Ancient Guardians The Legacy of the Key (9 page)

  “Yes, I am. Thank
you.”

“My name is
Jasmeen, and I am here for anything you may require.” The young maiden set the
tray on a small table next to the sofa. She poured steaming hot tea into a
porcelain cup, and handed the cup with a saucer to Reece. “First things first,”
Jasmeen smiled brightly, “I am under orders to make sure you are completely
rejuvenated prior to dinner this evening.”

“Thank you, I
think.”

Jasmeen narrowed
her eyes, studying the clothing Reece wore. She spoke confidently. “I would
love to take you on a tour of your rooms, but I believe there are more pressing
issues to be handled before that. First, I have arranged a nice warm bath, and
then you need a change of clothes.”

Reece looked down
at the running ensemble she had thrown together earlier that day. “That may be
a problem. I didn’t have a chance to pack my bags for this little vacation. I’m
afraid to admit, this is all I have to wear.”

  Jasmeen giggled
in return. “Miss Bryant, as we prepared for your arrival, we took your wardrobe
into consideration. I have a closet filled with fashionable garments that will
fit you perfectly.”

Reece chuckled.
“Well then, I guess I can’t argue.”

Jasmeen smiled
kindly at Reece, “Come, follow me. I have a bath already drawn for you.”

Reece stood, and
followed the vibrant, young maiden through a door, which opened into a small
hallway.

“The water is a
perfect temperature, and I believe you will feel much more rejuvenated when you
are done.” Jasmeen proclaimed while opening a door to their left.

Reece’s
jaw dropped open, not only at the size of this particular room, but at the
objects in it.
Why am I surprised? Nothing should surprise me in this place
anymore.
Claiming the entire length of the wall in front of them was a
rectangular marble tub, sitting up on an elevated surface. Four marble steps
led up to where candles were lit and placed in tall glass containers placed
around the thick sides of the extravagant bath. She was thankful to find they had
showers here as well, as a large enclosed area, surrounded by clear glass on
three sides was perfectly centered on the back wall to her right. The wall to
her left had a decorative door and further down, a pedestal sink sat in front
of a large oval mirror.

“Through that door,
you will find the lavatory.” Jasmeen advised as she led Reece toward the
enormous tub. She reached down and picked up a porcelain container, “This
solution will cleanse your hair, and soften it as well,” She pointed toward
four round soap-like objects, “Those will not only help to cleanse your body,
but rejuvenate and eliminate any fatigue in it as well.” She looked at Reece
and smiled.

“Wow, thank you.”

“You have plenty of
time before dinner is served, so relax and indulge yourself,” Jasmeen pointed
down to where she had placed two neatly folded fluffy towels, “Use these to
dry, and right here,” She lifted the sleeve of a white matching bath robe,
hanging next to the grand bathtub on a free standing rack, “this is your robe.
Once you are done, exit to your left, and I will be waiting in the vanity room.
Is there anything else I can get for you?”

Reece laughed, “I
think this will do. Thanks, Jasmeen.”

Jasmeen gave Reece
a quick curtsey, and made her exit.

Reece set her tea
next to a candle on the edge of the bathtub. She slipped out of her clothes and
relaxed into the warm water. The water was like silky fabric against her skin,
and any previous tension her body carried prior to slipping into it, was
rapidly leaving.

Jasmine was correct
about the rejuvenating effects of the soaps. When she washed her face, her eyes
did not feel as tired as before, and she did not believe her skin had ever felt
softer in all her life.
This is like a miracle bath or something.
She
laughed inwardly.

Now completely
refreshed, Reece sank back down into the tub, and closed her eyes. She had no
idea how long she sat liked this before she finally decided to step out. Once
she dried off her body, she twisted her hair up in a towel on top of her head,
slipped into the robe that was set out for her, and started out to where the
young maiden said she would be waiting.

