Long Live

VIII

Andrea

No dreams greeted me that night, for I needed the rest far too much. When I awoke, my limbs took awhile to recover. Eventually, I regained the strength to lift myself from under the covers and stretched. I looked around the room again, finding dressers in a darker shade of the reddish hue that the rug was. The handles were gold, and a part of me wondered if it was real. I slowly opened the top drawer and was met with undergarments of various colors, mostly white. I stripped from my clothes, suddenly disgusted in myself for sleeping in such a nice bed covered in dirt. I tried on the first brassiere that I pulled out. It was a tiny bit too small. The second brassiere that I tried on, however, was a perfect fit. I found other undergarments that fit, then headed to the clothing racks on the other side of the room. The racks were teeming with dresses, bodices and skirts of many shapes, colors and sizes. I could only imagine Robin's reaction if she saw me in this room, let alone saw me try to create outfits from these pieces.

"You know damn well you have no idea what you're doing there! You don't belong!" She would spout. "Just grab a dress and go!"

Taking my imaginary sister's advice, I focused on the dresses. Some were too small, some were too big, but most were my size. After roughly twenty minutes of deliberating, I pulled an emerald green dress over my head and down my body. The dress had thin sleeves with tiny holes that allowed me to see through and a square neckline. The cuffs, neckline and the bottom of the dress were trimmed with gold. While I was trying to figure out a pair of shoes that suited my dress and fit, a figure entered through the door. The person that faced me was merely a boy, maybe a few years younger than myself

"Hello?" I turned to him with a quizzical stare. He bowed.

"Ms. Andrea, my name is Xavier. I'm supposed to be getting you ready for the day, but it appears you have already gotten mostly prepared." His lips turned downward in a frown and he fidgeted his weight back and forth on his feet.

"Well, um, you can help me with shoes! What do you think goes with this dress?" I held up two pairs and watched for his reaction. The boy's face lit up as he pointed. The pair in question was of a few inch tall heels that matched the trim of the dress.

Another team of servants entered the room soon after. This team came bearing jewelry and all sorts of powders for my face. By the time I was summoned to the common room and away from my chambers, I had been made up like a doll. The powder on my nose and cheeks shone so bright that looking in the mirror hurt my eyes. A female servant had done my hair into a half up, half down up-do, with tight curls hanging from below the bun on the top of my head. Pieces had been removed from the bun to frame my face. I felt the prettiest I ever had.

In the common room, I was surprised to see so many people. Ten girls, including myself, surrounded the dining table. The table was set with mountains of various foods, some that I recognized and others that I did not. Xavier directed me to my chair, though I had already known where I was to sit. He then asked me what I wanted to eat.

"What is all of this stuff?" I whispered, where only he could hear. He went down a list of the items, which included eggs, assorted pastries, different types of meat, and a variety of fruits. I asked for a plate of sausage, eggs and strawberries. For a drink, Xavier poured me a mug of coffee with milk and sugar in it.

The girls around me appeared to know each other in various ways. Anika, a brunette with dark skin who had an oval face and a straight nose that complemented her well-defined cheekbones, was speaking to a blonde girl with the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen. The blonde girl, according to Anika's conversation, was named Nickole. Various conversations were being held at the same time, and the woman across from me bounced between them. Eventually, she turned her focus on me.