Returning to Rhy'Din was the biggest relief Dru had felt in a long, long time. Thirteen days of royal engagement fever was more than enough for her, and she thought Josh was probably infinitely relieved to be returning to the anonymity of Rhy'Din, for a little while, at least. The pictures had been taken, Josh had been introduced to an hysterically pleased crowd as the Prince Consort-Elect, and the whole of Tirisano seemed to have jumped head first into wedding frenzy. Unfortunately, she couldn't entirely escape the now looming royal wedding even in Rhy'Din, but here, at least, she had a little control over something important to her. Folder in hand, she paused on the steps of Rose Cottage and rang the doorbell, hoping Miranda wasn't going to faint or have some kind of episode when she presented her hope to her cousin.
"Dru!" Miranda exclaimed as she pulled open the door, though she had been expecting a visit from her young cousin. She threw her arms around her to hug her close before taking hold of her hand to draw her inside. "Congratulations!" she told her happily. "You have to tell me everything!"
Greeted with this much enthusiasm, Dru couldn't help laughing as she was hugged to within an inch of her life and pulled inside excitedly. "There isn't that much to tell," she protested laughingly, brushing her hair back out of her eyes. "And hello, Miranda. Goodness, anyone would think you were a little excited."
"Why wouldn't I be excited" You're getting married, and weddings just happen to be my specialty." She couldn't help but smirk a little playfully. "That is what you're here about, isn't it?" she asked, knowing Dru hadn't just come there to give her the good news.
It was tempting to tease the older woman, but Dru knew she couldn't do it. Miranda looked so excited, it was difficult not to be caught up in that feeling herself. "Yes," she admitted with a grin. "But you only have to worry about the female side of things. I had to compromise, so one of the Itana tailors is dealing with the men."
Miranda waved a dismissive hand as if none of that mattered and closed the door behind her young cousin. "Menswear is boring. Anyone can design a suit. The bridal gown is the real prize." She took Dru's arm and led her inside. "Every bride should feel like a princess on her wedding day, but since you're a real princess, it's even more important that your gown be special. Unique. One of a kind." Miranda led Dru into the kitchen where the table was strewn with various sketches, photographs, and catalogs. "Would you like a cup of tea?" she asked as she let go of her arm and went about putting the kettle on before she received a response.
"Uh ....Yes, thank you," Dru conceded to the offer of tea, sliding herself down into a seat as she set her folder down. She'd actually thought ahead this time, thankfully, coming prepared with a few statistics Miranda was going to need if she chose to take on this commission. "I realize this is incredibly short notice," she apologized to her cousin. "The date is top secret right now, but I can tell you. It's the 30th of October, which gives you just under two months. So I was going to ask you if that is too short a time to design two bridal dresses and one maid of honor."
Miranda jerked her head toward Dru at the realization that she didn't have much time, though the truth was she did her best work under pressure. "Design, no. It's not too short a time to design the dresses, but if we want them actually made in time, I may have to enlist a little help."
"See, that's why I insisted on just me and Keira," Dru smiled, glad she'd called that one back in Tirisano. "The usual royal dressmakers are working on the bridesmaids and the flower girl, but ....Well. I don't want to get married wearing anyone but you."
Miranda turned back around to take two tea cups down from the cupboard and gather the rest of the tea fixings. "You said two bridal dresses and one maid of honor. Why two?" she asked as she dropped a tea bag into each cup, her back momentarily turned to the princess. "I'm flattered, Dru, but if you would prefer the royal dressmakers make your wedding gown, I understand completely."
"Don't be ridiculous," Dru snorted, shaking her head. "I want you to make my wedding dress. That's all there is to it." She smiled, leaning forward on her arms to explain what she was asking for. "I'm asking for two dresses because ....one is the fairytale dress, for the ceremony, and for the public to see. The one that will be in all the photographs and reproduced by dozens of hopeful brides over the next year or so. But that isn't a dress I can attend a banquet and a dance in without keeling over. So I would like something else, a little lighter and more contemporary. If it isn't too much bother."
"No, of course not," Miranda replied, her imagination already concocting various designs before she ever put those ideas onto paper. "I made a few designs," she started, frowning a little as she realized this was going to take more effort than the usual wedding and she had far less time to work with. "I may need a few days to come up with more ideas," she admitted.
"I trust you," the young princess assured her cousin. "Oh, and I brought Keira's measurements with me," she added with a low chuckle. "She'll only be able to come to Rhy'Din once for a fitting, so we thought we'd measure every last inch of her for you. It was rather hard work making her boyfriend leave the room so we could do it." She giggled, remembering the look on Jamie's face when she'd pulled rank on him.
The kettle whistled and she poured hot water into each cup, though her thoughts were far away, imagining Dru in design after design in her head. A dress fit for a real princess - it could be nothing less. "Once?" Miranda echoed. "Why's that?" she asked, turning her head toward the younger woman a moment. She knew Dru was doing her best to remain anonymous here in Rhy'Din and to keep her paternal origins a secret from Tirisano, but that didn't really explain why her maid of honor - a woman Miranda had never met - should maintain that same secrecy.