Upon her exit of
the bathroom, Reece turned left and followed the small hallway. It led her into
another brightly lit room, where the young maiden was waiting to attend her.
This room alone was the size of her apartment in Philadelphia. She stood in
amazement, staring at a tall mirror that nearly encompassed the entire wall
before her. A long, marble table stood in front of it, with an array of beauty supplies
laid out in an orderly fashion.

Jasmeen
motioned for Reece to have a seat in a chair in front of the table. “Please,
have a seat. Let me get started on your hair.”

Reece laughed. “Are
you kidding me? This is beyond every woman’s dream. This is a makeup room?”

Jasmeen grinned and
nodded. “I suppose you could call it that. Now, please, come and sit.”

Reece stared at the
young maiden with concern. “I really don’t need you to go through all of this
trouble to help me get ready. I’m sure you have better things to do?”

The maiden smiled.
“Miss Bryant, I will hardly be putting myself out. I understand you are not
accustomed to having someone to attend you, but in time you will learn to
embrace it. Now, please, come and sit.”

  Reece did as the
young girl asked, and relaxed back into the chair. She watched as Jasmeen took
the towel from her hair and quickly ran a brush through it. She watched as each
stroke of the brush through her hair made it drier.
Now that’s weird
.
“Is that brush, like, a blow dryer, too?”

Jasmeen continued
running the brush through Reece’s rapidly-drying hair, “A blow dryer? I am
unsure as to what that is?”

Reece laughed, “Oh,
well, it’s what we use on Earth; it blows hot air into your hair and dries it.”

Jasmeen grinned,
“And that is healthy for your hair? It’s not damaging to heat it in such a
way?”

Reece’s lips
twisted, “Well, yeah, I guess it does damage it. So, that brush doesn’t conduct
heat in anyway or anything like that?”

“No, there is an
energy force that is expelled through the fine bristles. It evaporates the
water with every stroke. I suppose you could say the energy works the same way
that heat would. It’s also the same energy we use for our illumination.” She
answered while continuing her long brush strokes through Reece’s now almost
completely dried hair.

Reece reached up
and ran her fingers through her hair so she could study its transformation. She
stared in amazement, as she could not remember her hair ever looking so shiny
and healthy.
I need to make sure I take that brush and the shampoo back to
Philadelphia when I leave. This is fabulous
.

Still uncomfortable
with the young girl styling her hair, she tried to convince her, once again,
that she could take care of it on her own. “You really don’t have to go through
all this trouble. I can do the rest from here.”

Jasmeen giggled
again. “Don’t fret over such nonsense. You have extremely beautiful hair, and I
shall enjoy being the one to style it!” She set the brush on the counter and
stared at Reece in the mirror. “Blue eyes. Good.”

Reece smiled as
Jasmeen muttered to herself.

Jasmeen turned to
Reece and started applying powder across the surface of her face. She worked
quickly on cheeks, eyes, and lips. As quickly as she had started, she had
finished. She put her supplies away and grabbed a tiny, round rod.
Great,
here comes the curling iron
. As Jasmeen began making tiny ringlets in her
hair, Reece noticed that there was no power cord, and from what she could tell,
no heat to create the curl.

“Does
that use the same energy as that brush to make the curls?”

Jasmeen grinned as
she continued focusing on her work, “Yes, it does.”

Reece looked at her
reflection in the mirror and was quite impressed with the makeover. Her
complexion looked flawless; her wide eyes sparkled with a pearlescent color.
Her cheekbones had more definition than Reece believed was possible. Her lips
had a natural gloss upon them, enhancing their natural color and fullness. The
strangest part was that she felt as if she wore no makeup at all.

Once Jasmeen
finished, she set the curling iron on the counter and smiled. “There, now you
are ready to dress.”

Most of her hair
had been pulled to the top of her head, falling in small, intertwining
ringlets, strewn with tiny, cream-colored roses. A few larger curls cascaded
over her left shoulder.

Reece swallowed
hard, gazing into the mirror. “Um…wow. I really don’t know what to say. Thank
you, Jasmeen.”

