My legs move with her, but my muscles are extremely tense. I can even feel the touch of her hand and how warm she is when I compare her to Ice Mages.

She stops and I feel the presence of others. Their magic is easier to sense unlike the maid who has spoken to me thus far. There are more people here. Are they all maids? 

The maid lets go of me. “Girls, come in. It’s time to dress the Queen. I beg your pardon, she is still a Princess and only at the wedding, will she become a Queen.” She laughs.

Their mocking hurts me, but this is to be expected. I harden my mind like the stone floor of my room and stand still, trying to take in everything with all my senses. The girls filter in. Their magical presences reach me before I hear their footsteps. They were three of them

“You will help her wash, dress, then do her hair and makeup. Everything must be perfect even though she is an Ice Mage. The King has picked her to be his Queen, therefore you will treat her as one of our own. After you’re done, send her down to the King for breakfast,” the woman announces in a stern voice.

“Ma’am, the King has informed us that he does not want her to join him for breakfast. He wants to keep her in her room until tonight and only because of the wedding,” a girl speaks up, her voice soft.

The woman laughs, “Oh, is that right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She stops laughing, “Have you spoken with Advisor Rhys about this matter?”

“No, ma’am.”

“The King’s wants don’t matter in this case. It’s Rhys we must please. He knows what’s best for the King,” the woman snaps. “Go, ask him what we must do with the Queen. Now, Catherine!”

“Yes, ma’am,” she says before scurrying away, the door shutting after her with some force.

“Now, girls. Get going. She isn’t going to wash herself, she’s blind. It will take our Lady forever to do it, and our time is limited.” Not only her words state her impatience but her tone, too. “Hurry!”

I can wash myself, but they speak the truth. Everything is new here, making it difficult for me. It feels shameful regardless. 

“Yes, ma’am.” The two girls chorus before they walk toward me. 

I do use sounds to get me by, but I cannot tell them. It will only lead to future mockings. A Queen who has to click her tongue to perceive others as she walks, not her sight. 

I hate the humiliation my blindness brings, most of all.

I remember when I was in the tower, growing from child to woman, the guards would comment on my growing breasts each new day they saw me. Their words were vulgar, comparing my breasts when I was a young girl to praisins and as I aged, to dropapples, then icemelons. 

They would always snort and laugh, especially when I got my first blood. They told me I was dying from some made-up disease – Dragon Rage. 

The maids here are also not so gentle with me, instead they are rough as one pulls off my clothes while the other fills the tub. This is nothing like the treatment I received back in my land on my final day there.

Once the clothing is removed, I am yanked into the tub. The hot water scalds my skin, and I grab each edge of the porcelain tub in shock.

“It’s hot!” I cry out in surprise and move, only for one of them to grab my shoulders, holding me in place.

One of the maids giggles. “Oh, is the water too hot for you, Ice Mage?” she asks snidely.

“I forgot Ice Mages are sensitive to the warmth,” the other jibes while taking a cloth to my flesh, scrubbing so hard that it hurts.

I try and get out of the steaming water. I am only pushed back down, the water splashes around me. “Now, My Lady. We must cleanse you for tonight, and from what I am taught, Mages are filthy. The King does not like dirty women.”

“Please, it’s too hot! It burns!” I start panicking at the scorching sensations on my skin; it is like I am reliving my dream. The dream where I was being burned alive at my own wedding by the King.

“Stop being a baby, My Lady,” a maid hushes me, forcing me in place, “it is only hot water.” She spits out her venom.

I feel tears sting my eyes, and I suck in a shaky breath to try to calm myself.

Please just let this be over soon… 

As the maids clean me, there is a knock on the bedroom door, and the woman calls, “Who is it?”

“Catherine, ma’am,” the first maid replies.

“Come in.”

The door creaks open and the maid steps in, and I hear her shutting the door quietly behind her.

“What has Rhys said?” the first one questions.

“He wants her to dine with the King. It is a formal thing for him, and they should get familiar with each other before the wedding. He’s also said the King can’t avoid her if he expects children from her. And...” Catherine replies, pausing at the end.

“Go on, spit it out, I am not going to be cutting your tongue off,” she responds haughtily.

“He... He... He....” she stutters. “He said the King is not a boy and shouldn’t believe the tall tales of Mages freezing the pricks off men who bed them.”

“I see,” she laughs, “it is probably in your best interest to keep it to yourself, seeing as our King will not be so keen of you spreading such rumors. You might just lose your tongue yet.” Then her tone changes. “Girls, don’t mess around with our Lady too much. We don’t want her skin to be all red and blotchy for the King to see, though I’d imagine he wouldn’t care too much.” 

“But it is you who told us to cleanse her of any filth,” one of the maids remark.

“Mages are dirty, yes. But, unfortunately, she is our Queen, and we must respect her to certain levels, Yanmei.”

“I see.” The maid, Yanmei, lets go of my shoulders. The restriction of her hands is gone, and I am tempted to push myself out of the tub, only for her to warn me in a rotten tone, “Don’t even think about running, My Lady.”

“Yanmei, be nice... And Catherine…?”

“Yes?” replies the soft-spoken maid.

“Watch these two and make sure they don’t cause our lady too much grief. I have other things to take care of.” She exits the room.

Will I be treated better with her gone? Or worse? She seems to be in charge. 

“Yes, ma’am,” Catherine shouts just as the door closes.