"Ordinarily, she would be able to come as often as you need her to, but unfortunately she is at the center of a rather enthusiastic amount of professional gossiping at the moment," Dru smirked faintly. "She's managed to snag Tirisano's foremost eligible bachelor, who just happens to be Josh's brother. They have very graciously agreed to enjoy their courtship of each other as publicly as they can for the next couple of months, to keep the press from trying to find us."
"Dru!" Miranda exclaimed as she pulled open the door, though she had been expecting a visit from her young cousin. She threw her arms around her to hug her close before taking hold of her hand to draw her inside. "Congratulations!" she told her happily. "You have to tell me everything!"
Greeted with this much enthusiasm, Dru couldn't help laughing as she was hugged to within an inch of her life and pulled inside excitedly. "There isn't that much to tell," she protested laughingly, brushing her hair back out of her eyes. "And hello, Miranda. Goodness, anyone would think you were a little excited."
"Why wouldn't I be excited" You're getting married, and weddings just happen to be my specialty." She couldn't help but smirk a little playfully. "That is what you're here about, isn't it?" she asked, knowing Dru hadn't just come there to give her the good news.
It was tempting to tease the older woman, but Dru knew she couldn't do it. Miranda looked so excited, it was difficult not to be caught up in that feeling herself. "Yes," she admitted with a grin. "But you only have to worry about the female side of things. I had to compromise, so one of the Itana tailors is dealing with the men."
Miranda waved a dismissive hand as if none of that mattered and closed the door behind her young cousin. "Menswear is boring. Anyone can design a suit. The bridal gown is the real prize." She took Dru's arm and led her inside. "Every bride should feel like a princess on her wedding day, but since you're a real princess, it's even more important that your gown be special. Unique. One of a kind." Miranda led Dru into the kitchen where the table was strewn with various sketches, photographs, and catalogs. "Would you like a cup of tea?" she asked as she let go of her arm and went about putting the kettle on before she received a response.
"Uh ....Yes, thank you," Dru conceded to the offer of tea, sliding herself down into a seat as she set her folder down. She'd actually thought ahead this time, thankfully, coming prepared with a few statistics Miranda was going to need if she chose to take on this commission. "I realize this is incredibly short notice," she apologized to her cousin. "The date is top secret right now, but I can tell you. It's the 30th of October, which gives you just under two months. So I was going to ask you if that is too short a time to design two bridal dresses and one maid of honor."
Miranda jerked her head toward Dru at the realization that she didn't have much time, though the truth was she did her best work under pressure. "Design, no. It's not too short a time to design the dresses, but if we want them actually made in time, I may have to enlist a little help."
"See, that's why I insisted on just me and Keira," Dru smiled, glad she'd called that one back in Tirisano. "The usual royal dressmakers are working on the bridesmaids and the flower girl, but ....Well. I don't want to get married wearing anyone but you."
Miranda turned back around to take two tea cups down from the cupboard and gather the rest of the tea fixings. "You said two bridal dresses and one maid of honor. Why two?" she asked as she dropped a tea bag into each cup, her back momentarily turned to the princess. "I'm flattered, Dru, but if you would prefer the royal dressmakers make your wedding gown, I understand completely."
"Don't be ridiculous," Dru snorted, shaking her head. "I want you to make my wedding dress. That's all there is to it." She smiled, leaning forward on her arms to explain what she was asking for. "I'm asking for two dresses because ....one is the fairytale dress, for the ceremony, and for the public to see. The one that will be in all the photographs and reproduced by dozens of hopeful brides over the next year or so. But that isn't a dress I can attend a banquet and a dance in without keeling over. So I would like something else, a little lighter and more contemporary. If it isn't too much bother."
"No, of course not," Miranda replied, her imagination already concocting various designs before she ever put those ideas onto paper. "I made a few designs," she started, frowning a little as she realized this was going to take more effort than the usual wedding and she had far less time to work with. "I may need a few days to come up with more ideas," she admitted.
"I trust you," the young princess assured her cousin. "Oh, and I brought Keira's measurements with me," she added with a low chuckle. "She'll only be able to come to Rhy'Din once for a fitting, so we thought we'd measure every last inch of her for you. It was rather hard work making her boyfriend leave the room so we could do it." She giggled, remembering the look on Jamie's face when she'd pulled rank on him.
The kettle whistled and she poured hot water into each cup, though her thoughts were far away, imagining Dru in design after design in her head. A dress fit for a real princess - it could be nothing less. "Once?" Miranda echoed. "Why's that?" she asked, turning her head toward the younger woman a moment. She knew Dru was doing her best to remain anonymous here in Rhy'Din and to keep her paternal origins a secret from Tirisano, but that didn't really explain why her maid of honor - a woman Miranda had never met - should maintain that same secrecy.
"Ordinarily, she would be able to come as often as you need her to, but unfortunately she is at the center of a rather enthusiastic amount of professional gossiping at the moment," Dru smirked faintly. "She's managed to snag Tirisano's foremost eligible bachelor, who just happens to be Josh's brother. They have very graciously agreed to enjoy their courtship of each other as publicly as they can for the next couple of months, to keep the press from trying to find us."