[TWWM] Those Connected by Fate

Location: France

A harsh beam of sunlight streamed in through the front window. The wide pane of glass, a portal to a world of fine articles of clothing and posh accessories. Cosette winced, remembering pressing her face against the glass as a child, hopping excitedly while asking her mother for the pretty dresses. She had lived in blissful ignorance, not knowing the financial pains of her parents. They had kept it from her, wishing her to have a joyous childhood, full of wonder and delight. She remembered them throwing mildly lavish parties for her birthday, for which she wondered how many meals they'd skipped. She sighed.

That time was long past however now, her father had saved enough for a tract of pitiful looking vineyard in the hills. Wilted and parched, the vines hung low, their shreds of bark peeling far away from the twisting vines. Years of hard work had brought that vineyard to life, and now her family was a upper-middle class cornerstone to the nearby city. Local wine, especially such deeply flavored was a huge success, and countless praises were showered upon her father.

"Come on Cosette! All the good ones will be taken!" her friend had called, tugging her inside the once out-of-reach dress shoppe.
The group of girls giggled and rifled through the elegant gowns, chirping endlessly about the "Grand Masquerade" and "How elegant it all would be." Cosette shyly ran her fingers along the edge of a silk gown. Its smoothness seemed shocking to her still. As a child she didn't know they were poor, but she had grown used to the homemade dresses she'd worn growing up. The finery thrust upon her by her father's status sometimes still caught her off guard. She was grateful, but shy.

After a hour or two, the other girls had all selected their menagerie of gowns and masks, purses and necklaces. The attendants beamed as they packaged the items up as the girls descended on Cosette. "Didn't you pick a dress yet?" "Wheres your mask?" they chirped eagerly and pressed her towards the racks. Spending that much seemed daunting, but she truthfully was very excited to attend the Masquerade. She was twenty now and shy as she was, meeting a suitor was definitely on her mind. She grinned, her friends joy was contagious. She showed them a beautiful green and wine colored dress, they crooned and giggled, saying how of course the vineyard keeper's girl would want a wine colored dress.

The masks though... she peered over them over and over, but none felt right for her. She squinted, peering through the eye slits. Sighing she placed one right after another back on the wall. "They're all...too sparkly, or too dark. I don't want to look like a crow..." The girls shuffled around behind her, offering other masks. None seemed right.

An attendant crept up behind her. "Pardon moi, mademoiselle, we do have a select few that are in the display, i could fetch one for you?" She nodded, doubtful that any would suit her apparently very picky tastes. "I'm sorry I'm being so picky girls, I just...I want it to fit how I feel. None of these look anything like I'd hoped.
"Its alright Cosette, Lets keep looking!" the girls pressured, "I'm sure we'll find one for you!" She turned towards the wall of brightly colored masks once more. Coal black, or peacock feathered rainbows. She sighed again.
---
The harsh beam of sunlight glinted through the window, bursting gloriously against a bronze mask. Ornate swirls and creases were etched into the metal, along with delicate bronze feathers framing the face. From either side, plumes of white feathers burst from the sides, reflecting the sunlight back, creating almost a glow. The expensive mask perched on a satin pillow throne, warmed by the sun for the past few months. Finally, after an eternity it seemed, the hand of the assistant reached behind the velvet curtain and gently lifted the mask. Was it time to go?
---
As the girls giggled and compared plans for the ball, He returned, pigeon walking carefully through the isles of dresses. "Maybe...this?"

With a flourish he produced the bronze mask. Smooth and elegant, it radiated class and warmth. Cosette hid a gasp, reaching out to touch the still-warm metal. "Its...Its beautiful..." she whispered. Her eyes widened, seeing a rippled reflection of her face in the mask. Its reddish brown sheen refracted golden flecks of light against everything around it, the fan of feathers casting the focus forward, onto the mask.

"The colors...aren't for everyone. Its been sitting for quite a while." The man coughed meekly, "I apologize for the dust madam, If you like it I will discount?" She gently took the mask from him, its weight comforting in her hands. It made the whole ordeal of the ball seem centered, it grounded her. "Oui Monsieur, merci! C'est merveilleux! Thank you very much! I love it!"

--
The rest of the trip was a whirl, the mask was placed in a pretty white box, filled with soft papers and cloth. Cosette winced when she paid the attendant, but her Father had made her promise to treat herself. Since her mother had died he had doted on her, calling her "His little princess" and telling her that one day she'd be the queen of their magnificent vineyard. She nestled the mask into the box carefully. It was dark inside, but the mask was finally going somewhere.

--

The ball was everything she'd hoped it would be. Her friends dresses swished around her, the sound of rustling fabrics as they swept across the marble floors. The city leader was hosting the ball, a lavish party for friends, lovers, dance and drink. Cosette was overflowing with excitement and terror, she'd never been anywhere as magnifique as this. She found herself staring at everything, the vaulted ceilings, the vast stretches of halls and parlors. Servants bustled here and there, producing trays of hors d'oeuvres and drinks from out-of-site kitchens. Before she knew what had happened, she was on the main floor, mingling and drinking expensive champagne.

Her shyness wicked away as she drifted into the party. It was only mid-day but the dance would prove to stretch far into the night. Men clicked gallantly across the floor, bowing to the ladies and offering them a dance, or an arm. Some circled out to talk by the fountain, and others spun across the floor as if their hearts were made of dance itself.

Many of the attendee's complimented her mask. "It suits you perfectly!" they said, "Oh look how it matches the buttons on your dress!" she blushed openly, glad for the mask to hide it. "A vineyard princess, Oui that you are!" The mask shone and glinted, the sunlight sparking off of it brilliantly, the feathers fluttering as she'd turn. A dance, finally a dance!
--

As the party carried on, Cosette found herself relaxing, reveling in the beauty and magnificence of the ball. She thought of her father, who had clawed his way out of poverty and at long last, with tears in his eyes, encouraged her to attend the ball. He was proud, he'd said, that he was finally able to "give his princess what she deserved." She gazed upwards, doubting she deserved quite this much, but reminded herself to tell her Father Thank you once again when she got home.