Bitter sweet affair

Chapter 2 - lunch

Reyna's POV
The sun poured through my window. Another day had dawned, bringing with it new hopes and aspirations. This was D-Day; the day I would finally get to meet my future in-laws and husband-to-be.

Suddenly, there was a knock on my door.
"Come in", I said, trying to guess who it was.
"Thank you", a soft feminine voice came from behind the door as it was pushed open. It was Anna; one of the maids and my favorite. We were around the same age range.

She walked into my room and shut the door.
"Good morning, miss", she greeted with a warm smile drawn across her face. I hated when she addressed me formally. I didn't bother correcting her because she wouldn't still change that.

"Morning, Anna", my lips curved into a smile.
"Madam sent me here to prepare you ahead for the day", Anna stated clearly.
"Okay, that's fine", I said, getting out of my bed. "Please, wait here. I want to take a shower", I pleaded politely and excused myself to the bathroom.

I prepared a hot tub and got in for a quick bath- brushed my teeth and shampooed my hair. I was out in a white towel wrapped around my body.

I found Anna laying in my royal blue dress on my bed. She also helped me to select a 4 inches silver heel from my shoe rack. She knew my taste and that was one of the reasons I called her my favorite.

I looked over to my dressing table, she had lined up different shades of makeup, my deodorant, mum's expensive oil perfume, and lastly, my jewelry box. I was beaming with smiles at her hardworking personality.

"Miss Reyna, please come over", Anna motioned for me to take a seat at my dressing table. I walked over to meet her and sat down on the three-legged round chair, facing the mirror.

She plugged in the hairdryer and the heat coming from it dried my hair completely. Then, she combed my hair and styled it in a neat bun, leaving a few strands dangling in front of my face.

She helped to apply my face and body cream. My makeup followed suit. She chose the perfect shade and got to work immediately. I turned on the mini-standing fan on the table to avoid either of us sweating.

Red lipstick as a finishing touch and Anna was done with the makeup aspect. I opened my eyes to a stunning figure in the mirror- that was unbelievably me. I didn't know Anna was absolutely good all-round, literally in every aspect.

"Thank you, Anna", I blushed in the mirror.
"It's my job, miss. You look dazzling, just wait until you put on the dress", Anna smiled and walked over to get the dress.
I took down my towel and wore the dress with her assistance.

Out of the jewelry box, she took out an ancestral gold necklace, a complete set of earrings, beautiful bracelets, and my favorite anklet. I sat back as I watched her adorn my body with them.

Finally, she got down on her knees and slid my feet into the silver heels. I looked extremely beautiful but I didn't seem complete. My eyes caught what I had been searching for- my hair clip.

It was a gift from my younger brother before he passed away. Ace was his name. An accident, while we were still in high school, had claimed his life, and he died, trying to save me. It would have been the opposite. I still missed him so much.

"Miss, are you crying?", Anna asked. I didn't realize that tears had formed in my eyes until now.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your work or my mascara. It's just that I suddenly remembered an incident that made me tear up", I explained.

"Could you help me fix this hair clip?", I asked, trying to wipe the tears without ruining the rest of the makeup.
"You shouldn't have apologized, miss. Surely, I'll help you with the hair clip", she said, taking it out of my hand and fixing it perfectly. I smiled at her, she was really kind.

"Done, miss! You look like a Disney princess; a beautiful and elegant one", Anna complimented me. My cheeks were turning red.
"Thanks a lot, Anna. It's time for lunch and I think we should get going", I said, getting on my feet but Anna stopped me from leaving.

"Please, wait! Mrs. Neil gave an order, instructing that everyone should be seated at the table before you're allowed to come out", she explained.
"What the heck!", I said, realizing that all eyes were gonna be on me. Goosebumps popped out at the thought of it.
....
After about an hour, there was a knock on my door.
"Anna,  ma'am said you can bring her to the table now", one of the other maids said and left my premises.

Anna looked over at me, "Are you ready miss?", she asked.
"A bit nervous, but I'm good to go", I said. She helped me get on my feet and walked me out to the door. I took her hand in support as she walked me downstairs to meet everyone. I was feeling uneasy.

I stumbled on the last step, nervous to see everyone seated in the dining room gazing hard at me. All thanks to Anna, she caught me right in time and held me straight. I turned to her, seeing her smile at me. I embarrassingly smiled back at her and whispered a faint thank you.

I finally arrived at the table and Anna left my side. I bowed my face as I greeted everyone, "Good morning to you all". I got a response from all of them seated and took a seat across from a handsome guy, already guessing he was my future husband.

He had good looks- deep blue eyes, and short chestnut brown hair. In all, he was a spec. To my greatest surprise, I found him staring at me. I couldn't keep up good eye contact as I diverted my gaze to my dad, who just got on his feet. I still felt his gaze on me.

"Please, let's all eat", my dad said and I just smiled at him. The table was filled with different delicacies, it was like a feast. We were just six at the table, the groom's family- himself, his mom, and his dad, in addition to myself and my both parents.

The parents looked in my direction and smiled at me. I flashed a forced smile on my face. Mom held my hand under the table as if sensing that I was nervous and I gave her a little squeeze.