Chapter 31
Social Graces
1st of Eighthmoon, MC 299 (6 Charles 9)
Gornemanz, Wellsley, People's Republic of the Malvinas (South Malvina)
Anne closed her eyes while the maidservant applied her makeup. The Princess had been masquerading as a soldier these past several weeks and it had gotten to the point where something as ordinary as having servants attend to her felt unnatural. However, Anne and her fellow captives were not treated as soldiers but rather as ladies of good breeding, regardless of whether that was true or not. Their uniforms were confiscated after their first bath and except for the men of the Republican Guard keeping watch over them, they were indistinguishable from any other guest of the Vertudo family.
Besides Anne herself, there was Captain Tsai, Azuki, and a quiet woman called Samani, then Lise, Lieutenant Juliard, and Jeanine Traux, one of the secretaries assigned to Sir Armand's team. She didn't know where Root and everyone else had been taken. For all she knew, they could be on opposite ends of the country, if they were even still alive.
She wanted to escape and find Root. She imagined Azuki could make that happen, but for now they were obeying Captain Tsai. The Captain put up a tough front, but the cracks were starting to show in her facade. It really seemed like her people had abandoned her. As the daughter of a king, Anne was perhaps the closest one able to understand what it felt like to have all this power protecting you and for that suddenly to be gone.
At times she wondered if she ought to reveal her identity and use her status to get back into Byrandian custody, but she could see the Malvinans using her against her father instead of simply handing her over. She'd rather die first than let that happen. Right now she was in a decent position as an officer of gentle birth in the Royal Army. There was no need to try playing any stronger hand, not yet at least.
"All done, SeƱorita," the maid said.
Anne opened her eyes to look at herself in the mirror. Malvinans always overdid the eyes. Too much eyeliner and gaudy fake eyelashes. Some could make the look work, but Anne thought she looked silly. At least they kept things simple with the rest of the face. Anne could remember the old-style revival movement that was popular when her aunt was Queen. People looked like clowns. This wasn't nearly as bad.
As for the dress, the seven captives were like dolls for SeƱorita Trinidad. 'La Reinita', as she was known, fancied herself a fashionista and sought to use her 'guests' as a way to show off her fashion sense. None of the captives were quite a match for Trinidad's body type and so any hand-me-downs from her had to be extensively altered to fit. This proved to be her opportunity to make suggestions to the seamstresses making the alterations.
At the moment, the fashion for young ladies in South Malvina were slinky satin sheath gowns with a layered skirt that hearkened to the traditional style, plunging backlines and flounces for accents. Anne's dress had this big diagonal flounce that crossed her chest and went up over her shoulder like some poofy bandolier. And this was one of the tamer outfits La Reinita picked out for her.
Speaking of La Reinita, her own dress had this wrap that was almost like a cape tied in the back in a big bow that was apparently trying to look like butterfly wings. For all her passion, Trinidad seemed fairly shy about showing off her own body, which was probably why she was so eager to test out different styles on her guests that she wouldn't wear herself.
"Oh, you look lovely, darling," Trinidad said. "I wish we could do something about those arms, but then you'd be covered up more than MamĆ”."
The way she said it, you would think Anne had ridiculously meaty arms. Yes, there was more muscle than the typical well-bred lady, but Anne was an athlete. Of course she didn't look like some pampered princess. Even if the princess part was right.
"She has not trained herself to the point of being inaesthetic, Miss Trinidad," Captain Tsai said, unusually sticking up for Anne. "Even for a staff officer, you cannot expect a soldier to be built so delicately."
"Pardon me, SeƱora CapitƔn," Trinidad said, "but none of the rest of you are like her. Just look at SeƱorita Yvette."
"Oh, please, SeƱorita Trinidad," Lieutenant Juliard said. "I am always stuck doing deskwork. I am envious of a healthy young woman like Lieutenant Detrois."
"I wish I had Anneāah, Lieutenant Detrois' dedication," Lise chimed in. "I can never keep up with her."
Anne seemed to recall hearing that it was often helpful to blend in some truth with a cover story, but she worried that Lise was forgetting the role she was supposed to be playing and instead was just thoughtlessly talking about their actual past. When they were children, Anne and Lise were more evenly matched, though it wasn't long before Anne outstripped her. They would still exercise together, but whenever Anne was preparing for a competition, it was just as Lise said. She simply couldn't keep up.
"Well, there's no helping what can't be helped," Trinidad said. She then went over to Azuki and made a big display of being impressed, as she always did. "Oh, you are adorable as ever. If only we could get you to smile. It's such a waste of that cute face of yours. You know, you remind me of this doll of mine PapĆ” got for me in Kwailung."
This wasn't the first time Trinidad had said this and no one would tell her what a bad idea it was to compare a Gandohese to anything from Soochian. Still, Anne couldn't argue with Trinidad's taste.
Azuki said nothing as she typically did. About the only time she would respond was when Captain Tsai ordered her to. Anne knew she was worried about Root, at least as much as Anne was, if not even more so. Anne at least had the excuse that there was nothing much she could do. Azuki, however, she had abilities, powers. Only Captain Tsai kept her on a tight leash. Surely Azuki was as restless as a tiger in a cage, even if she didn't show it.
Oblivious to all this, Trinidad said, "Our other guests will be arriving soon. Shall we be going, ladies?"
They followed Trinidad from the dressing room to the parlor, where they awaited their guests. Don Felis was a mid-ranking gentleman, so Trinidad's little soirƩes were similarly mid-ranking events. There were a few of the higher-up families that would condescended to attend and a number of the lesser families seeking to get into the Vertudos' good graces. Most were from Gornemanz, but there was always several from the neighboring towns or even farther out.
