I laughed. "You can't be serious?"
Esmeralda, with her arm locked through mine, smiled and shook her head. "Nope. The Queen was very irritated."
I laughed again.
Alma, who was holding onto my other arm laughed and said, "When Esmeralda was younger she gave this palace a run for their money"
Junebug, who was holding onto Alma's arm nodded. "She's a hurricane. The palace is her center"
Esmeralda, Alma, and Junebug dressed me simply this morning. They said I was heading over to get a make over. How exciting! I dreaded what they were going to do. We were walking with our arm crossed into each other's and they were telling me stories of the palace.
Alma was put up for adoption as a child and Nina, one of the cooks, adopted her and brought her to the palace and they gave her a better life here.
Junebug's father worked in the stables and her mother died during childbirth. She wasn't sad when she talked about it, in fact Junebug was a very sweet and wholesome girl who smiled often.
Esmeralda on the other hand was born and raised in the palace. Her mother, before she died, was the Queen's maid, and her father, before he died as well, worked closely with the King.
It was funny how they spoke of death, as though it was nothing but perhaps they just didn't want to scare me off with tragic stories in depth only on my first day. But that was alright. I didn't mind waiting and if they ever wanted to speak to me I'd always be here to listen.
We turned a corner and that was when I noticed the mob of girls heading down that hallway. I stopped dead in my tracks and the girls along with me.
Alma frowned. "What's the matter?"
'There are....so many of them"
Esmeralda laughed. "Sweetheart please!"
I looked at her. "I have a feeling this is going to be a long day"
The girls brought me to the door, bigger than life it was, and left me. I tried holding onto to their arms but it didn't work. I took in a deep breath and watched the girls pass me.
"Nervous?" I turned around.
There was a girl behind me. She was tall with a very thick figure, rainbow hair and dark chocolate brown eyes. I swallowed.
"Is it obvious?"
She laughed and extended her hand. "Perri. Three. Angeles."
I smiled and shook her hand. "Alessandra. Six. Carolina."
"Want to go in together?" she asked.
"Would I be a chicken if I said yes?"
Perri laughed. It was the kind of laugh that was so weird and awkward it made me want to laugh. She held onto my arm.
'"Come on kid."
We stepped into a room that made me eyes widen. It was big, with an entire wall made of windows. The floor was marble, there was a large hanging chandelier and stations everywhere. The room seemed to be divided. There were people rolling in racks with dresses in bags hanging on them. other stations were for nails and feet and then the stations that lined the wall of windows that showed you the gardens were for hair.
I believe all 35 of us were here and I couldn't see the girls I was on the plane with yesterday. It really would have been good to see them. I did however see Constance and the sour look on her face told me to steer clear of her. Perri let go of my arm and she stood next to me quietly.
"Alright!" a woman said. "Settle down girls!"
The murmurs simmered down and I looked ahead. There was a woman with silver hair tied into a bun and a girl standing next to her. She was young with native toned skin, long black hair, and gray eyes. The older woman with silver hair said, "I'm Silvia. I will be with you for the beginning of your Selection process while I train my succesor here."
The younger girl smiled at us. "Hello. I am Adsila Bryans. When Silvia retires in two months I will be taking care of you"
Silvia nodded with approval and continued speaking. "Now. Everyone form a line so that we can take before pictures."
We took before pictures. I didn't see Perri again after that.
Before I knew it I was in another room. They whisked me away, putting me into a white robe, white slippers, and putting a towel around my shoulders. I sat there, waiting for the next person to come. I rubbed my locket and fiddled with my fingers while 35 of us were getting settled and pampered. How ridiculous. There are people starving. Dying. Children begging for money in the streets and here the palace is.
Wasting money on brats like Constance Kennedy to look pretty.
I sat at a gorgeous, elegant vanity. The mirror was grand and beautifula dn I was tempted to touch all the things that covered it. There were brushes and hair pieces and lipsticks and perfumes. I felt pretty just looking at all of it.
"Cheese baby doll" before I could grasp what had happened a camera was in front of me it clicked and was then gone.
"Bella!" exclaimed a man.
I turned my head to look at him. He was on the older side with salt and pepper hair, and facial hair of the same color. He was wearing all black and the man clasped his hands together. He smiled.
"Ah , sì! Finalmente ! Una bella ragazza per lavorare la mia magia !"
I frowned at him. "I'm sorry?"
