Author's Note
Hey, folks! This chapter is where the fun really begins! The chapter itself is pretty light, but it's the stage-setter! Buckle in your seatbelts guys and gals, the ride gets crazy from here on out! Prepare for drama and emotional stress! And maybe some betrayal in there too, I don't know… Enjoy people!
I wake up suddenly, sweat dripping down my forehead. I take a deep breath, relieved. If I'm lucky, I don't remember my nightmares, but somehow, they still find a way to haunt me. Maille is beside my door instead of the other woman, watching me curiously. I glare at her, not happy with the constant invasion of my privacy.
The only time I get to be truly alone is when I'm in the bathroom, and even then, I know a Sentinel will be waiting outside the door. I quickly get out of bed, looking at the clock and my schedule next to it. I have only one hour before breakfast.
The door opens, and I turn to see Bijou and the other maids entering the room, their heads bowed. Maille looks at them, her face scrunched up in distaste, as though being in the same room as Reds make her unclean.
So why doesn't she look at me like that? Even as I ask the question, I know the answer. Even Silvers of the High House wouldn't frown upon me, at least not openly. I am to be the Queen, which demands respect from everyone, no matter how they feel.
Their opinions don't matter.
The maids look relieved that I'm already awake, and I can tell by their faces that me being awake makes their job much easier. I watch as the maids set out, Bijou quickly walking into the bathroom, and the other two going into the closet. I hear the bath turn on and turn towards the bathroom. Bijou pokes her head out, beckoning me in. I nod and walk into the bathroom with her, quickly casting a glance towards Maille, who watches me suspiciously.
Even after Bijou shuts the door behind me, I can tell Maille won't do anything to apprehend me, although I do hear her move outside the bathroom door, possibly to hear our conversation.
Bijou, who is busy rummaging through the cabinets, murmurs," Please undress and step into the bath My Lady." My cheeks flush in embarrassment, as I reluctantly start to fiddle with the straps of my nightgown.
She catches my expression in the mirror, and her eyes twinkle in warm amusement, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Don't worry, My Lady." She says no more, but what more could she say?
"Okay," I mutter, quickly stripping before I get flustered again. I slide into the warm bath water and wait for Bijou to leave. However, she doesn't, and instead turns towards me with many products instead.
Noting my confusion, she shrugs. "You'll be making a public appearance today I believe, My Lady. You're supposed to look your very best."
She stops," But I think you look nice the way you are already."
She sits down next to the bath, next to my head, and puts a large portion of some sort of product in her hands.
It smells like strawberries, which would be nice if she had not put so much in her hand that the smell is strong and suffocating.
She starts rubbing the product into my hair.
"This will help wash out the dye from last night and pamper your hair so it grows long. With this, your hair will look more… Silver-y."
She continues to rub the product over every inch of my scalp and the intoxicating smell makes my nostrils burn.
"Not to be rude, but why are you telling me this?"
She lets out a small laugh," If you are ever to take a bath in your spare time, it's important that you know how to take care of yourselves using the products given, your Highness. Also, I thought some speaking would ease your nerves."
I cast a questionable glance in her direction, and she shrugs," Your eyes are puffy and tear marks stain your cheeks." I shift uncomfortably in the shower, and she sighs, as she begins to wash the product out of my hair.
"I wish I could be of comfort to you, Your Highness- you are one remarkable person. But, it's dangerous for me to even speak to you, especially since your bodyguards watch your every move. No doubt the King would behead me if I become a friend to you." She chuckles without humor.
"Still, I offer my condolences." She sighs before her smile is back on her face. "I suppose you might want to know the other maids' names. The one with black hair is Avery, and the one with light brown is Rita."
"Pretty names," I say, closing my eyes as water runs down my face.
She hums in reply, her hands leaving my hair. I open my eyes, blinking away the water.
Bijou's back is to me, and I watch her curiously as she pulls things I can't see out of her bag.
