Althea

Butterflies and Dressing Up

Elsie: full of mirth
Origin: Anglo-Saxon

Solomon looked relieved at my decision, but before he could say anything a maid ran in and looked around wildly. She spotted us and sighed in relief.

"You are not an easy woman to find Lady Althea." She smoothed her hair down around her cap and giggled coquettishly, avoiding Solomon's gaze. I cleared my throat. She blushed a delicate shade of pink.
"Uh, yes. Her majesty Empress Philena sends her most sincere apologies, but she will be unable to attend to you this evening. She does ask that you attend tonights ball in honour of the summer solstice as our most esteemed guest." She curtseyed, spreading her plain white skirt wide, and I nodded.
"I suppose I could do that." She clapped her hands excitedly.
"Good, good! I have been assigned to be your personal lady's maid for this evening! Come along, I'll show you to your room!" She trotted away twittering excitedly and I followed somewhat warily. I looked back to see Solomon stifling a laugh. The hand over his mouth did nothing to hide the glee in his eyes. I stuck my tongue out at him.
'You're coming to the ball.' I mouthed at him. Before he had a chance to refuse I spun around and jogged to catch up with my new lady's maid.
I followed silently for a bit, listening to her yammer on about life in the palace, but mostly all of the freshest gossip. She talked about this maid sleeping with that footman and another maid being with the very same footman the next night. She blabbered about this cook having a crush on that knight and plenty of other things that made no sense to me about people I didn't know.
"My friend Hyacinth fancies my other friend Flora's brother, as well as Solomon," she continued. Fed up, I interrupted.
"As much as I'm enjoying myself hearing about all these people that's not what I need to know. I don't know court etiquette, the names of the nobility besides the Empress, or even your name for that matter!" She gasped, and began fanning herself.
"I'm terribly sorry lady! I'm being awful aren't I?"
"Not at all, just tell me your name."
"Elsie m'lady."
"Please, call me Althea. I am decidedly not a lady." She dipped into a curtsey again.
"Of course Lady Althea." I sighed.
"Alright, Miss Elsie, how much further?"
"Not too much longer now Lady Althea."
We turned another corner into a hallway filled with large ornate doors, each unique in everything from color, to door handles, to the design embossed into the wood. Elsie stopped in front of a set of doors that seemed to have a theme of lavender: the door was a soft, melancholy purple and two large vases filled with lavender sprigs sat on either side of the carefully carved doors. She swung them open and ushered me in.
Yet again, the breath was stolen from my lungs. Every bit of the room screamed elegance and wealth. A large canopy bed was pushed up against the farthest wall in between two windows, and seemed large enough to fit the whole kingdom. Its purple linens were only a shade darker than the walls and it's frame was the same silver as the vanity and oversized wardrobe which stood dutifully next to each other. A dressing screen protruded from beside the wardrobe and a seating area with two overstuffed chairs and a bookshelf sat directly opposite the section of the room seemingly devoted to appearance.
"This room is normally reserved for visiting nobility, but the Empress seems to like you. As well, she instructed me search the Princess Isolde's closet so you would have something to wear. You two are very close in size. The Empress has a keen eye." Elsie said, praising the monarch. Elsie practically skipped over to the wardrobe and flung open the doors. Inside, was the most beautiful dress I'd ever seen. It was made of a light, wispy material and had seemingly real red roses stitched onto it. Embroidered rose stems connected each of the flowers, and tiny gemstones that looked like dew drops decorated each petal. It was sleeveless, with a neckline that dipped elegantly off the shoulder. Elsie pulled it out carefully and displayed the gown in front of me, sizing me up.
"I cannot possibly wear anything so, rich." I stammered, my hands drifting over the fabric of the skirt.
"Oh, but my lady, you are our guest of honour! You must!" I sighed, fingering the silk material of the roses. My simple shift seemed rough like bark by comparison.
"Alright. I'll trust your judgment." She squealed at such a high pitch that I winced, my ears protesting the abuse. I was greatful that there were no windows to break.
"Let's start with the makeup." She said, pushing me into the vanity chair. "It's go time."

An hour later Elsie spun me around to face the vanity mirror. I almost didn't recognize myself. My eyes were covered in green and white eyeshadow and my cheeks made rosy with blush. My lips were a luscious red and my eyelashes darkened with mascara. My dark hair was piled high and loose with several tendrils escaping the messy bun and a few braids hung around my face. I looked almost ethreal. More beautiful then I'd ever thought possible.
"We're nearly done. I'm just waiting for a few friends." As she spoke, the doors flew open again and a trio of new maids spilled in, grinning widely. They spun on their heels without saying a word to me and flew in their butterfly form over to my hair. They each grabbed a braid and crossing over each other, held the braids on top of my head, perching like a bird in it's nest.
"You girls really don't have to do this." I said, straining my eyes trying to see the top of my head.
"Oh you'll let us won't you? It's the only way we can really go to this ball." Elsie whispered, giggling quietly. The butterflies on top of my head fluttered their wings madly, as if they were agreeing.
"Alright," I said, "let's do it." Elsie clapped her hands and shrieked gleefully before quickly spinning into her butterfly form and joining the group I already had.
"Wait, how will I get to the ballroom? I don't know how to get there!" I exclaimed, feeling more antsy then before.
"Never fear Lady Althea! I'll escort you." A teasing voice came from the door. Solomon stepped into the room and sank into a deep bow. When he came up again he really got a good look at me and his jaw dropped. I flushed and tucked a stray curl away from my face.
"It's not too much is it? Do I look okay?"
Solomon shook himself out of his daze and offered me his arm.
"Positively radiant."