Lillian carefully took the miniature dress from her pocket and held it in her hands as she stared at it while she leaned against the window.
How do I keep getting stuck in all these kinds of situations? My school life was so dull because nothing significant ever happened to me, is that the reason why the situations keep getting more and more confusion?
Lillian sighed, her body started to feel heavy and her energy is also depleting faster than before. It could be side effects from not being in her body in so long.
"I need to find my body fast." She sighed and walked over to the dress Vaille gave her.
It was a light purple dress with ruching at the sides and a ribbon at the back. The shoes were complimentary to the dress and she even gave a box with a hair accessory made of strings of gold.
"How do I wear this?" Lillian murmured, holding up the undergarments. The only one she recognizes is the corset, all the other white clothes were foreign to her.
I knew I should have paid attention to historical novels when they talk of all these things.
But then … those paragraphs were so boring, my mind blanked out the moment I got to them.
Oh well, I'll just have to use the method of trial and error. How much time do I have left?
Why am I acting so carefree? Damnit. Do I wear this or this first?
_________________
"Lillian! Are you ready?" Vaille burst into the room wearing a green gown, her hair was done neatly in a bun with golden hairpins shaped like butterflies sticking out of it.
Lillian fell to the ground the moment Vaille entered the room, the cloths sprawling around her as she screamed internally in frustration.
"Lillian? What are you doing?" Vaille looked at her then burst into laughter.
"I don't know how to wear anything," Lillian admitted just lying on the ground.
"I can see that. Why did you wear your drawers above your chemise? And where is the corset?"
Lillian pulled up the chemise to show the corset on her bare skin, making Vaille gasp with horror.
"You don't wear your corset like this?" Lillian asked, struggling to pull herself up while Vaille ran to the door and called for someone. "No wonder it hurts so bad."
"No. Lillian, a commoner knows at least this much. What did you wear before to support your breasts when you work?" Vaille asked, looking at her with concern.
Lillian stared at her with a look that could only be described as 'really?'. She looked down to her flat chest then back to Vaille, smacking her lips.
"You know, I never really had that problem with my chest. They are extremely cooperative to me." She said with the dullest look and tone on her voice.
"Really? You're so lucky." Vaille beamed at her and Lillian had to turn away from the light she was emitting.
Sparkles flew to her and bounced off her face as she narrowed her eyes, "Yeah … Right."
"Your Highness, you called?" The same maid Lillian saw when she bumped into the princess a second time came running into the room.
"Look at her." Vaille pointed to Lillian, who stood there awkwardly as the woman gasped again.
"Who dressed you?" She asked, quickly pulling all the clothes off of Lillian and helping her wear them again at lightning speed.
"I dressed myself," Lillian said, as she felt herself being thrown around like a baby getting dressed.
The woman shook her head as she helped her wear her petticoat and took the dress from the bed, throwing it over her head.
"You're very fast." Lillian complimented, while she tied the ends of the dress and then the ribbon.
"Mura has been my maid since I was a child. She is the closest thing to what I can call a mother, and also the best teacher." Vaille said watching the both of them from the seat on the sofa next to the bed.
"Teacher? Oh yes. I am to be your Lady- in- Waiting right? Can you teach me?" Lillian asked Mura, who pulled her to the vanity and began fixing her hair.
"I don't see why not," Mura said, skillfully twisting and braiding Lillian's hair. "Princess, could you pass me the box?"
"Sure." Vaille took the box with the hair accessory in it and gave it to Mura. Taking several clumps of her hair, Mura began running the gold strings from the accessory through her hair with the braids.
She was done in no time, and Lillian couldn't recognize herself in the mirror anymore. She reached out and touched the cold glass thinking she might be looking at a painting, not herself.
But the reflection moved with her, confirming what she thought.
"Wow." She gasped out, touching her face. "You are amazing."
"Thank you, Mura." Vaille smiled at the maid as she left the room.
"If you need me, princess, I will be in the kitchen," Mura said, with and bow and walked out the door.
"You are so pretty, Lillian." Vaille stood behind Lillian and rested her hands on her shoulders. "And don't worry about the meeting today, Father is just trying to test you again. Honestly, I don't know what he is thinking most of the time anymore."
"Your father loves and treasures you," Lillian answered, still unable to look away from the mirror. "I didn't understand the adopting thing one though. Seems a little too elaborate."
