I opened the door to find three young women waiting on the other side. All of them were wearing ankle-length navy-blue dresses with long sleeves. The dresses had thin ruffles of white lace that stood up from the round neckline and decorated the end of each sleeve. Each one wore a small navy veil that was pinned to their hairline. These veils let me see their eyes, unlike the one Regina wore.
Finally, my rapt perusal took me to their faces and hair. All the women wore a hairstyle similar to my cousin Regina's: a tight high bun. It looked uncomfortable and made their brows arch high. Their uniform appearance even echoed in their height because all the women were about as tall as I was. But, despite the plainness of their attire, the dresses looked adorable on them, and I wanted one.
The women curtsied as one with a hand gracefully laid on their hearts. "We welcome the hope of our world, Our Lady Elect Madeline."
My drooling over their dresses turned into nervous fidgeting. "Uh, don't go bowing and scraping to me. I don't know what to do with that. And look, you don't need to help me with my bath. I'm fine. I've been bathing for nearly eighteen years."
Then the girl on the left, who had light brown hair, twisted the skirt of her dress. "Please allow us, My Lady. Master Luke will reprimand us if we don't help you with your Elect robes and your hair." Her cupid's bow mouth turned down with distress. She was adorable, and I wanted to cuddle her.
The maid on the right gave a brief curtsey. "Elect Madeline. Please allow us, My Lady" She had shiny black hair and eyes like copper pennies shone behind her veil - also adorable. Those eyes were staring holes into my face. She must have realized how intense she looked, for she blushed suddenly and bowed her head.
The one in the center had hair the color of wheat, and her eyes were amber-shaded with vertical pupils, like a cat. Her stare was open and hostile, which made me raise a brow. When she realized that I was noticing her attitude, she looked away.
Her expression remained stony, even if she no longer directed it at me.
"Did I steal your cat or something?" I asked her with a cross of my arms.
She returned her attention to me with a challenging glare. "No, My Lady," the girl said in a sullen tone.
Hmm. Weird.
The girl with black hair stomped on the blonde girl's foot and hissed. "Apologize to the Elect, you awful child!"
"Oh, Whoa! Don't do that!" I touched the blonde girl's arm. "Hey, you okay?"
She stepped away from my outreached hand. "It's fine."
"Please forgive us, My Lady," Jeanne said with a sidelong glance at the blonde. "Beth is new, and we'd no idea she'd behave so."
The rude girl was trying to burn a hole in the carpet with her eyes. I shrugged at her puzzling attitude as I came to my own conclusion. "I get it. New girl - still learning the ropes. Hate your job -- and since I'm the job, you hate me too? That about right?"
She bobbed a curtsey but said nothing.
So I gave up trying to be nice to her and addressed only the other two women. "What are your names?"
Then the women gave each other furtive glances. Instead of giving me their names, the black-haired maid gestured at the garment rack. "We have brought the Elect's gown for you to wear, My Lady."
I noticed the rack held the same gray gown that Regina had been wearing. Really? I had to wear a big grey gunnysack? "I wanted to wear a nice dress. Is there anything like that I could wear?"
"All the Elect wear the gowns of Duir until they confirm their court at the Becoming Ceremony. After that, the court becomes her shield, and she may dress in colors in their presence," Black hair explained.
"That sounds... pretty repressive... how about no?"
Brown hair dared to raise her head to gawk at me with surprise. "No, My Lady?"
"That's right... miss?" Would she tell me her name this time?
She glanced at Black Hair as if looking for permission. When the woman made no response, she finally said, "Jeanne, my lady. If you say no, then you could not attend the Becoming Ceremony and would fail the trials by default..."
Oh. Failing the trials meant giving up my life and my friend's life. My lips pinched into an irritated moue. "Fine. Then, if I gotta wear this gunny sack, the least you all can do is tell me your names."
The black-haired girl lifted her veil to look at me directly, which earned a mystifying gasp from Jeanne. I glanced at her, baffled, before turning my attention back to the other girl. "In our society, it is not done to address your lowers by name. To do so suggests that you wish to raise them to your level, to be intimates instead of Master and servant. In lifting my veil, I am accepting your wish to be my intimate. I'm Elsie, My Lady Elect Madeline." Her eyes had regained that intensity I saw before as she met my gaze steadily."
Whaaaat? That was a lot to unpack. Asking a lower person's name was like asking them to be intimate? Whoa. "Where I'm from, it's just polite to tell someone your name when you first meet."
"Indeed," Elsie said with a nod, but her brows raised in a silent question. Was I going to take her as an intimate? I wasn't sure what she even meant.
I flapped my hands up and down, then said. "You can be my friends, how about that? I'd like some friends."
The intensity in Elsie's gaze grew hotter. "What we would like to be are your banmuinen in your court if you will accept us."
I stepped back and was sure I was going to be sorry I asked about this. "What's a Bahn Mun-een?"
"Your faithful ladies. A banmuinen is like a lady-in-waiting. We attend to you exclusively and stay in your presence just as you stay in the presence of your court." Jeanne brushed a wrinkle out of the robe hanging on the rack. Then, she nodded twice and turned around, lifting her veil as she gazed at me with a hopeful expression.
More decisions that weren't decisions. "I don't think I need Bran-muffins, but thanks."
"Banmuinen, my lady. We help as bodyguards, nurses, attendants, and for some... friends." Elsie hadn't stopped staring into my eyes. Her copper eyes were amazing but a little unsettling.
I turned away from her strangely mesmerizing gaze and addressed Beth, who hadn't been willing to give me her name. What had that meant, I wonder? Did they do her a big insult by revealing it? "What about you, Beth?" Perhaps if all three weren't on board, I could deny the request.
