Princess Amethyst's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Princess Amethyst slipped the needle through silk for the hundredth time that week, adding another invisible stitch to the gown that would prove she belonged in the workroom as much as the throne room. The color-shifting underlayer was nearly complete, but the final effect needed something more. She found it three days later in the royal greenhouse. Autumn blossoms clustered in wild displays of red and gold, their petals shifting from flame to amber as butterflies landed and lifted away. The flowers held a natural dye that changed with temperature and movement. Perfect. But the display sat directly beneath a gnarled wooden stand holding battle axes, the mark of the Master Gardener who despised everything Amethyst represented. He believed princesses belonged at banquets, not bent over flower beds taking notes. Amethyst returned to her chamber and opened the glass chest her grandmother had left her. Inside lay three things of value: pearl buttons from a duchess, silver thread from a distant port, and a sealed letter promising one favor from the kingdom's dye merchant. She could trade the favor for access to the greenhouse. But the Master Gardener would know. He would ask questions. He would tell the court what she was making before she was ready. She closed the chest and picked up her needle instead. That night she sketched the blossom pattern from memory and began stitching it directly into the underlayer with thread she dyed herself in her washbasin. It took twice as long and the colors were not as pure. But no one could stop her now. The gown was hers alone.