Impeccable (Zayn Malik AU)

iv. Royals

♡ Odette's POV ♡

The next morning I woke up bright and early to get ready for the day. The bed sheets felt like heaven to my exhausted body, and I woke up feeling more refreshed and alive than I had ever in my entire life. Gentle sunlight crept through a window on the side of my room, slowly touching each delicacy of wealth before finally falling on me. The sun had rose, birds were singing, and it was time for me to explore my new home.

I quickly got ready for the day, the curls from yesterday's dinner still intact and bouncy. Falene was good at hair, I had to admit that. My heart was fluttering with excitement as I washed my face and brushed my teeth before running over to one of my many closets and pulled out a flowy sundress to wear. I slipped it on quickly, noticing how perfectly the dress fit my body, almost like it was hand-sewn and tailored for me. Knowing Zayn and his family, it probably was.

I applied some makeup to my face, trying to make it look natural. I wasn't too comfortable with my natural skin, but what girl isn't? It's not like Zayn would care. Men loved perfection, so it was our duty to give them that. After what I realized to be thirty minutes, I quickly left my room, knowing everyone would be eating breakfast.

I accidentally slammed into another body as I rushed out of my room, knocking the small figure to the ground.

"I'm so sor-" I froze as I stared at the person I knocked down, recognizing her cold stare and curvy body. I noticed she was wearing flannel pajama pants and a v-neck t-shirt, and I stifled in a laugh as I stared at her hair, which resembled more of a bird's nest than actual human hair.

"You should be, what are you rushing for anyways?" Ivy muttered, and I shot her a cold glare before she got up and walked away. She pulled her cream colored cardigan closer to her, thick socks padding down the long hallway. Why was she dressed like that for breakfast? Shouldn't she be ready for the day like me? I followed Ivy down the hallway towards the dining hall, seeing as how I still wasn't completely familiar with the layout of the house.

When I entered the dining hall, I wasn't surprised to see everyone there already. What I was surprised to see, was everyone still completely dressed in their pajamas. Waliyha and Safaa had on nightdresses, while Doniya dressed more like Ivy with sweatpants and a t-shirt. Lady Malik had a longer nightdress on, a ruby red robe providing further warmth. Zayn's father wore a plain white t-shirt, checkered flannel pants keeping his long legs warm. The only one I didn't see at the table was Zayn.

Lady Malik noticed me first, a smile braking out on her face as she got out of her chair to welcome me.

"Good morning, my dear! Wow, you're already dressed and everything." I blushed as I realized I was the only one properly dressed. "I'm really the only morning person around here, but I'm glad to see you're eager to start the day with me!" I nodded before letting Zayn's mother walk with me to the table, pointing at my seat. I quickly sat down, noticing a servant setting down a plate with pancakes, eggs, and bacon in front of me, as well as a glass of milk. My stomach growled at the sight of so much food, but I didn't eat yet.

The seat to my right, Zayn's seat, was empty, and I didn't want to eat without him. Ivy must have noticed my apprehension, because once again she read my mind.

"Zayn is hardly ever at breakfast, he likes to sleep a lot." Ivy explained before digging into her eggs. Her cardigan sleeve kept getting in the way of her eating, so with a huff Ivy quickly stripped off the wool overcoat. I squinted my eyes as I found myself unconsciously looking for a Mark on her wrist, only to be met with nothing. No ink whatsoever.

Maybe she was like me? Maybe she yet to find a husband (though I wasn't sure what husband would stay with her and her rudeness), and was going to get her Mark later. I had many unanswered questions about her, but I wasn't sure how many I wanted answered, Ivy was quite the character after all. I didn't entirely need to know her past if it ended up with a girl who liked to wear lingerie around the house and "read minds".