Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Thirty: Radiant

"I can't believe the difference," Lydia said for the hundredth time. "I'm mean you were pretty before but now your beautiful. Those court ladies aren't going to know what hit them."

Lydia and Frida had talked me into trying cosmetics that the nobility used — arguing that it would be perfect. So, Lydia had spent a great deal of time outlining my eyes with this charcoal paste that honestly looked questionable.

Frida, on the other hand, had spent nearly an hour on my hair, first brushing it out, and then styling it. Frida had decided to pull my hair entirely up, leaving a few strands to frame my face, so the porcelain skin of my neck was shown.

"Frida, what color lip paint do you think would go nicely? I'm leaning towards the pink, but perhaps a red?"

"Red might be too bold of a color," Frida spoke from behind me as she placed pins in my hair. "I think a deep rose color would do nicely."

"Deep rose color it is." Lydia chirped as she put the brush covered in the black, questionable paste, down. Plucking a jar from the tray of cosmetics, Lydia unscrewed the top and picked up a new brush. "Have you ever used lip paint before."

"This is me we are talking about. I have no idea what any of this is." I replied dryly as Lydia dipped the brush into the pink concoction.

"Lip paint is exactly what it sounds like, lip paint," Frida explained as the brush glided across my lips. "It provides color and uniqueness."

"Not to mention, it shows one's status level," Lydia muttered as she moved onto my lower lip.

"Exactly how does it show status?" I asked as Lydia dipped the brush back into the jar.

"The quality and clarity of the color, as well as the texture and how long it lasts," Lydia replied as she finished up. "You might notice that some woman tonight will be reapplying lip paint periodically."

"What's the quality of this one?" I asked, looking at the tray of lip paints. In the mirror, both Lydia and Frida smirked at me.

"The best, you won't be needing to reapply tonight," Frida said before she started to unwrap the black box, she had pulled from the jewelry chest. "I hope you are up for the shock of your lifetime."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked as a silver object was removed from the box. With delicate hands, Frida gently placed a crown on my head. Unlike anything I expected from the collection at the castle, the crown looked like it had been made of twigs, leaves, berries, and flowers.

"Your mother was a woman loved not just by your father," Frida said as she adjusted the crown around my hair. Lydia grew quiet as Frida pulled out a sapphire choker, the choker was locked around my neck. "Tonight, your father will present you to the people as his daughter, and..."

"And you just made me look like my mother?" I finished, guessing what she was going to say. Frida shook her head and sighed at me.

"Not just like your mother, your highness. The night before she fled the city, a grand ball was held, it was a marvelous night..."

I finally realized what she was saying. A small smile crossed my deep pink lips. This night might just turn out alright. Frida and Lydia finished with my makeup and hair before the started the enormous task of getting me into the blue gown.

Lydia held my skirts to the side as Frida's nimble finger pulled the corset of the dress as tight as it would go. Once that was done, Lydia crawled on her feet and helped me step into the crystal embedded slippers pulled from the closet.