After a nice long bath, Elaine was pleasantly refreshed. Abbey had asked for her measurements and had laid out her undergarments on the bed, along with a ruby red tea-length dress on a mannequin and a pair of matching footwear.
When Elaine had worn it was like silk caressing her skin as it hugged her figure agreeably as though was tailored just for her. Trying the wedges on, she stood taller with additional inches to her height.
Abbey, with the help of a few professionals, styled her hair and put on her makeup. All the while, Elaine can't help but feel slightly nervous at what they were transforming her to. Also, oddly, her reflection was not Annette anymore like earlier but her own face.
"Um, why am I being dressed like this?" She asked, a little uneasy.
"After meeting the president, you'll have to be presented to his Cabinet secretaries," Abbey supplied.
At that, Elaine's stomach churned. She didn't like to be displayed like a doll in public, much more to meet so many people.
"You look beautiful in that dress," Abbey blurted, her bright blue eyes alive with warmth as she clipped some of Elaine's brown strands behind her ear. The young blonde looked almost like Annette in some way.
"Thank you," Elaine returned with a shy smile and pondered. "I'd like to ask. How are you guys related to… my mom?
Abbey chattered away gladly. "Annette is the firstborn, and Amos, my father, came after. Simply put, we are cousins!" The other two artists with her proceeded to add more touches on Elaine's face in silence, only listening to the two talk.
"Abbey?" Elaine later on asked, troubled. This place seemed like an abode of weird wonders, and maybe having Annette on the mirror could be a somewhat normal occurrence here? "Would you believe me if I say that Annette has been here earlier? She was in the mirror."
For a moment, Abbey frowned. "Are you sure you're not seeing things? After all, you have just seen her portrait when we passed the hallways."
I don't think so, Elaine thought but did not comment further.
The artists then dedicated attention to finishing the makeup. It was silent among the four of them, except when Elaine was instructed to close her eyes or tilt her head in a particular direction. After a short time, they were done.
And just as Elaine faced herself on a full-length mirror, Abbey and the artists gushing on her, there was a series of knocks on the door.
Upon permitted entry, Ade stepped in quietly. He was about to say something until his eyes landed upon Elaine, and he smiled. "You are stunning," he complimented.
"Glad we all agree to that!" Abbey beamed as Elaine flushed.
"Seeing as she's ready, let's head out to meet the Cabinet secretaries," Ade said, then addressed his cousin. "They're quite excited to meet you."
The artists filed out, followed by Elaine and Abbey. Ade led the way to the room of meeting. They walked past portraits, which caught Elaine's interest. Names such as Dwaybard Bridger and Trustee Bridger lined the walls. But one particular tag caught her gaze: Jasinda Bridger (nee Willove). As they passed it by, her gaze traveled up to Jasinda's portrait, which depicted of a woman who had a rich golden hair and striking green eyes. The woman looked regal in the smile she displayed.
By chance, the name Jasinda was Zacharias' naughty cat. Elaine wondered if it was mere coincidence...
Ade walked slightly ahead to lead the way. Down the stairs, towards many corridors, and many lefts and rights, the three individuals finally made it to the right room, where they entered a hall.
Upon stepping in, Elaine was greeted with lively chatter and merry laughter. They did not yet notice her. However, the moment Ade and Abbey appeared beside her, her presence was acknowledged too, and a wave of silence deafened the room as all eyes turned to her. Her heart drummed in nervous beats as she assessed them with wide eyes.
Men and women who wore bright red attires occupied every sit in the round table. There was about fifty of them in total. A variety of food and many sorts of wine, tea, coffee, and juice were served before every political figure, depending on their taste. In the middle of the full seats, there were three empty ones reserved for them.
Abbey separated from them to converse with a man among the table. Meanwhile, Elaine's fingers trembled, and her gloves couldn't conceal her jitters.
"Don't be nervous," Ade whispered to her closely as he delicately gripped her shaking fingers. "We're here with you."
"I-I still don't understand why I'm here," she mumbled back and went to their seats with composure while Abbey laughed aloud in the room. "What's happening here? Why am I suddenly meeting all these people?"
"Everything will be explained, don't worry," he reassured.
All eyes moved to Elaine when Abbey resumed her spot next to her. Nervous, Elaine nudged Ade and lowered her eyes to her lap. "What now? Do they want me to talk?"
Ade's eyes moved to a particular seat, which was empty. "No, you don't have to say anything. My father's not yet here." When she blinked at him, he said, "Amos, that is."
"Oh, I don't think daddy's doing well today," Abbey remarked.
However, the president did not appear as expected. When Abbey was done with her speech, Elaine wished to end this right now as she shrunk back in her seat.
"Secretary Leroy," Ade called out, his voice booming in the room, which made some flinch as his sharp eyes glared at the short man. "Is the president attending or not?"
"Oh, I forgot!" Leroy squeaked, fiddling with his bright red bowtie in anxiousness. Pushing his chair back, he stepped up on it to elevate his height, pulled on his collar and announced in a thundering voice: "Good afternoon, Cabinet secretaries! As President Amos is feeling ill, I stand before you to speak for his behalf. Today we celebrate the return of Annette's daughter!"
A round of deafening applause followed after the announcement as the secretaries stood up, and so did Abbey and Ade. "To the daughter's return!" They cheered simultaneously.
Not knowing how to react, Elaine forced a smile and crinkled her eyes to make it seem genuine.
Leroy then cleared his throat, and continued, "Welcome home, Elaine!" Bending down to the table, he snatched his cup of tea and raised it to the air that its contents spilled. "Welcome home!"
Every glass, mug, and cup, empty or full, was raised to the air as everyone shouted in joy, "Welcome home, Elaine!"
The room was filled with merry laughter and joyful chatter, bringing comfort and belonging to Elaine's heart, causing her to stand as well and raise her own empty cup in the air with a beaming smile. "Thank you for welcoming me! I appreciate the warm greetings!" She announced sincerely, which aroused the crowd to clap.
That afternoon, they ate and dined. Everyone talked to seatmates and greeted Elaine with smiles. Each of them approached her and exchanged a short conversation about how she's doing and where she's been, to which Elaine answered that she's been doing great and that she has been with her grandparents. They then complimented her dress and her features, which filled her up brightly.
The interaction boosted her confidence but exhausted her. After the meeting, Ade and Abbey led her back to her room. They happily discussed what had transpired. And before Elaine was aware of her time to return to Zacharias and Sarah, she was heavily asleep on the queen-sized bed as Ade gently put the blanket on her and Abbey switched off the light. They then left her as the lamp glowed softly to illuminate Elaine's serene face.
That night, she had dreams of Wonderland: that she was Alice, and that she met Chaz, who was the Cheshire Cat; Ade, who played as the Mad Hatter; and Amos, who was the Red Queen in a fat dress. The dream played on that Jasinda the cat filled the role of the White Rabbit, who led Elaine into Motherland. It depicted weird scenarios of many things, that Chaz the Cheshire Cat played with everyone in the Country, that Ade the Mad Hatter laughed at everyone who was lower than him... and that Amos the Red Queen wanted her head off.