Andraya walked out of the bathroom and through the closet that still blew her mind, she'd never seen so many clothes. She'd never even contemplating owning a wardrobe for the price of just one of the dresses she'd seen, and she still wasn't comfortable having the freedom to walk through to her bedroom to change. She was used to a ratty bath towel and having to get dressed in the bathroom.
The robe she wore was soft, of a fabric, she didn't recognize, and made her feel like a queen every time she put it on. She paused as she entered the bedroom and stared at several ball gowns spread out across her sized for giants bed.
"Abby" She called loudly in case her maid wasn't nearby.
"Yes, my Lady," Abby replied, coming into the room from behind her carrying several shoe boxes.
"What the heck is all this?" she asked, waving her hand towards the bed.
Abby smiled brightly, "Well, you're well enough now to join his Lordship for dinner, and he requires that everyone dress formally for dinner.
"Prom dresses, these are prom dresses, Abby. I've never worn a fancy dress before; I didn't go to my high school dances. You put me in one of these, and I'll die when I trip and fall down the staircase."
"His Lordship will be escorting you, he would never let you fall," Abby replied.
"Abigail, it is my first meal with him. I want to feel confidant and comfortable or at least as comfortable as I can be, so I can, I don't know, maybe focus on getting to know him instead of worrying about falling or getting caught on something." Andraya said, exasperated.
Abby eyed her mistress; the relaxed Andraya had been replaced with an anxious, worried, insecure young woman. " Maybe we can work up to full court dress," Abby said finally.
Looking down at the dress she was wearing, Andraya wasn't sure if Abby had gotten what she'd been trying to say. She had to admit the dress was probably way more comfortable than the ball gowns that belonged in the court of some Queen of a long-ago century, it was still uncomfortable, and it was white with flowing sleeves. She could see herself dragging the sleeves through something or spilling something on it.
She squashed the surge of nerves that made her want to vomit as a knock sounded at the door. Abby quickly opened the door and gave a bow to Niklaus as he walked into the room. His eyes swept over Andraya. She was in a simple empire-waisted dress that he would have classified more as a day dress than something for dinner, but the scent of anxiety that filled the room kept him from saying anything about the informal attire. " You look lovely, Andraya. Would you give me the honor of escorting you to dinner?"
He was rewarded with a smile, and he could see some of the anxiety ease as she took a deep breath and then walked up to him, "yeah that'd be" she broke off, " I mean yes, that would be lovely, thank you."
He held his arm out slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, she slipped her arm under his and rested her hand in the crook of his elbow. Andraya was grateful for the slipper style shoe as they walked down the hall where their rooms were and into the central part of the house. Niklaus paused momentarily at the grand double doors that opened into the formal dining room so he could take in her expression.
The formal dining room looked like something out of a medieval period drama. The room was long; heavy chandeliers gave a glow to the room. An aisle, the length of the room stretched from the doorway to a table large enough to seat ten standing above the rest on a dais. Long tables with benches were placed on either side of the aisle. The walls had, Andraya looked closer as they started moving towards the high table, honest to God torch rings.
She thanked Niklaus in a quiet voice as he held out one of the large ornate chairs seated in the middle of the high table. She supposed it would be the Lady's chair. Niklaus took the seat next to her, and before she could say a word, the first course was presented. Niklaus didn't speak, he just quietly ate, and the silence was such that she didn't feel like she could break it. By the time dessert was being brought out, Andraya was ready to cry, what an incredibly lonely, sad, and depressing meal, no laughter, conversation. It was just two strangers seated next to each other, eating in a heavy stiff silence.
"Stop," she said, pushing away from the table, causing the servant to freeze.
"My Lady, is something the matter?" Niklaus asked, his tone devoid of emotion
She looked down and him and took a huge breath, hiding the fact one of her hands was tightly gripping her dress on one side with one of the folds that flowed down from the bodice pleated by the empire waist of her skirt, the other hand she held out trying to keep it from shaking.
"Would you join me in my...ah...sitting room for dessert?" She stumbled through the query.
Niklaus looked at her outstretched hand for a long moment. Politeness dictated he accept her request, and propriety would frown on such a private setting as they were not blood-related. He stood and took her small and in his. "It would be my pleasure."
He let her lead this time as they walked back through the house towards the wing that held their rooms. She paused outside the ornately carved doors of her room but didn't open them; instead, she lightly pushed him towards his suite at the end of the hallway.
"Go change, please. Casual wear, something that you would relax and lounge in, not a suit. Come back in 10 minutes." She said firmly.
Niklaus gave her a small bow of his head, "As you wish." and walked towards his room.
Andraya dashed into her room and then to the bedroom as she called "Abby!"
"My Lady," Abby appeared in the doorway.
"Get me something I can wear casual, lounging, appropriate for his Lordship. Then I need the sitting room ah changed, get someone to move all the heavy furniture to the side. I need candles, the fire lit, the temperature changed. I want it cold enough the fire is nice, and then a table. Oh, and whatever else you can think of that can be done in the like 8 minutes, I have to make this happen. I should have said 15 minutes or no wait maybe an hour." Andraya rushed, pulling hairpins and trying to unzip the dress.
She was saved any further explanation when Mrs. Williams appeared. "Abby you worry about helping your mistress, I'll worry about setting the sitting room up for dessert as her ladyship requested."
Andraya sighed, grateful. It had been a spur of the moment idea, one she'd been thinking had been stupid because there wouldn't be time to do it right, but when she came out of her bedroom, the sitting area of her suite had been transformed. The dark ornate furniture was gone. A massive pile of pillows rested on the floor in front of the fireplace, a low table in the center that already had a selection of drinks and dessert waiting. The fire lit the room with a warm glow that chased away the chill in the air that was just enough that you wanted to get close to the fire but not quite enough to make you shiver.
She looked around the room; there were candles strategically placed to scent the air and provide just enough light to see. It was so relaxing that she closed her eyes and breathed for a few minutes until the knock on the door broke the moment. She walked over and opened it herself.
"Father, please come in." She moved aside, and Niklaus entered. He'd dressed down as much as possible for him, in a pullover and pants. He followed as Andraya led the way to the pile of pillows and waited until she'd settled before taking a seat across the table from him.
He watched and waited as she set everything out and fiddled with it.
"Was there something wrong with dinner?" he finally asked.
Her head jerked up, eyes wide, "Umm well, not really...I mean there was, and there wasn't," She replied.
He just looked at her. She sighed. "Ok, so there wasn't anything wrong with the food, but isn't it lonely. I mean you get all dressed up, which by the way is uncomfortable as heck to do once in a while, it's gotta be hell doing it every single day. You walk down there by yourself, you eat in that big fancy dining room alone. It almost brought me to tears, I couldn't take it."
Niklaus cleared his throat, it was lonely. She was right, he did all those things. "So you decided that we should have dessert like this?"
He said looking around the room, "yes." Andraya said firmly. "It's more comfortable, relaxed, it's, well, honestly, it's less intimidating. I didn't dare try to talk to you in that room like that. I mean, we're supposed to be getting to know each other, cause we're family now right. we can't do that like that. We can't just talk to each other when it's all stiff and proper."
Niklaus picked up his fork and the plate that held a delicate piece of cake. "Very well then daughter. What would you like to know?"