(2) Tactics for Seduction

She could only look on with worry as some of the temple priestesses fussed about Diana. They bathed her in milk water, infused with other scents, and scrubbed her clean until her friend's skin appeared fresh and soft as a newborn.

The priestesses took careful consideration when deciding on which dress would make her exemplify the temple's virtues, but yet presentable to the royal family.

Roxane could only grimace when they settled on a dress that made her friend seem ethereal, almost inhuman, as if she was untouchable.

When she ushered out the priestesses, she turned around to further inspect her friend.

"You look beautiful." She offered, looking at the way the soft white dress settled around Diana's body, hugging her tiny frame with delicate grace.

Diana smiled, her green eyes twinkling at Roxane's compliment. "Thank you."

"Could you brush my hair?" She hesitated to ask Roxane, but soon extended her hairbrush towards her. Roxane accepted without a hitch, taking the bronze colored hairbrush from Diana's hand.

Diana sat down in front of the vanity mirror, and started to work on gently applying powder to her face.

Roxane brushed through her friend's long silvery hair, both of them silent as they worked on their respective jobs.

Some time went on like this with both of them refusing to be the first to break the silence, before Diana cleared her throat.

"You should also try to squeeze in a bath. It'll will be nighttime soon."

"Hmm." Roxane let out a small sound from her lips, finishing up Diana's hair with a white flower embedded into her crown of braids on top of head. She had worked diligently on gathering her friend's white hair up, working expertly as she recreated the image of a perfectly pure priestess. Her plan all hinged on her looks.

"And with that," she stepped away from her friend, admiring her masterpiece, "your hair is finished."

"Oh thank you Roxane. I look perfect." Diana grinned at her reflection, turning her head to each side to marvel at the intricate braids.

No, Diana, you are perfect. That is why she could not let anyone ruin that.

She smiled sadly at her friend as she continued gushing over how she looked in the mirror. Her emerald eyes seemed to shimmer with the silver powder around them, an effect that would no doubt be doubled when nighttime comes. Her radiant beauty becomes truly mesmerizing with the flowery pink tint on her cheeks. To Roxane, her friend had become the true embodiment of the goddess Kara herself.

"Well then, I need to get dressed." Roxane quickly looked away from her friend, not wanting Diana to catch the look of guilt that briefly crossed her face.

"Remember to make an appearance at the banquet, you'll need to greet the prince as he approved my request to take you to the capital with me."

"Don't worry, I will." She managed to say before completely disappearing from the room.

She made her way to the bathhouse. The marble floors laid around the bath felt inexplicable cold to the touch as she stripped down, revealing her tanned skin. Then she began to generously pour the different bottles of fragrances into the bath. Finally, she grabbed handfuls of rose petals and showered the bath with them. The scents had become so strong that it assaulted her sensitive nose.

Roxane quickly went to work, diving into the marble bath until her whole body was enveloped in the sultry smell of roses. She began messaging the water into her skin, scrubbing until she was positively sure the scent would last for all eternity on her. Then she cleaned her amber colored hair, massaging the soap deep into her scalp until she was satisfied.

She emerged from the bath and quickly wrapped her robe around her body. From the window outside she could tell the dark of the night was quickly closing in around the temple. It would only be a matter of time before prince and his group of envoys would arrive. She had to quickly get dressed. It didn't matter if she were a little late, in fact, it would amplify the effect if she showed up at a different time as Diana.

She just hoped Diana would understand the drastic measures she was willing to make for her.

Roxane hurried to her room to exact the next phase of her plan. First taking care of entirely wrapping her entire hair in tight rolls with strands upon strands of ribbon.

She rubbed her body with lotion that made her tanned skin glisten and then slipped into one of her more tightfitting white dresses with a slit that ran all the way up to her upper thigh. The bodice of the dress had many vertical folds, all accentuating around her breasts. The thin straps laid on top of her slender shoulders as if it were so easy to slip them off. It was a dress she enjoyed wearing but could rarely ever wear because she would be scolded by the High Priest.

