Chapter One: The Dinner
After working many hours during the day, Serafina eventually finished working. Her brown hair was all wet with the sweat she had produced while working under Flora's careful watch. Serafina looked at her hands with pain in her features - her hands felt like they were on fire and her back ached with every movement she made. Flora looked like she wanted to say something to her but the older woman seemed almost reluctant to speak. "Serafina, there is good news that I hope you are prepared for. The King and Queen have honored you with being a guest to their Royal Dinner. You must see Prince Louise for your fitting." her voice sounded rushed and she almost sounded out of breath. Serafina wiped her forehead with her hand and stared at her with shocked eyes. "But I'm not royalty! What do they want me for?" she asked with concern. "I have no idea, Serafina, but you can't just not show up. Such an action would be rude on your part and very few servants get this chance. Trust me, this is a chance of a lifetime and you wouldn't want to throw that away, would you?" Flora asked. The older woman made a good point - if Serafina did miss this opportunity it would be rude of her for not accepting a rare invitation. "I guess I have no choice but to go, but I have nothing nice to wear!" Serafina claimed, wiping her forehead once again. "I'm sure Prince Louise will help you to a nice dress. Now hurry, girl, don't keep him waiting!" Flora said and literally shoved Serafina out the door before closing it.
Serafina looked back and then made the slow and painful walk towards the room on the map Flora had given her called "The Prince's Room". Good thing she could read the words on the paper. After about a 20 minute walk through the castle and passing painting after painting, she reached a painted wooden door that was Prince Louise's room and she knocked on the door gently. "Prince Louise, You Highness, I'm here for my fitting." Serafina said before she realized she had the locket Ather had given her in her front pocket. Maybe she could put it on and nobody would notice? The door opened before she would realize it and Prince Louise showed up in very fancy clothing. A faint blush came to Serafina's face - but luckily it wasn't noticed by the Prince. That would be bad for Serafina, crushing on royalty being the servant girl that she is.
The Prince looked at her with a faint smile. "Are you sure you don't want to take a shower first? There's one in here that you can use, I'll leave the room if you want." he claimed innocently. Serafina was tempted and actually agreed on that saying that she'd love to take a shower. Prince Louise seemed to understand and would step aside so she could come in. Serafina wasn't prepared for the amount of color was in the room. There was lines upon lines of dresses of all different styles and colors and the walls were decked with plants, flags, banners, and more.
Serafina's jaw dropped open wide as she stepped inside and then she spotted the shower in the room connected to the room she was in. She glanced to where Prince Louise was but he wasn't there anymore. "I'll let you know when to come back in, Your Highness." she called to him and waited for a response - which came. Daintily taking off her clothes, the servant girl stepped into the shower and washed her sweaty body off. Her clothes revealing a soft curved body against a hard stone wall. The warm water felt soothing against her back as she rinsed off what little soap was on it. She let out a loving sigh and wished this moment would never end, but she'd have to get out sometime for the Prince was waiting. She suddenly heard the wooden door open and 3 women stepped inside. All of them looked like servants and they slowly came forth looking at her. It seemed the Prince knew that women would do a better job and had left. Well, this was rather awkward. "Nice to meet you, Serafina." they all said in unison. Serafina looked really nervous as she reached for the towel to dry herself off with.
"I think you'll look good in light blue or green." the tallest one of the girls said. "I think she would look radiant in gold or pink." the other one said. The last one remained silent and stared at Serafina's necklace. Serafina saw this and quickly covered it up with her towel. Luckily, the girl looked away. "Lets see here." the oldest one said, coming close and staring into her eyes. "Green would match your eyes and would go nicely with her necklace." she muttered slowly after some time of awkwardly staring at Serafina. "Is green okay with you?" she asked Serafina with a faint blush on her cheeks. "I guess so." Serafina replied with, blushing awkwardly in turn.
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After several minutes of trying to find the perfect outfit, it was finally time for Serafina to step outside into the hallway. Prince Louise saw her and came over, his eyes wide as he took her image in. Besides knowing she was a peasant, he could easily have mistook her for a proper princess right about now. With her brown curly hair tied back in a bun and her fitting in a silky dark green gown that matched the color of her eyes, she radiated with beauty. "Wow." was all he managed to say as he gazed at her. "I don't look too pale with powder on my chest and neck, do I?" Serafina asked, blushing and moving a straying curl of hair out of her eyes. "No, you look-" he cut off, staring momentarily at her again, "beautiful." he finished with a smile. "Are you ready to meet my sister and the Princess of Aetobrook?" he asked her with a slight eagerness in his tone of voice. Serafina nodded and gave him a curt bow. He chuckled and gently took her by the hand and began leading her to the Royal Dining Hall. She smiled playfully at him and then smiled. "So what's your sister like?" Serafina asked, trying to strike up a conversation before they reached the Dining Hall.
"She's nice enough, but she's incredibly spoiled rotten by my mom and dad." Prince Louise told her slowly. "I try not to talk bad about my sister, but she's the kind that it's hard not to. She makes it so easy to talk bad things about her that I kind of wish she'd be betrothed off already." he announced with a chuckle. "Now do you have any siblings?" he asked Serafina and then paused in his walk as Serafina frowned. "If I did have siblings, they're dead. I am, for all people know as of yet, the only living person from the Shamika Village to your south. Rumor has it that dragons once set foot there and I am told to be the "miracle child" being as I am the only person to have survived the attack that people know of." Serafina explained worriedly. "Oh, I'm sorry." Prince Louise said as he walked alongside her. "I've heard of that Village, I visit it every now and then on horseback." he said, trying to make her feel better. "I'm sort of glad Ather and Jorin took me in, if not I don't know where I would've ended up." Serafina claimed. "I'm glad they did too, you turned out so pretty, it would've been a shame if you had died." he muttered slowly. "Maybe later we can visit the Village?" he proposed the idea. "I don't know about that, Your Highness. Wouldn't that bring bad luck? Visiting the place where you could've died?" Serafina asked him, her green eyes twinkling brightly. "I don't think it will." Prince Louise said as he lead her to the royal dining hall.
The large table was already accompanied by 5 others, all dressed in royal clothing and all have crowns or tiaras on their brows. Serafina recognized two faces in the beings before her, the King and Queen. There were 2 young maidens of fair etiquette and an older woman with powered cheeks and clearly visible cleavage. The King and Queen rose from their seats. "Greetings, Servant Serafina. This is Queen Tyishala and princess Rhaenyra from the kingdom of Aetobrook." the king introduced his guests. Serafina was visibly shaking, but she gave both the invited princess and her mother the queen a neat bow in respect. Queen Tyishala looked very unnerved. "King Dominic, are you sure it is wise to allow such filthy guests to your royal dinner? It might bring bad luck upon your kingdom." the cleavage-showing older woman said, her blonde hair tied up so high Serafina thought it might hide something in it.
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