[November Prompt] The Harvest Masquerade

2. They painstakingly made it.

Preparation for the next Harvest Masquerade began the very day after the previous one concluded. When it came to Namarast-wide social events where one was encouraged to display intricate and elegant crafting for all to see, Arianwyn was not going to procrastinate even long enough for last year’s costume to get dusty. No, for work as fine as hers, it took time and effort to build the perfect costume.

The first step was to obtain the finest of silver ore for her craft. Arianwyn was no stranger to buying elemental silver from the merchants that passed through Namarast and knew well the few that managed to stock the best quality materials. Years of painstaking silverweaving had taught her well that any flaws in her argentum translated to flaws in her final work and, besides, she had the money to spend on raw materials. Once she knew the ore she would be working with – the amount, it’s purity, what other elements had woven themselves into the metal – she could begin designing in earnest. She would spend hours, days, sketching out her plans for the intricate pattern she would create. Swirls and twists, filigree etched so carefully into the delicate lattice that she would craft. Even at the height of her studies, she would often find homework put off until the last minute because she had accidentally stayed up all night designing and carefully using her magic to shape her Masquerade mask.

Arianwyn had always had her costume finished months in advance. Driven by anticipation, she had a habit of working so voraciously on her mask that she simply ran out of things to do, even with the most intricate designs she could create. For the last few weeks before the festival, she would devote hours to polishing the silver from where it had tarnished over time, removing any fleck of dust or imperfection until she had the most elegant, pristine costume of the festival. Not a single flaw, nick, scratch, or molecule of grime would be allowed near her prized creation.

On the day of the Harvest Masquerade, Arianwyn would clear her schedule so she could devote as much time as possible to getting ready. For as prideful as she was, it was rare for her to take so much pride in her appearance; with the day of a big party being the only real exception. Each year, she spent hours taming her hair into a perfectly manicured style, carefully applying makeup, and styling her costume; making sure not a single fold of the elegant silks she draped herself in were out of place. The mask would be the last item she would put on, careful to ensure she did not accidentally damage it throughout her preparation. With that, she would finally be ready to attend the festival.

Perhaps she put too much effort into her work, and perhaps she cared too much—even she could admit that she tended to take her costume a bit too far. However, the way eyes lingered on her in awe and admiration throughout the night made the entire experience worth it each and every year.