Our Fairy Dressmaker

I DIDN’T KNOW what I’d say or do to convince Miss Berraultier to let Seralind borrow a dress.

She told me she had an array in the back of the shop, but that didn’t mean she’d let them be sold off to nobility, already worn. I spent the entire walk there trying to think of something, anything. But none of my excuses seemed good enough.

I’ll just have to improvise! And maybe flash a puppy-eyed look or two to seal the deal!

We had to stop multiple times. It seemed the entire city was on the streets because it was the final night. Sparklers were already out and in the hands of teenagers, and Seralind had to deny multiple vendors trying their games and snacks almost every other minute. She held onto my hand tightly so I wouldn’t get lost in the crowd.

I’d never been in the city during the festival in my previous life, so even I had a hard time staying focused and not being drawn in by the colors, music, and the smell of delicious street foods. When I looked up at the sky, I could see the colorful lanterns being released into the night, creating dots of red, orange, and yellow orbs.

After walking (or light-jogging, as Seralind seemed to be in a hurry), we reached the dressmaker’s shop slightly out of breath. Seralind opened the door, seemingly startling Miss Berraultier, who had a broom in hand. She must have been closing up before enjoying the festivities.

“Oh, girls! What are you two doing here? Shouldn’t you be at the palace, Seralind?” Miss Berraultier asks us, placing a hand on her hip.

“I’ve come to pick up the slippers.” Seralind says, gasping for air between the words.

“What?” Miss Berraultier asks.

“The replacement slippers you have for me?” Seralind says with a tilt of her head. Miss Berraultier looks equally as confused.

“Replacement? I wasn’t aware you needed one.” She replies. Seralind blinks a few times before her lips crease into a frown and she looks down at me.

“Esmeline…!” She says with a warning tone. I only stand up straighter.

“I-I lied!” I say, wanting to get the truth out right away, “Miss Berraultier doesn’t have new shoes for you.”

“She’s got that right; they took two weeks to prepare for just one of you,” the seamstress agrees.

Seralind looked exasperated, and I could tell she was about to become very angry with me for dragging her out to the shop and missing the carriage. But I had already prepared a speech for her.

“I wanted you to come here because you don’t have to work tonight! You can go and really enjoy the ball instead!” I say quickly.

“What are you talking about?” Seralind asks me, looking even more confused.

“You said how much you loved the palace, and I wanted you to have a good time there on the last night of the festival. So, I made sure you could go.”

I pull out the pouch of silver coins from my apron pocket.

“I got some money so you don’t have to worry about working or Madame Whispet,” I say, holding it up so she could see. “And I bought a carriage for you, a really fancy one, so it can take you to the palace like a real noble!”

“Esme…!” Seralind says, her eyes wide with disbelief as she peers inside the pouch. “How did you…? When did…?”

She seems at a loss for words as she digests the information.

“I worked really hard,” I tell her, “so you can go and not have to worry about anything else. So it’s okay!”

“That’s very sweet of you,” Miss Berraultier compliments me. “But why are you two at my shop then? Shouldn’t you be on that carriage?”

“Well, I wanted to bring Seralind to ask you for help,” I say, my last phase coming to a close, “She needs a dress to wear, a really pretty one, and I know you have some in the back of the shop!”

Miss Berraultier immediately groans, placing a hand on her forehead.

“Esmeline, you know very well those dresses are for customers. They are not to be worn!” She scolds me. “I know you put in a lot of effort for Seralind, but I can’t-”

“You said we were young, and that we should have fun!” I protest to the seamstress, recounting her words to us.

“I did, but I meant at the festival like everyone else! Not wearing one of my very expensive dresses and infiltrating a birthday ball at the palace!” Miss Berraultier says, throwing her hands up.

“Seralind is always working so hard, and I think she deserves a break to have fun at the palace, because she loves the palace. She likes the food, and the music, and the flowers! I-I just want to give her a magical night, just this once. Please help me, Miss Berraultier!”

I clasp my hands together, gazing up at the woman with the biggest, sparkling eyes I could muster. She didn’t seem phased, but her eyebrows dropped as she exhaled through her nose.

