C'est La Vie

Chapter 28: Who am I?

Esme:

Did I want to wake up? No. Did I still get up? Yes. As I dragged myself up I noticed my journal at the foot of the bed. I must have fallen asleep while writing. I decided to bring my journal in the front pocket of my duffle bag. I rubbed my eyes and saw a figure in my bathroom. I screamed and then practically pounced on the figure. The figure turned to the side so I didn't harm them and I saw the fiery red hair of...Zsofia? "Oh my goodness I am so sorry!" I held my hand to my heart, "No.. No, are you alright my lady?" she looked concerned.

I looked in the mirror. My hair was incredibly frizzy, my face was puffy and I had a crook in my neck. "I'm alright.." She nodded and then snapped her fingers. Another butler came in and grabbed my bags, "All packed?" he asked,"Indeed." I replied.

She got straight to work and then put me in a white flowy dress that reached my ankles. The neckline was U shaped, the middle hugged my waist so that a corset wasn't needed and it had flowy long sleeves. After she wrestled my hair into a pretty half-up, half-down. Finally it was paired with simple golden hoops and a feather necklace. I looked half-dead but suitable. Like a nicely groomed corpse. So blackberry juice was dabbed onto my cheeks for colour and lipstick was applied. My jasmine perfume was sprayed and I was ready to leave. "My lady!" she yelped. She pointed to my bare feet. Maybe I wasn't quite ready to go.

A new pair of fancy sandals were given to me and when I slipped them on, she then handed me a sunhat, "Thank Zsofia." I murmured as I looked in the mirror, "My pleasure."

I walked to the front of the castle where the carriage was placed neatly on the brick road with my hat clutched in my hand. "Hi everyone!" I heard a voice behind me and I turned around to see it was Elisabeth and..Maude "Hi!" I replied. I saw Clary heading over and I let out a sigh of relief.And almost at the exact same time Felix and Augustine appeared-and what made it even weirder was that their steps were exactly in sync. "I'm so excited!" Clary brushed back a strand of her hair. I noticed all of us were wearing white which was quite comical. "Me too!" Elisabeth clasped the door of the carriage and then hopped in "C'Mon!". The carriage was huge to fit the accommodations and somehow I ended up sitting across from Clary, next to the window. With Felix next to me. The carriage started moving and Elisabeth explained our living arrangements."My Grandmother had guest rooms for everyone. Maude and I will share, Carly and Esme, Auggie and Felix, and Evelyn you have your own, Nana knows you don't like to share." Evelyn chuckled as she placed her hand on her bag. My duffel was small so it fit underneath my feet. I pulled out my journal and quill, I didn't have much on my mind at the moment so I drew the landscape that I saw out the window. After a while I dozed off with the sun beaming on my face.

I woke up to my head at the opposite of the window. Which was weird because I was pretty sure I had been dozing on the window. Suddenly I realised what my head was laying on. I squeaked and then jumped up. Felix had been dozing off too and I hadn't been laying on the seat-it was his shoulder! He seemed to still be asleep and he was mumbling. I lurched my head so that it was resting on the window. I carefully took out my journal and quill and began a new page.

Dear, Future Esme May 5th, 1724

We are on the way to the coasts of France. Whatever I have been dreading is creeping closer and closer. And yet I still don't know what. I haven't spoken to Maud-but I feel as if everything about her is a lie. Her smiles are fake. She reminds me too much of her mother. I simply refuse to forgive her.

But why dwell on such dreary topics? We are going on a vacation! But still a black cloud still settles above my head. What will the queen do when I come back? Perhaps she will forget. Or kick me out of the kingdom. But whatever it is, Future Esme.. tell me.