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..."