Beautiful, Beautiful

Meeting the King

Sun sat in a velvet cushioned chair, trying to breathe evenly against the tightened corset pushing at her sides. A maiden pulled at her head, bringing softly curled strands into a high bun. A grand, crystalized mirror was displayed before her, and she stared back at herself in awe.

Her bronze powered chest was stuffed into a white ruffled bodice, and emerald stones devoured her neckline. The maiden who had been powdering her face had returned to apply a red gloss to her lips. She wore a uniformed white dress and her hair was hidden beneath a white head wrap. Her face was plain but pretty, and her hands were calloused as if marked by hard labor.

The older maid at Sun's head dug an emerald clip into her hair to hold it in place. Small ringlets fell to the sides, completing the look. The younger maid stepped away from her and gave her a satisfied smile.

"Oh!" she chimed. "Mustn't forget the earrings. It goes well with the necklace. Prince Charming picked it out, himself."

"Prince Charming?" Sun asked her, turning away from the mirror to meet the young maid's bright, gray eyes.

"Prince Christian," the second maid corrected, her voice void of amusement. "It's a nickname we gave him as a child. He was quite the charming young lad."

"He ordered us to dress you in the finest clothes and to bedazzle you in his favorite stone. The emerald," the young one added, clipping jewels to Sun's ears. They were heavy and uncomfortable, but glimmered like a thousand stars. "He says you are to look esteemed in front of the King."

"And when am I to meet the King?" Sun asked, feeling anxious at once. She just wanted to go home.

"We are to take you to him as soon as we finish," the oldest maid said. "Please stand so that we may dress you."

Sun obliged, taking in the sight of the pearl colored gown displayed on a mannequin. It was the last piece to her outfit and would fit just below her bodice. The dress had barely recognizable prints that swirled and entwined, and every so often, a small emerald jewel sprouted out of it.

It was only an hour ago that Sun had arrived at the castle. There had been an excited crowd just outside of the castle doors, waiting to greet her, but as soon as Prince Crow opened the carriage door, he threw a black cloak over her and ushered her into the grand, archway. He then parted without a single word, leaving her with two servants, who knew just what to do with her.

Sun had been bathed in scorching hot water, which had softened her muscles and eased the ache in her bones. The water was scented with honey, lavender, and a hint of wild mint. The scents had worked to ease her mind, as if her mother had been the one to infuse the water with a calming potion. But the moment Sun withdrew from the bath, every single emotion returned.

She remembered she'd been taken. She remembered the prophecy, which concluded as much, and now she sat in the castle - a castle she was sure to doom.