Rowan opened her eyes to see Alena shaking her.
“Hurry up, sleepyhead,” Alena teased. “We have to get ready for Seres’ birthday.”
“What time is it?” Rowan asked, yawning heavily.
“Just after dawn. Nana Kaleia wants to do our makeup before people start arriving.”
“Already? We aren't expecting anyone until an hour or so past noon.”
“Tell that to Nana Kaleia. She wants to start with us so that she can focus on Seres.”
“Okay. Is there anything I should know beforehand?”
“That depends. Have you ever been given a traditional Ferran makeover?”
Rowan frowned contemplatively. “Maybe when I was still a child? I dinnae remember.”
“Okay. This will be quite unlike what you are most like expecting. True Ferran makeovers are inherently ritualistic, especially those meant for big days such as prime birthdays, funerals, weddings, and holidays. Even if we aren't the focus, it will still be a fairly unique experience. We'll start with the bath. Nana Kaleia wants me to wash your hair.”
“She does?” Rowan asked with furrowed brows. “I dinnae remember her ever saying that.”
“You were still sleeping. I've been awake for a while now. I was trying to let you rest.”
“I'm surprised,” Rowan said sleepily; she was still waking up. “You always struck me as a late riser.”
“Because you tend to wake up before me? We didn't do anything overly strenuous yesterday, so I was good without any additional sleep. You can have your crown back tomorrow.”
“No rush. I don't mind sharing.”
“I know,” Alena teased with a smirk.
“As if you’re any different,” Rowan laughed.
“True. Let’s go bathe. We don’t want to keep Nana waiting.”
*****
The process of bathing was a lot more intensive than Rowan had anticipated. Kaleia’s comment about her hair from the previous day was ringing true as Alena helped give Rowan the head start she would need to make her locks shine. As Rowan scrubbed herself clean, Alena curated a selection of serums, lathers, and mousses meant to invigorate and strengthen damaged or neglected hair. She then applied each one with care and a level of skill that caught Rowan by surprise.
“I was taught how to care for my hair from a young age,” Alena explained. “It isn’t too bad in Særis, but the air back home hates me. One of my cousins would tease me for having a bird’s nest on my head whenever it got really bad.”
Rowan had no words. She hated the idea of Alena being bullied, but she didn’t know enough to comment. It could have been just a wee bit of teasing, or it could have been a full-on verbal attack. Alena’s tone hinted at neither, so Rowan chose to focus on her ministrations instead.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
*****
By the time Rowan and Alena finished bathing, Kaleia was already waiting for them in one of the drawing rooms — a bower — and she wore an expression that spoke of a weird mix of veneration and irritability.
“You’re late,” she said plainly.
“We’re sorry, Nana,” Alena apologised. “I wanted to give Rowan’s hair the care it needed, and I did my hair as well.”
“Is that all?” Kaleia asked sceptically.
“Of course. I know better than to keep you waiting.”
“Very well,” Kaleia said while turning to face Rowan. “Good morning, Rowan. I trust you slept well.”
“I did, thank you,” Rowan answered.
“Wonderful. If you and Alena wouldn’t mind sitting here and here, we can get started.”
Kaleia pointed to a pair of reclining salon chairs. Rowan obliged nervously. With Alena’s comment on the ritualistic nature of traditional Ferran makeovers, she was unsure of how she was supposed to act, and she didn’t want to be unintentionally disrespectful.
“Worry not, Rowan,” Kaleia said. “You have done your part by being here. I will tell you if you need to do anything else. You can leave the rest to me.”
“Okay.”
Kaleia started by lighting a cone of incense and placing it on a small table just behind Rowan and Alena. Then she lit two more cones, forming a triangle of three different aromas. A silent prayer.
Of all the living races, many would agree the Ferran were blessed with particularly striking eyes. In a way, it was true. Not only did they possess the widest range of natural eye colours, but their catlike pupils and subtle luminescence were unique to them in a way that was unseen in the other races. It is for this reason that Ferran makeup had a tendency to emphasise the eyes. That was only the beginning of the makeover, however, and hardly unique to Ferran culture.
What made the makeover truly special was the journey and the use of colour. Ferran eyes were capable of seeing colours well beyond the natural range of other races, and their ability to detect almost imperceptible changes in shade and vibrancy was second to none. This meant they could do things with colour that were visible only to them, and the results were incredible.
All in all, the entire process took Kaleia the better part of two hours. And that was with her being light on the ceremony as Rowan and Alena weren’t the ones being celebrated. With it taking so long, Rowan understood why she was frustrated with their tardiness. Seres’ makeover was likely to put her’s and Alena’s to shame, and Kaleia was running out of time. The princess was going to be fashionably late to her own birthday. Surely Queen Elarin would understand.
*****
Rowan’s stomach was rumbling when she and Alena made their way to the dining room for breakfast after getting their makeup done. Sitting still for multiple hours was surprisingly draining. Fortunately, Reia was already there, ready and waiting with honeyed grains and yoghurt, a few pieces of fruit, and a pot of floral tea. As far as meals went, it was on the lighter side, but it did the job and the flavours were incredible. There was also no risk of it ruining their makeup.
Following breakfast, there wasn’t much left for them to do other than wait. Alena’s gift for Seres was already wrapped and, Resonance aside, Rowan’s gift of music was notoriously immaterial when it came to wrapping. She would need to find a Sound Crystal and a Recording Array if she wanted to make a permanent copy. It was not a priority. Not when she could perform it live.
“I can show you around while we wait,” Rowan suggested.
“Sounds good,” Alena smiled. “We spent so much of yesterday just talking that I never got the tour.”
“Well, you already know the best parts,” Rowan teased.
“Do I, now? I was sure you’d be advocating for the merits of the dancing hall or the music room.”
“If you’re sure I would be advocating in their favour, you must already know about them so my point stands, even if you haven’t seen them. I also never said you know all the best parts. If you did, I’d be asking you for the tour because I’m still figuring things out.”
“A fair, albeit flimsy, excuse. The second part, that is. You had me with the first part.”
“Of course I did. Shall we?”
“Yes. Let’s.”
They had three hours to kill.