"I don't understand either, but father is father. He rarely does anything that makes sense." Vaille smiled as she fondly remembered the night before. "But I know he means well."
Lillian looked up at her and smiled too, "That's good. Now, should we get going?"
She stood up from the chair and held Vaille's hand, "I want to see what this kingdom has to offer."
"Offer? What do yo-"
"Come on, let's go." Lillian pulled her out of the room before she could finish her sentence.
Will they measure up to the men in Roman's Kingdom? (Not that I have met much but all that I have met are attractive.) We will have to see.
Vaille smiled seeing Lillian's expression, as they ran to the meeting room.
_____________________
"Your Majesty, what are we waiting for?" A man with fiery red hair finally spoke up after waiting thirty minutes in silence.
"Someone," Sappire replied, relaxed, while the rest of his ministers were uncomfortably sitting.
"Who might that be, your Highness?" Arthur asked, looking to Sappire with a hint of mockery in his voice. "Could it be that child?"
"Child? What are you talking about, magician?" The red-haired man spoke again, the metal in his outfit clanking as he moved around. He had three swords on each side of his waist and a few daggers strapped to his arm.
The other four men looked at him demanding an answer, even Sappire had his attention on him, a nonchalant look on his face.
"Well, as you all know, yesterday was the princess's birthday and a special day for the King and the Princess. But, for the first time in years, someone else joined their dinner."
"That's not possible, the King and princess always demand absolute privacy. Maybe she is just a servant girl." One man with fluffy brown hair spoke up.
"No. She joined them for dinner. I believe she is who we are waiting for. Isn't it, your Majesty?" Arthur asked, smiling at Sappire.
"How old is this child?" An older man with white hair and a long beard asked.
"She looks about the same age as the princess," Arthur answered in an innocent tone.
"What?!" The old man stood up from his chair with the red-haired man.
"She's just a child then."
"Is what he's saying true, your Majesty?!" The red-haired man asked, not trying to hide the harsh tone in his voice.
"Commander Ray, I would like to ask you to control your tone of voice when you are in the King's presence." The brown-haired man began to raise his voice as well.
"I apologise for my rudeness, Chancellor Gin but I just need to know. His majesty isn't really planning to include the child in the King's court, is he?" Commander Ray replied, sitting back down.
"I understand your concerns, Commander but please be more respectable to the King," Chancellor Gin said, turning to Arthur, "You as well."
"Ok. Ok. Apologies. Now. What are you planning, your highness?"
Sappier sighed and sat back against his chair. "You were there yesterday right?"
"Yes, your Majesty."
"Do you remember what she did?"
"Yes. It was simple magic, not even a powerful one." Arthur stopped but the others told him to tell them what happened, "She used magic to manipulate her surroundings to show what the King wanted to see. It was very simple magic and she couldn't even do it on her own without the King's help."
"Then why would the King take such an interest in her?" The old man asked, stroking his beard.
"I don't understand it either. Your Majesty?" Commander Ray asked, looking at the King.
"Yes. It was simple magic but remember what you said, she needed to use magic from someone else to use her own magic."
"And?"
"She used mine."
"What? But the King's magic hasn't been seen in ten years." The men began murmuring to each other, except one at the corner of the room. He wore a cloak over his head, sitting quietly and listening.
"It must have just been something else, Your Majesty." Arthur tried to reason. "She could have extracted it from the environment without knowing it."
"Perhaps, but I tried using my magic that night and I could use it again. I was only able to summon a small hair tie but that was the most magic I have seen in years coming from me."
"So, let me guess, we were called here to observe the girl? A meeting for the first time in years, for this reason." The cloaked figure finally spoke up, startling everyone there.
"When did you get here?" Commander Ray asked, hands on his swords as he was about to unsheathe them.
"I was the first one here."
"Really? I didn't notice you at all. Did you do a little floaty th-"
"Back to the topic at hand." Sappier cut in, "Yes, I want you all to observe her. There is also something about this girl that feels off. It's not necessarily bad but just off."
"Then your wish is our command, your majesty. We will observe her with care and scrutiny."
"You five are the ones I trust the most. If this has a lead then we can act on it. So, do your best."
"Yes, your Majesty!" They shouted in unison, bowing to him.
Just then a servant entered the room, "Your Majesty, Sirs, the Princess and Lady are here."
"Bring them in."