***

-Come on, sleepy head! Get out of bed. – Sophie pushed Yolanda’s back.

-Go away. – A cold reply hummed from the cocoon of sheets wrapped around Yoh.

-Come on, I need your help.

-My help? You must be really screwed if you need a cripple to help you.

-Quit moping and help me button up this dress, I can’t reach my back.

--The cocoon opened, like a flower, and Yolanda’s bushy, brown hair emerged. She loomed in her nightgown, arms outstretched, towards the sound of Sophie’s voice, like a sleepwalker. Sophie was patiently sitting on the side of her bed, waiting for Yoh’s hands to feel their way around the laces which needed to be tied.

-I wish you could see this dress, it is truly wonderful.

-Me too. I wish I could see the sun. I can feel its warmth, it must be very sunny outside, today.

-It is. You should come out. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it, still.

-There’s nothing for me out there. There. All set and ready to break some hearts. Tell me, what is the dress like?

-Oh, you don’t have to ask me, see with your hands.

--Yolanda blushed.

-Come on, I don’t mind. We’re close. And you need to get used to seeing things that way.

-All right. – Yoh agreed, reluctantly. Sophie helped her stand up from the bed, and Yoh started exploring. – So… I like the sleeves, they’re so gentle. And frilly. It seems to cut nicely into your waist… Is this embroidery? I like the pattern.

-Yes. Woah! Easy there, friend.

-No cleavage? Really, you should let them get some air. Are you looking to woo this guy, or what?

-Ungh, shouldn’t he be the one trying to woo me?

-And what? You’re just going to be a pretty flower pot?

-Well, no. But…

-You don’t like him.

-Like him? I don’t know the first thing about him.

- Lovely leather belt. I like that it’s thin. The buckle is a bit much, perhaps.

-The last time I saw him, I was thirteen. Don’t you think it’s creepy?

-Well, that wasn’t so long ago. He couldn’t have changed much.

-That’s not a good thing.

-Look, if you want me to talk you into believing that marrying this guy is a good idea? You’re barking up the wrong tree. I told you already, I think you should run. Skip the border. Forget all the nonsense.

-Yolanda! I can’t do that. What would my parents do if I just upped and left like that?

-Of course. Always the good girl. Even with all of this arranged marriage business. See? You never had anything to ponder in the first place. You can do this. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going back to bed.

-Hold on… don’t be like that. – Sophie grabbed Yoh’s arm and wouldn’t let her retreat back into the Sandman’s empire. –How about I help you get dressed now? Huh? I could comb and braid your hair.

-What’s the point?

-You never know, maybe you’ll run into a handsome prince today.

-Yeah, a prince who rides a white horse, and has an inexplicable affinity for scarred cripples.

--Sophie hugged Yoh. Sometimes, Yolanda’s words made her feel immense sadness brimming in her chest, threatening to burst out with tears. But she always fought the urge to cry.

-I want to show you something. Did you notice that there is a new vase in this room?

-Of course not. How could I notice anything?

-Here, see for yourself.

--She picked up the vase from the small dresser by the bed and handed it to Yolanda. The blind girl started caressing it, rotating it in her hands, exploring its cracks and ridges.

-These flowers… they must be beautiful. What’s the point of sculpting flowers on a flower pot, though? – She snarked.

-Do you notice anything else?

-Is it… it’s full of cracks. Is it broken?

-It was. It used to be my grandmother’s. When it broke, she didn’t have the heart to throw it out… So, she carefully put it back together again. Using resin mixed with gold dust.

-Come on, you and I both know she probably got a servant to do it.

-Maybe. But look, that’s not the point. The point is… how did you describe it? What word did you say?

--Yoh’s impertinence faded, and she went silent, for a moment.

-I see what you did there. I said it is beautiful.

-It is, isn’t it? Even though it was once broken, it’s whole again.

--Sophie gently touched Yoh’s cheek. Yoh inhaled, preparing to protest, but the door suddenly opened, and a young man barged in. He wore a light leather armour and a frilly, colourful outfit. He had an extravagant moustache, thick-framed glasses, and his hair was slicked back.

-Good morning! I am here to escort you, your betrothed awaits.

--For a moment, the two girls stared at him with bewilderment. The ensuing awkward silence was broken when Sophie shouted, throwing a pillow at him – WE’RE NOT READY, GET OUT!