I Love You, My Cursed Prince

If you were to see a well dressed lady who paid attention to the most recent magazines and fashion dolls walking down a street during, for example, a warm spring day, you'd see a colorful and bold silhouette. The shape of this woman's skirt would be extended at the sides while the front and back would be flat, a result provided by a set of panniers or side hoops. The more formal the occasion, or the richer the woman, the wider the skirt was. Yet for practicality's sake, a wealthy woman walking down a street would have reasonably smaller panniers.

This woman would be wearing a chemise and a set of stays, also called a corset, underneath her colorful gown. Stockings with garters were also a requirement. A poorer woman would still have these things, but they would often be of cheaper materials and they would need more repairs over time.

It wasn't spring, however. It was winter, and Muriel wasn't very colorful as she sat inside the carriage being pulled down a long road. She had perhaps two bright and nice dresses packed among her more worn clothing, and they were for important events in general. Their skirts were made for decently wide panniers, and Muriel had one special set tucked away, but the panniers she wore inside the carriage was much narrower.

As for the complete gown, it was a beaver brown with no embroidery or painted patterns, ordinary and simple. She had a cloak, a fur muff for her hands, and a blank face.

After a good time, Muriel was taken up to the Vantrim Castle, the building that had been claimed by the second son of the king.

First, up through a forest of ice coated trees. Second, through fields of snow. Third, up a cliff overlooking the sea, where the castle waited. There was a thick and high curtain wall around the keep, forming a square, with a portcullis that reminded Muriel of imprisonment. That portcullis was lifted for the carriage, and as the vehicle was pulled through the wall, Muriel was able to see more of the castle through a window.

As white as the snow that surrounded it, the main keep and the other buildings around it were intimidating and dizzying. There were so many doors, windows, balconies, and bridges that Muriel didn't know where to let her eyes rest.

She was going to live in this place!!

She'd become lost every day. That was guaranteed.

When the carriage stopped, a man opened the door and helped Muriel out. More men went to get all her luggage. She was told they were going to put her things in her new room. She tried to tell them that she could carry her luggage all on her own, but they all refused her.

Good thing she had put locks on her luggage, then.

There was a man with a black coat, a triangular hat, and long hair tied back with a ribbon. He said he would escort her into the keep. The foyer had a long rug on the floor. It was blue with intricate gold and red floral designs. It might have been made in a foreign country. The actual floor had various diamond shaped tiles in rusty colors with occasional grays.

There was a set of two staircases that curved around like an embrace ... or curved pliers. The railings were thick, white, and shiny. The steps were the same.

From the second floor's landing, a woman emerged. Her skin was a rich cocoa brown. Her gown was in a base of dark blue with white lace and cream bow-knot details, particularly on her stomacher and underskirt. She practically glided down the staircase on Muriel's left. Her skirt was so wide that the ends nearly grazed the railings, and the staircase looked as if it could fit two or three people across. There was a short black cloak on her shoulders. It was open and happily displaying the white fur lining. Muriel thought of a piece of paper that had most of it coated in ink.