DAN AND CAIT'S GUARD ESCORTED US TO THE WOMEN'S ROOM. My sister and I were already feeling miserable. Mei and my two other maids were discussing with Cait's maids and Cindy over the dresses. While Mother was drinking a cup of what I guessed was alcohol and looking over her shoulder at them.

"I bet Mother won't allow us to choose what we want?" I whispered to my twin. "I always thought I'd be happy about getting married but guess not."

"For my first wedding I wore the most horrible dress, I don't know what my husband was thinking when he chose it," Mother said as she looked at Cindy's drawing.

Cindy frowned as Mother mentioned her father, she never usually talks about him, "It looked a lot like that," she said referring to the drawing.

"Mother?" I piped up nervously, feeling uncomfortable. "Who is that for?" The dress was really awful to look at.

Why would anyone want to wear that? It has no taste.

Hyacinth shook her head, ripping out the page and starting again, "It doesn't matter, I'll start over."

Mother nodded, "And this time make it with a small corset and a large skirt," she pointed, "Oh! And princess' sleeves, how I wished Justin would let me wear Princess sleeves."

I groan. Why is mother so demanding today?

"Mother! Can Cait and I choose what we want? Father said that—"

My mother cut me off, "Your father had instructed me to keep my eyes on you two because one of you can't do even the simplest task," she glared at Cait.

"It's not her fault!" I snapped. "And we can do it, Mother, why can't you have some faith in us? It's our wedding isn't it?"

"Silent Cora! You do not know what you are talking about!" She drank the rest of her drink, "In fact, follow me, I have something to show you."

I didn't want to leave Cait alone, but then Mother is in a mood. "But what about Cait?" I stood up from the chair, I felt wobbling.

"Your half-sister can babysit her for a while." I gulped nervously. I hate when Mother calls Cindy that.

I sighed, not wanting to keep on arguing. I followed my mother, she led me to her room, it was separate from my father's, they hadn't shared a room since I was at least 12 years old.

In the walk-in closet, was the most elegant wedding gown that I ever saw. It was something I would never wear, but it lifted my mother's spirits. She gloats with pride as she steps over to the gown.

"This was the dress I wore when I married your father," she said, her voice a girlish grin, it sounded nothing like my mother, "I had designed it and sewed it myself, Porter let me wear it," she frowned, "Justin didn't let me choose my dress when I got married the first time, so I wore it with pride. I want you to as well."

"Wait..." I paused. "Is that what I'm wearing for my wedding?" So the ugly dress Cait is wearing, but Mother is giving me her old wedding dress.

Does she even love Cait the same way that she loves me?

She smiled, "Yes, and you will look so beautiful, the true star of the wedding."

I feel sick, knowing that I'm sharing my wedding with Cait. "But what about my sister? Are you proud of Cait like you are with me?" Why can't she understand that she has three daughters and a son.

Abby wrinkled her nose, "What about Caitlyn? She has a dress as well," her face set, "Of course I'm proud of Cait," she spat the words.

"But why are you designing a ugly dress for her to wear? And making me wear yours? What's so special about me that you prefer me over my siblings."

"Her dress isn't ugly! It's elegant! Caitlyn needs to learn to be more ladylike if she isn't going to be a good bride."

She's going to deny it. It's not like on purpose she is forcing Cait into a ugly dress. While I get this elegant one.

I stare at the dress and my mother. To her, it's a special bond she wants to share. But to me, it makes me sick that she's neglecting her other daughters. "Can I think about it, Mother?" I said instead.

Her expression went cold, "No."

Her words hurt. It pierce through me like knives. I step back from the dress to head out of the closet.

"I'm going back to the Women's Room," I told her, wanting to get away from her.

As I got back inside the Women's Room, without Mother, I was too upset to wait for her. I sat down beside Cait and held my head down.

"Cora? What did the wicked witch of the west want?"

I crossed my arms. "Oh you know, she is showing her preference bullshit," I sneered. "And also she has this dress that she wore when she married Father. And she wanted me to wear it instead of you and Cindy. Mother is a bitch."

"Oh—" Caitlyn said quietly, nodding, "Yeah, she's a bitch," she laughed as she squeezed a paper in her hand.

