Ùna: Like All & Like None

Chapter XII

Ùna's POV

As I followed the servant down the hall pure awe overcame me as the hall was now illuminated with life. Branches and vines circled down the hall from floor to ceiling, their ends stretching and crawling softly. The blooms upon them pulsed as we walked by. Small fireflies twinkled in gold as they drifted through the air. 

We walked past the door to the room I awoke in. A bit further down the twisting hallway, the servant opened a door and motioned me to enter. A thick blanket of clematis covered and hung from the ceiling. The air was warm and steamy, muting the glow of the candles that circled the bathtub. Against the back wall was a wide fanciful vanity, adorned with a basin and colorful bottles. In front of it a plush velvet stool. The wall opposite of the tub was shelves upon shelves of more bottles, jars, herbs, trinkets and tools.

An orange tree grew in the corner, plump ripe fruits weighed its branches down. The servant plucked one and began slicing, tossing the cuts into the tub. "Well, undress", she ordered without even looking up from her hands. I fiddled with the straps of my chemise. "Don't be shy, girl", The servant hummed. "I- I am not. I'm sorry, what was your name? I did not catch it." "Alis", She answered, still slicing the oranges. "Tamlin assigned me as your lady's maid, now please do not waste the hot water". I slipped my chamise down to my ankles followed by my knickers. My bruised flesh wanted for that hot bath and so I slipped in.

My knuckles stung at first encounter with the citrusy water causing a sour wince to escape my teeth. Alis responded to my cry, reaching for my hand to examine my wounds. She brushed her thumb over them. "Hm", her lips pinched, and she approached the shelved wall. Skimming her finger down each row. "Ah", taking a jar from the shelf she opened it and kneeled beside the tub. She dipped a finger in and smeared the balm over the scabs. "What happened to you, girl?". Sliding into the water up to my chin, "I don't want to talk about it". She read my avoiding eyes and went back to the shelves. "You can trust me, girl. I am no enemy." I heard more glass clink off the shelves. "No mortal girl should ever endure a brutal hurt", she said, popping the cork of the bottle she held and pouring the milky liquid into the bath. I couldn't help but scoff. Her brows raised as her eyes met mine. "Personally, I am not sure which hurt more. . . The thrash of my wounds themselves or the fact I was so sheltered before hand- blissfully unaware such brutality even existed." 

For some reason saying that out loud made me laugh. The debate that had been circling in my head. The quick succession of traumatic events thrust upon me. And yet- despite the horrors branded in me, how ridiculous it seemed that I was now finding myself bathing in the heavens. Alis mirrored my laugh, clicking her tongue "regardless of what a girl does or does not know, the world should still do more to protect her." "I am not a girl! I- I am a lady. . ." Alis raised her brow at me again, "If that is true, then why do you sound so unsure of it?" I did not have an answer for her. Once I came of age, that's just what everybody told me. And even prior. . . well that's what my grandmother told me I was preparing for. It was always you must learn this; you must do that; you're going to be a lady soon. Was I in fact still just a girl? Alis stroked my head and in a soft tone, "There is nothing, absolutely nothing, about being a girl that is shameful. Becoming a lady is a natural evolution. It is not something you merely become on a specific day. You should cherish the whimsy of girlhood." It was silent between us after that. Only interrupted by Alis opening the other glass she grabbed and began scooping the salt like substance in the tub. 

She rolled up her sleeve to reach her arm in the water and stir the relaxing brew I soaked in. "You just relax, girl. I will be back soon." With that she left me alone in this dreamy garden bath. My bones began to ease as I unpacked her words. They were a precise contrary to what I was raised to believe. How could I not yet be a lady? My eighteenth birthday had come and gone some time ago. I had been married off and severed from my family. Was it because I was still ignorant of so many things? Was it because I had not yet birthed children? The answer I did not have. How could I trust Alis though? A stranger in a strange world. Then again- How could I trust the words of my grandmother? A woman so close to me but yet she failed to keep me safe despite her intentions. But Alis may have been right. Many parts of me still felt as though I could not handle grown responsibilities. I yearned for adventure and discovery. My heart wanted for an answer to the mystery that was romance and love. I wanted to learn to read for heaven's sake. And I guess for all of those reasons I am just still a girl. 

I hadn't realized how much time had passed in my thought, until Alis knocked on the door and entered. The water had cooled to a lukewarm temperature. After I got out Alis patted the water of my body and rubbed a buttery balm over my whole body. "What is this?" I asked. She laughed, "It is a beauty cream, it will keep your skin soft. You should use it after every bath." She then dressed me in new fresh undergarments of sage green silk, trimmed with fanciful lace. She sat me down at the vanity and began combing my hair. I hardly recognized myself in the mirror. The last reflection I saw of myself seemed like another person. My complexion was glowing and flushed with life once again. The wound on my temple looked far less harsh now that all the blood had been washed away. Alis went on to pat and rub an assortment of oils and creams on my face, taking special care around my wound. She powdered my cheeks with rouge and braided my hair down my back. Satisfied with her work she led me back to my room. 

Placed across my bed was a stunning emerald green dress. The fabric glistened against the light peeking through the window. I looked to Alis, "This. . . is for me?" "Yes. This, your undergarments, and a few other things were all made just for you." She smiled, but I just stood there. "What? Do you not like it? We can sew something more to your liking." "N-no. It's not . . . that. I- I just don't know why you are being. . . so generous to me." Her head tilted at me, "Well I do as ordered. Tamlin ordered me to give kindness and do best to care for you. I may have on my own accord splurged a bit with the gowns and such-" She stepped towards me, "but that only reflects that in my own heart I wish to see the best for you." Somehow my reservations about the intentions of these fae had briefly escaped me. I couldn't let their kindness completely drown out my skepticism. But I also could not voice it aloud to them. "Just comply and take it at face value", I told myself. So, I put on my smile and thanked Alis for all that she had done for me today, allowing her to slip that fanciful dress on me.