you mustn't embarrass us."