1
LISSY
Most wedding dresses are not made with centaurs in mind.
And the worst part is, I should have known better than to try to make a bipedal wedding dress work for a quadruped. Especially one as big as Kentaria.
I frown around the pins sticking out of my mouth as I try to tighten the satin bodice on my centaur client. I tug and pull as much as I can while also trying not to tear the silky white organza that makes up the train of the dress. The dress looks beautiful around her shoulders and bosom, her human parts, but as her torso becomes more horse-ish, the dress needs more girth to fit properly.
Unfortunately, the simple truth is that this dress does not fit her at all.
And don't get me started on how I'll need to add to the back of the dress to make it long enough to cover her haunches. In hindsight, I should have used that potion before Kentaria even arrived, so I wouldn't have this awkward moment where my client is freaking out that her dress doesn't fit. With all of thedifferent creatures that live here, it's a common enough thing to do for a dress shop in Starling Vale.
Poor Kentaria looks like she's about to burst into tears, and it's not her fault.
"I'm so sorry, Lissy," she says, her voice wavering as she smooths down the front fabric. "I should have chosen a different dress, but…"
"Shh." There's no way the back of the dress is coming together without that spell, so I might as well stop making it worse for both of us by trying. Kentaria should feel like a princess right now, so I give her a light pat on the back, come down from my stepstool, and meet her eyes in the mirror. "You fell in love with this dress, right?"
She nods.
"Just like you love Deric?" I press, mentioning the name of her stalwart, warrior fiancé, who is a centaur just like her.
She nods again.
I smile warmly and take the pins out of my mouth and poke them into the pin cushion that's on a side table. "Then this is the dress for your fairytale wedding. It just needs a little help to make it absolutely perfect for its bride. Which is true of any wedding dress."
"You think so?" she asks, and the hopeful note in her voice makes my job worthwhile, even though it can be stressful sometimes.
"Oh, yes," I tell her seriously with a wink as I dig into one of the many pockets on my apron, specifically the one that has the fabric-grower potion. "This is what alterations are for, after all. And I have the potion to fix it just right here…"
My fingers close around the vial, and I take it out, adding a little theatre to my methods in hopes of making the centaur smile.
Except…
Oh. Shit!
I realize my mistake immediately. The vial is empty, and I'm so caught off guard by it, I can't keep the shock from my face, which is reflected in the mirror that Kentaria can see right away.
I'm out of the fabric-grower potion. Shit, I completely forgot I ran out yesterday when I needed to use the last of it to make a bridesmaid dress fit a troll. I'd been so distracted by another customer who came in that I had completely forgotten to go out to Noemi's shop this morning and replenish my stock.
And poor Kentaria is paying the price.
I recover enough to offer her a smile. "Well, I guess this goes to show that yours is not the only dress that needs some fabric. It's incredibly common," I add with a laugh, which rewards me with a hopeful nod from her. "So don't worry. If you'll give me five minutes, I can get the materials to make this alteration, and we'll be in a good spot for your wedding."
She blinks. "Yes, yes, of course."
I nod toward my ever-hot teapot sitting on a small tray in the corner, steam still rising from the spout. "Some tea while you wait?"
"Yes, please, if it's not too much trouble." She gestures to the dress. "Do you have something to cover this? Wouldn't want to spill tea on it."
"Of course not," I say soothingly, as I grab a smock and secure it around her. Unlike the dress, this was made for all different kinds of creatures, so there is plenty of room to cover her up. I kick the mirror with my boot and a red velvety curtain falls, blocking her view. I may try to make everything look pretty during the fitting, but a smock is not the most attractive thing, especially when you're trying to make a bride-to-be feel like the prettiest girl in the world.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, my grammy always says.
Humming softly to calm Kentaria's nerves, I pour some tea into one of the waiting teacups. I add two cookies from Sweetie Pies to the saucer and bring it back to Kentaria with a warm smile. "Here you are."
"Oh, I shouldn't have cookies," she says, a blush warming her cheeks. "I am trying to lose weight."