He chuckled deeply. "I said you are beautiful! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!"
I blushed. 'Thank you"
He snapped his fingers and a man, around 24 with blonde hair and blue eyes, jumped to his side. "Pierre fetch me my kit!"
The boy saluted and went on his way. The man had an accent.
"I"m Angelo Acardi and I will be your stylist."
"You're Italian?" I asked.
He chuckled deeply, and smiled. "Proudly!"
I smiled. "Pleasure to meet you Mr. Acardi"
He chuckled again and tapped my nose. "Angelo to you sweetheart"
Angelo got straight to work when Pierre came back with his kit. Angelo was combing my hair when he said, "You have stunning hair. Long, thick, full and dark"
"Thank you"
"I think," I heard a snipping noise. "I'm going to cut it down"
I gasped, my eyes falling out of my head. "What? No!" I exclaimed.
"What you mean!" he squealed.
"Please" I begged "Just not ny hair"
Angelo looked at me skeptically, raising an eyebrow. Putting his scissors down Angelo held my hair in both of his hands. "Sweetheart your hair is longer than the length of Italy."
Protectively I took my hair back. It was to my knees these days but it didn't matter. "Please?"
"Alright then" Angelo sighed. "I'll try! I'll try!"
"Thank you" I said, gratefully.
"Ok!" a girl squealed. "Ready to get beautiful."
I laughed.
The girl was energetic and bouncy. She had piglet curls that reminded me of Emilie's, tan skin, hacel eyesa and glasses. Instead of wearing the simple black outfit similar to everyone else's she was wearing a black tule tutu, ashot sleeved white shirt, and a black vest over it. She reminded me of a happy mouse.
"I'm Tammi"
I smiled. "I'm Alessandra"
Pierre spoke next. "I don't know what to dress her in" he tapped his chin.
Pierre was French and came to the palace seven years ago with Angelo.
"Hmm" Tammi thought a moment then smiled. "We'll see!"
No was what I said to fake nails.
No was what I said to dyed hair.
No was what I said to extensions of any kind.
No was what I said to cutting.
No was what I said fake eyelashes.
No was what I said to tanning my skin.
No was what I said to basically everything that caused a drastic change in my physical apperance.
So Angelo put on his thinking cap and got to work on my hair, while Pierre started thinking about what he would dress me in, and Tammi as picking out nail polish and lipstick colors. I wanted to look improved and beautiful. But I also didn't want to look like something I wasn't. I was a six, wearing make up wasn't exactly in the budget. Emilie and Leslie were naturally beautiful so they never really wore anything either.
I glanced over and watched as five people swarmed one girl, bitting down on her nails, as they clipped away her hair dying it all different colors. I looked to my right. I saw a bratty blonde yelling at a stylist, fiercely pointing at a picture in a magazine. Finally she tossed the paper away and went to ranting on about her make up.
I didn't want to be that way. There was another girl that had so much make up and hair spray on she looked ready to work the corner. I didn't even want to glance at the kind of dress they had hanging on a rack. I wanted to look like something my father would be proud of seeing when he sees his only daughter on The Report later this week.
I steered away from anything sparkly, anything that stood out and anything that made me look older than I was. It didn't take away from the fact that I did however want to be pretty. There was a girl I saw, while taking my before picture, who was blonde and plain. She was a few stations over and she looked radiant.
They added highlights to her hair, put some lashes and red lipstick on. She looked like a stunning a doll. I wanted that. I wanted to feel beautiful too. But i guess it was a struggle betweel feeling beautiful and still feeling like you I suppose.
Tammi showed me lots of colors and called them earth tones. I liked earth tones. They did a french manicure on my long nails and the same on my toes. It felt weird. Being pampered felt weird. But nice. My skin smelled like expensive oils and Angelo washed my hair with something that smelled like roses. I love roses.
Pierre smiled and held up a bag. I looked at him.
"What is it?"
Pierre raised a hand. "It is something I worked on seven years ago when I first came to Illea with Angelo"
Angelo frowned a bit. "You made a dress seven years ago?"
He made a face.
Tammi laughed and pulled the mascara away from my eyes. "Let's just see it"
Pierre pulled down the zipper and I gasped.
I titled my head. "Oh Pierre"
He grinned "You like it ah?"
The dress was a beautiful blush pink. The top was pink lace with a delicate belt around the waist that tied in the back with a big bow. The skirt hit below the knees and was modest but lovely and made of tule. One thing I did take into account was that it was an open back dress. I crinkled my nose.
