80. Services
1493 Words
After a couple hours of getting ready, me, 12 servants, and Mary all seem to be ok with my look.
"Enter."
Dipak comes in. "You are so beautiful." He leans in to kiss my cheek.
"No, none of that. You will mess up the makeup. Take that chair and sit by the door."
"I guess you are being put into time out already sir. You look good." He's in his formal uniform. Seems a little nervous. I watch him.
"Thank you princess. So do you."
"Couple changes you two. Dipak, you will not be returning her here. You will go straight to the dining room. So princess, when you hear the clear, do not try taking everything off." We both laugh. "Also, I don't know who will be in the dining room when you get there. Dipak you must order the guards out. Then I will give the clear. Then you remove the shroud. Do you understand all that?"
"Yes."
"You will also have to seat her there. Tre will not be back by then."
"Ok."
"Her time is 5:30 to 6:00 so we need to leave in 10 minutes. Servants do I have the clear on everything?"
"Clear on shoes. Clear on jewelry. Clear on makeup. Crown clear. Dress clear." I close my eyes and try to take a few breaths. "Gloves clear with 1 alteration on them." I smile and he gives that wink I love. Then shroud gets put on me. I feel Mary with a few pins. "Shroud clear."
"We are a go."
Dipak slides to my side and takes my arm. He pulls me in close and whispers in my ear. "I love you baby."
"I love you too."
I feel the turn in the hallway then we go for so long, I don't even know where we are.
"We're almost there baby. Another hallway. They put it all the way out in the middle of nowhere."
I relax my muscles. "You're doing good sweetheart. I'm sad I didn't get to knock any guards out on the way though."
"Well the night is still young dear."
He chuckles.
"Stop."
I feel Mary messing with me. Then she stops for a second and comes back to my dress. "What were you doing Mary?"
"He had lint I got side tracked with. Go. Stop. Turn."
I hear the doors open. "Go. Stop."
"Introducing Princess Hypatia Nadine Sandu. Daughter of The Vampire King and Queen Sandu. Rightful Heir to the The Vampire Throne."
I hear applause and get nervous.
"Going to be a straight shot baby. Right to the front table. No obstacles. You got this."
"Go."
"Don't step on that drunk fish sweetheart."
The thought of a drunk fish makes me laugh.
"Alright, here's the chair." He holds me so close to him and he moves it around. I feel his hands move to my hips and start to pull back. "Sit down baby." I sit and hear him moving another chair. "I'm on your right. I'm right here." I feel him rub the back of my hand. I take his wrist and hold it in my lap.
About 10 minutes in I feel my bracelet snap. It makes me laugh. "What sweetheart? We're almost half done."
I put the bracelet in his hand. "He did warn you. Something always breaks."
"Alright, I can get it." He whispers to me. I can hear him doing something. It's not loud, I'm just so close to him. Then he snaps it back on my wrist as my earring falls on his arm.
"Baby, I can't put this back on you here."
"It's fine. Don't lose it."
We sit quietly and listen to another speech. Then there is a break in the words. I can feel him looking around. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing baby, I was getting the go ahead from someone. I got it. You ready?"
"Yes please sir."
He stands up and grabs my arm again. Then he gets back into the spot at my side.
"Straight shot again. No turns no issues. You got this no problem. Half way. You're out. You made it. You did good."
"So did you sir."
"Sorry baby this is a long walk back to the royal wing. We're almost there." Then he says, "Guards out." I hear the doors shut.
"Princess Hypatia Clear." I have a death grip on Dipak.
He tries to pull his arm away and I grab tighter. "Taking it off princess." He takes the shroud off.
The only ones here are Frode and Thora with the baby. I jump up and down a couple times and give him a big hug. "Thank you so much. You did good."
He smiles.
"I want to sit by Ana."
"Give me your other earring. That thing is about to fall out. Turn, I'll get it. Ok. Let's go sit you by the baby." He gives the earrings to Mary and helps me into my seat. Then he sits on the other side of me.
I take the baby so Thora can eat easier. "Thank you princess."
"My pleasure. I miss her."
"Still want 20?"
"Maybe 19 would be enough."
Dipak makes a weird noise.
"What?"
"That's a lot of kids princess."
"Aww hold her for 2 minutes and tell me you don't want 20 of her."
"Maybe like 8." He rubs her head and she smiles and coos. "Yea ok 20."
We all start laughing.
"I better give her back before it turns to 40."
"Aww. I would do 40."
Frode chokes on something. "Princess you are going to need like 8 more wings on this castle."
I bust out laughing. "That's ok. They're worth it."
"Do you want girls or boys princess?" Thora shoves her food in.
"I would like the heir to the thrown to be a girl. After that both."
Momma and daddy come in. Well, this looks good. I've got a baby and Dipak is leaning over me playing with her with his arm around me. His eyes are dark and I'm sure mine were. We're about to get yelled at. Thora reaches for the baby.
Momma leans on daddy's shoulder and both their eyes go dark. They are smiling and watching us. Everyone freezes. We're all staring at each other.
Gunner comes in and busts out laughing. "Are we going to have to change dining rooms again?"
My parents laugh.
Then I start laughing. "I'm not sure who to tell you two on."
Mom and dad sit across from Frode and Thora.
Thora gets done eating and takes the baby back. Dipak does the sign for food. I sit back and lean on him a bit.
Daddy smiles. "How did it go at the service."
"It went good sir."
"Yes he did perfectly daddy. Even fixed my bracelet and caught an earring mid drop."
Momma laughs and shakes her head. "Every single time. It's the same way for me. The other day I hand to hand your father a necklace to put back on me. I mean honestly, how does it happen EVERY time."
Daddy laughs. "I don't know. Wait until she hands you a shoe. Those are tricky to fix."
Dipak relaxes and rubs my shoulder.
"Yay, food here. I'm so hungry."
"Me too."
We all eat and enjoy talking. It's a nice break from all the fighting.
When everyone is done we all stand up. I get to the door and get a "STOP!" yelled at me.
"Oh sorry Mary I forgot. I was enjoying being able to see for a bit today."
"I won't let you forget little miss. Dipak are you still escorting?"
"Yea that's fine." The shroud gets thrown over me.
"It is not pinned down. Make sure to keep an eye on it."
He takes my arm but it feels different. I tense up so fast.
"Clear."
I get ran straight into a guard. They all start laughing.
"Someone get me a sword."
"Sorry princess." Gunner laughs. "I wanted to try."
"Well you made it two steps Gunner."
Dipak grabs my arm and I can tell it's him. I relax and wait for him to go. I can tell by his arm that he's laughing as quietly as he can. "I'm good now."
Mary shuffles around. "Go. Stop. Turn. Go. Stop. Turn." The door opens. "Go. Stop. Clear."
Dipak takes the shroud off. I'm at my place with only the two of them. I smile and start ripping at things. "STOP!"
I freeze. "You got to much jewelry to be doing that child. Give me a second. Dipak can you get that tiara please." Mary has a box. The two of them get all the extra stuff off me. "Step out of the shoes little miss." I take two steps and I'm 3 inches shorter. "Now gloves."
"Am I good?"
"No. We are not taking that off here." She grabs me by the arm and drags me to my dressing room. Dipak laughs.
- Writer
