📚 serving the ing Part 4 of 5
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SCIENCE FICTION FANTASY

Serving The King Ch 04

Serving The King Ch 04

by breedorbebred
20 min read
4.86 (14000 views)
adultfiction

The ribbon was pale, almost the exact colour of fresh cream, and made of daintily-spun silk. It danced in Cassandra's experienced hands, weaving through the long locks of my dark hair with elegance and precision. I didn't wince when Cassandra pulled my hair up and back as she braided it. She pulled pins from between her lips as she worked, sliding them into my hair to hold it up in an elaborate style.

"Where did you learn how to do this?" I asked, genuinely awed. Cassandra was even younger than I, probably no more than eighteen or nineteen. Though she is the niece of the head butler, Arnold, she was only ever meant to serve as a temporary handmaiden for me until they found someone more suited. But at this point I was pretty sure I would never willingly let her be replaced.

"My mother was handmaiden to his majesty's cousin," Cassandra told me. I watched her reflection work, her delicate brow scrunched in concentration and her eyes never leaving her work for even a moment. "This was back before lady Annabeth married that lord up in Theris, mind. Although his name escapes me now..."

"Lord Rayne," I supplied immediately. "Although I'd heard she was a lady."

Cassandra stopped short, her eyes meeting mine through the mirror for a moment. She looked surprised, and maybe a little impressed. "Very good, my lady. Rayne was definitely the name. I think I had also heard that they go by both lord and lady, come to think of it. You know the ins and outs of the royal family well."

I knew about Lord/Lady Rayne's fluidity of gender, as well as their marriage being an arrangement that left neither they nor Lady Annabeth happy. I had briefly considered Rayne as a patron and lover before setting my sights higher. As to where my in-depth knowledge came from... I supposed that I could have told Cassandra that I had used my grandfather's mercantile sources to study in-depth the political situation of Amella to better find a time and way to insinuate myself into King Edward's life. That working as a chambermaid to the queen had only ever been a way to make an opportunity to meet the king in private and seduce him.

But that would make me seem incredibly manipulative.

Even if it was true, I preferred the castle staff to think of me as one of their peers who just so happens to have been chosen and elevated above her station by pure chance.

I settled for shrugging an uncovered shoulder. "One picks things up when working in proximity to the royalty. And Cassandra, I've asked you before to simply call me Arabela. Or just Bela, or Belle. I'm no highborn lady, just a fellow woman who happens to have the king's eye."

"Of course, my la-'' Cassandra stuttered and finally corrected herself to "Mistress Arabela. Now, please hold quite still so I can get your hair just right."

Had she meant the title "mistress" to be a term of respect, or a joke about my role as the king's mistress? I smiled, deciding that either way was fine with me.

We were both silent as she passed the brush through the bottom half of my hair one more time, then finished the braid. Her handiwork left my dark, shiny hair pulled back on my head in two wide braids, which eventually conjoined at the back and merged into a larger plait that went down past my shoulders. Interwoven through the whole mass was a pair of cream-coloured ribbons, which added a pop of contrast.

I had initially wanted to finish the look with an elaborate silver jewelled netting around and within the braids, but had nixed the idea before Cassandra had started on my hair. As she held a small hand mirror behind me and angled it so I could see the full effect, I decided I was right not to add the glittering detail: this hairstyle spoke of elegance without opulence, beauty without much pretence. Silver and gems, though beautiful, would have pushed the style towards the gaudy.

"It's perfect," I told her, and Cassandra flushed in pleasure.

"I am glad my lady likes it."

"More than like it, Cassandra. It's amazing. Your mother taught you very well."

My handmaiden looked pleased at the praise. Speechless, she opted for a simple curtsey, and I couldn't help but grin at her reaction. A few mere months ago, we would have been equals, but now she was flabbergasted to receive praise from me. I was certainly moving up in the world, even if my new position would last only as long as the king's personal interest in me. Of course, I fully intended to keep his interest for a long, long time.

"Shall we add on the rest of the dress and see the final product?" I asked, standing and turning to face her. I wore a long, white, diaphanous shift. Suitable for bedchambers and as undergarments, but it showed off far too much body to be worn beyond. The thin material clearly showed off the white bra underneath, padded to help accentuate the swell of my breasts.

