The next morning Emilia had decided to slip out of the inn early and was walking around the market, her basket hanging from her arm. "Good morning Emilia, dear." Emilia was greeted as she made her way between the stalls looking for anything that might catch her eye. All the village people knew her of course, since she'd lived in the village her entire life. 

"Looking for a new bauble?" Her Father's friend Thomas asked, as she approached his stall and she smiled nodding her head. Thomas had been her Father's best friend since she was a little girl, he was like an uncle to her, and he knew she came to the market in search of little trinkets from far off places.

"Have you got anything new that I might like?" Emilia asked looking between the array of trinkets he had lined up, nothing catching her eye. She picked up a small ring but quickly dismissed it.

"How about this?" He asked and she waited biting her lip as he fumbled with something he'd placed behind his stall. He always put away things he thought she might like, giving her the chance to see if she liked any of it before he'd sell it. 

"Oh." She was breathless at the item he'd placed in front of her.

"What? Don't tell me you don't like it." He laughed, teasing her for her lack of an exclamation, and she quickly shook her head.

"It's beautiful!" She breathed, reaching out to touch it with the brush of a finger. 

It was a mask. One that you would wear to a ball. It was black, with silver jewels down the corner of the eyes that reminded her of stars in a night sky. A black silk ribbon was attached to it to tie it into place around the head. 

"I know you've always dreamed of balls so I thought you might like it." He winked and her smile faded slightly at his words'. "What's wrong?" He asked sensing something was the matter and she dropped her finger from the mask.

"But we don't have balls here." She explained gloomily, and he grinned at her words'.

"That's certainly true. Not exactly the type around here that get into that kind of thing, I guess." He agreed and she sighed. He picked up the mask holding it out to her. "But come on, I know you Emilia, that's not going to stop you. You'll attend a ball, eventually, and when you do, you'll wear this." She smiled unable not to at the sureness of his words'. "Now, I'm sure your parents will be wondering where you've run off to so early in the morning if you don't get back soon." He told her and she nodded knowing he was right. She had work to do after all.

"How much for the mask?" She asked reaching into her purse she wore on her wrist.

"Nothing. Its' a gift." He told her and she raised a brow surprised. "This way when people ask who your fairy god mother is, you can tell them Uncle Thomas." He winked and she laughed surprised that he remembered. He had been the one who had first told her the story of Cinderella, was the one responsible for her dreams of balls and fairy tales. 

"Thank you Uncle Thomas!" She said reaching over the stall to throw her arms around him. He laughed, returning the hug. "What do you think?" She asked holding the mask to her face to show him and he placed a hand to his heart.

"Beautiful." He told her with sincerity. "Prince charming will be enchanted at first sight." He promised and she tried not to roll her eyes at the corniness of his words'. He had always been a romantic and it was hard to know when he was kidding or not. 

"Maybe, if I can ever find him." She answered back, and he laughed at the dramatics of her words'. 

"You've only just turned sixteen Emilia, I don't think you should give up just yet." He suggested and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Well I know one thing for sure, I'm not going to find my Prince charming here in Gallow Moore." She told him rolling her eyes' and he laughed again. 

"You are too hard on the poor boys," He lectured her and she shrugged her shoulders' placing her mask carefully in her basket. It wasn't her fault that the boys her age were all boring and had nothing in common with her. All they wanted to do was spend time in the barns kissing, and she had bigger plans than that. Not that she was going to explain that to her Uncle.

"I've got to get back home." She told him and he agreed with this telling her to tell her parents he'd stop by and see them later this evening. "Alright I will," She promised waving goodbye before she ran off back in the direction of the inn, knowing her Mother would be looking for her to help with breakfast.