Enchantment of Sorrow

Chapter 04

You were led down the hallway back to your room and he went inside with you. Upon entry he went to the side of your bed and pulled on a long rope of fabric, then went across the room to the wardrobe. When he opened it, you seen a full array of brightly colored clothes with in and he began pulling some of them out, examining each one down to the last stitch. Some he put back, others he hung over his arm. A couple of minutes later as the pile on his arm grew a red-haired servant girl came in and curtsied. Wordlessly she crossed the room to the king.

Without looking at her he said, "I wish her to wear these tonight with the Blue Sapphires of the Glen. Bind her hair loosely." The girl merely nodded and went across the room laying the clothes on the bed and beckoned to you with a wave of her hand. You had stood motionless just inside the entrance to what you assumed to be your own room just watching in silence until then. The king turned and nodded at you with a hint of a smile and left you with the elf-maid.

She set to work immediately going to another cupboard and bringing out linens and wash clothes. Another drawer in the wardrobe held jeweled hair pins, combs, ribbons and a hairbrush. You sat down on the bed as she made her preparations to dress you up like a live doll. Dainty shoes were taken out of the bottom of the wardrobe and fresh water with flower petals was poured in the washing basin. After she made sure you took care of bodily needs she proceeded to help scrub you down from head to toe despite your protests that you could do it yourself, then she began dressing you. What had seemed like a lot of clothes really was not and to your horror no types of underwear or even slips were provided save the skimpy white satin that was put over you before a light blue pure lace dress with golden flecks was put over it.

She turned her attention to your hair next and she managed to twist and in some way entwine parts of it with ribbons and hold it partially up, but mostly down with combs and hairpins. They jewels on the pins and combs sparkled with each movement you made. At this she told you to stay there and she left for several minutes. With her leaving you found yourself going to a mirror that hung on the far wall. You hardly recognized yourself. You looked like part of a fairy story... As if you belonged here in this gothic, mystical place. You examined yourself in all angles and still came to the same conclusion. However, something about your looks bothered you. You couldn't quite pin it down until you stepped completely up to the mirror. It was your eyes. You could not place how, but they were changed in some form. It sent a shiver down your spine.

The maid returned at this, and with her she brought a wooden box that had a lock and a key dangling on her wrist. You came back over to the spot you had been sitting at and resumed your seated position as she laid the box down next to you. You watched with a nervous anticipation as she put the key in and turned it. When she opened it your eyes boggled and you found yourself swallowing hard as she lifted out of the box a necklace of deep blue sapphire and sparkling white gems. The set was one that you could never even dream of in it's beauty. Your hand came up to touch one oddly warm jewel as she fastened it about your neck. This was a necklace only a queen should wear.

Satisifed with her handiwork, the maid stepped back from you, and walked to the mirror you had been admiring yourself in earlier and gestured to it. Getting up you and going to it, you again met your reflection and momentarily seen the odd look your eyes now beheld. You chose to focus on the necklace and the look as a whole as you knew this was what she wanted you to do. Wholly as perfect as you could get, you offered her a shy smile, which she returned. She curtsied and left you in your room.

You looked out the window to your room and seen it was night. Or at least as dark as night outside. You walked to it and peered out. The snow covered woods greeted you outside. Would he really let you go before your mother died? Could you really trust this beautiful, powerful but dangerous creature of the woods?