Chapter 49
As it was a special day, Angelina had her nieces join her for lunch to quickly run over all the tea etiquette they would need to know. She tried her best to keep her evaluation level as low as possible, focusing on the most basic do's and don't's, however, both girls seemed to exceed her expectations. She was pleased with the ladies' efforts. Avyanna was a hard worker, but Amourora's unexpected performance left everyone speechless.
"despite your stiff wrist, your movements were accurate." Angelina didn't want to overpraise her, especially before a special event, or it might go to her head. Letting a girl with a bloated head meet possible future friends would result in undesirable outcomes. Or so is her logic.
"how did your highness do that? It was amazing. "unfortunately, her lady in waiting disagreed. Or maybe she had faith in Amourora, Who knows?
" Avyanna taught me! " Amourora's answer surprised them even more, including Avyanna herself. They expected Amourora to take all the credit and vaunt, but she didn't.
"alright, let's see how you walk." Angelina walked ahead of them. "remember, the heals touch the ground, then the toes in a smooth motion... Watch your step. Keep a straight back and your chin up, Avyanna. Not too high up, Amourora."
The girls walked carefully, cautious of making any mistakes. Both looked like little lovely and adorable girls. Avyanna usually wore simple dresses with flowy sleeves to hide her face behind, so Angelina gave her a fan instead. Amourora, who 'wasn't used to the simplicity' , took a hat, parasol, lace fan and gloves, and decorative socks and shoes, as the dresses only came down to the calf.
Tea party dresses aren't meant to be splendid and luxurious like ball gowns, with minimal accessories and decorative pieces. Both girls had white dresses, each with it's fair share of layers and frills. Avyanna had a mint-color over skirt with red ribbons on her bow-like hair buns, flowing past her shoulders in red, white, and lace fabric. Amourora's style, similar but a peach-orange, and her hair, in French braids pulled into pigtails.
Angelina gave them a golden brooch for accessories, and forbade Amourora from wearing any rings and bracelets on her hands, which she obviously objected to, but the royal princess wasn't in the mood of catering to her whims and stood by her firm refusal.
"may I take a nap until the ladies arrive?" Amourora glanced at the scurrying servants applying the finishing touches for the garden party.
"no, you would have puffy eyes."
"but my head hurts." she barely had any sleep stressing over what she heard and trying to remember the details of the tea party of the past, she only remembers Avyanna catching a cold and it ending in a bad note. Oh, Victoria also came up.
"drink Jasmine tea. Not too much, or you might have to frequent the lady's room." the three waited, with their servants behind them.
The luxurious carriages with lavish gifts and splendidly dressed ladies rolled on the palace grounds. Each girl had an older lady escorts her, parents won't allow children to head over the imperial palace on their own. The ladies were older sisters, teachers or tutors, cousins, or sister-in-laws , who already stepped into society, some even married.
A parlor maid announced the arrival of each lady and introduced her as she stepped down from the carriage and made a graceful curtsy. The ladies had flawless behavior and movements, overshadowing the girls' mistakes.
"her highness, princess Nesrin de Valerie, and princess Briallen de Valerie. Daughters of Duke Emilian Valerie ."
She could tell Duke Valerie is rolling in gold by his daughters' opulent gowns. Even if they had no jewelry, they were both chic and of high quality. The lavender dresses with matching hats must have been costly because of the tight lace and purple dye. And while Nesrin's gown appeared simple enough, she must have prepared her younger sister in a sophisticated dress with pearls even on the the hat. As expected of the trendsetter Nesrin.
Amourora remembers the witty Nesrin being as close as sisters to Angelina, but she switched sides to Victoria in less than a year of Angelina's death.
Briallen was the cute cheerful energetic traitor who Victoria lured by 'kindness'. While she wasn't the brightest tool in the shed, she had tremendous support behind her back, doubled with the fact she is the youngest, with an older brother, a future successor with a brilliant mind, and an older sister, one of society's youngest and most affluent celebrities. Briallen could also be considered the third most powerful girl in the capital after Amourora and Avyanna.
"her ladyship, viscountess Anneliese laurel, and lady Aurelia Veritas, daughter of Duke Victor Veritas."
Aurelia wasn't as gracious and splendiferous as Briallen in terms of terms of status and style, but the girl wasn't as naive either. Because of her maternal grandfather's position, her status could be elevated to a princess in the future, but in the novel, due to her altercations with Victoria and her supporters, it was lowered instead.
Anneliese must be her teacher. Angelina said she was a fortunate child who raised her status from the third daughter of an ordinary baron to the third daughter in law of marquise Vitale. That's a huge leap in society, someone of her status might not even have the chance to marry to a good noble. She might not even be treated well for her low status, but her husband was a decent gentleman.
" lady Nylsa, daughter of Marquise and general Zander Khrysaor Valens. "
It's strange for the girl to be accompanied by only one maid and no escort, but both her father and brother are busy with either warfare or studies in the university, and hasn't a female mentor. Her family is known for simplicity and war tactics, not extravagance and splendor, even before her mother's death.
The reason she didn't get along with her in the past was due to her tomboy-ish and candid behavior along with many many reasons. Nylsa didn't seem to be especially fond of her, or any other girls, either.
" lady Artemis Celestin, and lady Asterix Celestin, daughters of Marquise Crius Celestin. "
Asterix wasn't the most talkative, but was suave and gracious. She had been the one warning Amourora from doing anything to Victoria. Asterix's only flaw, or blessing, is her dauntless unfazed personality. Mostly though, she struggles with expressing her emotions, unintentionally keeping an aloof expression easily mistaken for cold arrogance. However, she stayed loyal to the very end.
" lady Rotana Luxotticelle, and lady Eileen Luxotticelle, daughters of Marquise Lucian Luxotticelle."
The two girls' escort used to be Jessica, their Maternal cousin, but Jessica was also the royal princess' lady in waiting. Neither of them became Amourora's friend in the past, but they weren't exactly enemies. They stayed neutral in any fight, other than their own, and they didn't like Amourora bossing them around.
Amourora's palms felt sweaty under the lace gloves. Avyanna must have noticed her nervousness, because she held her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. It made Amourora smile a bit, because Avyanna's cold and shivering hands portrayed her anxious heart, but was still brave enough to assure her cousin in her current state.
Amourora didn't pull back her hand, and squeezed it gently instead. 'it would be alright, Avyanna.' The seven-year-old is actually the youngest, so it's natural to feel scared, but Amourora had different worries.
The first event is for the first impression, and first impressions in the high society are important, it determines whether you rise or become a wallflower. It not only gives others an idea about yourself, but it mirrors how your family raised you. If your first impression is weak, raising your social standing will be a lot more difficult in the future. On the other hand, it can boost your popularity.
Despite people's beliefs, the he perfect personality for society isn't the magnanimous saint or the meritorious fairy. The extravagant and insidious Madame and over and the greedy materialist are naturally, out of the question, along with dozens of other qualities.
The perfect image is balanced between the two. Peaceful, with the capability to cause massive harm, forgiving, but does not forget, caring, yet strict, loveable with a good sense of humor, but sets certain boundaries. Someone people feel comfortable enough to open up to, but not to the extent her kindness is taken for granted. She wants people to know to not take her lightly. As warm as sunlight, with the ability to burn.
A 'balanced ' personality is what she would call it.