[centre][color=orange][h1]Jill[/h1][/color][/centre]
[color=orange]Ah![/color] Jill yelped out in pain as a dark drop of blood oozed out of her finger. This was the third time that morning she had pricked herself. She quickly dabbed the site with a scarf that was laying around, careful not to get any blood on the garment she working on. She had been working away for what seemed like ages with little progress to account for. She slumped back in her chair, trying to get a kink out of her neck. [i]How long had she been sitting here? [/i]Jill got up to stretch her back but the motion immediately got her back into her chair. Her field of vision was filled with tiny dark blotches that seemed to dance mockingly. [i]I need to lay off the alcohol for a while[/i] she thought, as a sudden headache began to make her temples throb. Figuring she wasn't going to get any more work done, Jill got up slowly and made for her bed, almost stumbling over the footstools that encircled a small , round wooden table. Countless playing cards and coins covered the table and in the centre of it all was the fruit of yesterday's efforts: A pearl necklace. It had been ages since she had last gambled but yesterday a couple of drinks with old friends lead the group to a game in a drunken spur of the moment. 

Jill plopped on her bed, her head hanging off the other side as she lifted up an envelope to the sunlight. It had an invitation within, one that she had read countless times over the last week. A window remained flung open, bringing in sounds from the bustling marketplace.She closed her eyes momentarily, listening to the voices outside.She could hear angry men shouting, the chirping of birds and laughter.

Laughter? Jill got up as though a bolt of lightning had hit her. She recognized the source of the sound and jumped out of her bed with her pillow. She then rushed to her round table and swiftly picked up her cards, stashing the lot within the fabric sleeve that covered the pillow. Once that was taken care of, she threw the thing in a haste, the pillow only managing to reach the foot end of her bed. She then carefully counted the gold pieces and rounded them up in a small leather pouch which she hid in one of the pockets of her trousers. She could hear footsteps approaching as she grabbed her pearl necklace and darted frantically, unsure of what to do next. As the door creaked open, Jill slung on the necklace and tucked it under her tunic. 
"[b]Jill! It's been ages![/b]" A familiar voice beamed as a wide figure filled the doorway.
[i]You saw me just a week ago[/i], Jill thought.
[color=orange]"How's it going?"[/color] she replied as she walked up to greet her mother. At that moment, another figure entered the room. It was Jill's eldest sister.
"[color=orange]Katheriiine. How [i]nice[/i] it is to see you again.[/color]" Jill started with a forced smile, barely able to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
Katherine only smiled, dismissing her sister's surly greeting as she walked towards the desk,observing what Jill had been working on.
"[color=orange]So what brings you two here?[/color]" Jill inquired, hoping they weren't going to get started with advising her to keep her place clean , staying in touch and all that crap again.
[b]"It's ... about my party." [/b]
[color=orange]"What about it?"[/color] Jill retorted. She wasn't going to let Katherine make her dramatic pauses. She'd barely gotten any work done and was in no mood for tolerating her family's nonsense today. 
[b]"We want you to come , of course! I dont care if you have a million dresses to take care of, you're coming tomorrow!"[/b] Her mom exclaimed.

Oh.

"[b]And since you're coming to a party, you'll have to look the part too .After all , I can't have my younger sister looking unkempt in front of courtiers and dignified nobles[/b]. [b]There's just no way I will allow it.[/b]" Katherine interjected, suddenly looking more animated than usual.

[i][b]Oh[/b][/i]

In the end it was all pretence after all. It was all about making appearances with her family.  

[color=orange]"I dont thin-"[/color] Jill started, but was cut short by her mother. 
[b]"Oh don't you worry about a thing, we've got everything covered. Katherine and I picked this wonderful work of linen for you ! Now all we need is to look for the right accessories[/b]" Her mother described, going on and on in the high-pitched and overly-detailed manner she was used to speaking in.
[b]"I'm pretty sure Jill has some trinkets lying around here"[/b] Katherine added as she opened a closet, falling victim to an avalanche of bundled up clothes, a bag, some books and a figurine.
[color=orange]"Kat, I'd rather you wouldnt open my- [/color]
"[b]Oh isn't this the figurine you snagged off that poor girl Leslie? I wasn't aware it came with a ring[/b]." Katherine exclaimed as she examined the statue before sliding the ring off it.

That was the last straw. 

[color=orange]"Enough!"[/color] Jill exploded, before snatching the ring from Katherine's hand. She then stormed towards the door, turning back halfway through.
[color=orange]"Look, I don't care about your party! Make whatever excuse you want for your [i]beloved [/i]nobles, I'm not coming." [/color]
Jill slammed the door behind her and in a fit of fury she walked off into the streets.

She felt like an idiot. She knew she shouldn't have blown off as she had but Jill was already having a rough day and she didn't feel like going back and making nice. She noticed she still had her fist clenched around the ring. [i]It was all this stupid thing's fault[/i], Jill thought as she put on the ring on her left hand, feeling strangely satisfied with how perfectly it fit her finger. Days like these, she wished things would fix themselves. She knew what her quick fix was. Some booze and a gamble. However, Jill resisted the urge to turn for the pub and walked into the marketplace instead. She wandered aimlessly, hoping it would become dark soon and her mother and sister would be gone by the time she returned.