The Prince and the Dressmaker

For Chapter 7’s frontispiece, Wang provides a collar or neckline piece. From a wide image of the palace, the narrative moves to Sebastian bowing to a curtseying Princess Louise. The Queen welcomes her, and Louise expresses excitement to be with the Prince. Sebastian notices Frances carrying a hamper at a distance. The Queen chases after Frances to request that she fix a dress while the Queen’s seamstress is away. Frances agrees and the Queen thanks her, chatting about how she and Sebastian are known to be close friends. Overhearing this, Sebastian flushes, looking concerned.

Sebastian, his aunt, and King Leroy are seated on a dais while Princess Louise and her mother take tea on a couch in front of them. Louise discusses her love of horse riding and her attachment to her stallion, joking that the horse is her “REAL betrothed” (144). Louise asks about Sebastian’s hobbies, but he’s distracted watching his mother and Frances. The King recalls Sebastian to the conversation and he responds that Louise wouldn’t find his hobbies interesting. Everyone is silent and Louise is confused. Sebastian looks at the Queen and Frances again, before asking why his hobbies even matter when he and this 12-year-old princess are not going to have shared interests.