She silently gets back to work, pouring a large amount of bath soap into the tub, stirring it with her hand until foamy bubbles cover the water's surface. She then takes a brush, dipping it into green goop before smearing it all over my face. My face tingles as she applies it, feeling fresh and cool.
She quickly explains what the green goop is.
"A face mask. It'll rid your face of blemishes while cleaning your pores. The bath soap is to give you a pleasant, but neutral, scent before we apply perfume. And this-" she pulls out a clear container that holds tiny little beads "- well, I don't really know what this does."
Still, she pours it into the tub, and the orbs fizzle and dissipate, making the water cool.
I sit in the bath silently for perhaps ten minutes, before she wipes away my face mask, and hands me undergarments to put on. She exits the room as I begin to dry myself, and when I am partially clothed, I head out of the bathroom, ignoring Maille's intense stare as I walk towards Bijou and the others, who have my clothes and makeup in hand.
I position myself in front of the mirror, putting on my dress.
It's a light green dress with butterfly wing sleeves. The skirt of the dress was the same color of the bodice, but white, sheer fabric overlapped it. After the dress is on, the maid with the black hair, Rita, if I remember correctly, applies makeup.
When she's done, my face is paler but not as pale as that of Silvers. My lips are light pink.
Lastly, they snip off the gray ends of my hair, and puts something hot on it, making my hair perfectly straight. I'm glad that even after this beautification process, I don't look too different. Just cleaner and more polished.
The maids leave as quickly and silently as they came, leaving me with Maille. I take a deep breath, going back to my schedule.
Your schedule is as follows:
0730-Breakfast/ 0800-Training/1130-Luncheon/1300-Lessons/1800-Dinner
Maille will escort you to events from 0730 to 1300. His Royal Highness will escort you to dinner. Your Schedule is not negotiable.
Her Royal Highness Queen Elara of House Merandus
I frown. Aren't I supposed to have a public appearance today? The only time that I can envision to have a public appearance is during the luncheon.
The schedule is so much like my old one that I half expect Lucas to be waiting for me outside the door. Thinking about him brings me a pang of guilt, but I shake it off.
My frown deepens as I read that Maven will escort me to dinner daily, and the events of last night occur to me and make my cheeks flush in anger and embarrassment.
Before I could let my mind explore all the options I have of killing Maven, a monotonous voice brings me out of my thoughts of revenge.
"It is time to head to breakfast, My Lady." I nod and stand up, smoothing my dress. Maille walks beside me, not bothering to look at me. I can sense her distaste even though her face is void of emotion and she doesn't show any signs of it. Still, I just know.
And to think I'll have to do this four times a day, maybe more, sickens me, and I suddenly miss Lucas again, only to have the guilt return.
When we arrive at breakfast, Maille disappears into the shadows, literally. She must be of House Haven.
Once again, I am the last to arrive. Evangeline, Maven, and Elara sit in the same fashion as they did last night and guessing I should do the same, I take a seat next to Maven.
It pains me how alike Elara and Maven look. Both sit, back straight, blue eyes cold and calculative. Their lips are pulled into a slight frown as if they are always displeased with the world. I get no acknowledgment save a few glances in my direction.
However, it seems that my presence allows for conversation to start, and Maven looks at Evangeline.
"Your dress is stunning, Evangeline." He says, his tone modulated. I nod, agreeing with him. She wears a dark blue dress that fades to light silver under her breasts. The neckline of the dress has iron studs that shimmered in the natural daylight basking the room in light.
She smirks," Why of course, your Highness. I try to present myself as elegantly I can in front of thy Majesty." A small frown tugs at my lips. Maven nods," Maven is suitable. The fiancee of my brother needs not to use such formalities."
Evangeline nods back, her gloating eyes flickering to me for no more than a second. "As you wish, Maven."