"There's no back."
Tammi and Angelo laughed.
"Alright sweetheart I'm done" I looked up at Tammi, and she sighed dreamily when she looked my way.
"Voila" my chair spun until I caught a glimpse of my reflection.
I gasped.
"Oh" tears began to pool at the corners of my eyes and my hand covered my mouth.
I was....radiant. I never thought I could look so lovely before. Never before had I looked so much like a stranger. I looked like me but I didn't. I looked like daddy. Same bright green eyes, beige skin, and dark hair. Yet in that moment I never noticed how much I did, in fact, look like Aymar. Maybe that's why daddy always said I looked like her. I could see it in the long, thick eyelashes we both had. The same thick eyebrows and bold big eyes. I could see it in the way the curves of my body filed up the dress Pierre put me in. I could see it in the fullness of my lips and the height of my cheek bones.
The memory of my mother is so fuzzy, so faint, sometimes it feels as though it is nonexistent. But I remember what daddy would say. He would say she had the lovliest smiles and her laugh just made him melt. While I failed to inherit either of my parents supreme beauty I was glad I had many of their lovely features. I could see it, definitely see it. The faint reminescence. The speck of resemblance I bore to my mother that would spark a memory of her daddy so often said happened while looking at me. It was more than my heart could tolerate.
"My master piece! Don't you dare shed a tear!" Tammi squealed.
I chuckled and she dabbed the corners of my eyes. I felt so utterly embarrassed. "Sorry Tammi."
When I touched the lace on the dress Pierre made me it felt more like smooth silk. And the heels felt like walking on clouds. Angelo laughed as I walked around the room. I tried my best to walk best as I could. I looked at him and tucked a piece of hair behind my head.
"What"
"You walk," he said, moving his hands for emphasis "Like a queen! Like you run the world"
Tammi nodded.
"It's true. Your strut is packed with confidence but humility," she examined me with a sharp eye "very rare"
"I walk like I have a broken ankle"
Pierre walked around me, taking in my apperance. He extended his hand and I took it."Try walking," he straightened out my shoulders. "With a little more bounce to your step. You tend to glide and float when you walk. You're a young teenager! Ready to fall into the hands of love! Happy and excited not regal and boring!"
I laughed and he patted my hand.
"Now try again"
I took in a deep breath and squeezing Pierre's hand I walked. We did it over and over again, walking around the area we were in. After a few times around Pierre was nodding with approval, Angelo was smiling, and Tammi clapped.
"Much better. You look like a young lady!"
I smiled and rubbed my locket. Maybe things could go well.
"Come child" Angelo extended his hand to me. I smiled taking it.
Girls were already filing out of the room adding last minute lip gloss and hair spray. They were being ushered out by their teams and Angelo hooked a charm bracelet around my wrist. I looked at him.
"Oh no I don't need jewelry like everyone else" I said. I touched my locket. "I have this remember"
But he patted my hand and touched a finger to his lips.
"A little secret between you and me" he leaned in and whispered. "You just have a way of making me like you child."
"All of us," Tammi corrected. She nodded her head frantically. "You're really nice"
Pierre laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Yes. Very nice."
I looked up at them, all three of them, and a certain warmth filled my heart. I didn't even know them that well and yet I felt so incredibly humbled. They showed me so much kindness. I kept thinking and dreading, but maybe the palace isn't as awful as I thought it would be. I twisted my wrist and the charms jingled. It was a simple gift, a bracelet, and yet my heart felt stuffed with sunshine and warmth. I tried not to cry again. I felt so privileged.
He leaned in as if it were a secret he didn't want the world to know.
"I like you. You're different from the rest" Silvia was lining up the girls "I'm betting on you sweetheart"
It wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear, I didn't want to be different. I wanted to blend in. Before I knew it I was in a line of 35 Girls striving for all the same goal. A crown and a gorgeous husband. When I looked around I noticed how simple I looked compared to everyone else. Stunning gowns, glittering jewels, perfect make up. They looked like palace dolls. I wish I looked that beautiful. I knew that if I was going to stay in this competition long enough for daddy to pay off the house I had to up my game. I had to look beautiful and I had to grasp people's attention.
Just put a tiara on my head, paint me like a pciture and call me by my new name.
Lady Illea.
I was going to have to be the greatest Lady here.