She asked, “Did ye ken I gave ye this locket?”
“Really?”
“Aye, as yer Christening gift, it had a picture of yer family inside. The picture inna there?”
I looked back at the locket. “No, only the thread.”
“Likely twas removed by someone tae keep yer identity a secret. Tis a shame. I will look tae see if I hae another of the photos. The thread was so ye would be comfortable if ye needed tae jump.”
“Unfortunately I had no idea what it was for. I’ve been jumping without it.”
She asked, “Dost ye mind if I stay while ye dress? I can help ye if ye need it. The men’s conversation is boring.”
I said, “Yes, of course stay.”
Aunt Claray laidout the garments, an ensemble of different luxurious fabrics and furs in the same sky-blue tone. She said, smoothing a hand over the fabric, “Yer mother wore this once when she met with her cabinet, I thought she was verra beautiful. Tis royal without being too ostentatious.”
She looked away, while I discreetly began to dress.
Out in the larger area the men carried on a muted discussion and outside, the camp was growing quiet with the dusk as I was getting dressed for the day — my time was all upside down.
She held up a pair of slacks in a pale sky blue that shimmered. “These go on under the dress, yer mother always wanted tae be able tae ride a horse if she needed tae.”
I stepped into the pants, pulled them on, and buttoned the top. They were very comfortable and had a lot of movement. “Did she like riding?”
“Och, she loved it.”
Next she passed me the dress. It was made like a long coat, with buttons on the front from the waist up. I pulled it on and buttoned it up. The top had an off-shoulder neckline, covered with an intricately stitched silver thistle pattern with glistening silver beads covering every bit of it. It had long sleeves and exquisite embroidery at the wrists. The dress fit me snugly to my waist and then flowed out. There was a wide fur trim at the bottom.
Aunt Claray clapped. “Ye look like a princess.”
“A princess on the precipice of war.”
“Tis why the fabric is fine but there arna gold threads, yer mother used tae say she dinna want tae be ‘dressed for the prom but standing at a barbecue’.”
I chuckled.
She smiled. “I hae nae idea what it means, she told me once but I hae long forgotten. I do remember her sayin’ it though. She had a lovely laugh.”
“Where was she from?”
“A place called Florida. Hae ye been?”
“Oh, I used to go there in the summer on vacation.”
“I hae never gone, tis too dangerous. But I hae always wanted tae see it.”
Dude pushed the door open.
Aunt Claray’s eyes went wide. “Tis yer cat?”
He jumped up on the bed, and began licking a paw.
“Yep, his name is Dude.”
She patted her lap and he jumped right on it, trilling like a maniac while she petted him. “He looks like the cat of Alba!”
I turned back and forth in the mirror. I didn’t look like myself, I had never worn something so beautiful. Everything had such exquisite detail. “I just can’t believe I’m a princess, it seems like it’s not me at all.”
