Dress up

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 8th July 2010

Characters: Eilomar, Merlish, Wentil
Description: Eilomar takes Merlish to a weaver for a wedding dress
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 10, day 7 of Turn 5

"You'll like him. I've used his services for turns," Eilomar assured his
bride-to-be. They were going to see a Weaver. Merlish need a wedding
dress and Eilomar himself need something new for the wedding. He was
also the one who would pay it all.

"Then I'm sure my dress will be perfect," she smiled, her arm tucked in
his. It was becoming a familiar gesture, though at first it had taken
some getting used to.

Eilomar nodded. "Master Wentil is an artist," he said and knocked the
door.

"Get in!" a voice called. "Ah, master Eilomar, my favourite customer!",
Wentil greeted them.

Merlish felt a little awkward, and yet surprisingly proud, to hear
someone praise her future husband. It reminded her what a fine match
she had found. But in the same breath, it brought to mind the fact that
she wasn't accustomed to his level of finery. She looked down
self-consciously at the dress she had chosen to wear, wishing she had
brought something better.

"Wentil, you have been well?" Eilomar answered. "This is Merlish, my
wife to be," he introduced her.

"Ah, yes, how lovely to meet you," he took Merlish' s hand and kissed
it.

Merlish blushed crimson. Not even Eilomar had taken such liberties with
her! But he was the Master's friend, so she could not object. "Thank
you," she murmured, ducking her head.

"Ah, the blushing bride, how sweet," The weaver sighed. Eilomar gave him
a stern glare, the man did step over his boundaries once and a while.

"So, what do you have in mind?" Wentil then asked becoming more
business-like.

The bride-to-be looked over at Eilomar, uncertain. He insisted on
paying, and she did not want him to think her ungrateful, and yet she
felt it was wrong to take too much advantage of his generosity. "Well,
I'll need a dress..."

"Well, obviously, since the one you wear now looks like it's made of
drapes," Wentil said wryly.

Her face darkened once more, though this time it more out of a sudden
flash of anger. How dare he say such a thing to shame her in front of
her future husband? Perhaps it wasn't as nice as something Eilomar's
former wife might have worn, but it was modest and practical! She was
not ashamed, would _not_ be ashamed, for dressing within her family's
means and sensibility! But Merlish also could not form the words to
express to him exactly what she wanted to say, and certainly not in
front of Master Eilomar. Instead she bowed her head once more, this
time seething inside.

"Master Wentil," Eilomar's tone bode a clear warning now and his brows
furrowed. "Shall I take my marks to someone more polite?" he asked.

"Oh, no. I do apologize. I'll behave," the weaver quickly said.

Merlish felt a little sense of vindication when the choir master stood
up for her. It served that rude man right. She almost wished they
_would_ go to someone else.

"Right, the wedding clothes. You want harper-blue, Eilomar?" The weaver
asked.

"Yes, with silver, I think," Eilomar replied.

"Good compination. And you young lady, any thoughts?" Wentil asked
Merlish.

She looked at Eilomar. He was the one putting down the marks. Merlish
was truly afraid of his disapproval. "What color do you think would
compliment harper blue, Master Eilomar?"

"Green perhaps?" Eilomar hesitated.

"Red is the traditional wedding-dress colour," Wentil put in. He fetched
a large bundle of cloth-stripes, attached to fan-shape from one end,
with all the possible colours and materials, from thinnest of linen to
thick, velvet-cottons. "Perphaps you would like to choose from these what
pleases you?" He suggested to Merlish. "Five options you like best, and
then we work from it."

Merlish had felt a slight disappointment when the Master had said green.
Red had always been what she had seen herself in. Something dark,
something that matched her hair. "Maybe we can pick some green and some
red we like and choose from those?" she suggested to Eilomar.

"You pick whatever you like," Eilomar said.

"And I do some sketches of what I have in my mind," the Weaver murmured
and picked his scetching gears so he could plan.

Well, she would pick three red ones, and then maybe two green ones, just
for him. Though her eyes were already coveting that soft crimson
velvet. She bet anyone would look good in that! "I think this one."
She found a similar shade a few pieces down, though it was not nearly as
soft. It was practical. She found a cotton weave in a shade that would
accent her hair nicely, she thought. And then looked at the greens.
She wasn't sure if green was quite her color. "Which ones do you like?"
she asked, turning to Eilomar.

"Hmmh," Eilomar studied the selection thoughtfully. He wasn't very good
at picking colours to suit people so he ended up selection
greenish-blue, almost turquose that was absolutely wrong for Merlish and
surprisingly, a sample of thin linen that was more russet than red.

Merlish tried to smile as she complimented his choice of shades, though
she hoped on Faranth's good Egg that none of those colors would end up
anywhere near her wedding dress. Turning to the weaver she presented
him with their choices. "It's down to these ones."

"Those are good choises," Wentil said about Merlish's suggestions. He
just made a dismissiv "pfh" sound at the glance of Eilomar's favourites.

Merlish was relieved that the weaver seemed to agree with her. "Which
do you think would suit me best?"

"Well, they would actually all suit you, but much depens on overall
infuluence, what style the dress is, how your hair is done. Right
assessories can hide small errors," Wentil said and finger her sample
favourites. "This might be bit too thick and warm for Turn's End
Wedding," he said about the thick velvet.

Her lips twitched a bit into the slightest frown. She had been afraid
of that. "What about the shade?"

"The shade is good. I think I had something more cool with same colour
here somewhere," he rummaged thru the samples. "Ah, here, touch it," he
offered it to Merlish, "Thin as spinner's web yet soft and luxurious,"
he was advetising his own handcraft.

"It is very nice," Merlish conceded with a dip of her head. She handed
the sample to Eilomar. "But isn't it a bit _too_ thin?" It seemed it
might reveal a little more than she was comfortable with, unless there
was some kind of slip underneath.

"I suppose it depens how it's sewn," Eilomar said, sounding rather vague
and uncertain.

"Whatever I wear, I want it to be modest." She looked over at her
intended. "I wouldn't want to shame you."

"Good girl," Eilomar said fondly. "Well, what have you got up to?" he
asked Wentil.

"Here's the preliminary scetches," Wentil showed Eilomar's first. It was
very traditional set, not too showy. "And this is for the lovely lady,"
he then showed his plan for Merlish, after Eilomar had nodded
approvingly.
He had drawn a rather open decoltee and Eilomar frowned when he saw it.
Other than that, the dress was beautiful, simple and elegant.

"It's... a bit low... Isn't it?" she asked, looking at the harper again
uncertainly. It was certainly stylish, but it would leave very little
to the imagination! Her palms got a little sweaty just at the thought
that someone might actually _see_ something!

"Yes, it is, too low," Eilomar agreed. It was more his first wife's
style. Ailowyn certainly had wanted to show what she had.

Wentil let out a disappointed sigh, he had thought that the decoltee
would have drawn the attention away from her face, which wasn't much to
look at. With few flourishing lines, he altered the neck-line. "Is this
better?" he asked.

"Yes, I think so," Merlish nodded, finally satisfied. She was beginning
to picture herself in that dress, with her hair done up, little white
flowers in it perhaps. Nodding with approval, she gave Eilomar a
satisfied smile, "I think I like it."

"Yes, " Eilomar said too.

"I would like this, then, in the red," she said with a note of authority
in her voice. Just a hint, but after all, they were paying customers.

Last updated on the July 17th 2010

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Dress up