Heidi gently knocked on the door to the room Charlotte and Anna shared. The sisters could have easily gotten separate rooms and different maids but they seemed to like doing things together. Anna had insisted she stayed with Charlotte even when sir Gideon suggested for another room.
Heidi knocked again before she stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her. She only had two goals, she had to finish with the sisters and quietly leave in order to use the gown. As soon as there was an opportunity, she would take the flower and return to Charlotte and Anna.
Her eyes fell on the sisters who were still sleeping even though the day had broken already. This must be the life of the nobles, Heidi thought, and the sisters were definitely not an exception. Heidi gently walked towards the window and pulled the curtains apart, letting the sun rays into the room.
"Rise and shine miladies" Heidi chimed with a smile.
Lady Anna stirred, rubbing her eyes. "Oh my goodness, it's morning already! I'm still in bed!" Charlotte sat up, her blonde hair disheveled, and chuckled. "That's probably because you wouldn't stop daydreaming about the first prince"
Heidi smiled, "I'll prepare your bath miladies"
"Ah, please add extra lavender and jasmine to mine, I want to smell the best today" Anna muttered taking off her night gown.
Charlotte sighed, "you might as well drink the lavender Anna"
Anna stuck her tongue out at Charlotte as she walked towards the bathroom.
Charlotte laughed, the sound of her laughter was melodious to the ears, "grow up Anna".
"Growing up sounds stressful, I'd rather not." Anna sighed in bliss as she stepped into the bath tub, the warm water and sweet scent of jasmine enveloping her. "I could stay here forever"
Charlotte nodded stepping into the tub, her hair flowing like silk in the water. "True, but you'd miss the celebration"
Anna's eyes sparkled as soon as she remembered the celebration, "I'm a bit bothered though, I heard the first prince has never touched a woman. Is that true Heidi?"
Heidi gulped inwardly, her hands moving deftly as she applied the oil to Anna's hair, the fragrance of lavender filling the air. "It's mostly rumors milady." Heidi replied wishing Anna wouldn't drag her into their conversations.
"Right" Anna muttered, "it wouldn't make sense if that was true"
"At this rate, we would be late for the celebration" Charlotte said adding a little more jasmine to her water, the petals floating on the surface.
Heidi nodded glad that Charlotte wanted to speed things up, she also had to be fast and get that flower on time. Thankfully, they were soon done with the bath and moved on to pick their clothes.
Anna brought out a silver gown with pearls and diamonds adorning it and another wine coloured gown with similar and beautiful designs. "Tell me Heidi, which gown would make me more attractive." Anna asked holding up the gowns, her eyes shining with excitement.
Heidi looked at the two gowns for a while, her mind racing with thoughts of the Pisali flower, before pointing out the silver gown. "I think this would suit you better milady."
Charlotte nodded, "I said the same thing earlier. I think I'll go with this green gown"
Heidi turned to look at lady Charlotte who had already worn her gown, the silk fabric hugging her curves perfectly. Unlike Anna, Charlotte barely needed any help with things, her elegance and poise natural. Heidi admired the lady as she looked stunning in the silk gown, her hair styled perfectly.
She quickly helped Anna put on her gown, the silver fabric shimmering in the light, before styling her ginger brown hair, the curls bouncing with each movement. "You look beautiful milady." Heidi said and Anna raised her head to look at her reflection on the mirror, a smile spreading across her face.
"You have styled my hair so beautifully Heidi, thank you" Anna said sincerely.
Heidi bowed, "the pleasure is mine milady" She helped the girls with their shoes, the soft leather creaking as they slipped them on, and in no time they were ready to leave, the sound of their laughter and chatter filling the air.
The grand castle was flooded with guests, the air thick with the scent of exotic spices and freshly baked bread. It was as though everyone was competing to look better than the other, their exquisite silk and lace gowns shimmering in the light of the crystal chandeliers. Heidi's eyes widened as she took in the kaleidoscope of colors, the soft rustle of fabrics and the gentle hum of conversation filling her ears. She had never seen so many colors except the day she had gone to the market with Mrs. Doris, where the vibrant hues of fresh produce and colorful trinkets had left her in awe.
Another thing she noticed was the slaves that some of the guests owned, their eyes cast downward, their movements hesitant. Even though they were not given the best treatment, Heidi was grateful to be a slave at the grand castle and not somewhere else, where the conditions might be even more dire. She had heard rumors of the black market, where slaves were traded for money or other valuables, the very thought sending a shiver down her spine.
Heidi's eyes fell on a particular scene that played out before her, the sound of laughter and music momentarily fading into the background. A slave had mistakenly stepped on the guest who happened to be her mistress, the woman's shrill cry echoing through the hall. "How dare you step on my precious heel? These cost 5,000 gold coins and even if your entire generation worked endlessly, you couldn't afford it!" the lady vented, her voice dripping with venom, her face red with rage. The surrounding guests watched, their faces a mixture of fascination and disgust.
"Forgive me, mistress, I deserve to die," the slave begged, already on her knees, her voice trembling, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Of course, you deserve to die," the lady muttered, her gaze cold, calculating. The other guests laughed, the sound sending a chill down Heidi's spine, their eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and cruelty.
"That's enough, Lady Niyassa," Charlotte sighed, her voice calm, soothing, like a gentle breeze on a summer's day. "She apologized already, besides, you can clean it off yourself."
Niyassa scowled, her face darkening, her eyes flashing with anger. "This is none of your business, Charlotte," she spat, her voice venomous. she reverted her gaze to her slave, "get on with it"
"Didn't you hear? That's enough," Anna said softly, her hand on the slave's arm, her touch gentle, comforting.
Niyassa scowled, visibly irritated, her gaze flicking to Anna, then back to her slave. "Whatever, you just have to spoil the fun," she muttered, knowing that the Baron held more power than her father did, she decided to leave, her skirts rustling as she turned away, her slave following closely behind, their footsteps echoing through the hall.
Heidi smiled internally, she was glad that she was assigned to Charlotte and Anna. The sisters were both very kind and noble in their actions. Her smile faded when she remembered the task at hand. She had to find an opportunity to slip away.