Ascension [A Yu-Gi-Oh! FanFiction]

13: Reflection

Satiah's second night in Thebes proved much more restful than the first. She awoke feeling surprisingly refreshed, leading her to wonder if she would have even roused at all had sunlight not reached her face. Fighting a full-body stretch, she rose and crossed the room to the window, where down in the garden she spied the dial of the time-keeping obelisk already approaching the eleven o'clock hour. A jolt of surprise shot through her — she must have slept even better than she first thought.

With a sigh, she retreated from the window and made for the door that adjoined her room to her handmaiden's. She knocked twice, and a moment later, Tuya answered, looking bright and cheery. "Good morning, my lady," she said. "You're looking well-rested."

Satiah smirked, then moved away and sat at her nearby vanity, upon which rested a basin of water. Tuya followed, closing the door behind her. "I couldn't believe it myself," Satiah said, cupping her hands in the cool water and splashing it on her face.

"Could it be that you're finally settling in here?" Tuya asked, coming up behind Satiah. Tuya took up a comb and set to working out the night's tangles.

Satiah just shrugged. She picked up a bronze hand mirror, catching sight of another knowing smile cracking on Tuya's lips. Keen to avoid her handmaiden's curious gaze, Satiah busied herself by picking up a thin paintbrush and dipping it into a pot of black ink, then lifting it to her eyes.

"How has it been getting to know the prince?" Tuya prodded, and Satiah almost jabbed herself in the eye with the brush. She shot Tuya a glare in the mirror, then continued painting the ink along her lash line.

"Fine, I suppose," Satiah said between brushstrokes. "He's not particularly...loquacious."

"Well, neither are you," Tuya shot back, yanking hard on a thick knot. "You two should get along swimmingly."

Satiah was momentarily insulted by Tuya's cheek, but she knew her handmaiden was right. If she could find it in herself to open up to the prince, it would certainly go a long way to making things easier on herself. Still, Satiah was resistant, if only on principle alone — it would take more to woo her than simply arranging a new profession for her father, especially when the royals had been the ones to strip him of his title in the first place.

Tuya soon finished coiffing Satiah's hair, then set about assembling her outfit for the day. After Satiah put the finishing touches on her makeup, she stepped into the dress that had been set aside for her. Tuya belted it with a sash and pinned on a neckpiece before standing back to inspect her work.

"Beautiful," she said. "That reminds me — the royal dressmakers asked if you'd like to view their stock of gowns this afternoon. What should I tell them?"

Satiah rolled her eyes. "I'd rather eat camel dung."

"That's what I figured," Tuya said, smiling wider. "I'll pick something out for you, but you should still come by in the evening for a fitting." Satiah nodded her acceptance, and Tuya patted her shoulders. "I believe the servants made up a breakfast plate for you on the terrace, if you'd like."

Satiah took a deep breath — she hadn't noticed how hungry she'd become. "Perfect," she said. "Thank you, Tuya."

Her handmaiden bowed her head and excused herself, disappearing through the door back to her suite. Satiah left her room as well and swept purposefully down the hall toward the terrace. She was surprised when in addition to the plate of food, her father was also waiting for her at the table, sipping idly on hot tea while reading from a papyrus in front of him. He looked up and smiled as she approached.

"I was afraid I'd have to come douse you in cold water soon," he said.

Satiah concealed a smirk and moved to stand over him, reaching to grab a date from a tray in the center of the table. While she chewed the sweet fruit, she peered curiously down at the papyrus her father was reading.