She clenched her fists but said in clipped tones, "It would be my honor to be chosen." However, the veil stayed resolutely down.
Because of her lack of enthusiasm, my eyes narrowed. If she didn't want it, why say yes? Then I sighed as I realized it would be difficult to sneak around if I had these three chaperones all the time. Still, having some girlfriends would be novel. I never had any. As I struggled with my loneliness and my wariness, loneliness won. I didn't trust this, but what was the old saying? Keep your friends close but your enemies closer? Yeah, that was what I was going to do.
"I don't see why I shouldn't accept you, I guess."
Jeanne made a brief yelp of delight, then clapped her hands over her mouth. Elsie beamed at the floor, and Beth, Beth looked angry. And Beth was the one that I was most interested in keeping my eyes on.
"Jeanne, bring our gowns too," Elsie said.
Jeanne darted out of my bedroom door and came back with a rack bearing three gowns of similar design, except they were navy like their maid dresses. She was quivering like she wanted to dance around the room. I smiled at her because Jeanne was beyond adorable. She was so excited about being this Ban-mulligan thing.
My arms itched to hug her. Although she was probably a conniving shrew sent here to disarm me, someone knew that I had pitiful resistance to a person who looked like a human Pomeranian. Could I blame Erick for this, too? Who else would know my particular kryptonite was cute things?
"Can I give you a hug?" I caved under the pressure of her sparkles.
She widened her eyes, then looked to Elsie. Elsie looked baffled and shrugged at Jeanne. Jeanne cautiously nodded at me.
With her permission granted, I lost no time. I pulled her into a tight hug. "You're so soft and cuddly, like a small, cute plushie, Jeanne!"
She was hesitant to hug me back but did. "Thank you, My Lady?" She sounded overwhelmed but giddy at the same time.
I grinned and hated that I was being insincere to this cute cinnamon roll. "I think we'll be good friends, Jeanne."
After I released her, she sputtered, seeming over the moon that I'd addressed her by name. " You wish to be friends?? I am an intimate of an Elect!" Jeanne blushed with pleasure.
And intimate? Hmm.. hope that just meant BFFs or something. I widened my lips into a fake grin. "Great! So, what's next? I want to get to my friends that were kidnapped with me as soon as I can. Oh, and before I forget, there was a guy in here."
All the women froze with scandalized expressions.
"A man who was not our Master in your room, My Lady? When?" Elsie asked.
"Just a few minutes before you arrived. He had pink hair and looked Asian."
Jeanne opened the door, "I will inform Master Luke, Elsie."
"I'll take that as a no, then, for it being okay?"
"Correct, My lady," Elsie replied. She whipped out a knife, to my surprise, as did Beth. "Please sit on the bed, my lady. I'll check the room for you. "
They walked into the bathroom, and I, being who I was, disobeyed them. As I followed them, I gave a low whistle.
My attached bathroom was almost as huge as my bedroom. In the center of the bathroom was a giant, rectangular tub that could seat about thirty. A chandelier hung over the tub that had many crystal pendants hanging by golden chains. A marble vanity was at the back wall of the bathroom, with two sinks and a tufted beige stool in front of it. The walls were a soft cream, and the marble floor was white, etched with gold. Long mirrors paneled the walls with foot-wide spaces between them. They were all in gilt frames, as well as the long, horizontal mirror in the back.
"Whoever did these rooms sure liked beige, brown, and gold," I remarked, boggling at the size of the bathroom.
"Emerlee was the mistress of these rooms, My Lady," Beth muttered. "They took the rooms from her upon your arrival."
Elsie pushed at Beth, who passed through the door that continued into what I assumed was the walk-in closet.
Oh. Maybe this was the reason that Beth was so angry. Guess I ousted a friend. "Well, if she wants them back, I'll see what I can do," I called after her.
She turned her head to blink at me, then nodded. Her hostility seemed to ebb a little. After a while, she came out of the closet while shaking her head. "There's no one, Elsie."
"Okay, great! How about you guys meet me in front of Luke's office?"
"My Lady, you might have difficulty with all the garments, so I —"
"No, I insist." I crossed my arms.
With a sigh, she said, "As you wish, my lady, at least allow me to draw the water for you."
I nodded.
I had just thought they'd draw the water and leave, but Elsie wouldn't go, although Beth did. With a sigh, I finally shooed her out of the bathroom, at least. She perched on the chair in my room until I was done with my bath. I'd wished that I had more time to enjoy it. The water was heavenly, and my skin felt baby-soft when I got out.
I came out of the bathroom wearing a dressing gown, and Elsie stood up. "I'll help you with your attire, my lady."
"That's unnecessary; I can manage." And I thought I could until I got a look at the accessories. I found a wide belt thing that laced up with strings, plus there was a slip that wrapped closed. The shoes were lace-up boots. Plus, there was the matter of the hair comb and veil.
"Um... maybe I was wrong. What's this thing?"
"That's called a corset, my lady. Haven't you ever seen one before?"
"Kind of, on a tv-show with underwear models. They didn't look this plain."
"It helps to hold you in and keep your posture tall."
"I'm pretty skinny already. I don't want to wear it."
"Very well, My Lady," she said with a sigh. "I shall help you with the rest."
"Uh... I'll get that slip thing on, then you can tie it around me," I said with a blush. The only person who had seen me completely naked was my mother. I wanted to keep it that way.
"Yes, My Lady." A smile flitted across Elsie's face, followed by a polite nod. She turned her back until I was decent.
Finally, I was dressed about twenty minutes later. I blew at the veil in front of my face while tugging at the tight bun in my hair. It hurt as much as it had appeared to on Regina.
Jeanne returned with news that Luke wanted to see me right away. Elsie and Jeanne stayed to change into their robes, so I opened the door to go see Luke alone.