enter.
He stooped to get through the entrance, then rose to his full, imposing height. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I have news," he said.
Ruby squeezed Lily's hand and braced herself.
"You passed the Trial, Ruby. Hadn't you guessed?" The Steward held out an emerald bead. "The ministers were unanimous. Even the Treasurer agreed."
"Oh, fuck," whispered Ruby. Her muscles turned to water. "Oh, holy fuck."
"That's not why I've come at such a late hour," warned the Steward. "The King has summoned you to a new service in the morning. I argued for a longer grace period, but he would not hear me."
"The King?" Ruby repeated. She clutched the bead in her palm. Emerald. Fuck.
"Lily, I'm glad you're here," said the Steward. "You'll need to make sure she's ready before Court begins. Can you do that?"
"I'll need help," said Lily. "Will you send Milkweed and Coral to meet me in the baths at dawn?"
"Of course," said the Steward. "I'll send the orders now—and I suggest that you both get some rest."
"I'm to attend Court?" Ruby asked, after the Steward had gone.
"In a manner of speaking," said Lily. She plumped the pillows. "Now lie down, before I say anything else. The Steward was right—you should rest while you can."
It took Ruby too long to fall asleep, and she felt groggy and irritable when Lily dragged her out of bed before dawn.
"Forget about your robe," said Lily, tugging her out the tent. "We have to hurry."
Milkweed and Coral waited at the entrance to the baths.
"What took you so long?" asked Milkweed.
"The water's ready," said Coral.
They surrounded Ruby, leading her to a private bathing chamber made of fine white marble. First they used balls of hard, sugared wax to remove the hair from Lily's body—all the hair, from her upper lip to the tops of her feet.
Then they poured buckets of steaming hot water over her naked body. Coral and Milkweed massaged foaming, perfumed soap over every limb and into every crevice while Lily washed Ruby's hair.
After the soap came two different lotions, one dense and odorless, the other light and smelling of burnt sugar.
"Now the dressing room," said Lily, leading the way from the humid bath into a high-ceilinged chamber furnished with many mirrors and cabinets.
Lily dusted Ruby's slick, lotioned body with powder while Coral brushed and styled Ruby's hair. Milkweed applied fresh lacquer to Ruby's finger and toenails, then set out an an array of cosmetics, which she applied with methodical precision: powder on Ruby's forehead, cheeks, and chin, kohl on her eyelids and eyelashes, a red pigment on her lips, nipples, and clitoris.
"How much time do we have?" Lily asked.
"None," replied Coral, dashing from the room.
"Court is about to begin," agreed Milkweed. "This is the best we can do."
"If only we'd had more time," said Coral, returning with a robe of blue silk. "This will have to do."
Ruby slipped her arms through the sleeves of the robe, and Lily belted it.
"I think she looks marvelous," said Lily.
Coral and Milkweed shrugged.
"Thank you both," said Ruby.
"Good luck," they chorused.
Lily guided Ruby through the halls of the palace, then stopped before they reached a wide archway, framed in elaborate gilded moldings.
"I can't follow you inside," said Lily.
"What do I do?" Ruby asked.
"The Steward will tell you," said Lily. "Good luck."
The throne room was huge, and almost empty. A golden couch, upholstered in red cloth, stood at one end of the square hall, flanked on either side by gilded armchairs.
In front of the couch lay a thin pallet. The Steward stood next to it.
The Steward gestured her forward and Ruby approached. The room was square, the ceiling domed and pierced by windows to let in light. A few petitioners stood clumped along the wall, as far away from the gilded couch as possible.
"I am sorry we do not have more time," said the steward, eyeing her critically. "I cannot explain as I
He stooped to get through the entrance, then rose to his full, imposing height. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I have news," he said.
Ruby squeezed Lily's hand and braced herself.
"You passed the Trial, Ruby. Hadn't you guessed?" The Steward held out an emerald bead. "The ministers were unanimous. Even the Treasurer agreed."
"Oh, fuck," whispered Ruby. Her muscles turned to water. "Oh, holy fuck."
"That's not why I've come at such a late hour," warned the Steward. "The King has summoned you to a new service in the morning. I argued for a longer grace period, but he would not hear me."
"The King?" Ruby repeated. She clutched the bead in her palm. Emerald. Fuck.
"Lily, I'm glad you're here," said the Steward. "You'll need to make sure she's ready before Court begins. Can you do that?"
"I'll need help," said Lily. "Will you send Milkweed and Coral to meet me in the baths at dawn?"
"Of course," said the Steward. "I'll send the orders now—and I suggest that you both get some rest."
"I'm to attend Court?" Ruby asked, after the Steward had gone.
"In a manner of speaking," said Lily. She plumped the pillows. "Now lie down, before I say anything else. The Steward was right—you should rest while you can."
It took Ruby too long to fall asleep, and she felt groggy and irritable when Lily dragged her out of bed before dawn.
"Forget about your robe," said Lily, tugging her out the tent. "We have to hurry."
Milkweed and Coral waited at the entrance to the baths.
"What took you so long?" asked Milkweed.
"The water's ready," said Coral.
They surrounded Ruby, leading her to a private bathing chamber made of fine white marble. First they used balls of hard, sugared wax to remove the hair from Lily's body—all the hair, from her upper lip to the tops of her feet.
Then they poured buckets of steaming hot water over her naked body. Coral and Milkweed massaged foaming, perfumed soap over every limb and into every crevice while Lily washed Ruby's hair.
After the soap came two different lotions, one dense and odorless, the other light and smelling of burnt sugar.
"Now the dressing room," said Lily, leading the way from the humid bath into a high-ceilinged chamber furnished with many mirrors and cabinets.
Lily dusted Ruby's slick, lotioned body with powder while Coral brushed and styled Ruby's hair. Milkweed applied fresh lacquer to Ruby's finger and toenails, then set out an an array of cosmetics, which she applied with methodical precision: powder on Ruby's forehead, cheeks, and chin, kohl on her eyelids and eyelashes, a red pigment on her lips, nipples, and clitoris.
"How much time do we have?" Lily asked.
"None," replied Coral, dashing from the room.
"Court is about to begin," agreed Milkweed. "This is the best we can do."
"If only we'd had more time," said Coral, returning with a robe of blue silk. "This will have to do."
Ruby slipped her arms through the sleeves of the robe, and Lily belted it.
"I think she looks marvelous," said Lily.
Coral and Milkweed shrugged.
"Thank you both," said Ruby.
"Good luck," they chorused.
Lily guided Ruby through the halls of the palace, then stopped before they reached a wide archway, framed in elaborate gilded moldings.
"I can't follow you inside," said Lily.
"What do I do?" Ruby asked.
"The Steward will tell you," said Lily. "Good luck."
The throne room was huge, and almost empty. A golden couch, upholstered in red cloth, stood at one end of the square hall, flanked on either side by gilded armchairs.
In front of the couch lay a thin pallet. The Steward stood next to it.
The Steward gestured her forward and Ruby approached. The room was square, the ceiling domed and pierced by windows to let in light. A few petitioners stood clumped along the wall, as far away from the gilded couch as possible.
"I am sorry we do not have more time," said the steward, eyeing her critically. "I cannot explain as I
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