"I have returned." Lilly called through the mansion she called home since she was a child, whilst removing her mask and placing it with her knife. The sisters rushed to her within seconds of hearing her voice. All three of them; Betty, Margaret and Shelby. They snatched the chest from Lily and ran to the closest table, before rummaging through it. Silks and Nylon. Rolls of it. That is what Lily had brought to the house. Of multiple colours; pink, yellow, green, purple and blue. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAENyHMbyQvg
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"Well done, Lily." Her stepmother, Clarice, praised in a strained voice. "But you have forgotten the bills need paying. And these materials will not pay for that." She spat at Lily. Betty squealed, gaining Clarice's attention, giving Lily the chance to move out of her stepmothers' way. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAIIbR4ixUrd
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"Pearls! There are pearls in here." Betty ran over to her mother to show her. Clarice held them close to her face and inspected them, humming as though lost in thought. Lily stood, rubbing her hands, hoping to high heaven that they were real. Of course they are real. The Queen would not have fake pearls!222Please respect copyright.PENANAxFp2vMCrqR
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"It seems you have done exceptionally well, Lily. May I ask, where did these come from?" A usual enquiry Clarice threw at Lily after every time she really did well. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAhZuSzLoNO6
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"The royal cart." Every pair of eyes snapped to Lily's body, wide. Betty, Margaret and Shelby all looked down at the materials they were holding in their hands before looking back up at Lily and their mother. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAIY8PiNVp0f
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"These have touched the royal hands?" Shelby poked, as if not hearing Lily the first time. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAthWKcIdt9w
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"Probably." The three girls looked between each other before squealing. Clarice winced for a nanosecond before speaking. 222Please respect copyright.PENANARjXanfxc52
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"That will be enough of that, girls." Lily could have kissed Clarice, but knew she was not that grateful. "It is a good job the royal family had picked those materials, because there is to be a ball, tomorrow night. The prince is in search of a bride. And my girls are invited. Along with... yourself. But you are to focus on my girls being the Belle of the ball. You got that?" 222Please respect copyright.PENANA6PoOdszSKY
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"Yes, Clarice." Lily bowed her head slightly, knowing exactly how her evening was going to be spent. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAr3SZmDHGW8
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"Good." Clarice smirked slightly. Happy with Lily's response, she left Lily to deal with hell. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAeLfsju3NTN
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"I want the pink!" Betty cried out, tugging the material with her fingers. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAvFH0WIAbWf
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"No, I want the pink!" Margaret cried out louder than Betty had, as if outraged by Betty's statement, tugging at the material, trying to rip it free from Betty's grip. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAXDhdLoGvD4
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"But I said it first!" Betty pulled it back into her hands, tightening the grip as she tried to cradle it. 222Please respect copyright.PENANA5l0l24BQtA
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"But I am the eldest!" Margaret tried pulling it from the youngest sister. 222Please respect copyright.PENANA9lK6sGH6il
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They are going to ruin the material, Lily thought as she walked towards them. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAyuekFqjfX5
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"Margaret, I think the purple will look so much better on you than pink. It is more sophisticated and mature." Lily held the roll out for her to feel and hold against her skin. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAl6ZBob8WHJ
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"Yes! This is it! I want the purple!" Margaret all but cried down the poor girls ears, ecstatic and confident that she will look better than the other sisters, just because Lily had told her that the purple will suit her more. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAKG6HUbarhQ
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"I want the yellow." Shelby had wrapped herself in the material whilst the other two had been squabbling over the pink material. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAOEYeaQZRAB
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"Excellent choice." Lily complimented Shelby before trying to unwrap. She made it as impossible as she could as she imaged herself being the brightest female at the ball. The prince will have to notice me, she thought as she daydreamed of the prince running across the ballroom just to hold her hand. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAn8lrnG5p1G
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Lily sighed once she had untangled Shelby of the material and placed them back in the chest before walking up to the studio. The three girls followed, as if lost lambs. 222Please respect copyright.PENANADihst4hH3D
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It took Lily an hour alone to take the measurements and make the designs the three girls wanted. They were all younger than her, and it really showed. 222Please respect copyright.PENANALxk9sLpXBr
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"I want my dress to have bows! Across here." Margaret yelled and ran her hand across her waist. "And it to be low here!" She roamed her hand across her small chest. 222Please respect copyright.PENANA7wq1SuKTgA
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"Why not have it here," Lily brought the material up slightly against Margarets chest. "And I will make it tight so you still show but they are covered too. Create a bit of mystery. As for the bow," Lily removed the material and placed it away before grabbing the paper that homed her basic design and pencil. "Why not have one bow here, showing off your waist." Lily sketched the bow before handing Margaret the pad to ponder over the design. 222Please respect copyright.PENANA4tYFlYRRBf
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"Lily, I want mine to finish here." Shelby placed her hands across her arms, very high up her thin arms. Lily knew Clarice would have her head if she allowed them to be that high. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAz2c8J3HPXE
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"But what if it is cold tomorrow night, Shelby?" Lily passed Shelby the pad that homed her design before walking over to Betty. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAdTtQaOFNwn
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"I want mine to be frilly here." Betty's hands found themselves out in the air that surrounded her. "A big frilly dress like the princesses wear in the books!" 222Please respect copyright.PENANAFjJ8lS2Gj4
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"Betty, you are thirteen now. You are a young lady. You are eligible to marry the prince. Do you think it shows sophistication?" Lily handed Betty the design of her dress before grabbing the last pad and sketching her own design. Straight. Black. Long sleeved. Perfect, Lily thought as she smiled and admired her own design. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAI8NU5HmiNO
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"I am happy." Margaret stated, forcing her pad into Lily's unready and unexpected hands as she held onto her own pad. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAxQh1sgQvie
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"So am I." The other two declared shortly after. Lily smiled, taking their pads from them. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAiWZcWDWYgX
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"Great. Why don't two of you go to the tea room whilst I work with the other one of you and keep going until you all have a dress for tomorrow night?" Lily instantly regretted giving the three of them the option. "Shelby, I will work with you first as your dress is the simplest." The other two sulked but left the room so Lily could take Shelby's measurements and pin the dress around her figure, before hand sewing each part of the dress as Shelby stood still, a smile permanently on her face over being chosen first over her sister's. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAnqPvblfJ5R
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"I just need to sort the hem out. Think you can slip out of your under layer to try this on properly for me?" Lily had not allowed her to decide for herself as she roll hemmed the dresses bottom and sleeves. She was smart to have already done so for the chest and back piece before Shelby modelled it. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAyyDRQp5PV1
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"Happy?" Lily asked once Shelby placed the yellow dress with sleeves that finished at her elbow onto her body. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAZGHBFw1skY
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"Extremely, Lily." The two of them got the dress off without any trouble before Lily hung the dress up, out of sight, leaving Shelby to dress and leave the room. 222Please respect copyright.PENANA1VXO0K58EG
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Margaret was stood on the platform when Lily had returned from the wardrobe. It took a little longer with Margaret than it did with Shelby, and was grateful for the few seconds she had stopped working as their dressmaker. That's how long it took for Betty to skip her way into the room and start the process all over again.222Please respect copyright.PENANA9wE9wvTTkW
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It was time for bed when the three dresses had all been hidden away in the wardrobe located in the studio. Lily changed into her night gown, her feet feeling the air that they were deprived of, thanks to her boots, all day long. 222Please respect copyright.PENANAzHRlLBYpWE
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Wilbert. The name appeared in her mind as the mansion lay silently on the rare occasion, and caused Lily to smile like a mad woman.
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