Vanora hears her name and turns around.
Ciro was standing just outside Dennis' shop, he had known just through the figure it was his beloved Vanora.
He was happy.
Vanora's lips curled into a smile.
"Ciro" she calls back smiling. Ciro walks into the shop, his hands and clothes were somewhat covered in shoe ink.
Ciro walks into the shop and greets Dennis.
"Why are you here" he ask as his eyes run through the shop and lands back on Vanora.
Vanora did not plan on keeping this from him–she is going to tell him straight up about what is happening.
She moves closer with a soothing smile and whispers into his ear.
"An invite came–from the Duke"
The smile on Ciro's face suddenly disappears, he was not ready for this. He has plans–plans to marry Vanora and now she was invited for the selection that he heard people wondering and whispering about near his shop.
"Are you going?" He asks his voice dropping low with sadness in them. He knew she was going to go, for she is standing right inside a dress store.
"Do not worry about me. I will be back before you know it"
"He won't even notice me, I will be back" she confidently speaks.
He became calm for a while taking a deep breath, he sighs and smiles a little.
"Goodbye" she tells Dennis, waving at him as she is about to leave
"Greet your mother" he says with a smile.
Dennis was not going to send away the blue dress plain like this for his friends daughter. He knew exactly what to do to the dress.
The dress is too plain for his liking and he would not watch Vanora go into the lions den looking tattered even if the dress looked good.
Ciro's mind is not at peace just as soon as Vanora tells him about this.
"Can you not just go?" He pleads her worriedly.
"Mother says I should go...it does not matter."
"I won't be chosen, trust me" she says and stops, Ciro stops as well. She reaches out and holds Ciro's hand.
"Trust me. Okay?" She pouts.
Ciro nods his head.
He knew he could not stop her, his mind seems very unsettling with her decision. She pulls him into a quick hug and waves him goodbye.
The day had become so dark that she prays she stumbles upon a bread shop.
She did.
Vanora stops at a bread shop and buys bread, with her very bright smile she is able to get the owner to sell to her before closing finally.
She rushes back home and sees her mother has prepared food that she had not noticed earlier before she left.
On the table, soup and potatoes–she dogs in and eat to her fill. She clears up the table and the dishes before retiring for the night beside her mother.
The day had become bright, sun rising. Flashes into their room through the half broken window.
Vanora was awakened by the sun light, she looked around but does not see her mother around her. She gets up–heading right out of the room she sees her mother setting breakfast.
"Good morning" she greets her mother and hugs her.
"Wash up lets eat" her mother mutters.
Vanora goes to the bathroom and takes her bath. She comes out dresses in her cotton laced dress and joins her mother few minutes after taken her bath.
She sits across from her mother and digs in.
The table had two plates of omelette and the bread she had bought last night.
"Did you buy the dress?" Her mother questions between bites.
"Yes mother, it will be sent to me today" she continues chewing.
Vanora truly was not interested in whatever selection the Duke planned on holding.
Just what if he plans to kill them...
Other numerous thoughts as well ran through her mind.
"Good" her mother smiles. Finishing her last bite she stands up picks up the dishes and heads to the kitchen.
What if he was a man who loves taken advantage of us...
Another thought came in.
Vanora had lost her appetite midway in the food just as numerous thoughts of what the Duke's plan was. She has never seen or come across him–niether has the Duke himself.
She takes her left–over breakfast and trashes it.
Leaving the house she heads straight to their small farm to pluck vegetables, the way she always did with her mother.
"Mother?" She calls
Vanora's mother was already picking vegetables. She turn's her head and smiles at Vanora.
"You need to rest, you are unwell at the moment." She queries.
"I can han..." Just as she speaks she began coughing–the basket of vegetables falling off from her hands. Vanora rushes over immediately.
"Oh mother" she murmurs as she steadies her. If only she had a father, they probably wouldn't be suffering this much.
She walks her back into their house and puts her to sleep.
She rushes back out and picks up the basket which had tumbled over, picking up more vegetables she heads out again for her daily sale. She had deliberately picked little vegetables as she had to be home earlier in order to meet the Duke.
As usual she arrived and set up her tables for sale.
She sells almost everything and few are left.
"Vanora" she hears her name being called.
Her eyes look up and there he was, her beloved Ciro. A box in his hands.
Of course she knew what it was. She had deliberately not ask him to make shoes but what was he with a box in front of her.
"Good day Ciro" she greets him with a huge smile on her face. As cheerful as always.
"This is for you" he says handing her the box.
He did not make it for her to put it on–he just wanted to make something for her like he always did and for her to know that he is always here for her.
"Thank you" Vanora says in a very appreciative tone and smiles.
She begins to pack the remains from the vegetables, she had decided she would use it to cook dinner.
"You are leaving?" Ciro ask with a worried and concerned expression.
"Yes Ciro, Mother is not so well today." The little vegetables already in her hand.
"I need to take care of her properly" she adds raising the basket and the shoe box.
"Let me help" Ciro suggests
"What about your shop?" Vanora's expression changes to that of worry. She knew how things were most of the time. And wondered if his apprentice were around.
"My boys are around, there is nothing to be worried about" he says collecting both the basket and the box from Vanora.
The sun basking there skin just as they arrived. Vanora pushes the door open and makes way for Ciro to come in.
A large box is placed on the half broken wood table.
She knew immediately that her dress has arrived, though she vividly remembers her dress not to be this large to contain such a big box.
Ciro eyes the box, he knew the dress she had bought has arrived just as Dennis has told her it would. He places the box and the basket on the table.
He felt very unsettling and some worth pained and a little bit of jealousy stirred within him.
He knew he could not win against a noble.
"I will be off" before Vanora could say a word he passed through the door and off he went.
She rushes over to the door calling over to Ciro trying to ask him if he would not join them for lunch. To her he seemed to not have heard her calling.
"Welcome back" she hears her mother's voice from the room.
"Thank you mother"
"Why did Ciro leave, he did not want to stay for lunch?" She asks
"Probably"
She takes the vegetables to the kitchen and the two boxes to the room.
"Lunch is ready, I expected you early so your lunch is in the kitchen"
She walks back to the kitchen and burns the wood to heat up the poridge and medicinal herbs for her mother.
She sleeps off soon after.
Almost loosing track of time, Vanora is woken up by her mother who remind her that she has some where to be.
She rushes and takes a fresh bath and brushes her red long her with the help of her mother.
"What time are you expected to leave and do you know if you will get picked up up?"
This has not crossed her mind. She did not know the way to the Dukes Mansion and the time was fast approaching.
Even if she knew the place the coins she had made today would not be enough to take her.
She opens the box and her eyes widen in shock. The plain blue gown she had chosen was not plain anymore, it had beautiful red roses designs at the end of the gown.
The gown looks splendid.
She puts it on when a loud banging is heard.
Who could that be?