I was plenty curvy already, and had chosen clothing to accentuate my... assets.

Cassandra stepped around me and helped me into my dress, then laced the back tightly. The cream-coloured silk was a perfect match to the ribbons in my hair (having been cut from the same cloth), but with small embellishments done in silver thread. It was a sophisticated colour, but without treading into the rich colours the nobles touted. Beautiful, but understated, clearly telegraphing that I knew I was not the same as them, but without making me look forgettable.

The fabric pinched around the ribs and waist to show off the generous swell of my breasts and hips, and the cut at the front left an appreciable wedge of cleavage visible. This was covered by the layer of white I wore beneath, to give the suggestion of modesty, but the thin fabric was translucent enough to leave little of my chest and collar to the imagination. The same was repeated at the bottom, the hem of the dress itself being cut high enough in places to be nearly scandalous, but the layers of white covered enough to allay those concerns.

The overall silhouette of the dress was modest, but it was shaped to show off my best features, and enough of me was covered only by the diaphanous layers that the end result was undeniably sexy. The message was an imitation of modesty and innocence, with an obvious undercut of sexuality. What could better sum up my narrative of a lovely handmaiden, young and naive, being seduced by her king?

"It's perfect," I said again, and Cassandra nodded her agreement as she walked a slow circle around me, tugging hems into place and smoothing fabric.

"It's beautiful, but it's very... daring..."

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"His majesty, King Edward, has come to expect a certain amount of daringness from me," I confided, and Cassandra blushed from her chin to her ears. How could she live in this den of vipers and still be so innocent? "I am, after all, going to be announced tonight as his official concubine. It would be unbecoming to look anything less than appealing."

"You certainly look appealing," she hedged, still blushing. "I suppose it makes sense to show the lords and ladies exactly what drew his majesty's attention."

"Just so." I settled back into the chair before my wide mirror, and Cassandra took her place at my right side. She looked so natural there that it was almost a shock to think she had only begun working with me this very morning. "We should have just enough time for makeup and finishing touches, then we will adjourn to the hall adjacent to the ballroom to await my... would it be pompous to call it a 'grand entrance'?"

"Not pompous, mistress Arabela," Cassandra assured me. She swiped a small brush across a palette and began applying a thin layer of foundation. "Most of the point of this ball is to announce you, after all."

She worked quickly, evening out my skin tone without altering it too much. My skin is darker than most of the Amellan nobility, being that my family comes from Sawarra. My hair, thick and dark and glossy, would never pass as native to this continent. It would take too much effort and product to try and match the fair skin and hair tones of the court, and I had no interest in doing so anyway. I was proud of my heritage, proud of looking different even as I walked and talked just like those around me.

Red tint drew attention to my lips and made them look sensual, while the barest tint of silver on my lids made my wide, brown eyes stand out even more.

I was careful to use the silver colouring only rarely - I had gotten it as a sample from an alchemical supplier my father bought from, and replacing the small bottle would cost more than the dress. "It may be expensive and a bit finicky," the old man had told me, "but it won't make you blind like lead or mercury. Seems like more than a fair trade to me."

My father had been leery of investing in the absurdly expensive makeup, and it had only been at my insistence that he had given in. The products were slowly gaining popularity among the elites across the continent, and pretty soon that investment would pay itself back tenfold. If my father had listened to more of my suggestions in the last six or ten years, we might have been well enough off that I wouldn't have needed to try and seduce my way into the king's lap. I might well have done it anyway, but I wouldn't have had to.

"We're done," Cassandra finally said, snapping me out of my reverie. I shook off the memories and assessed my reflection.

"Splendid, Cassandra. Absolutely splendid."

Cassandra bobbed a quick curtsy again and busied herself with a last-minute check, making sure the silvery pins in my hair were secure and that there were no imperfections in the makeup. Once satisfied, she led the way, going as far as opening my door for me like I was a real noble. "You don't need to..." I started, then gave up. I wasn't going to talk Cassandra into skipping the formality in just one day.

