Reasons for Silence

Investment

Chapter Eleven ~ Serefina

            My hand covered my hand as Daisy whisked me away. The King had walked in on me in the arms of one of his Guards and I failed to pay him the proper respect – that on top of whatever it was that I had already done. My embarrassment felt all consuming.

            I tried not to think about the actions of the Guard, those were too confusing to unravel.

            “First we’re going to get you cleaned up,” she said.

            I felt a little offended. I had just bathed a few days ago and though I hadn’t had the most time to fix my hair I thought that it looked presentable enough for my purposes.

           

            It was quite a production. There were five women who helped me clean. One woman, named Agnes, was committed solely to the cleanliness of my hair. Another woman took charge in picking out a scent of soaps and lotions just right “for me”.

            It was hours before I got out of that grand bathing room.

            My skin had been scrubbed raw. It seemed to have a pinkish glow about it, but it did, admittedly feel softer than it had in all my life.

            I wondered at the higher class’s fascination with cleaning up commoners. This was now the second time that this had happened to me. Was my smell really so offensive? I never thought that it was particularly bad – there were plenty of others in my town who were much worse than I.

            Once I was deemed “clean” by Daisy, who seemed to be the head of the operation, I was dressed in the nicest nightgown that I had ever laid eyes on. Even better than what Kobe had – a thing that I hadn’t entirely believed was possible or really necessary.

            It pooled around my feet, the sleeves were long and the neckline was more extravagant than a nightgown should have been, in my eyes. It was adorned with lace that fell on the edge of my shoulders and showed off my collar bone. The silk of the nightgown tapered at my waist and floated down over my hips.

            On top of the nightgown, which was a pleasant shade of blue, I wore a pink robe made of velvet with sleeves that hung low when I held an arm up.

            Agnes had brushed out my hair and then Daisy said that she would escort me to my room.

            My stomach began to churn as I walked down the corridor. I started to think that they might be expecting something of me. But that didn’t make any sense, why would it be me?

            “He was right,” Daisy said suddenly, “you are a silent one.”

            I shrugged.

            “Don’t you have any questions?”

            “Of course,” I said, “but most questions have a way of answering themselves eventually.”

            Daisy turned her head to me, giving me a face.

            “Wouldn’t you rather have answers now?”

            I thought about this for a moment. I was dying to know what I was doing in the Palace dressed in fine robes and smelling like a flower. I wanted to know what the conversation between the King and the Guard was about and why the King had laughed at my engagement ring.