As she was putting on her gold painted earrings, she heard the bustling sounds coming from outside the temple, announcing the dreaded arrival of the prince. Roxane felt a pang of anxiety hit her square in her chest and decided to hurry up with her preparations.

Not until she was completely satisfied with her face did she release her hair from the ribbons. When she was done and all her hair was freed from the ribbons, she laughed at the image before her.

Her auburn hair fell down sensually around her face in flawless waves. The gold from her earrings matched perfectly with her golden irises, playing off of each other to make anyone instantly drop everything and pay attention to her.

Roxane smiled mischievously at the reflection. The woman in the mirror's slightly red-stained lips curved up at the same time as she.

If Diana was the embodiment of a pure maiden, Roxane must have to be the embodiment of a enchanting temptress. One who knew exactly what your deepest heart's desires were and how to make them all come true. She was a goddess, but for completely different reasons from Diana.

It had taken a while, but Roxane was finally finished with her transformation. She slipped on her tanned sandals and set out.

The banquet was in full swing by the time she had made it to the dining hall. It was lavishly decorated with greenery at every turn. White candles gently burned while they were scattered around the tables and in front of the tables was the main table where Diana sat, her pale face stood out to Roxane and she wanted to shield her friend away from the loudmouth brown haired fool sitting next to her.

As if sensing a new presence in the room, all the candles dimmed down as Roxane entered, teetering on the edge of being extinguished or staying lit.

One by one all the faces in the banquet hall turned to look in her direction. By the way their eyes were completely drawn to her figure, gobbling her entire body up, she could tell the whole hall was entranced. Even the so-called High Priest couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

Roxane watched as the prince took notice, and turning to look at where everyone's attention laid, his mustached face copied the same looks around the banquet hall. His dark eyes hungrily took in Roxane as if he had been starved for all his life.

She refused to look at the crestfallen look Diana had shown on her face. Instead, Roxane's face morphed into the most lavish smile she could muster.

"I see the banquet is in full swing." She began walking towards the main table, feeling all the eyes of all the men inside the room boring holes into her. "I hope I am still not too late to extend my greetings to the noble Crown Prince."

As she approached their table, she could see the prince's face form a wicked smile as his eyes kept raking over her entire body.

"You are not late. In fact, I would say you came just in time." The prince said as his fingers twisted his mustache, not bothering one bit to hide his rather pleased expression.

She knew it. No matter what happens next, she would not let this lust-filled monster get his hands on her most precious person.

"I greet the evermore burning sun of Solstine." Roxane made a show of bending her knee, tactfully exposing her leg with the slit on her dress. Several of the prince's men physically moved to where they could gain a better view of the beautiful enchantress.

"You may rise."

She rose from the ground, and despite her disgust, she made sure never to hold her gaze steady with the prince's. This only seemed to excite him more.

"And who might this most delightful woman be?" He asked to no one in particular, and before the High Priest could answer, Roxane let out a dazzling laugh.

"You honor me with such praise your Highness. I am but an ordinary priestess of Kara. Same as all the women here. Like everyone else, I have come to welcome our kingdom's future king to our humble temple. Please let me know if there's anything your Highness desires to make your stay here most enjoyable." She let her words roll off her tongue with ease. The meaning behind those words seemed to be quickly understood by him as his eyes shone dangerously bright.

"Your name?" He commanded.

"Roxane your Highness."

He repeated her name underneath his breath, barely above a whisper but Roxane still heard the repulsive way her name was said. She thought about changing her plan instead to swiftly end the prince's life sooner rather than later, but she quickly banished that thought from her head. That plan only spelled danger for Diana as she sat closest to the prince.

"Well I must excuse myself to my table now." She said as she slowly turned away from the table. From the corner of her eye, she could see the prince struggle not to reach out to stop her.

Roxane settled into a random seat. The few lucky men she chose to sit next to jumped out of their seats to offer her drinks and food. She smiled as she kept the men busy fawning over her. She was all too aware of the scorching looks coming from the prince's direction.