Laurel

2:38 Laurel

When Auris, Sky, and Brydel had returned from wherever they had gone to get their formal wear I had sent them to a sitting room just down the hall from our bed chamber. There were several large washrooms nearby with showers for them to get ready while Delia and I finished up. The dress closet hidden behind the oversized bed was better than any fashion fantasy I had ever had. It was impossibly large, housing almost every style through time. It had taken Delia and I a while to find the dresses we wanted to wear, then we each carefully styled each other's hair before separating just long enough to do our makeup.

Thistle arrived just as we were finishing getting dressed and had the perfect jewelry to complete both our looks. It was still strange how my father had been able to set everything up so perfectly, and that our needs continued to be met before we could even voice them.

Delia looked ravishing, her deep chocolate hair was shining under the lights, falling in soft cascading waves down her back. A pearl and diamond clip held her hair pulled to one side, showing off her mark from Brydel, but covering mine. A deliberate choice on our part. Her and Brydel had the best chance of maybe blending into the crowd.

She had chosen a rather classic white gown. Empire waist, delicate lace sleeves to her elbow. The skirt was long, and cut in layers of organza and silk with a slit reaching scandalously high on her thigh when she walked. But the delicate flutters of the layers of transparent skirt made it seem regal and strong instead of overly sexy.

A thin diamond choker necklace circled her tiny neck, and her ears had small diamond studs that caught the light beautifully, framing her face with sparkling glimmers. Her eyes were done with a fetching golden smokey eye, her lips were a bold red that made her lips call out to me to be kissed. But I wouldn't yet, not until our men had seen how ravishing she looked first. Then maybe we might have time to muss her up just a little bit before the party.

The final piece to her look was one I knew would go right to Brydel's heart. Thistle had come with a gift box, a worn, aged silver broach was inside, I recognised it as the MacDonald crest, and knew Delia would as well. It was Brydel's family sign. Thistle had helped her arrange a length of MacDonald tartan over her shoulder, cross her body, pinning it with the broach at her hip. Thistle artfully pleated and draped the fabric until Delia looked like a highland princess. I helped her to the buckle on her black t-strap shoes and she was ready.

Delia had curled, and braided and twisted my long straight hair into an artful shape at the back of my head, pinning sparkling jewels throughout to catch the light. My own makeup was simple, winged eyeliner, and a dusty pink shade on my lips. More diamonds were worn in my ears, and that was the end of my adornment. I was going to stand out enough on my own. Let alone with the now famed, infamous Auris Basalt and the only Sunless in the suns on my arms.

Where Delia had gone for classic elegance, my own gown was an over the top ultra modern avant garde fashion sculpture. The one shouldered ball gown was voluminous as it swirled around my body in shades of pale pinks, purples, blues and cream. Small glittering stones had been sewn into the fabric at random intervals catching the light like stars. The one shoulder was over the top huge, as it poofed to one side, I hoped its large shape would help distract from my eyes and how other worldly I looked. The bodice was a hidden corset and Delia had cinched me in so my waist looked like Lilly James had in the Cinderella remake- impossibly small. Even while I was standing still, the gossamer thin layers and swirls of the skirt caught the smallest draft and moved of their own accord. It looked like a galaxy swirling around me, and I loved it.

Delia pinned one last stray lock of my hair back into place, and we nodded at each other, we were ready, time to see how our men had styled themselves for tonight. I was kind of curious to see what they would have chosen, I could barely picture Auris in anything other than pants that he insisted on wearing so low he may as well have not even worn them, Brydel favored comfortable sweats and usually a tshirt, while Sky wore clothes I associated with fantasy movies.