Beauty Is Only Skin Deep

~1~

     I dip my foot into the blood bath. Nice, calm and bloody. Its the perfect temperature for my picky taste. "Is everything all right, Princess?" One of the female servant say shyly.

     "Its fine. Now, be polite and get me a drink." I say back closing my eyes in relaxation. She mutters something under her slowed breath. "What? Repeat yourself."

     "No."

     "Excuse me?"

     "I said, no!" She yells in my face. She tries to run but I grab her rags, the ones she uses as clothing. I face her to me, forcing her to look me into my cold eyes.

     "Listen here. I... own you! And you will do what I say." When I say this, I find my self rising from the porcelain tub. My breast are covered by blood, so I'm technically not naked. But I have that right to be if I want. Blood drips off of me, leaving a brighter thinner layer of blood on my skin.

     "I'm sorry."

     "You're lucky, you just got here. I have to keep a slave like you for at least a month before I can kill you." I push her away and step out of the tub. "You've ruined my mood. Now I can't possible take a relaxing bath now. Fetch me, a towel, some fancy clothes and I'm still waiting on that drink."

     "Yes mistress." She runs out of the massive bath room. Ending in an echo as she closes the door behind her. All... alone. I walk in front of another large mirror.

     I stare at myself, waiting. Examining. Thinking. What's next? I've got plenty stacks upon stacks of hair. My nails are always done. I just don't know! Sometimes I wonder, what do other people see in me? Probably a wonderful princess who cares about her people. Yeah, right.

     "Here you go." She hands me a towel, my crown and she sets the red ruby drink next to my white dress.

     "Good job. You finally did what I asked." I say to her examining the elegant cotton in my dress.

     "Anything el -" She bumps her arm into the bright red drink, and it spills all over my counter. My hand. My Dress. She looks at it with horror. She knows she is in some trouble.

     "You rotten, stupid, peasant." It stains harshly, making me even more angry. "Get out of my room. Better yet, why don't you just head down to the dungeon. You'll get your punishment there. Tell me, what is your name?"

     "Uh - uh - Harmony."

     "A pretty name, you have. Now leave. Before I kill you myself."

     "Yes, mistress." She runs out starting to cry a bit. Teat drops of hers lay on my perfect carpet.

     Now what? Just walk around my room, without any clothing on? No, that's too boring. I know! I'll just go out to the market, but not as myself. That's the only way I could possibly know what people think about me. But, how?

     I walk down the spiral stair case, passed the kitchen, passed the dining room, passed everything. Until I get to the dungeon. A strange odor fills my nostrils. Gross! Rotten cheese? Fish? Old eggs? I can now understand why I never, ever, ever come down here. It's disgusting. I've only taken a step and my red shoes are now covered in green muck.

     "Oh hello, Princess." A guard says to me bowing slowly as well.

     "Hello, guard. Where is that girl? I sent one down here earlier." He points his armoured hands down a shaft. A dark, gloomy, shaft. "Nice, grim, and dirty. Perfect for someone like her." My feet drag against the ground as I sing a song, nearing her cell. "Oh, where the wind blows? Under and over the village? To a thrown, where a princess, like me herself sits. Awai -"

     "Your singing, is horrible." The girl says from all the way down. "Please, just shut up."

     "How dare you? How dare you talk to a princess, like that? I should hang you." I say, turning back as the guard starts tying a rope up into several knots. He then lights a candle, so I can see her ugly retched face.

     "Go ahead, it's much better in Hell than here, I bet."

     "Ugh! Your a horrible person." I yell in her face.

     "I don't really care. I'd rather be dead than locked up in prison like this."

     "Dead, huh? Well that could always happen." She smiles as I say this. "Though, not today. No, I need you alive today." She frowns again, and I slap her through the tight rusted bars.

     "Why, do you need me?"

     "I need your rags - er um, clothes." I say to her, practically ripping her top off. I close my eyes, and give her my dress. The candle blows out, so the guard can't see us both naked. After, I look at myself. "Look at me! I'm hideous! I love it!"

     "Why? Why are you making yourself look worse than you already do?"

     "Shut up. That mouth is what got you in trouble. Speaking of which, you have very full lips. A nice bright red. Some girls crave to have that color." Silence fills up.

     "Princess, it's almost time for her cleaning." The guard says. "She's got a lot to scrub today. The floors, the roof even."

     "Oh don't worry. I'll only be her a few moments." I turn back to her, making sure my point gets across. "You wear lip stick don't you?"

     "No, I'm to poor to afford it." She says darkly.

     "Well, your lips are so perfect, that you don't need them." 

     "Wow, your actually complementing me."

     "You... didn't let me finish. I was gonna say, that they'll look so much better on me."