Three
1109 Words
Walking straight to the mirror facing the bed on shaky legs, she stared blankly at her appearance. Estella was quite pale and if that wasn't awful enough, she also had snow-white hair with white brows. The first thought that crossed Lisa's mind was "Frozen”, the Disney cartoon she watched in her teen years. She looked just like Elsa from Frozen and this night dress she was putting on just made her feel as though she was about to climb a stormy mountain and bell out the "Let It Go” song.
"You have to be kidding me!" Lisa yelled out as a sour expression crossed her face, she wanted to cry her eyes out.
"My lady, what's the matter? Are you alright?” Rose asked, taken aback by her outburst. Ignoring Rose, she started pacing around the room, then abruptly turning to Rose with a shaky voice, she asked,
"Is Estella sick? I- I- I mean, am I sick?” Lisa quickly rephrased her words as Rose stared at her like she was crazy.
"My lady you have always been of weak constitution since you were born" she replied quietly. "And my hair? Why is it so white?" Lisa asked in a shaky voice again.
"My lady you were born with that color of hair" Rose explained patiently.
"You have to stop calling me that my lady word," Lisa said, feeling drained and dejected.
Lisa had thought this was all a charade or a joke, but it wasn’t looking like it. Maybe it was a bad nightmare and she was at home in her world sleeping in her extra comfortable bed. Pinching herself to test how real everything is, yup, she felt the pain quite much, and damn, it hurt like a b***h.
There’s no way this is a dream, Lisa contemplated as she sat on the chair nearby. She raised her head and stared at Rose as she shuffled through a big closet looking for who-knows-what in this situation.
"Rose?” Lisa called out, as she stood to assess what Rose was up to. To her surprise, Rose pulled her head from the closet, pulling two outfits behind, a pale pink dress, and a bright pink dress, and placed both in front of Lisa with a bright smile, she asked;
"My lady, what dress would you prefer today?” Lisa blinked and stared at the awful-looking ancient gown that looked like a costume used in the Bridgerton movie.
"Uhmm… I think I’m going to sit this one out" Lisa replied as she took a step back.
"But my lady, You…"
"Why don't I look around a bit?" Lisa suggested as she walked to the nearest door to her right and pulled the silver handle.
Lisa instantly gasped as her eyes beheld what was in front of her; a big bath more like the size of a swimming pool with steam floating out. Lisa looked up and saw a little opening that allowed the heat to exit the room, there was a lounge chair by the side, and towels neatly folded on a mini cupboard. The bathroom smelled so nice, like flowers in the summer. Lisa walked closer to the water and noticed three wide steps inside the bath with petals floating on the water. Going on one knee, Lisa stretched her hand inside to cup a little in her hands and brought it to her nose. The water smelled familiar, like a lost memory forgotten in time.
Relaxing in the bath, Lisa stretched out her body which was quite sore. She stretched out her fingers and stared at how pale Estella’s body was, wondering if she had ever been out under the sun since she was born. Anyways, she has to go with the flow, then maybe, she could find a way to get back home.
Soon she hoped.
Trying to rid her head of every thought of the day’s crazy event, she shut her eyes, focusing on how effective the bath was in calming her.
Only to be startled awake. Again.
"My lady… I- I am sorry I meant Lady Estella" Rose quickly corrected herself.
"You have always loved the rose fragrance, so, I always add it to your bath…" Rose quietly explained as she noticed her lady's piercing eyes on her. She placed the jar at a small counter by the bath, picked up a bath cloth, and slathered it with a white-looking substance from another jar, explaining,
"…and this, is a jasmine fragrant soap" Then she moved gently and knelt behind Lisa.
Lisa was quite grateful for Rose’s patience in explaining in detail, what she added to her bath, but it seemed she forgot to explain that she would be helping Estella with her bath,
"Why are you kneeling behind me?" Lisa asked, turning to face Rose just as her hands were about to touch her back.
Confused, "My lady, no I mean Lady Estella," Rose said stumbling with her words, "I was…well… I was going to help scrub your back just like I always do" she finally said as she let out a nervous breath.
"You know I can do that right?" Lisa said as she stared back at Rose whose lips and cheeks were quite red and rosy due to the heat in the bath, and her hands, were shaky as she lowered them on her lap.
Rose’s dark blue dress was beginning to get wet due to the bath-cloth on her lap and Lisa quickly stretched out her hands, prying the bath-cloth from her hands and started scrubbing herself.
"This is silly, of course, I can bathe myself,” Lisa said as she felt a blush rising on her cheeks, feeling quite embarrassed that she was about to be scrubbed by her fellow girl.
"But my lady, I have always done it, it is my job. Please." Rose pleaded, her voice sounding sad like an abandoned puppy left on the sidewalk on a rainy day. Feeling bad for Rose, Lisa said slowly "Alright here you go, but I have to tell you, I can do this myself" Stretching out her soapy hands towards Rose. Happy, Rose quickly took the bath cloth from Lisa's hands and pulled her closer to the edge of the bath, thereby getting her dress further wet, but she didn't mind, for this was her favorite aspect of being Estella’s personal maid.
"You like doing this, don't you?" Lisa asked Rose.
"Yes, lady Estella, I do" She replied, her voice sounding jovial about helping Lisa with such a task, Lisa found it completely ridiculous, an eighteen-year-old having someone bathe her.
I guess that’s what comes with nobility.
- Writer
