Imperfect Revenge

Chapter Three.

    The morning of the wedding set the house into a set of constant turmoil. The house had only six workers on a day to day basis but ten more had been hired. It seemed Vyrna's wish for a small wedding would not be granted. She had spied from Vyrna's balcony, the carriages lined up for the wedding. They extended far beyond the estate's view and Desmira counted forty-two in her line of eyesight.

    She and Rin had meant to leave her to her bridal dreams the night before but Vyrna insisted she wanted to spend her last night as a maiden with the two people most precious to her in the entire world. Rin scoffed, saying that Desmira was only a child. There was no malice in the words however so Desmira avoided pointing out the fact that was barely three spins her senior. A terse tolerance had formed between the two. Although Rin was far from friendly, she kept the biting remarks to a minimum and stopped glaring every time Desmira opened her mouth.

    "Out of my way, please!" A harried-looking young woman in maid's clothing came crashing past her, holding a large swell of fabrics. She collided with Desmira's shoulder and the clothes flew from hands, splaying the ground with the fabrics. Desmira could see the girl was fighting tears, so she helped her up and silently began gathering up the clothes to hand to her.

    Sniffling, the maid murmured thanks and slipped past, resuming her fast pace as soon as she realized she had somewhere to be.

    Desmira was currently wandering the manor. She had awoken to an empty and cold bed and last night's dinner had left her system. She quickly got lost looking for the kitchens for a bit of bread and had no idea what to do. She sent up a prayer to Raq and started making her way cautiously, having learned her lesson about getting in people's way. Many more people came thundering down the halls but none stopped when Desmira attempted to ask for directions.

    When she thought she would miss the wedding from pure stupidity, she heard Vyrna's giggling voice echoing through the floor and followed it to the tailor's room she had been in last night.
   
     Vyrna stood with her back to Desmira, looking at herself in the mirror. Rin stood to her right, also studying her appearance through the reflection. The dress was half backless and Desmira saw her delicate shoulder blades and lean tan back first. Her curly hair had been flipped to her advantage and tucked into a beautiful intricate bun at the base of her neck. Through the mirror, Desmira could see her front side and thought her heart would burst from joy. The sweetheart neckline did well to push up her well-rounded breasts, but enough to be scandalous. Her eyes had been lined with kohl, and a shimmery lilac color was smeared on her lids. Her skin was impossibly smooth, cheekbones so high and fair that she looked as if she was one of Raq's concubines. Her lips were a deep pink color that Desmira would've thought to be natural if she hadn't seen her natural lips enough times to memorize their shape and color. The skirts that were beautiful last night looked absolutely breathtaking now as they poofed out from her hips and legs.
   
     Catching sight of Desmira through the mirror, Vyrna twirled around. The gown flowing impossibly perfect around her, she glowed. "Doesn't it look fantastic, Dezzy?" She asked with the air of someone who knew the answer to her own question.
"You look nothing less than the princess of the gods, Vi," Desmira said simply, looking at her bare feet to avoid her friend's eyes. Vyrna was shining so brightly that Desmira thought she might get dizzy if she looked too long.

       "Hey, I get that you're Vyrna's pet orphan and all but you have to get ready. The ceremony is in two spans and you're for some reason, the Honor's Maid so you're kind of needed at the wedding." Rin snapped from her place beside Vyrna. Desmira realized that the girl was ready. Her face was done up and her light brown hair was in plaits wrapped artfully around her head. Her gown was of the same fabric as Desmira's but the style was a bit showier, accentuating her breasts. Harshly reminding Desmira of her own flat chest.

     Figuring a compliment couldn't hurt, Desmira said, "I think you look beautiful, Rin." She wasn't lying either. Rin looked gorgeous in her perfectly tailored attire.

     Rin didn't sneer at her but she didn't smile either. Instead, she said rather curtly, "I thank you. Now go on, you're being waited on."

      Heeding her, Desmira walked into the bathing room she had bathed in last night to find Chrys and a woman she didn't recognize. They immediately pounced on her, stripping her of her clothes.

    Desmira let herself succumb to the whim of the two ladies as they eased her into the well-like bathtub, which smelled very strongly of cinnamon. This time brushing through her hair did not take as much time as before and she was pulled from her peaceful equity all too soon. Bringing her to a chair, within the bathroom, Chrys began pulling and tugging at her hair. The other woman had four jars beside her and began smoothing each one into her body. When Chrys finished her hair, she began on her face.

      The effect was hypnotizing. Desmira had particularly fallen asleep when she was prodded wide awake by Chrys, the other woman had left. She was led into the tailoring, stark naked, yet again. Still drowsy from the deep massage she had received, Desmira stepped meekly into her dress and Chrys quickly fixed up the straps and tightened the waistline. Small black and well-polished shoes were fitted onto her feet.

     "Would you like to see your reflection, miss?" Chrys whispered to her. Blinking the last bits of tiredness from her eyes, Desmira agreed, thinking she wouldn't get the chance to see herself so lavish again.

     They were alone in the room, she realized as Chrys helped her up to the pedestal that Vyrna had been standing on just a little while ago. She gazed into the mirror and gasped.

     She hardly recognized herself. Her perpetually matted hair had been brushed and sleeked down with oil so her hair hung freely down to her elbows like a black waterfall. The dress that had been poor-fitting last night was better tightened around the waist and instead of pooling on the ground, it barely kissed the floor.  Her face had been completely beautified. Her skin was abolished of any blemishes and her lips shone and glimmered with a tint of pink when she turned her head. Her eyes were slightly outlined in black but her eyelids were bare. Her hazel colored eyes were slanted as she took in the effect.

    If Vyrna had been the most beautiful bride, and Rin the most seductive mistress, Desmira looked like the most innocent maiden. "Oh my Raq." She whispered. Chrys beamed up at her, delighting in Desmira's reaction.

     "Okay, come! You have to learn the Honor's Maid vows." Chrys said, pulling Desmira from her own reflection to look at her. Desmira marveled at the way her sleek and pin-straight moved around her head as she moved. "We only have a halfspan until everything begins. I was Honor's Maid for my sister so I was tasked with teaching them to you."

     Desmira bit her lip worriedly and Chrys hurried to assure her. "They are quick and you only speak twice, it's easy. I promise." She shot Desmira a sly grin. "From what I hear, you're quite the leaner."
Desmira couldn't help but smile back. "Alright, what are they? I'm needed elsewhere so I suppose we'll have to do this as fast as possible."

     "No, we most certainly do not!" Exclaimed Chrys. "If you mess up your vows, the whole wedding will be a joke. It is better to be late and proficient than on time and a loser." She said crossly.

     Desmira tugged on a chunk of her perfect hair, somewhat annoyed. "Well, if you'd start already, I could begin learning and get to the halls quicker. But I promise to memorize to the best of my ability." She added solemnly. She took promises very seriously.
Seeming satisfied with this, Chrys nodded. "Repeat after me, miss. . ."

     As Desmira tried to focus on Chrys' tutoring, she could ignore not her growing twinge of unease.