Lady in the Iron Mask

Chapter 10

"I was born to hear, and I know why:
Those who have hurt me were attracted to me."
-The Prison, Alfred de Vigny

The next morning was a flurry of chaos and the whole castle appeared to be in a frenzy. Maids were rushing around, and even Eve awoke to find a pair of inquisitive eyes peering at her. She jumped, and so did her heart as the face in front of her retreated.

"God; you scared me." Eve muttered, hand over her chest.

The young woman either didn't hear, or otherwise ignored her.

"Hello there! I am your chamber maid, Lilith, and also someone I hope you can call a friend. I'm sorry for barging in so suddenly, it's just that when I was informed that I would be waiting on my lady, I was ever so excited!"

She had deep brown eyes and caramel-coloured hair. A soft jaw met her tear-shaped face, with a sturdy nose and smiling lips. Beautiful. She reminded Eve of a handsome empress, although Lilith was only common, like herself.

"Wait...You know me?" Eve asked, dumbstruck.

She had only been in this castle overnight, after all.

"Oh, yes. Why, one could even say that you're the talk of the town!" She giggled. "Now, how about we get you out of those rags?"

She grabbed onto Eve and spun her about, tearing clothing here and there and eventually dumping her into a deep-set tub, which heated her sore bones and made her feel extremely uncomfortable, as the water was not opaque. As she struggled to cover her embarrassed body and climb out of the bath, Lilith casually dunked her head under and began scrubbing away the years of dirt which had accumulated on Eve's body. She was like a rat in that aspect; you could only see her skin if she was cleaned. Otherwise, her skin seemed tanned, as though she received lots of sun, which she didn't.

"Look," Eve sputtered when she finally surfaced, as water filled her mouth, "I really don't require your services; I'm not an aristocrat, and we're of the same rank after all-"

Her head was dunked back under immediately, and a cheery Lilith smiled down into the now-murky water.

"Don't you be silly now, missy!" She reprimanded. "Of course we aren't of the same class: why do you think you're living here? Honestly, I should wash your ears too; they're obviously filled with dirt!"

Eve resurfaced for the last time, gagging water out of her system. She'd had enough.

"We are done; I'm clean!" She announced impatiently, climbing out of the bathtub and nearly knocking Lilith down, as she had hair in her face and couldn't see where she was going.

Predictably, this caused Eve to slip and fall on the floor like a squirming fish, and Lilith sighed melodramatically, hoisting her up by the arm. It was then that Eve wearily noticed that Lilith was actually extremely strong for a simple maid, and overpowered Eve easily.

"Thank you," she told the maid, standing awkwardly naked in the room, her breasts covered by her hair and her nether regions covered by her hand.

"Not a problem, Eve!" Lilith smiled warmly, hands on hips, surveying her figure. "Now, let's see what we can find for you, hm? The king won't want you in his court if you turn up like this, let me assure you!" And on that note, she strolled over to the wardrobe on the right side of her bedroom and yanked open the mirrored doors, exposing lots of floaty, sheer fabric.

Eve eyed the fabrics with confusion. They didn't even seem wearable to her, and surely, she would become cold? Of course she had eyed expensive gowns that women of North Lydon had worn, but these...they were of a totally different ranking, and seemed foreign.