5 1.4

A couple of maids were waiting for me, armed with hair products and stiff looking clothes. They pounced on me with predatory smiles, a maniacal gleam in their eyes.

"It's so long!" one of them cooed over my hair, running her fingers through its length, letting it catch the light as she gently brushed it out.

"Completely wasted on a boy," the other agreed her attention on making sure my nails were perfectly even and clean. "Should'a been born a girl with hair like that."

This wasn't the first time I had heard comments like that, and I highly doubted it would be the last. My hair was light blonde, naturally straight, and drifted down to the small of my back. I kept it like that in memory of my mother, who had almost the same color. Hers was slightly lighter and shimmered with her fae heritage in an almost celestial way. I imagine it was the first thing that caught my dear father's eye. Since I was only a quarter fairy, my hair lacked that impossible shine unless the sun caught it just right.

"The things I could do if I had hair like this," the first maid mused, daydreaming about handsome suitors with money to burn. Her brush snagged a knot a little bit too hard, making me wince.

"Oh... sorry Haven."

I shrugged a bit to let her know it was fine and she continued on her way. We were familiar with each other from previous times I was forced to play dress-up doll for far too enthusiastic women. I preferred to be referred to by my name rather than a title, so when no one else was around the other people living here didn't worry about formal titles.

Finishing my nails, the second maid grabbed a couple of single tone ties and started holding them up against my suit, judging with a critical eye. She picked out a sapphire blue one that looked good with my hair and wrapped it around my collar, taking pains to tie a perfect knot after getting it situated where she wanted it. The first took the ribbon and tied my hair back with a professional flourish and joined the second in front of me, looking everything over with a judgemental eye.

"Looking good, looking good..." She had me stand and turn around, adjusting out a fold in my shoulder and making sure everything was perfect, slipping my pocket watch into one of the pockets on my request. After having me sit down, she grabbed a tin of unfamiliar powder and a brush, smiling in a truly ominous fashion.

"I just got this new makeup from the market," she explained to her coworker rather than addressing me directly. "Don't you think..."

"Oooh, yes. It would be perfect for Haven!" Clapping her hands together, she turned to regard me like a painter finishing a piece. I sighed. Every time they got some new beauty trinket, they would test it on me. This started from the second time they dressed me up when I was almost 10, long before I was comfortable enough in the castle to contradict anyone working there. Stepmother loved it; Father hated it. The look of suppressed rage on his face every time I appeared in another shiny eyeshadow made the discomfort worth it.

This one was designed for my face, gently brushed over my cheekbones in a neutral shine that they insisted matched my hair. After giving me strict instructions to not touch my face until the ball was done, they packed up their tools and left, swapping gossip as they went.

I pulled my newly shined boots over my stockings and finished the package before following them out the door and heading in the opposite direction. A glance at my watch and a minute's calculations told me that it was just about time for the event to start, so I quickened my steps and hurried to my final destination lest unfortunate consequences befall me.