Queensmen

Chapter 15

~Royal Treatment~

Asharath had only been a few towns away, thankfully. Through the journey Oris had to resist the urge to rub at her eyes and yawn every few minutes. Even Faeradaigh had seemed worn down by yesterday's storm. He made no advances towards her and kept a respectable distance from her person at all times till he led her out of the carriage. And even then their contact had been brief.

Even when boredom had driven her to make conversation with the man, his replies were curt and proper with no insinuations in between.

Oris didn't know whether to be glad or not. Fearful that this momentary pause in lust would lead to an explosion of passion she would be left helpless against.

"Mistress?" a soft voice called, drawing Oris' attention back to the girl in front of her. The one that had been discussing plans for her next meal.

"Yes?" she asked back, not bothering to hide the fact that she had not been listening for the past ten minutes.

The girl was a maid, one out of the four maids she had been introduced to since she had set foot on Asharath. Her name was Seline and she had fair, smooth skin and short dark curls like the other three girls. But her eyes were blue while the others had grey, hazel and dark brown irises respectively.

Oris had made an effort to remember their names because not doing so would make her seem rude and snobbish, and that was far from the impression she intended to give anyone watching her.

What she had said to Faeradaigh hadn't been a complete lie. If it was possible, she wanted everyone to like her but she was not naive enough to hope that she made no enemies.

"This servant asked if you would like to eat dinner in your chambers or in the dining hall." Seline said quietly, her eyes fixed on the polished floor and her hands clasped in front of her.

"I would like to eat here, Seline," Oris sighed and stared blankly at the mirror in front of her. "I am not ready to be in the company of others just yet."

"Then this servant shall take her leave," Seline bowed her head lower and backed away five paces before turning around and leaving the room.

Oris nodded at the empty space in front of her, not really caring for food. If it came she would eat. If it didn't she didn't mind the solitude.

It had been hours since she had arrived in the city's manor and since then she had been scrubbed harshly from head to toe thrice, rubbed with scented oils a dozen times and had her hair combed through then curled repeatedly with hot irons when her stubborn locks refused to cooperate.

She still sat in her bath robes while her feet were submerged in a small tub of hot water and rose petals. Her hair had been pinned into submission, rolled up in several loops that sat atop her head in a gravity defying manner and looked more like an architectural design than a hairdo.

Mayree, the maid with grey irises who was in charge of her hair, had said that preparations had to be started now for her meeting with the emperor. She did not have the luxury of being attended to in the palace because immediately she arrived, the selection would begin.

Oris didn't mind the rush, already used to how pushy maids could get when deadlines were involved. They were determined to transform her into royal material before the week's end. She found the entire situation ironic, seeing that she had been a queen once upon a time.

Once she had been seated in front the dresser all four maids had formed a circle around her, disapproving comments about the split ends in her hair and the callouses on her palms and fingertips echoing all around her.