I turned down the hall and walked at what I would call a stately pace. Certain and confident, without being in a rush. I had spent months practising it when I was a little girl.

My stately pace became more of an unstately stoppage as the queen herself, Rosalyn Greyhill, stepped around the corner from the hallway that led to her rooms. She was heralded by a lady-in-waiting and a handmaid, and followed by two more handmaidens that carried her royal train so the hem wouldn't get dirtied in the hundred or steps between here and the foyer. She stopped as she spied me, and the two young ladies behind her narrowly managed to catch themselves in time to avoid bumping into her highness.

"Ah, Arabela, was it?" Rosalyn asked, as if she wasn't fully aware of who I was. My bedroom was on the same floor and in the same wing as hers, albeit at the far edge of said wing. I was closer to the front of the castle, where one might expect to find respected courtiers or distant cousins, rather than towards the secure heart of the castle where the true royalty slept.

"Yes, your highness," I answered in as modest a voice as I could, and gave her a deep curtsy. "You look radiant." I figured there was no harm in currying as much favour with her as I could. While Queen Rosalyn may have given her official approval to the notion of her husband keeping a concubine, elevating my status from that of a mere "mistress", I was sure she was none too happy with me.

You know, seeing as how her husband the king was literally about to announce to the court at large that he was sleeping with another, younger woman, and was going to continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Also, I wasn't even lying when I said she looked beautiful: the queen was tall and slender, stately, with fair skin and light brown hair the colour of sand in the sun. Her dress was a rich blue, adorned with gold and a tasteful smattering of diamonds. She looked every inch the wife of the man presiding over one of the most powerful nations on the globe.

"Quite," she agreed. Rather immodestly I would have said, but not to her face. "You look... rather fetching in this lighting. She paused as she gave me a once-over, before finishing on that dismissive compliment. This woman was well-versed in double-speak and passive insults. For my part, the best I could do was smile and pretend that she had given me a real compliment. Anything else would make me look petty and empower her further. "You can be quite appealing when you put some effort in, it seems. Leave us a moment, would you?"

This last was directed at our assembled helpers, who all hurried to obey her word. I felt immediately less confident without Cassandra behind me and to my side, and I was left alone and looking up at the queen's face. How tall were her damn heels? She was taller than me anyway, but she had clearly gone to some length to make sure I was physically beneath her when we spoke... and I had no doubt she had planned for us to speak here. Surely she had planned her passing to coincide with mine, so that we could have this "privacy" while observed by a handful of handmaidens who were close enough to hear us and would gladly gossip about any slip-up I made.

"I assume this is the first royal ball you've attended? As a guest I mean, I'm sure you helped to decorate and clean up after several."

"Yes, your highness," I answered in a neutral voice. Rosalyn seemed quite eager to remind me of my class, and there wasn't much I could do other than stand and endure her scathing comments.

"Very good," she went on, as if I hadn't even spoken. "I will join my husband downstairs in the grand foyer to greet guests. You need not join us for that part, as meeting dignitaries is quite outside of your responsibilities. Once we have all adjoined to the ballroom, you can enter, and my husband will introduce you as he sees fit. The royal announcer won't declare you, of course, but I'm sure his royal majesty will show you off."

"I understand."

"Good girl," she patronised, and I had to clench my lips to avoid snarling something back at her. "And do be careful not to make such faces... you wouldn't want to get wrinkles. With no real status, you must try and preserve your beauty for as long as you can, the gods only know what you would have without it."

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"Thank you, your highness," I answered politely, as if she had given me well-intentioned advice rather than just sniping at me.

Queen Rosalyn produced a square of fine cloth from somewhere, and quicker than I could react she dabbed it on my face, rubbing my eyelid. "You have something on your eye, my dear. You should have your girl be more careful when she tends to your makeup."

The queen deposited the dirty handkerchief in my hand, and I noticed the faint glimmer of alchemical silver makeup on it. I didn't have time to react before she was turning, sweeping down the hallway in a procession of helpers.

I was stunned, utterly overwhelmed by the queen's venom. My heart was racing, my mouth tasted of fury and bile, and I could hear a distant ringing from nowhere in particular. I was sure that if I looked down, I would see my hands shaking.