"What's that?"

"My wedding dress," she unfolded it and showed me.

I cringe as I look at the ugly dress again. "I hate that dress," I wrinkle my nose. "It goes to show that Mother would rather see me as the star of the show while you are being mock in that..." No words can't describe how much I hate that dress.

Caitlyn sighed as she scrunched up the page and put it in her pocket, she turned to her maids Iris, Hetty and Stephanie, "I'm not feeling good, can we do my measurements in my room?"

Hetty looked at Hyacinth, she nodded, "Mother shouldn't mind."

"I'm going to my room as well," I stood up. "I need to be alone as well." I added to my maids.

✧˖*°࿐

I was reading a book when I heard a knock on my door, I looked in my mirror, my long brown hair was a mess as I wore my favorite nightgown, "Who is it?" I asked as I grabbed a robe to cover myself.

"It's Hyacinth, may I come in?" My sister's soft voice echoes through my door.

"Yeah!" I said, straightening my hair and my robe.

Hyacinth opened the door, her hair which is a darker shade of brown is in a braid, her face has no makeup but she still looks beautiful, she's in a nightgown as well but hers could easily pass a dress. Hyacinth is so perfect, I hate how my mother always tells her otherwise.

"What's up?" I ask.

Hyacinth reveals a sketchbook that was previously hidden behind her back, I recognise it as the one she was using to make Cait's wedding dress. "So I know you already have a dress," she started as she sat down next to me.

The one my mother used to wear for her wedding to my dad.

"Yeah," I frown. "But I don't think I want to wear my mother's old dress."

"About that..." she sighed, "I talked to your father and he's decided that you are going to wear her dress."

Of course my father would say that.

"Well..." I bit my lip.

"So I made this," she handed me the sketchbook, "It's only a rough sketch but I thought this dress was more your style."

I glance at the drawing of an elegant mermaid dress with the belt around the waist. The lace was soft and lacy, and the skirt was flowy, nothing too grand and uncomfortable to trip over. And the sleeves were really adorable, it was off the shoulders.

"I love it," I whispered, running my finger over the sketch. "I want to wear this instead. I know it's for Fredrik and my wedding but if I choose to marry a girl, I want this to be the dress. Not the one my mother wore."

"I thought you might like it," she smiled proudly, "I'm sorry that you won't be able to wear it. I wish I could marry Fredrik instead, I really do, but Porter would never let me."

I smiled sadly. "Me too, but you don't have to take my place, Cindy. It's my fault for being gay." Tears stream from my eyes. I don't want Cindy and my friends to take my place because of me.

"Hey!" She raised her voice, shocking me as Hyacinth rarely ever wants to be heard, "It's not your fault for being gay! Being gay isn't bad, and it definitely isn't a choice! It's my ancestors' fault for creating such backwards laws!"

Her words were so passionate, it sounded as if it was from experience. I frown, now that I think about Cindy has never judged me or said anything bad about gay people when my father and Clarkson do, even Caitlyn would make a comment from time to time before I came out to her, but Hyacinth never did. She's also never had a crush or dated a person either, in our family, we usually marry young but at twenty years old, I don't even think that Hyacinth has had her first kiss. I was going to say something, ask her if she knew what it was like but I decided against it, if she hadn't told me, that meant she wasn't ready to come out and I wasn't going to force her to like that.

Hyacinth smiled as she kept going, "You know, back before World War IV, even before World War III gay marriage was allowed."

I was surprised by how much she knew. "Did you read Gregory's diaries without Father knowing?" I grin at her. My father wouldn't even allow me and Cait in the secret library, which everyone actually knew about. Let alone read Gregory Illéa's diaries...

She grinned, "It's our secret okay?"

"Yeah, of course," I sighed. "I want to read it. I want to learn the truth and what the world was like before Illéa was created."

"I'll take you to read it the next time Porter is away?"

"Thanks!" I like the sound of that. "And Cait too if she wants. I don't know if she would be interested?"

"It doesn't sound like the type of thing that would interest Caitlyn but I can ask."

"She wouldn't," I added. "Cait always hated history."

✧˖*°࿐
1757 words
written by cat and tori storiez0 <33