Annabelle Caswell dreaded her upcoming coming-of-age celebration. It was every noble girl's dream, but definitely not hers. All she longed for was to spend her days lounging in her chambers, sleeping all day, going hunting with her brothers, and engaging in sword fights with a few guards in her father's mansion. Combat training wasn't exactly lady like in their society but Belle didn't care.
Belle didn't want to attend soirees, tea parties, or exquisite dinners with nobles. She hated putting on fake smiles with people she barely knew, pretending to be someone she wasn't, and more importantly, she dreaded the pain of fitting into a very tight corseted dress. She groaned into her pillow ruffling her already messy hair.
A knock erupted from outside the door, but before she could respond, the double doors were pushed open by a few maids, followed by a poignant and elegant woman dressed in the finest silk – none other than her mother, Lady Kena. Four maids trailed behind her, each carrying a tray laden with daisy-scented body oils and soap. Annabelle gave an eye roll and sat upright on her bed. "Fancy seeing you here, Mother," she said dryly.
Her mother clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Good morning, Mother. How was your night?" Annabelle asked, her tone polite but unenthusiastic. Lady Kena walked to the window and pulled up the curtains, letting sunlight illuminate the room. The interior of the room was oriental and gorgeous. "Ahh," Belle groaned as the sunlight shone directly on her face. "Not now, Mama."
"Get up, young lady," Lady Kena announced, dragging the bed cover off Belle. "We're heading to your cousins' mansion in two hours."
Belle's eyes lit up. "Is it Nicholas?"
Lady Kena drawled, "Yes, child. Who else?
"Your coming of age celebration is to be held there".
Belle squealed with excitement, but when her mother mentioned the coming-of-age celebration, her smile faded. She quickly masked it before her mother could notice and nodded enthusiastically.
The fact that she was going to stay in her cousins' mansion for two weeks was enough to lift her spirits, Belle ran into the bathroom with all excitement. Her mother chuckled and called out, "Silly girl," as she motioned for the maids to help Belle get ready. Annabelle loved Nicholas and preferred him over her seven other cousins. They would always sneak out into town and cause mischief whenever they had the chance, and they were best friends. Belle hadn't seen him for nearly three years since he took the Lordship title from his father, but their letters had been constant. Definitely, she was excited to meet him again.
Inside the bath, Belle basked in the comfort of the warm water as two maids brushed her silver hair. It was smooth, shiny, and soft, and the maids enjoyed brushing it. "You have very beautiful hair, milady," Tricia, one of the maids, gushed. "Hmm, thank you," Belle chuckled. "Father tells me I inherited it from his grandfather. Skip generation, I suppose."
"Then your great-grandfather must have been very handsome with this kind of hair," Tricia said. "Yes, very," Belle replied. "The wall space in the south wing of this mansion occupies a portrait of him."
"Unfortunately, milady, we're not allowed to go there," Tricia revealed.
Belle's curiosity was piqued. "Oh, and why is that?" she queried with furrowed eyebrows. "I do not know," Tricia replied. Annabelle closed her eyes and allowed the maids to scrub her legs as the scent of the soap wafted through her nose. She was already accustomed to the smell of the daisy-scented soap, having used it since she was little. Even if she wanted to change the scent of her soap, her mother would never agree, and she wondered why.
After the bath, Belle was wrapped in a clean towel and taken back to her room to get dressed. Her mother wasn't there anymore. The maids led her to the dressing table, which was between the bed and the window, made of pine wood and covered with a colorful cloth and an expensive toilet mirror. "I want a simple look, yes?" Belle requested. "Yes, my lady," the maids said in unison.
"And how about you let Tricia dress me up?" Belle asked, dismissing the other three maids politely. They picked no offense, knowing Lady Belle was always nice and treated the commoners like nobles, which was something to admire. "Yes, Lady Belle," they left the room, leaving only Belle and Tricia. Belle felt more comfortable with Tricia because she had been her handmaid for a long time.
"Please tell me I'm not wearing some of those tight, sophisticated, air-gripping dresses," Annabelle breathed out, her eyes pleading. Tricia chuckled warmly, she had known Belle for nearly 10 years to know that she hated dresses of those sort.
