"Brush harder, harder Camella." Mary yelled at me, she voice high pitched, delicate and snoot "Ouch! That's too hard! I know you know how to brush hair, so do it right!"
I bit my lip and glanced at the mirror, my copper hair contrasting her bright blond hair. My partially tanned skin against her soft, pale skin. My turquoise eyes verses her dark blue ones.
"I have to look perfect for the prince, he will be arriving this morning." She said as she leaned forward and inspected herself in the mirror.
"Mistress?" I asked.
"What do you want to ask me Camella?" She asked exasperatedly.
"Which prince is it that shall be visiting this fine day?" I winced at the formal, respectful way I talked.
"Prince Cornelius of Thail." I nearly dropped the case of makeup I was carrying over to the vanity. "Hurry up you clumsy fool." She turned around and I took out the items I needed and began applying the make up. "Queen Mary Sire Daniel, doesn't that sound lovely?"
I bit my lip once more and was thankful Mary's eyes were shut. "Yes, lovely Mistress. I am finished."
"Took you long enough." She said and spun around on her stool and looked at herself in the mirror "at least there is one thing you're good at. Oh yeah, mother thinks you look filthier then I do so she got you a new outfit so that you don't look like a rat while you work as a server this afternoon."
I walked over to the pile of folded clothes she was pointing too and lifted up the first item. An off white blouse that fell off the shoulders, brown and green embroidery lined the neckline and two small ribbons were in the center so that one could tighten the top it if it was too large and wouldn't stay.
Beneath was a long brown skirt 'what is it with her and brown?' I looked down at my white, short sleeved shirt and brown bodice. Next to the pile of clothes were two, simple, brown, dress shoes.
"You better be taking good care of the dress my mother had sown for you, it's the only one you'll have. You are lucky my father lets you attend the balls instead of working them. Now go get dressed, I don't want anyone of the royals seeing you in that." She looked me up and down "oh and after lunch tomorrow I want you to come and help be get ready for the ball ."
"Good Lord save me..." I mumbled.
"What was that?"
"Yes milady." I mentally cringed, I hated calling her that, it was much to respectful and only made her seem more like a princess then she was. That is why I call her mistress. It is much less formal in my mind and it reminds me of a the wicked mistress in a fairytale I heard when I was little. Mary only likes it because she thinks it sounds pretty.
I made my way out of her room and down the hall to mine, which was located near the servant quarters in this wing, but wasn't too far from Mary's room. I tried on the outfit and found it fit perfectly, it wasn't surprising. The one thing Mary and I had in common was our build, we were both skinny and had decent curves, the only exception was that my shoulders were a bit squarer and I was a good 3-4 inches taller then her.
I smiled into the small mirror on the wall as I brushed my hair. I was naturally skinny, I had always had a large apatite but I never gained a pound, of course now I don't get that much food and makes my weight go down even further. Mary on the other hand is always reprimanded by her mother for eating any sweet she dares to touch, even if she didn't actually eat it and she doesn't eat much at meals, except for her salad.
I pulled my hair up into a tight bun, but a few loose strands still fell loose around my face. After slipping on my shoes I headed down to the dining room to help set up for the large feast that was to be eaten for lunch.
I walked back and forth, from the room adjacent to the kitchen to the dining room. I set the last two white candles in their silver stands and looked over too Tanya, another, older, servant. "Is there anything else?"
She glanced at the table once more "we are missing a silver serving platter to put the food onto on the end, can you get it Camy?"
I nodded "Of course, I'll be right back." I left the room and went down the hall, back around the corner and into the service entrance to the kitchen, there on the counter sat the platter "I can't believe I missed that." I quickly grabbed and left the room.
Just as I came around the corner I crashes into somebody and the platter clattered to the floor "oh I am so sorry sir!" A said hurriedly as I bent down and picked it up, as I stood back up I glance at him. I didn't recognize the boy, he seemed about my age and was dressed decently well. I figured he was a noble or somebody who came here with the prince and his father.
"It is my fault my lady." He looked at me and my breath caught.
'I am being so stupid!' I thought as I curtseyed and hurried off, with pink tinted cheaks.