My Knight in Shining Armor

Starting the New Job

Mirabelle chatted all the way to her room; talking about how excited she was that she could now get more expensive gifts for her family during the holidays. I, on the other hand, was too focused on not hyperventilating of working under the future Queen. If I made just one mistake I would lose this job. Which yes, most people could probably get another one pretty fast at my age, but none of them would pay this well. Not only that, I had to work here because people back home had started speculating that I wasn't telling the whole truth. This was the riskiest job I could take, but also the most secure one out there. 

"Emeline, I have the best idea ever," Mirabelle was so excited she literally stopped in the middle of the hallway, forcing the rest of the maids heading to Mirabelle's room to squeeze past us, and held both my hands in hers. "Have you heard of the Christmas feast?" I shook my head. "It's a small ball held in the servants quarters. The workers, some knights, and all the maids come dressed in their finest garments and celebrate Christmas together. Well, those of us who don't have family to go back to anyways."

"It sounds like a lot of fun Mirabelle, but what's that got to do with me?"

"Why, I'm going to dress you up! Usually it's just Mary and I, but with all these new friends I've made it's sure to be a bigger charade. You should definitely come! It is your first Christmas feast in the castle."

"I...um..."I tried not to make eye contact with the hopeful ginger beside me.

"Oh..."She sighed, dropping my hands and hugging herself, "you're going back to you're house for the holidays, aren't you? Stupid me, always assuming everyone else is just the same as me."

"No, it's not that! I haven't even thought about the holidays yet, I've been too focused on working. I'll probably wind up staying because my family will want-"

"You're staying!" Mirabelle smiled wide, "then you have no excuse not to come!" She then skipped off to her room. I gloomily walked after her. This is going to be interesting. 

When I got to Mirabelle's room almost all of the maid's were crammed into the room. Some were lounging on the beds and comparing each other's schedules for the week. Others were at the mirrors doing each others hair, the whole room was full of life and chatter. "Emeline! let me play with your hair!" I walked over to her with a smile and sat down on the cushioned chair.

"My goodness, Emeline, I swear you're hair is so dang pretty I just wish you would let it out of this tight bun every once in a while." Mirabelle unraveled the skin-pulling bun in my hair and started combing out the knots. Once all the knots were gently brushed out, she started massaging my head. "You know, my mom would always do this right after taking out my hair and right before bed. She said that the tales say that this reduces stress and helps you stay younger for longer." She laughed to herself. "Of course, I think she just said that because growing up I had a deep fear of growing old, all those wrinkles and the ugliness that comes with it. It's not fun to see or watch." I nodded along as I relaxed and closed my eyes. 

Mirabelle told me all about the traditions in her house and her younger siblings. Along with what it was like growing up in the middle class city called Dewhurst when she declared that she was "done with the masterpiece touched by the angels of hair."

"Oh my goodness Mirabelle, you've outdone yourself!" She had made two bigger braids on either side of the back of my head and interconnected them with smaller twisted strands of hair. "I'm already sad that I'll have to take it out in the morning just to put in the ugly regular bun!" 

"You're far too kind." Mirabelle smiled pridefully.I turned around to give her the eyebrow. "Haha, now let me go introduce you to some more people."

"Okay, but I do have to go soon, it's getting really late." Mirabelle nodded absentmindedly but still continued to lead me to a group of girls in the corner playing with each other's hair.