Queen Victoria's Daughter

Chapter 3

"Wait Anna, may I have dinner with everyone in the kitchen?", I asked politely, a hint of desire seeping out.

"Dear God, I was hoping you'd ask before I was out of your sight.", she exhaled in relief. "But first, why don't we dress you down to something less extravagant, ey?"

Anna smiled and helped me remove my silk blue dress, along with the corset. She wrapped her fingers around the corset, carefully untying the laces and removing it, much to my relief. I stretched out my body, the compressed, tight feeling slowly crackling away like the throbbing thoughts of my mother filling my mind. In the afterlife, I hope my body shall have the perfect figure, without the need of all this pain.

"Anna, may I please wear my nightgown instead of a different day dress?", I paused. "If not, I shall have to change into another dress and I believe my body has received enough torment as it is for today.", I winced as the very few muscles I still had began to tighten. Whilst foraging through my wardrobe, she stopped, turned around and nodded.

It is considered scandalous if a man who is not a close family member or your husband sees you in a nightgown. However, I have been raised by all the servants in this palace, including those of the male sex. The clothing I wear in their presence would not be considered indecent if they have seen me since I have left my mother's womb, unless of course I leave my room stark naked, which clearly would be obscene. Once I finished stretching, Anna helped me put on my night dress, a very simple and plain white gown.

Finally, I grabbed the bar of soap made out of lard and lavinder, the luscious rich scent filled the room whilst I scrubbed my face down until only my eyes were visible. Then, I washed my face using the cold water handed to me in a bowl. A towel was placed in my hands which I used to dry my face. Anna threw away the remaining liquid out the window.

Now I look like the royal princess Amelia, the dried eyes and secrets hidden under a single layer of chemicals.

"The girl with the perfect life.", I whispered to myself.

Her Highness has even gone to the extent of placing my very own bed chambers on the top floor, the view of London indeed  admirable but lonely. Whilst I enjoy the scenery, she enjoys my absence. Just to go and have my dinner in the basement would take me fifteen minutes, without any exaggeration. Going up and down these endless stairs explains why my body is ever so fit, unlike my rather plumped brothers and sisters.

The kitchen is the whole basement. It has purposely been made very big as not only does the cooks and servants cook and eat their food in the basement, some live there.

This room barely provides enough light or oxygen for a standard human let alone for more than two hundred.A room surrounded by walls, and no windows does seem to explain why it is ever so suffocating.

The lack of air and light has also seem to effect the mood surrounding the basement.This room usually only holds tragedies and cries, the evidence being provided by the people who live in this place.If a smile was caught it was like finding a  dodo, rare but precious.

Today is a day I have never encountered. A room I believed was dim ,shone before me practically blinding me. Instead of witnessing the misery of the servants, I was greeted with a room full of laughter and joy.
An aura I am not very experienced with.

A room almost as large as a whole city ,is a very grand room indeed, yet a tremendously big room with only twenty candles used to brighten it would be a very dull  room yet from where I am standing beside the open doors it looked dazzling, practically blinding, is this what so much happiness may cause?

I instantly notice the one girl of whom I can call  "my best friend" named charlotte, she was sitting in our usual spot right at the back corner It may be one of the darkest area on this floor but we prefer our privacy whilst having a conversation.