Sound Waves (Avatar: The Last Airbender) Book 2

Chapter 12 - Heir

Himoko's POV

The strong scent of the herbal soaps impregnating my senses with every inhale I took in as my body was scrubbed raw to the bone from head to toe. My knotty stubborn hair being brushed through again and again until it would submit to staying in the same place for the servant brushing it.

This would have been relaxing, if I was by myself and it didn't feel like my skin was being peeled off all in one layer- and the strong smells didn't hurt my nose and make me sneeze painfully- I couldn't wait for this torture to be over.

It had only been ten minutes since I was directed into the bath water, my fingers already pruned and skin washed and rinse, they just kept on piling on the soap to make sure I was extra squeaky clean I guessed.

I had expected this, the whole needing to get ready to walk through the three rings, show off to the people that yes, I was a real person, and that I was safe and sound and looking like a starred jewel instead of someone they had just pulled off from the street.

By time I was going to be walking down the streets, I was going to be looking like a fresh cooked lobster.

"How do you want your hair to be done today, Your Highness?"

"Pinned all the way up if you can. Two braids on either side of my head to get my bangs out of my face and into a bun with a strand of ponytail escaping it." I answered quickly with the fastest option that flashed in my mind, the imagery of my imagination helping me out. The servant brushing my hair paused, setting down her brush to help herself visualize what I wanted to be done with my hair, her index fingers trailing around the crown of my head.

"Braids from here to here?" I softly nodded, "Yes."

"I can do that. And you want a bun, but with hair falling out of it?" I picked my hands up from out of the water, using hand gestures to help her visualize it. Making one into a fist, while using my arm to act as the ponytail.

"Oh! The ponytail coming from the center of the bun!"

"Yeah, can you do it?"

"Yeah, may take a little bit longer for me to figure out but it seems easy enough!" She chirped cheerfully. I smiled softly, leaning my head back to let her finish brushing through my hair while my legs and feet were being scrubbed. I internally cringed at the feeling from my feet, hating it as much as I hated asparagus.

"Your Highness, we have your wardrobe for the day laid out for you." Announced a different servant, entering the room briefly.

"Uh okay, thank you." I told her, watching her bow at me politely before leaving as quick as she arrived.

5 minutes later I was free to leave the torture of the bath, dried off and was helping into the Royal garments, the emerald green and blacks of the skirt blending into the corset that stretched around my waist, securely tightened and then hidden with an overcoat thrown over top, buttons up with golden buttons that may as well costed a fortune from how much they seemed to twinkle in the light.

I was decorated in jewelry as per usual, the woven band staying on my wrist, the servants not asking me to take it off. I wasn't wearing a long sleeve today, the overcoat's sleeves only going down to just above my elbows. It was quite warm today, so I doubted they would want me to get sweaty when I was walking around.

The heeled boots were strapped onto me, the strings wrapped around my calves several times before being tied off and the skirt of my dress being pulled down to hide them.

Sat down at the vanity, the servant who had brushed my hair got straight to work in doing my hair, the crown clip resting off to the side in an expensive glass and silver case.