#Chapter 81: The Perfect Gown

Charlotte and I scoured through some magazines, looking at design ideas for new gowns for the Second Ball. Since us candidates needed to conceal our true identities as part of the challenge, Elva and I couldn’t match this time. Therefore, every time we saw a cute kids’ costume, I showed Elva to see if she cared for it. We passed by several options. An owl with lots of feathers. A baby seal with pearly white fur trim. A chameleon with shimmering fabric that changed colors in different lighting. Finally, halfway through the third magazine, I stopped at a particular striking gown. It was a butterfly design, bold and beautiful with wings and an assortment of colors. “Look at this one.” I turned the magazine to Charlotte, who immediately perked upon seeing it. “Wow! That’s gorgeous!” With a butterfly, I liked the theme of rebirth. It felt fitting somehow, to go from my old life as a lowly caterpillar to someone who could dare to dream of flying among the star-like princes. Someday so