Miss Berraultier kept her arms folded, turning her attention to Seralind. She was embarrassed by my begging, because her cheeks were bright red from my spilling of everything she had told me in confidence. She studied her for a moment, her eyes flicking around Seralind’s face.

“Is this what you want too, then?” the seamstress finally asked her. Knowing the truth, Seralind looked at Miss Berraultier with sad eyes.

“Yes, it is,” She told her.

Miss Berraultier bit her lip as she looked at us. The silence that stretched between us made my heart thrum in my ears. I didn’t dare move, as though it might cause her to come to her senses and make both Seralind's and my dreams come crashing.

“Look, girls,” Miss Berraultier sighs, “I can look in the back to see if I have any dresses that can fit Seralind’s measurements, but I can’t promise anything, alright?”

“Okay! Thank you!” I say, bouncing with pure glee.

Miss Berraultier retreats to the back of the shop, mumbling something. When she disappears, I take a seat on the stool, helping myself up and smoothing my skirt excitedly.

I can’t believe it worked! I mused to myself, grinning. My plan worked!

I wondered what I was going to do tonight, as I wasn’t sure I’d be able to sleep. I could go into the festival too, and experience what other little girls my age were doing as well. I did want to try the candy apples they were selling that I saw along the way; they looked like brilliant gemstones, the caramel dripping off in a way that made my mouth water already.

“Did you really do all of this for me?” Seralind asks me, breaking through my thoughts. I jolt back to reality, and she must have been staring at me for who knows how long. But instead of bliss, like mine, her expression was creased in concern.

“Mhm!” I say. Seralind sighs, crossing her arms.

“Oh, Esmeline. I don’t want you to think you have to make me feel better,” She replies, twisting a strand of her hair around her finger. “You’re only just a baby. And I didn’t even notice you’ve been putting in all this effort for me…”

“You don’t have to feel bad, Seralind.” I say to her.

“I must. I’m the adult; I’m supposed to be taking care of you. I should have brought you out to the festival every night. You should have been playing games and bringing back lots of prizes with a stomach full of treats.”

A crestfallen expression shadows her.

“I’m not a very good sister, am I?” Seralind says quietly, mostly to herself rather than to me.

“You are!” I say immediately. The memories of Seralind and I came flashing through my mind. Memories of her humming me to sleep, of her getting me grain for the geese, or walking me through town when I had a lot of errands so she could carry me when I got tired.

At the palace, she never told me how unhappy she was. Seralind always said she was alright, and that I should focus on my studies or go outside to play.

Even in her last dying moments, she had spent them protecting me.

“I know you work all the time to make sure Madame Whispet lets me stay. I know even when you’re tired, you still play with me. I don’t remember Mama, so you’re my only family. I did this because I wanted to, because it’s the only thing I can do to make you happy. Because every day, you try your best to do the same for me.”

Seralind’s eyes sparkled with tears as she listened to me. She reached out and simply pulled me in, wrapping her arms around my head tenderly.

“I love you very much, Esmeline.” She whispered in my hair. I hadn’t heard her say that to me in years, and I felt as though I could cry right in that moment. But I only sniffled and held back my emotions, because crying would only ruin her night.

“Alright, girls,” Miss Berraultier says, bursting in through the back. “Tonight is your lucky night!”

“You found one!” I say, ecstatic.

“I might have found one. This lady has similar measurements to Seralind, so it might feel boxy around some areas, but it will have to do,” the seamstress informs us, presenting us with a large ribboned box with presumably the dress inside.

“I’m only letting you wear it because you always take such good care of my designs,” Miss Berraultier tells Seralind. “I’m sending this overseas tomorrow, so I need it back spotless.”

Now probably wouldn’t be a good time to confess to Miss Berraultier the current state of her custom slippers.

“Yes, ma’am!” Seralind responds, nodding. Miss Berraultier leads Seralind to the back of the shop to help her put them on, and I wait patiently in the shop, daydreaming about sweet treats and ballgowns and gentle sisterly kisses.