Chapter Two

Warm suds ran down my body and into the bath water, leaving trails of lavender scent in their place.

Holding my breath I dunked my head into the water of my claw foot tub. My hair becoming a tornado around my face.

I couldn't hear or see anything, it calmed my racing heart. And for a second I pondered if I could stay under forever.

But when I came back up for air a smiling face stood above me, peering down.

"IRINA!" I sputtered, swallowing water from my shock.

She covered her mouth and giggled,

"It looked like you were having trouble Liza."

I wrung my hair out and I stepped out hurriedly, slamming my feet on the cold marble floor.

I draped a towel around my body before turning to look at her.

My one and true friend, Irina Hobbins. Our fathers worked together and we were neighbors, I suppose our mothers would have been friends too if that were permitted. She stood in my bathroom in her afternoon dress, jewelry adorned all around her face. Ribbons and bows throughout her honey blonde hair. She looked very beautiful. And she knew it too.

My handmaiden, Janina, rushed in with a much bigger towel. I gingerly took it from her and tied my dripping hair up. Janina pulled the plug out of my bath and rushed toward the door, but stopped before exiting completely.

"Misses Elizabeth, you have almost two hours before your meeting with the selector. " She said, fidgeting with the hem of her apron.

Oh no! Had I spent all morning just soaking in the bath? I needed to get ready quickly to get a chance to say goodbye to mother.

"Thank you Janina, you may leave us. " I said drying my hair more intensely.

"Oh, I can stay and help if-"

"No, I will help. Leave now. " Irina interrupted without facing Janina herself.

Janina took a quick nod before scrambling out of the bathroom, closing the heavy wooden oak door behind her.

Irina started towards me, pulling my arm toward my gold plated vanity where my creams and rouges were stored.

I began to protest but Irina put a manicured finger over my lips.

"It's our very last day together. Let me doll you up Liza. Plus a good impression on the selector always helps." She gave me a wink.

She sat me in front of my large mirror, I nearly cringed into my towel at the sight.

One look and anyone would notice my swollen red eyes, evidence of me sobbing the night before. My hair sat on my shoulders like limp spaghetti noodles that had been left out. No amount of special creams could soften my dead ends. What a mess. Irina was right.

She hummed softly under her breath, using a brush to smear cleanser over my cheeks.

There was so many things I wanted to say, different ways to say goodbye. That I'd miss her, but we weren't that type of friends. We had never said I loved you, and physical affection was limited to side hugs on birthdays and holidays. I knew that I loved her as my sister.

But the silence was killing me, I needed to fill the empty air with something, anything to keep my thoughts from spiraling-

"My father is arranging a deal for me to be assigned to the selectors son. " Irina said with a bright smile.

I internally let out my breath, thank goodness we had something to talk about other than my leaving today.

"How incredible! In only 3 months time on your own birthday I suppose you'll be married to him." I tried to sound happy for her but my own worries of the day muddied my enthusiasm.

"Yes I will be married into the most influential familiy in the entire nation. Perhaps I could visit you with the selectors permission of course. Plus he's extremely handsome. " I could hear the smugness in her voice.

And that's exactly what a girl like Irina deserves, the best. It was written the moment she was born based on her birth place and her fathers social standards. And her children would inherit that destiny.

I fit a smile on my face for her, "I'm very happy for you."

And I was, as much as I could be.

Irina lifted a brush, she dabbed blush along my cheekbones and nose. Making me look sun kissed and warm. The foundation left my skin dewy and shiny. I looked better already.

"What are you hoping for today?" She said moving onto my hair.

"Um, I'm sure I'm staying here in West. My father wouldn't allow anything else." I said. But my mind was on Brandon. They had altered him, would I be next?

The thought caused a shock throughout my spine. I couldn't feed into that. I would leave myself a mess.

Irina fastened clips encrusted with pearls into my hair, a gift from my father on my twelfth birthday. He gave extravagant gifts, but lacked in affection. My mother could attest better than I could.

She threw her hands up as if to say, ta da!

I gasped out loud at my appearance in the mirror. I was unrecognizable.

Irina giggled over my shoulder, "See? You look so pretty!"

All I could do was stare, eyes wide. My least favorite feature of myself. My massive eyes that didn't fit into my pointed face. She made them look stunning.

During my staring contest with myself, Irina began packing up my makeup and beauty products. I noticed in the mirror that she was putting them into her own bag, along with my jewelry.

"What are you doing?" I contested.

She looked up at me under long eyelashes coyly. "I didn't think you'd mind considering you won't be needing any of this anymore. "

She was right. None of these things really belonged to me anymore. They belonged to past Elizabeth. And the new me was coming soon.

"Yeah, your right I guess." I said retreating into my room through the connecting door.

Irina didn't follow me. Probably stuffing whatever she could into her embroidered handbag.

I looked around at my room. I had spent eighteen years here as of today. My hand sewn quilted comforter, right in the center an animal father called a peacock. It was beautifully colorful. I had cried and curled myself into it many nights. My desk where all my stationary lived. So many letters i had written that would never be sent. Even the scuffs on the baseboard where I had bumped into the wall in my ballet shoes. I was going to miss all of it.

I felt my eyes begin to water, I took a slow deep breath. I couldn't go ruining Irinas hard work because of baseboard scuffs. How idiotic of me.

There was a soft knock on my bedroom door, before I could say anything mothers creaked the door open slightly, her face was smiling at me from the small gap.

She was wearing her funeral lace today, she was loosing her daughter, a mourning gown was only fitting.

"Hello Elizabeth" she said with a small smile.

I sat on my bed and invited her in, "Come sit with me please."

She opened the door fully and that's when I saw what was in her hands. A dress. But not a westian dress. Definitely not.

It was short, with no petticoat. It was white with puff sleeves and an A neckline. We've never had something like this in our house, let alone me wearing it.

Irina bursts in through my bathroom door, her bag clearly full and making lots of noise. She froze when she was mother.

"Uh- Hello Mrs. Burdett. I was just visiting Liz- uh Elizabeth before she went today." She said twirling her hair between her fingers. I scoffed on the inside. Way to play it cool.

Mother furrowed her brows at her, "Please leave Irina, it's time for you to go. Janina will see you out."

Irina gave me and awkward smile with a small wave, I waved back. She left and closed the door behind her.

Mother jumped with excitement. The weight of her ball gown keeping her from getting much air. I had to stifle a giggle at her. "Finally! Let's get you dressed. You are born again today!"

-

The fabric left me itchy and uncomfortable. I felt naked with my knees out. They were pale and looked like they were going to snap under the weight of today. My chest was showing under the white baby doll lace. Now everyone could see that I had nothing to show there. Not even an excuse for one curve. What even was this?

Mother read the disapproval in my face and sighed at the edge of my bed. She looked up into my eyes searching for something. And when she found what she was looking for, she spoke.

"I understand, I had to wear something similar to my rebirth. The north's dressage is not like ours they are-"

"Modern" I interrupted.

She rubbed her face in her hands, her anxiety leaking out like a loose faucet, spilling out soaking everything in the room. Including me.

"Modern is not just clothing Elizabeth. It's the culture as well. You should only be there a few hours. You will be assigned somewhere here in the west. I am sure of it."

Except it sounded like she was trying to convince herself of that. Not me.

A heavy thud hit against my door. My driver was here.

It was time for me to go.