Elara snaps her fingers, eliminating any future conversation for now. Chefs and servants enter the room, quietly setting platters in front of us before leaving just as silently.
Everyone opens their platter, revealing high-end french toast. I grit my teeth in anger. Here, they have enough wheat to make this amazing food, but Reds barely have enough wheat to make a loaf of bread. Not to mention, they get the wheat that the Silvers don't find suitable for their "holy" palates, so all we had at the Stilts, our bread was often lumpy and soured quickly.
I swallow my anger. I've been here before, but this place won't cease to make me want to electrocute the whole Silver community. I take the nearby fork and rip off chunks of toast, and I think nobody notices until Maven reprimands me.
"Take this knife and- you're left or right-handed?"
"And it's your business because?" I ask.
His eyebrows twitch in annoyance. "I'm trying to teach you how to eat properly."
"The point of eating is to get food into your mouth so it can go down to your stomach. Formality doesn't matter."
"Well, here it does. You know that. So, you are going to tell me what your dominant hand is."
Out the corner of my eyes, I see Elara feign a disapproving frown. Even though it is obviously directed towards Maven, it scares me more than I would like to admit.
"Left." I murmur begrudgingly.
"Then take the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right."
He continued to teach me how to acquire a small piece of something of a larger size, his hands guiding mine. I am more than uncomfortable with the physical contact, but he touches me as little as possible as if teaching me how to eat like him is a burden.
Sometimes I would intentionally slip up, making his eyebrows furrow in frustration. The more I mess up, the more rushed his tone gets. I want to laugh, but I keep it contained. I occasionally scowl at him in annoyance, muttering things like," Stop touching me." Or "This is stupid."
I've gotten this far in Protocol, but I guess that they think returning to the Scarlet Guard made me forget my lessons. I'm acting like the savage they believe me to be. Is that so bad?
Of course, I'm just making myself look inadequate to sit at a table with Silvers, but seeing their frustration and annoyance makes it worth it.
Perhaps, if I'm lucky, they'll kick me out the palace. Ha, as if.
So as to not look suspicious, I murmur," I got it. You can stop touching me now." He lets out a short sigh in relief, and he watches as I eat my breakfast like a proper lady before turning back to his own food. Evangeline sends me a glare, but not an angry one, but a cocky glare. I snicker, shaking my head. She bought my act, just as Maven did. She made the mistake of believing I'm a savage. The mistake that she's going to win. Her whole life now is making me feel bad about myself so she can feel good. She looks at me in confusion, because of my reaction, but I ignore her and return to my food.
I wonder if Maven is oblivious to Evangeline's intentions or if he just decides to ignore it. Probably the latter. Maven's too smart to let something like that go unnoticed.
But he doesn't notice me faking to not even know how to eat.
But that's because he sees no reason to look into it. It's a minor thing anyway, and he already produced his own reasoning as to why I supposedly can't properly cut a piece of toast.
If he doesn't know what to look for, he won't look. And that's going to be his downfall.
Author's Note
If someone missed it, since I didn't say it openly, Evangeline is trying to steal the crown from Mare.
Even though that was obvious, to me anyway, I hope to put more things where you kind of have to read in between the lines.
And Mare is slowly devising a plan. But just what trouble is she going to get into because of it?
Haha, you won't know until it happens, folks!
Also, I think I might do a short chapter that lets you know what's going on back with Cal and the others, probably from Kilorn's POV. Maybe, maybe not.
Anyway, that's the end of this chapter! Stay tuned!
Oh, and for the pampering session that took up a whole half of this chapter, (like my goodness) please note that I had no idea what I was talking about.
When I wrote this, I opened a whole bunch of different tabs up for research for random things like "types of sleeves" and stuff, but I didn't bother to search how to get rid of dye. And don't ask why Mare was made to take a bath instead of a shower so the water wouldn't get stained with the dye. Because I don't know myself, so here's my excuse: Silver magic potion products. I hope you're satisfied.