I woke to find Marren standing on my balcony. He wore casual clothing, a red tunic with a brown leather vest and pants, as opposed to his normal concealing robes. His black hair danced in the wind, sparkling in the sunlight as he stared into the distance.
I stood, grabbing my clothes and moving to the other side of the window to change so he didn’t see me. I pulled on the halter bodice and pants, quickly tying them and then slipped on the boots. I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to braid it back to keep it from falling into my face. I sauntered next to Marren as memories from the night before crept into my mind.
“Do you not trust me?” I asked.
“What makes you ask that?”
I didn’t detect a hint of emotion.
“Because I tried to leave my room last night and couldn’t. The doors were locked. You acted like I committed a grave sin when you found me in the woods and lied to me on top of it.”
He looked down at my hand and grabbed it to examine it. I had forgotten all about bruising it. The swelling was gone, and a small ring of yellow-green was all that remained. He raised his eyebrows at me. “You hit the door?”
“I was angry. Going back to that, do you not trust me?”
“I had nothing to do with your doors being locked. The palace does, and it was trying to protect you.”
“From who?”
“Me. My kind.”
“What do you mean your kind?” I asked getting flustered again.
“Did you go through the book?”
“Yes, I did. The entire thing, but I can’t read any language other than Common and what was written in Common didn’t make any sense.” I tried my best to stay calm, but the growing anger in me wouldn’t fade. He was acting so cold and distant.
“I’ll run a bath for you. You should relax for the rest of the day. Tomorrow, I will start training you and answering the questions you still have.” Without another word, he walked away. I stayed on the balcony, letting the sun soak into my skin, dissolving the anger within me. The air carried with it a faint sweet blossomy aroma that made me smile. The garden had started to bloom.
I turned leaving the balcony for my room and then the door. When I stepped into the hall, the old servant woman met me smiling again. I smiled in return, and in a thick accent she said, “Follow me.”
We stopped in the bathing room door. Rose petals and lilacs wafted to me, making my head lighter. The woman sat bottles of soap on the side of the tub and twisted a crank to stop the water from pouring into the bath that had puffed up bubbles. A quiet fizzing sound replaced the loud rush. She bowed her head, still smiling, then left me to bathe in peace.
The water was hot and nice. I stepped to the middle of the tub, able to stand with the water up to my chest. I smoothed the suds over my body and slipped under the surface to wet my hair. I swam to the edge, finding a ledge to sit on. I sniffed each bottle of soap oil, finding one that was sweet and airy, like the garden, and poured the liquid on the top of my head. While I rinsed, I found myself captivated by the sky above me. I nestled up into a corner, laid my head back against the edge of the tub, and gazed at the clouds floating by weightlessly.
The servant woman appeared, holding a pile of clothing and towels. She helped me out of the tub and let me dry myself but insisted on helping me dress despite my plea for her not to.
The clothing was intricate. The sheer, white underdress had a fitted bodice that tied in the back. The dress was a stunning red that was soft and light, like velvet. It laced up the back with a silk ribbon. The belled sleeves were adorned with clear crystals that caught and reflected the light in tiny beams of gold.
The woman helped me into each, ending with a pair of slippers to match, and then brushed my hair. She pulled strands of hair from the sides of my head and added them to the thick braid in the back. A metal comb scratched my head as it slid in place above the braid. I touched it, fingering gems of different shapes and sizes, then turned to face the woman who beamed proudly. She uttered another thickly accented command for me to follow her, grabbed my hand, and led me out into the hall. We stopped at the top of the stairs, my gaze found Marren at the bottom with his back toward me. My heart flipped.
The servant woman uttered a mouthful of an enchanting language, drawing Marren’s attention. He turned, lifted his eyes to me, and said something back, never breaking his stare. My cheeks rushed with warmth as I smiled nervously.
The servant woman ushered me forward. I took each step carefully, not wanting to slip and fall. I gripped the wooden railing that seemed to move underneath my hand as it slid down its breadth. My eyes leveled with Marren’s as I reached the bottom stair.
“You’re so beautiful.” He breathed the words as if it was the most truthful thing he’d ever said.
“Thank you,” I said. Fear of making a fool of myself prevented me from saying anything more. He held out his arm for me. I slipped my hand into the crook and let him escort me to the garden.
It took several moments of slow and deep breaths for me to say, “Can I ask what the occasion is?”
“It’s a surprise.”