"Which dress do you prefer, my lady?"
Ella tightened the sash of her bathrobe as she stepped closer to the rack of dresses arranged neatly along the wall. Silks, satins, soft cottons in shades of ivory, rose, emerald, and sky hung before her like quiet temptations.
"I'm not sure," Ella admitted, her fingers brushing over the fabrics absentmindedly. "Which one do you think would suit me today?"
Maria smiled knowingly, already reaching for one in particular. "I've noticed how His Grace looks at you when you wear blue, my lady."
She lifted a soft baby-blue dress from the rack and held it gently against Ella's frame.
"I think he adores it on you," she continued, adjusting the fabric slightly. "Besides… it brings out your eyes beautifully."
Ella turned toward the mirror. The reflection that stared back at her felt… different.
The blue softened her features, brightened her gaze, made her look almost ethereal in a way she hadn't quite expected.