Arriving fashionably late was a sign that you were in a comfortable social position that could afford it, so those more eager to please would arrive early. More often than not, it was Trinidad's best friend Carmelita Weisskirch who would be first. Carmelita was even more frivolous and airheaded than Trinidad. Anne dreaded the prospect of having to carry on a conversation with her.
"Carmi!" Trinidad beamed as Carmelita and her entourage were escorted into the foyer.
"Trini!" Carmelita squealed, hurrying to her with little tip-tip-tip steps which were all her excessively tight skirt would permit.
The two friends embraced and gave each other little air kisses on both cheeks. Some of the fashionable young ladies back in Byrandia weren't so different, but Anne never tried to imitate them, and one of the perks of being a princess was that she didn't have to. With her cover as a soldier, she had a good excuse to just stand there stiffly as Carmelita did the same to her.
"Oh, Ani, you look lovely," Carmelita said. "Lavender is so you."
Anne didn't think lavender was her best color, but the compliment probably didn't have much thought to it.
"Thank you," Anne said, feigning pleasantness. "And your dress is so flattering to your figure."
In truth, Carmelita had a good ten kilos more than her dress was meant to hold, but no one would be gauche enough to say it.
When Carmelita was done greeting everyone, she motioned to a rather flamboyant man in her entourage and said, "This is the hairdresser I was telling you about, Trini. Maestro Pasquale Da Souza."
In a lilting voice that reminded Anne of the actors who would play female roles in the theater, 'Maestro' Da Souza said, "Oh, gatita, you flatter me."
Anne thought it was a little presumptive of a mere hairdresser to address a lady as 'gatita', but having your patroness' favor grants certain privileges, it would seem.
Da Souza turned his attention to Anne, saying, "Oh, I don't get to see an auburn like this every day. The things I could do with this."
He then went over to Azuki and said, "Ah, Oriental hair. Like black silk."
He reached out to take some of Azuki's hair into his hand, but Azuki caught his wrist with the speed of a viper lashing out to attack. You would think a man like Da Souza would cringe and whimper at something like this, but he was rather surprisingly undisturbed.
"A girl's hair is her life, after all," he said. "Pardon me, sweetbean. I should have asked first. Oh, do let me do something with that glorious hair of yours."
"Oh, I would like to see what he can do," Trinidad said. "Zuki, do let him. SeƱora CapitƔn, tell her."
Da Souza leaned in and whispered something to Azuki. Perhaps only because Anne was paying attention, she saw a change come over her. It was brief and subtle yet unmistakable. Once she regained her composure, which only took a couple seconds, she nodded in assent.
"You can use our guests' dressing room, Maestro," Trinidad said. "I would love to see you work."
"SeƱorita," one of the maids interjected, "you are obliged to receive your guests."
"You can call me when they arrive," Trinidad said.
"SeƱorita," the maid said sharply.
Trinidad made a pouty face and might have started one of her tantrums when Anne stepped in and said, "I'll go with her. I can tell you all about it. Maybe the Maestro will be willing to give you a show when things have settled down a little."
"I am at your service, SeƱorita," Da Souza said with a bow.
"Oh, alright then," Trinidad said. "Do tell me all about it, Ani."
Anne curtseyed and then one of the maids led her, Azuki, Da Souza, and an assistant back to the dressing room. Without prompting, Azuki took a seat at one of the vanities. Da Souza snapped his fingers and his assistant opened the bag he was carrying.
"Let's get started, shall we?" Da Souza said as he drew out a brush.
Anne sat down at the vanity next to Azuki's and watched Da Souza work. He made the sort of idle chitchat hairdressers were known for, but Anne didn't fail to notice at times he would slip in something whispered to Azuki and she would respond with little hand gestures that seemed to escape the notice of the maid. Anne wanted to know what they were talking about, but she didn't want to draw attention to them. If she had to, she could wait for Azuki to tell her at night, if she saw fit to tell her at all.
Da Souza made these coiled tails out of Azuki's hair that looked something like a pretzel.
"I saw this in a blockprint," Da Souza said. "Old Tungese folktale. The Weaver Girl or something like that."
"Change it," Azuki said. "I am a commoner. I cannot wear my hair this way."
"Oh, who's to know?"
"Change it," Azuki insisted.
Da Souza sighed.
"Oh, very well. I suppose it doesn't match your dress anyway."
So as to minimize any wasted effort, Da Souza took those tails he made and wove them in with the hair that was still hanging loose to make a fairly complicated bun. Anne was pretty sure 'chignon' was the name for it.
Da Souza then went over to Anne to appreciate his work from a distance. He ran his hand over Anne's hair, only lightly touching it so as not to disturb it, and said, "You'll have to wait until another time. As much as SeƱorita Trinidad wants to see my work, we can't keep you away from her guests any longer."
He then leaned down by her ear and his voice pitched down as he whispered in Byrandian, "Your colonel is worried about you, Lieutenant. Wouldn't let himself be evacuated without you. And if you're who I think you are, I'm worried too. The Gandee's given me some useful intel. You need to be ready. It won't be this time but soon. Got it?"
Anne nodded.
Straightening himself back up, Da Souza went back into character, clapping his hands and saying, "Well, let's get back to the party, shall we?"
Azuki gave her a glance out of the corner of her eye. If Da Souza said the word, she'd probably be ready to go then and there. Anne could feel her heart beating faster. If what Da Souza was saying was true, Root was alive and out of the Malvinans' hands. If he could be rescued, so could they. There was hope. They might just get out of this yet. Trinidad would probably miss their company. Maybe Anne could invite her to Saintcharles once all this was over, if they lived through it.