IT was the first day of the birthday celebration. The sky was a brilliant blue without a cloud to be seen as if in commemoration of King Patrice’s birthday. Ceremonious cannons sounded off before noon, signaling the festivities had begun.
Having arrived at the Royal Palace the day before, Sonia and Chris were in their respective private chambers, which had been assigned beforehand. The festivities for the next three days would keep the King even busier than usual. Despite how close she was to Patrice, not even Sonia could make an appointment for a private meeting.
I wanted to ask him about the Clare line, but nothing can be done. Perhaps I’ll get a chance during the festivities, she told herself in an attempt at optimism, and decided to wash herself squeaky clean for the evening events.
“Ladies, help me get all dolled up, okay?”
The handmaids chimed, “Of course, milady!” and rolled up their sleeves.
“This is your long-awaited debut! By the time we’re done with you, no noblewoman could hope to wipe the floor with you!” one declared.
“That goes without saying! I’m itching to get started!” cheered another.
“You’re the best lady out there! It’s our job to ensure the other ladies and gentlemen realize that!” affirmed a third.
“...Uh...girls...?” Sonia squeaked. The approaching maids’ passionate vibes only served to unnerve her.
Why are they so gung-ho about this?! Sonia unconsciously tried to inch back, but the maids latched onto her arms and held firm against her back. They stripped her gown right off with ferocious smiles plastered on their faces. Sonia was simply dumbstruck by how quickly they had her undressed.
“A woman’s battle has already begun the moment she starts to get dressed, Duchess Sonia!” one handmaid declared.
“You’d best brace yourself!” warned another.
“Aim to become the foremost Queen Consort of our kingdom!”
“Huh? Er...I’m already engaged...” Sonia tried to argue, but the maids would have none of it.
Sonia discovered firsthand that handmaids also fought as troops in the terrifying battle all noble ladies staked their pride on.
The handmaids would exclaim, “This isn’t right!” and “That isn’t right!” as they toyed with Sonia’s appearance. Her preparations didn’t draw to a much-desired end until the evening sun was on the verge of setting.
“Phew! We should be done in time for the ball, Duchess Sonia,” a maid said.
“That’s wonderful, truly wonderful...” Sonia wheezed. The maids shared satisfied nods at the sound of Sonia’s genuine relief. Sonia was probably the only one who knew the reason for her relief differed from theirs.
After spending what felt like forever trying on one dress after the next before finally settling, they then claimed, “The lace needs to be moved” or “It doesn’t fit quite right,” and set about making the alterations. From there, they moved on to decide on a hairstyle and hair ornaments to go with the dress.
An uproar took place before the handmaids eventually agreed on a hairstyle. Then they had taken a horrendously long time before coming to terms on which hair ornaments to go with. After that, they’d meticulously picked out her gloves, necklace, and earrings. The jewelry Sonia brought from her castle were some of the salvaged Clare finery that had been repaired. For the finishing touch, they just had to coordinate her shoes, and she was done!
It’s over. At last... I’m beat! That was how Sonia honestly felt. It was so exhausting, she had fallen asleep at one point. I can’t believe I have to go through this whirlwind again tomorrow and the day after... As much as I like dressing up, there’s a limit to it. This is too much!
Indifferent to the handmaids, who were relieved to see they had altered the dress to satisfaction, Sonia let out a long sigh as she began to sit down.
“You’ll wrinkle the dress, milady!” one snapped, forcing her to jump back up.
“Please motion to us when you’d like to sit, milady. We’ll readjust your skirts to prevent wrinkles,” another handmaid instructed.
“I-I’m sorry,” Sonia apologized.
After deciding on a signal for sitting, Sonia was finally able to rest her weary feet. She looked over herself anew in the mirror.
She was wearing an evening dress meant for soirées. The silk satin dress was a dark pink hue of plum with a pale salmon pink lace overlay. The bodice was designed to tightly hug the contours of her torso. To keep the bosom from coming across as scandalous, lace lightly covered her chest up to her collarbone. Lace also decorated her sleeves, which had rhinestones scattered throughout.
Her long evening gloves were also made of silk satin. For the finishing touch, she wore a Clare family choker around her neck, and the gold ore gleamed when it swayed. Only the lace overlay daintily trailed across the floor, evoking an image of a garden of flower embroidery in blossom.
Sonia’s hair was pulled up high and allowed to tumble down in cascades. Once she got married, she would have to wind her hair or wear a veil at formal events, but that was yet to come. The handmaids had intentionally picked this style since she wouldn’t be able to wear her hair down at formal events forever.
“Duchess Sonia, would you like me to get you something light to eat?” one of the maids asked.
“That’d be lovely... If you would, please,” Sonia answered. When she directed her attention to the handmaid who offered to fetch her food, she realized the others who had been deafening with their squeals were gone.
“Where are the others?” she asked.
“They left to check on Sir Crisford’s preparations.”
“I was under the impression he already had people helping him...”
“He does, but we need to coordinate your outfits since he is serving as your escort tonight. It would invite gossip in the court if there wasn’t any coherence between your attire...” the maid said.
“Huh?” Sonia blurted out.
My escort? Wouldn’t it make more sense to call him her fiancé? The woman before Sonia was in service of the palace, unlike the handmaids she had brought with her. Maybe it doesn’t look like we’re engaged because of the huge age gap between us. But Sonia was too embarrassed to openly declare, “You mean he’s my fiancé.”
She’ll find out soon enough anyway, so I guess I can let it slide, she thought, and decided not to correct the woman.
Sonia gobbled up the cheese and ham sandwich the handmaid brought back for her and whittled away the time waiting for Chris to arrive. Around the time the evening star revealed its shine, Chris came to escort her.
“I barely made it in time...” he said.
Chris wore a long, dark green evening coat with a thick golden trim. Gold buttons embellished the simple white shirt underneath a vest with intricate salmon pink embroidery. A gold ore broach fastened the plum scarf around his neck.
His lower half featured leggings with some give. The cuffed, long boots that reached his knees were embellished with engravings. They were a shade of sienna.
His outfit used the same colors Sonia was wearing at strategic points, creating a sense of consistency when they were together. It overall came across mellow, neither indecent nor over the top, while still most becoming.
I should have expected as much from a palace knight, Sonia thought, mesmerized by his dashing figure despite herself. Looking at his face, she mentally noted, A shame he didn’t shave off that beard... and dropped her shoulders.
“It’s just as the maids said! You truly have bloomed beautifully into a delicate flower,” Chris said admiringly with a smile. Apparently he had also been appraising her.
Realizing he could read the self-conscious expression written on her face, Sonia couldn’t help but flush as she cast her eyes downward in embarrassment.
“As your escort, I had planned on serving as your ‘accessory’ and prepared a relatively simple attire. But when the two maids serving me heard about what transpired from your handmaids who came to check on me, it ignited their competitive spirit. ‘You need to strike more impact if you’re going to escort such a young lady!’ they claimed...before all five tackled me... It was impressive,” Chris recounted, his voice growing weak at the end. He must have been recalling the ordeal, for a cold sweat was running down his face. When one of the handmaids drew near, his large body flinched away.
Five maids... I can only imagine how dreadful that must have been. As it is, I was overwhelmed by just four. Sonia couldn’t help but giggle at the mental image of the five maids ganging up on Chris, forcing him to change into a completely different outfit.
“You’ve had quite the night, Sir Chris.”
“Quite the night? But we’re just getting started! Come along! Let’s enjoy ourselves to the fullest!” Chris replied, and offered his white-gloved hand. Sonia merrily chirped, “Definitely!” and took it.