Jasmeen laughed.
“Thank you, Miss Bryant. Now, in order to complete the look, we must have you
get dressed. Follow me; your closet is just over here, around this corner.”

Reece followed her
farther into the room, where another door was. As they stood at the entrance to
the room, Reece gawked at its contents. “All of these clothes are for me? Are
they all gowns?”

Jasmeen laughed.
“Indeed, they are.” She walked over, pulled a dress out, and turned to hand it
to Reece. “Now, here is what you will wear for dinner tonight.”

Reece reached out
and took the shimmering, pale blue dress that Jasmeen had offered her. “Jasmeen,
exactly what kind of dinner is this? I think you may have me completely
overdone.”

Jasmeen laughed.
“When the Empress arrives, you will most likely feel underdressed.”

Reece studied the
extravagant gown, knowing that a corset would likely accompany it, and hoped
that there was another option. There was no way she was about to wear this. It
was too much. “Jasmeen, I’m not trying to insult you here, but you do remember
what I was wearing when I first walked in the room?”

“Miss Bryant—”

Reece shook her head,
“Please, I can’t wear this. Is there something a bit simpler? I’m not really a
fancy person like that—not even on Earth.”

Jasmine grinned,
“Well, I can’t say I didn’t try. The Empress did take into consideration our
differences in fashion when she had your wardrobe tailored. Give me a moment.”
She took the dress from Reece’s hands, and turned to walk deeper into the
closet.

Reece sighed with
relief, she really didn’t want to make the sweet girl feel bad, but there was
no way Reece was going to wear that gown.

Jasmine returned
with another dress.
Great, these are the options? Seventeenth Century queen,
or red carpet premiere?

Reece exhaled,
“Jasmeen? I’m not sure that this is any better than the other one.”

She
scrutinized the dress. The shiny, satin-type material was a brilliant scarlet
color. Reece noticed its daring neckline and the capped sleeves that were
designed to hang off of the shoulders. The hopeful look in Jasmeen’s eyes,
forced her to give in. “Well…I guess this will have to work.”

Jasmeen giggled
with delight, “You will look ravishing in this gown. Now, over there are your
under garments, once you have them on, I will help you with the gown.”

Reece restrained
the urge to roll her eyes in response to the young maiden’s excitement.

“Jasmeen?” She
called out once she was ready.

“Yes, Miss Bryant.
I have the dress here, now raise your arms and—”

“Jasmeen,” Reece
turned and stared at the excited girl, “how did you all know my size? Please do
not tell me that Levi and his cousin…what was his name?”

“Master Harrison?”

Reece’s eyes
narrowed down at Jasmeen’s cheerful smile, “Yes, of course,
Master
Harrison.
They didn’t go through my clothes in order to give you my measurements, did
they?”

Jasmeen stared
reassuringly at Reece’s irritated expression, “Miss Bryant, they simply
informed us that you are very close in shape and size to Master Levi’s younger
sister, Princess Elizabeth. The Empress took this into consideration for the
tailoring of your garments.”

Reece let out a
breath of relief, “That’s good to know. Now, let’s get this dress on.”

Jasmeen helped
Reece slip the dress over her head. Reece stared in shock at her reflection in
the mirror. Her hand absently brushed over her stomach as she twisted to the
side to view the back of the dress.

Reece gasped in awe
at the webbed pattern of what appeared to be red rubies and diamonds, which
were strung throughout the open back. The satin material of the dress fell from
her shoulders and drooped down to the small of her back, just below the
stringed jewels. Her back felt exposed and bare; however, the jewels were so
many, and webbed in such a unique pattern, that her skin was hardly visible.
She was at a loss for words.

“Miss Bryant, you
look absolutely stunning.”

“Thank you,
Jasmeen.” She returned, still taking in the beauty of the gown.

Jasmeen chuckled,
“If you are intended to stay for long, I hope you will be willing to try some
of the other gowns that are of our fashion?” She asked hopefully. “I believe
you will look breathtaking in them.”