The Girl of Many Worlds | (Story formerly known as "Multiworldcial")

Chapter 15

"Good morning, Princess Jade," Camilla said. My eyes fluttered open. Drowsiness flowed through me in a never ending stream, making my body buzz. My eyelids were too heavy and fell back closed. "Today is a big day for you, and King Arden has requested that I bathe you."

"Okay," I mumbled. Through shut eyes, I warily pulled my foot out and lightly pressed it against the stone floor. It was unexpectedly warm, not that I was complaining, though. I stood up with a stretch and rubbed my eyes. Blinking away the fog, I focused on Camilla. Her sparkling silver eyes held amusement.

"You're not a morning person, are you, darling?" she asked.

"Not really," I said through a yawn. She held a silky purple dress in her arms and what looked to be a Denman lay on top of the folds.

"Follow me to your bathroom," she said gently.

The halls were busier today; servants walked in and out of rooms, others dusted, mopped, and swept. I waved sleepily to some of them. They were much friendlier than the villagers, because they greeted me with a warm smile or returned a friendly wave instead. It was nice to be met with something else other than a scowl.

Camilla entered the bathroom, locking it shut behind me. She set the brush and outfit down, folded neatly on top of the toilet.

"Is that really a Denman brush?" I asked. It looked like one, just entirely wooden instead of plastic.

"I don't know what a denman is," she said. "But this is good for styling textured hair like yours." She trailed past me and turned on the faucet in the bathtub. "Go on, take a quick shower before I bathe you." She gestured to the shower right next to it.

She focused her attention on the running water filling up the tub, so I quickly removed my bra and underwear. I stepped into the rock tiled shower and closed the blue curtain behind me.

The soap bar rested on a colorful shelf and smelt of roses and honey. I drank up the scent as I rubbed the bar over my body. There wasn't a washcloth I could use, but this would do. The water was so warm and the aroma was lovely.

"Are you ready, Princess?" Camilla asked. "The bath has been set." I reluctantly rinsed myself off and then got out of the shower. The air remained a pleasant temperature as I switched to the bathtub.

The bath had foaming green bubbles, another earthy sweet smell escaping them. I hesitantly dipped my foot into the water; the bubbles melted against my skin, instantly relaxing me. I sank into it.

"This is so nice," I commented. I scooped some of the bubbles and water in my palm. "What did you out put in here?"

"I used a special herb unique to Euphoria," Camilla said. "It moisturizes even the driest of skin."

She grabbed a sponge beside my arm and rubbed it against my skin. It was slightly rough but still pleasant. She exfoliated my arms, my back, my legs, and feet, all while I closed my eyes and enjoyed the treatment.

"Lean back and let your hair rest in the water," she requested. She began to massage my scalp. Drowsiness began to flood back into my body. It wouldn't hurt to just rest here with the water drowning out all unnecessary sound.

She lifted me by my back, pulling me out of my stupor. Using her fingers, she worked her way through my hair, gently pulling out all the knots. My eyes grew heavy again.

"All done," Camilla said, much to my disappointment. I really thought I'd hate this experience but it turned out to be one of the best things I've ever had to do in my life. I stepped out of the tub as she rubbed some type of oil onto my soaked body. It smelled like rose mixed with coconut. My skin ate it up. It was as if my body had never experienced moisture before in its life; the lotions and oils on earth couldn't compare to this.

While the oil absorbed into my skin, she got to work on my hair. She put only one product in my hair, which resembled a mixture of a gel and custard. She separated my hair into sections while applying it and then used the denman brush on those same sections in the manner I expected: brush a small clump, pinch the root, create tension, and brush away from the head to create volume. She scrunched and applied more gel to each brushed clump.

I truly and honestly started to feel like royalty. I was in good care with Camilla. I didn't feel I even deserved her attentiveness.

She scrunched out any excess water in my hair with a soft towel, and my 2C waves already looked promising.

She handed me a fresh bra and underwear which I had not seen folded away in the dress. I put them on, and then stepped into the dress. While she cleaned up, I brushed my teeth while examining the pattern on my head. It was almost magical watching them dry and shrink before my eyes in such little amount of time. The second I finished brushing my teeth, she said, "The cast has been set. I'll scrunch it out for you."

My waves were the most defined I've ever seen them. They had the perfect balance of protein and moisture. I admired them in the mirror before looking back at her in awe. "I gotta admit... I was so uncomfortable with the thought of you bathing me but I'm so glad you did. I've never felt this beautiful."

Camilla chuckled. "That's ridiculous, honey. You're very beautiful. Me bathing you didn't make that the case."

She led me out of the bathroom and down the hall to the dining room. Inside, everyone was eating already, including Arden. I noticed some of their eyes lingered, slightly making me blush.

"Sit here, miss," Camilla said, directing me to the chair closest to the head of the table where Arden sat. I sat on the cushioned seat while she approached a table in the back of the room. She grabbed two silver dishes with a dome cover on top of them. She opened them up to reveal three small pancakes with spinach egg and cheese omelet next to it.

My stomach growled eagerly. Once she sat down, I dug in. The eggs were seasoned so deliciously. The pancakes were super fluffy with raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries covering them on top. Arden had the best chefs ever. Everything tasted so fresh.

I scarfed down my food. I tried eating slowly like everyone else around me, but the minute those flavors swooned my tongue, I lost absolutely all control. I'd definitely try to behave myself better next meal.

"So, Princess," Arden started, clasping his hands together above his plate. "You and I have much to discuss." He looked around us and said, "You are all dismissed." The room grew still and went silent at the command.