Frog Meets Girl

Chapter 15-- The First Day of the Rest of Her Life

            Sitting on the elaborate bench at her dressing table, she looked into the mirror in front of her and studied her reflection. She was pale, and although she had slept more than she’d expected last night, she had not slept well and the evidence was written in her eyes. Her eyelids felt sticky as she blinked away the sleep in her eyes.

With the tips of her fingers, she undid the ribbon at the end of her sleeping braid.  Then, she slowly began unwinding the plaits, starting at the bottom and working her way to the top. Her hair was thick and cool to the touch with a slight wave to it as it unraveled, falling easily down her back.

Who is this girl? This was the first time she had ever asked herself this question. The difficulty was that she did not know how to answer it, nor why it mattered that she have an answer.

Carefully, she chose her ornate silver hairbrush from a matching tray with a matching hand mirror, comb, and a variety of perfumes. Like many of her things, this brush also bore the likeness of the goddess Diana. She studied the woman’s face for a minute, attempting to glean some meaning from the passive face of the one chosen as her symbol.

Diana stared stoically off into the distance, refusing to aid Gabby’s search.

Gabby began to brush her tresses. Softly, hesitantly, she stroked the ends of her hair and began working her way to the top.

Around the time that Gabby was finishing, Acantha strode in. She did not say much, though that could be attributed to being put in her place the night before. Acantha could speak eloquently on the subject of holding a grudge, though she never would. It would give away a prized secret.

Gabby chose a gown, marveling that her choice was not based on someone else’s opinion this time. She did not choose the slate gray velvet gown with long sleeves because it would upset someone or prove a point. The sedate color and style suited her mood that morning, as well as the temperature. It was a rather simple dress with sleeves less puffy than was usual and simple slashes that allowed an embroidered white chemise underneath to peek through. A golden sash tied around her waist was the only real adornment. She would remember this dress with exactness for the rest of her life.

After adorning her hair simply with a net laced with pearls and allowing Acantha to spray her with lilac water, she walked into her sitting room for breakfast.

Later, as every detail of that morning repeatedly marched across her mind’s eye, she would be surprised at how calm that hour was. Someone had come to build up the fire in the cold hearth while she was gone and Will was relaxing on a puffy sofa cushion just outside the reach of the searing heat. His eyes were closed and his grim, froggy smile had a hint of satisfaction to it. Acantha wordlessly continued her stuffy embroidery after setting Gabby’s breakfast tray out on the side table.

Gabby ate as much as she could stand to swallow. The food all felt heavy in her abdomen as though cook had weighted every bite of bread with steel. Her ears were ringing as much from the silence in the room as from her buzzing thoughts. By her calculations, the earliest the messengers could arrive with news of the battle would be mid-afternoon. She would have to wait until after lunch.

Well, unless the battle had ended quickly. In that case, the messengers could be here much more quickly. Gabby wasn’t sure if she wanted to know that soon. Dread pulled at her arms and legs, making them sluggish. 

She tried to shake off her fears. Why was she so afraid? They had a capable army with strong leaders. Things could have gone very well, though the thought did not change the dryness of her mouth. If she did not distract herself soon, she would be dizzy from all of this.

Clearing her throat, she invited Will to come eat breakfast. Until then, he’d looked so content by the fire that she had left him alone.

He opened one eye slowly, and then the other. After enjoying a luxurious leg stretch that was reminiscent of a cat, he hopped over to the table she was sitting at to join her.