"I'm sorry, milady, but your mother was the one who chose your dress, and I must say..." Tricia bent to whisper, "...it is everything you hate."
"Oh, Mother dear," Belle mumbled.
"But don't worry, I won't make the ropes too tight," Tricia winked, and Belle chuckled.
After a few minutes, Belle went quiet and looked deep in thought, confusion marred her forehead, and Tricia was tempted to know what caused Lady Belle to look that way. "Lady Annabelle, what troubles you?" Tricia asked. "Lady Annabelle?" Tricia called, causing Belle to jolt and give a light chuckle.
"Don't mind me, Tricia..." She smiled and faced her handmaid, "It's nothing serious."
"May I still know?" Tricia chided. Belle leaned on the chair and faced the large mirror in front of her with a silver frame. "This coming-of-age celebration, I don't want it. It comes with many things: finding a suitor, debuting into society, so many responsibilities of a lady in high society. One mistake, and I'll be the talk of the entire kingdom," Belle sighed.
Tricia's hand movements stopped, and she knelt in front of Belle. "I see you're worried about your coming-of-age, but I assure you, you'll find a suitable suitor. You're the daughter of a reputable marquess and marchioness, a lady of high society with very beautiful features, personality, and a breathtaking smile. You'll find a suitor," Tricia assured Belle.
"That's the point; I'm not ready for marriage of any sort. All I want is to join the court, but Mama and Papa won't understand because the council is hardly for any lady," Belle complained. Tricia used her palms to support her chin and hummed in deep thought. Then Belle continued, "Obviously, no man would want to see his wife fighting crimes. All they want is for you to stay at home, all dolled up, manufacturing babies."
"Don't worry, Lady Annabelle. Everything will be fine," Tricia smiled. Belle nodded while Tricia continued with Belle's hair, tying it into a bun, applying light makeup with a nude lip gloss, and helping Belle into her dress.
Just then, Lady Kena came in and hummed in satisfaction, seeing Belle dressed up. "Beautiful," she complimented, but then her smile died down. "But the ropes aren't properly tied." She gave Tricia a look, and Tricia took it as her cue to leave.
"Mama, if you tighten it any further, I'll collapse. I haven't even had any breakfast yet," Belle panicked.
"No breakfast for you, dear. Now, hold the pole of your bed," Lady Kena instructed. Belle held onto the pole while her mother held onto the ropes and gave a tight pull, causing Belle to gasp.
"Oh, Mother..."
"Almost done, dear." Lady Kena gave two more pulls and let go with satisfaction on her face. "Perfect."
Lady Kena gushed as she stared at Annabelle looking all beautiful in the beige coloured dress, her silver hair was finely tied making her facial features more prominent. Her blue eyes were enchanting and they resembled the finest crystals one could find.
Belle faced her mother with a tired look on her face. "Now, remember, daughter dear, walk with your chin raised up high, shoulders proud, no dulling," Lady Kena reminded her. "Yes, Mother," Belle drawled.
"Now, come; your brothers and father are waiting," Lady Kena said, dragging Belle out of the room. Lady Kena and Annabelle walked down the grand stairs into the parlor where her brothers and father sat. They all stood up and exchanged bows.
"Good morning, Father dearest, and my lovely brothers, Petiron, Samuel, Dimirki, and Brandon," Belle curtsied.
"Good morning, Belle dear. How was your night?" her father, Marquess Edward, asked as he gave her a peck.
"Quite lovely."
"Let's get going, shall we? Our cousin must be excited," Samuel said. They all headed for the carriage, their luggages had been stored in another carriage which had taken off an hour ago. Dimirki walked closer to Belle and whispered into her ear,
"You look unhappy."
"Do I? Is it that obvious?" Belle asked.
"Even a mad person can tell," Petiron chipped in.
"The dress... is tight?" Brandon looked skeptical.
"Can you breathe, though, sister?" Samuel asked.
"Do I look like I can?" Belle shot her brothers a glare as she got into the carriage. They laughed and got on after her.
"I hope you don't pass out," Samuel commented, and the carriage took off.