"Come," Cassandra whispered from just behind me. "Let me fix your makeup, my lady."

Cassandra's words gave me something to focus on, ground myself with. I clenched my hands into fists until I felt my nails digging into my palms and threatening to break skin. I wordlessly followed Cassandra back to my chambers, where she sat me down before my mirror once more and started delicately removing the smudged makeup from around my eye. As she worked, I calmed my breathing and let my heart relax until my brain was working again.

"Are you okay, mistress?"

"I believe that could have gone better," I deadpanned. Cassandra's sudden laugh came out as a snort, which caused her to immediately blush.

"Apologies, mistress," she said quickly, visibly fighting to regain her poise. "That was unladylike of me."

"Hang that," I said with a dismissive gesture. This girl was absolutely adorable, and so wonderfully naive. Having someone so innocent at my side would be like a shield of modesty that I could lean into when that perception was good for me, or would be a wonderful contrast when I felt like acting out. And it was so much fun to see her blush. "That actually wasn't as bad as it could have been."

"Mistress? What she said was- was cruel and-"

I cut Cassandra off with a wave. "Best not to speak ill of her in these halls. She is our queen after all."

The last thing I wanted was for someone to somehow overhear us talking poorly of the queen and use that to inflame tensions further. And I still couldn't be sure of Cassandra's loyalties, so I couldn't discount the possibility of her trying to provoke scandalous talk to use against me later. No, it was certainly best to stay safe for now.

"Of course." She gingerly brushed a new base around my eyelid, but her hand paused when she reached for the silver. "Should we pick something different?"

"The silver will be perfect," I told her. "The queen doesn't like keeping up with modernity and is known for elevating traditional fashions. Wearing something new and daring will endear me with the younger crowd of nobles who care about such things. There are sides and factions in the court, and I had best pick one soon - and the queen's fanatics are unlikely to treat me well, regardless."

"As you wish." She set about her work quickly and efficiently, recreating the delicate look the queen had smudged while pretending to help. "How could that have gone any worse? I mean no disrespect, of course."

"It's already an open-secret that the king is having an affair. I'm just glad I haven't had any issues with poison in my food, been run out of town, or had someone put a bag over my head and make me disappear."

Cassandra visibly blanched. "Surely you don't think the queen would..."

"No, no. Much easier for her to make me an obvious target for the court's gossip, then step back and watch them drag me down. Then she can use my situation and poor reputation to elevate her own image."

That's what I would do, anyway.

"Now, let us go and make an entrance."

I didn't walk in right behind the royal couple, of course. I was looking to make an impression, but I wasn't insane. I waited until the royal announcer read off each name and title, down to... wherever exactly the dwarven ambassador from Duerstrom ranked. Once the names were done, people would begin milling for a time before the king would make a speech.

I waited for the sounds of courtly chatter, when it was almost time for the king to say a few words. Then I swept through the door, chin up, and made a direct line for the king while the queen was off greeting some high-born ladies. It would be rude for someone to approach him so brazenly without his visible invitation, but King Edward's eyes lit up and a hungry look curled the side of his lip when he saw me. His look of carnal interest lasted just a moment before he quashed it and replaced it with a polite friendliness, but I saw it plain as day.

"And this is Arabela, daughter of the head of the Cabello Tradehouse," he told the small group of important folk currently clinging to him. He angled his body to wordlessly invite me to stand beside him, and I did. He surprised me by putting a hand on my elbow, a very obvious and loud declaration that I was associated with him. Under his aegis. "I have appointed her as my concubine."

I curtsied to the lord and the flock of peacocks subtly and politely vying for his attention. They murmured their greetings, and made a point of looking like they already knew. I would guess that no more than two of these five had known the king would make any kind of declaration like that, but they all acted like they were the ones in the know. Except for the one who looked so surprised and scandalised that it was obvious she had already known and had been practising a surprised face.

King Edward kept a warm hand on my arm as he walked towards another flock of colourful birds, and I felt warmth tickle at my spine and threaten to colour my cheeks. While it's true that I had planned our dalliance before so much as meeting the king, I would have been lying if I said his touch didn't have an effect on me.

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