AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Put your hair into the water," she commanded.
I did as she asked, thankfully too tired to feel angry about being ordered around.
"Miana help me," Eilra said.
The other woman mimicked Eilra and pinned her skirt up before she jumped in and began to help wash my hair. The water around my feet turned a muddy color which grossed me out, not to mention it was freezing. The icy water flowed over me as the two women took to cleaning my hair and then moved onto my body. I wanted to be slightly prudish and pull away and tell them I could do it myself, and yet I found myself standing there and letting them do whatever they wanted.
Everything progressed that way until I was clean and sparkling and had been deposited in the steaming bath that was next to the waterfall, but in a separate little lake, there was nobody else in this particular pond. Eilra had informed me that the waters of the hot springs were supposed to be restorative and would help me feel better. I wasn't sure if there was really that much truth to it, but they were certainly relaxing.
By the time I was out of the bath and dried off, they were escorting me into a different room. We went through the mirror again with me just wearing a towel and feeling extremely exposed. Thankfully, on the other side of the mirror, I found us in what appeared to be a noble lady's room.
"Come stand over here," Eilra commanded as she pointed toward the small chair that sat in front of a desk. "Don't sit yet," she clarified.
Even though my limbs were aching from having to do all of this work with no fuel in my body I tottered over to the area she specified and stood waiting for my next command.
"Towel," she said as she held her hand out.
Reluctantly, I parted with the towel that was obscuring me. I probably wouldn't have given it up if I hadn't seen Miana holding undergarments of some kind. I was only exposed for a brief amount of time, and it still felt extremely unnatural to me. The fact that my moon mark was on display, but nobody was trying to kill me for it, or at least not overtly. Still, it made my anxiety ratchet ever higher.
Miana slipped me into an odd shaped bodice and undergarments before putting me in a dress that had a low v-neck opening that came down between my breasts, which in the human lands would be considered completely scandalous. Two thin, almost invisible straps went over my shoulders and connected with a band that came off the parts that covered my breasts and wrapped around the back tying in a bow. Two other bands held the material in place just below it, sitting on my rib cage while the bottom flared out into a big fancy skirt.
The material of the bodice was almost sheer, with just beads and lace covering important areas. And a few bits of ribbon holding everything in place. The skirt, on the other hand, was a rich navy color. On one side it flowed down to the floor like a dark waterfall, but on the other side it was gathered and bunched over the hip, exposing most of my leg. The gap between the front and back of the skirt was covered by the same delicate material that covered my chest. The beading and lace was present here as well, and once it was on, I looked in the mirror and realized that I felt like I was covered in starlight.
Uncertainty filled me at the idea of being so completely exposed at a banquet of all places. "Is there anything else I could wear?" I asked hesitantly as I nibbled on my lower lip.
I looked at myself in the mirror we had walked in through, which was apparently now just a normal mirror, and realized that the dress completely showed off my mark. The back being so open meant that every inch of it was visible. It had changed since going through the veil and now it went up my back, across my shoulder and up my neck.
The dress and the exposed mark made me feel like I had been split open and all of my most private thoughts were being shown to the world. I was supposed to stand in front of an entire banquet like this? I wasn't sure that I had the courage for it in my current state of mind.
Just before they started working on my hair, Rosamund reappeared with a tray of food and a pitcher that I hoped was filled with a drink, anything to quench my thirst. My mouth watered at the sight and I almost lunged forward to grab some food off the tray, barely restraining myself as she brought it over.
"We got something that should be easy on your stomach since you're not used to our food," the woman said quietly.
The thoughtfulness was touching. "Thank you so much," I replied, my voice tight with emotion. It seriously felt like this woman was saving my life. I honestly had no idea how long I'd been with Fenvalur, or what he had done to me or given me to keep me alive, but I knew I was long past when I should have starved to death.
I scarfed the food down, going as slow as I could while the three women worked on my hair, which they were pinning up, and they even applied some makeup, which I had never really worn before, so that was a new experience. When they got to my eyes, I definitely felt like they were about to stab me with thebrushes they were using. It took a few attempts from them for me to relax enough to let them even get close.
The food was mainly bread and rolls. Some were filled with jam, some were filled with something creamy, I didn't really know what it was, while others were covered with a buttery frosting. There were some sandwiches on the tray as well which were filled with vegetables of some kind.
I tried a bite of everything, at least until they finally stopped me and Eilra said, "We're going to do some lipstick now."
When I just stared at her blankly Rosamund explained, "You can't eat anymore once it's on. Do you have anything you want to have a last bite of?"
Eilra stepped back and looked on, overseeing the work of her subordinates. I shoved another roll into my mouth, chewing and swallowing while under the watchful eyes of all four women. I took a sip of whatever it was that they had put in a goblet in front of me and then said, "I'm ready".
I felt a little bit more like myself, having been bathed and fed. It was a relief, to be honest. The idea of being presented to fae high society was still unnerving, but I felt a little more capable of handling it now I had some food in my belly.
The door swung open without warning and my hand went to my hip where my sword should be. This was the first time in years that I was unarmed, a realization that only served to increase my unsettled feeling.
"Lord Dastesci," Eilra whispered as she dropped into a low curtsey.
The others followed her lead. I hadn't the faintest idea how to curtsey so I bowed instead, which almost had my breasts making a break for it given the cut of the dress's neckline, which made my bow much shorter lived than their curtseys.
"Eilra, ladies," the man said, and I knew that this was the same man that Fenvalur had been speaking with this morning.
His silver hair hung freely with only two tiny sections being pulled back out of his face. His ears stuck out between the stardust colored locks and were decorated with earrings here and there, not as many as I'd seen on some men and certainly not on the female fae. Gray eyes were locked on to me with slightly raised brows as though he couldn't believe I'd risen without permission.
He cleared his throat and I could practically see the mask fall into place. A congenial smile curved his lips but didn't reach his eyes as he said, "You must be Senara."
