Lily slowly stepped away from the mirror and walked to the bathtub. The maid stared at her, urging her to obviously take her clothes off. At first, Lily was a bit hesitant, but she slowly took off her dress, which slipped from her body just like an oversized cloth.
She quickly took the chance to enter the tub while the maid wasn't looking. Luckily, she didn't have to cover the upper part of her body since the water was full enough.
The maid turned with some things in her hands, and she placed them down. Picking a bowl and filling it with water, she poured it on Lily's head, down to her body.
The water touched her skin and she flinched a little, yet, it felt so soothing even with the wind whispering to her face.
The maid then began washing her hair, and Lily didn't even know when she began feeling sleepy. The maid's hands, were just so soothing for her scalp that she immediately felt drowsy.
As the maid's gentle fingers massaged her scalp, her eyelids grew heavier, surrendering to the soothing sensation. The warm water cradled her, and the maid's hands moved with a motherly tenderness, strangely washing away her worries. With each stroke, the girl's drowsiness deepened, until she finally succumbed to sleep, feeling safe and protected. For the first time, she let go of her fears, allowing herself to be enveloped in a sense of security after so long, much like a child in a mother's loving arms.
The maid noticed that the girl had slept off whilst washing her hair, and she smiled and continued to do things gently so as not to wake her up. She had noticed the dark circles under her beautiful blue eyes, and she felt pity knowing the girl had definitely missed a lot of sleep. Thank goodness the king brought her to the castle.
When Lily was done with her bath, feeling so clean and refreshed, she was put into a pretty yellow dress. A dress fit for a noble.
The kind maid had her sit on the chair as she oiled and brushed her hair gently after drying it. After she was done, Lily stared at herself in the dressing mirror. She was still very thin, but she looked cleaner and prettier.
Even the maid couldn't help but stare at the miss, she was so pretty. A little flesh was what she needed, is all.
She was even prettier than his majesty's mistresses.
"You look so pretty my lady," Lily sported a smile back to the maid for her generosity, her cute dimples appearing on both sides of her cheeks.
But the smile slowly left her face the moment she remembered where she was. She turned to the maid again, seeming bothered by something.
"Do you…..do you know where the king is?"
"Oh, his majesty isn't in his chambers at the moment," the maid answered, making Lily slightly nod her head, a wave of relief washing over her body.
"Would you like me to tell his majesty that you request to see him?"
Her eyes went wide as soon as she heard that question, "No! No!"
It was the maid's turn to be stunned, to see how she had answered in such a rush, looking frightened. Lily noticed the shock on the maid's face and she immediately thought of what to say.
"N-No I mean, I wouldn't want to disturb the king. Um…I was wondering if you wouldn't mind telling me your name?" she asked, trying to change the subject.
The maid was silent for some seconds, before bringing back a smile on her face. "My name is Hannah, my lady."
Lily sported a weak smile, "oh, nice to meet you Hannah. I am Lily."
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, my lady." Lily slightly frowned, wondering why she was still calling her 'my lady'.
"Please, call me Lily," she insisted.
"Oh, alright. I'll see you soon lady Lily, I need to return to the kitchen." Hannah said before leaving the room, leaving Lily feeling dumbfounded.
"It's just Lily-" she tried to correct her, but the maid had already closed the door, causing her to sigh as she sat back on the bed.
She turned to the window and brought her knees to her chest as she hugged them. She gently rested her head on them and stared out the window, with her mind trying it's best to be calm.
~
Hannah pushed the trolley into the royal kitchen where many maids worked. As soon as Hannah got in, two maids immediately rushed towards her, causing her to jolt in fright.
"Goodness! Do you two want me to die early?" she asked in annoyance.
"Of course not Hannah," the one with brunette hair rolled her eyes, before grinning at her. "Now. Tell us about the girl his majesty brought in yesterday.."
"Yeah, what's she like?" The other maid beside her, who's hair was darker, asked.
"Well, there really isn't much for me to tell you two," Hanna said as she moved to stack the plates.
"Oh come on! We want to know what she looks like, is she pretty?" the brunette asked again, looking so excited to know. All of them had seen the king bring in a girl, in his arms yesterday. They were just as shocked as they were curious. Nobody knew who the girl was to the king, that's why they were dying to hear from Hannah, since she was the lucky one to be appointed as her personal maid.
"Well, she's very pretty," Hannah confirmed.
The two maids suddenly squealed loudly and it made the other maids glance at them.
"Keep your voices down! You two," Hannah frowned at them.
"Sorry. I can't wait to see her!" the brunette squealed yet again.
"Is she here to work?" The other one asked, looking clueless.
"No, you lummox. She's his majesty's girl!" The brunette frowned at the girl for asking such a stupid question.
"Oh….right."
"Well you two can't see her now. She is meant to stay in her room and rest, until she's a lot better." Hannah said.
"I thought you said she was pretty! Is she that ugly??" The girls both asked again, feeling confused. Hannah slapped her palm against her forehead as she shook her head, "no, no….I meant the lady is unhealthy."
"Oh.."
Hannah sighed before leaving them on the spot to continue working before the head maid caught them gossiping.
~
In the depths of a dimly lit room, where shadows danced upon the walls, a few flickering candles and the soft moonlight streaming through the open window cast an eerie glow. Amidst this haunting ambiance, a blue crystal ball on a bedside table radiated an ethereal light, illuminating the young lady lying motionless on the bed. Her hands rested on her stomach, and though her eyes were closed, her eyelids fluttered rapidly, betraying the turmoil of her subconscious.
She seemed to be having a dream, and she was trapped in it, and her sudden gasp shattered the silence as she jolted upright.
Breathless and wide-eyed, she sat up, her chest heaving with each ragged breath. The memories of her dream lingered, refusing to be shaken. With an air of determination, she turned to the blue crystal, lifting it gently from the table. Cradling it in her hands as well as the seashells and cowries wrapped around her wrists glowed.
She closed her eyes, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Mother of the tides, ancient one. Please whisper your secrets to me."
A gust of wind swept through the room, sending her raven-black hair swirling around her. Yet, she remained still, a statue of concentration, as she awaited the crystal's revelation. The silence was broken by a soft, whispery voice that echoed in her mind, imparting secrets and mysteries that only the crystal knew.