A room would be the incorrect term for the space. It was the size of a large apartment, and clearly designed to accommodate either a giant or maybe a family of three and a decent sized dog. The vaulted ceiling was decorated with decals of the loveliest flowers, and right at the centre, a skylight. The sun in Valiron was different. I knew that when I first went through that portal. But in this room, the glow of the rays lit up every corner, landing on each delicate thread on the luxurious bedding, each plump cushion on the ottoman. Parts of the room had been sectioned off by screens made of delicate and intricately decorated paper.

"Lacy shall assist you whilst you freshen up, and I will return in good time to take you to the family dining room."

I whipped my head around to see the Madame and the guards backing out of the room with their heads bowed, and poor Lacy left quivering behind me.

"I-If you'd like to bathe, I shall ready the water for you now. Would you like me to assist you in selecting your clothing beforehand?"

"Is this kind of thing normal here, Lacy?" I wondered aloud.

"Pardon? Well, uh-" She started panicking. No, she was already panicking. I hurriedly walked over to her and held her hands in mine.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that. I was just... shocked. That's all. I'm new here," I started, "and just as nervous as you are. You don't need to be so scared of me."

"But you are-" she hesitated. Her eyes, which before then had barely looked up from the ground, flitted around the room. I recognised that look of fear and paranoia in them. They were akin to almost everyone else in this palace. As though there would be ears and mouths in the walls, even in rooms such as this. She lowered her voice before continuing, "you are the Ivalei. My serving you is beyond my wildest dreams. And truth be told, before today, I..."

She trailed off. I cocked my head to the side.

"You what?" I asked.

"I wasn't so sure you existed."

I nodded in understanding.

"I have been gone a long time," I said.

Lacy bowed deeper, her hands flying out of mine only for them to come to her sides. "I deserve death for even thinking as much, my lady. I swear on my life, now that I'm here, I shall serve you until I draw my last breath. I swear it!"

Intense. Very intense. I awkwardly reached out and tapped her shoulder. She tilted her head slightly upwards, and strands of her hair fell out of her bun.

"That's okay. Uh, thanks. For your, um, dedication?"

"Of course, my lady."

I turned around, wishing to avoid more awkwardness. Ainslie had healed my physical wounds, but my bones still felt heavier than bags of sand. I needed rest. I sniffed my armpits and recoiled. And I need a goddamn shower. I looked around the room, taking small steps to venture deeper into the chamber. There were a flight of stairs concealed by the screens that seemed to lead to the bathroom.

"If you're looking to bathe, milady, let me assist you."

"Right," I interjected, "Um, what would this assisting entail?"

"Why, I shall prepare the water for you, and bathe you."

"Bathe me?"

"Yes," she said. "Bathe you."

"Ah. Like, wash me?"

"If Earthlings bathe differently, I can learn how to do it to your liking."

"Well, Earthlings usually, er- You know."

She gave me a quizzical look. I smiled sheepishly. This readjustment thing is going to take a while.

As I tried to continuously fend off Lacy's attempts to scrub me clean with her own two hands, I found myself finally sitting in the golden tub in the almost comically large bathroom, legs stretched out and head bobbing on the water. By way of Lacy's nervous explaining, I learnt that under normal circumstances, I'd have plenty more lady's maids. Imagine. I tried to recall my time as a child in the palace, but I remembered nothing of this room or being waited on hand and foot by several maids. The water that Lacy had drawn for the bath was warm enough to melt away the fatigue in my bones. It was either that or those bath salts. It felt almost criminally good.

There was scarce else for me to do with getting acquainted with my own chambers. Lacy, for all her jitteriness, was actually quite good at her job. She led me further into the chambers, explaining as best as she could as she went, and we walked into an area connected to both the main bedroom and the bathroom by a short concealed walkway, where it was revealed to me that I, in fact, had a wardrobe straight out of all the movies you could imagine.

"This," I waved my finger around in disbelief at all the clothes, "all belongs to me?"

"Yes. Well, most of them will need to be altered. We didn't exactly have time to take your exact measurements. Some of these are old, but, oh! Not at all out of fashion. Lady Sesille picked them out herself!"

"Mother did?"

Lacy nodded and showed me a section of the wall filled with dresses. The most ethereal fabrics. My mouth was agape in awe for the umpteenth time that day.

"Lady Sesille had a dress made for you every year for your birthday. It was a big occasion for every dressmaker and seamstress in Valiron."

I let my fingers run down the trailing floor length skirt of iridescent blue, sorting through the folds of several others, each one made of some form of luxury I'd never even touched before.

"Tonight's dinner is a family occasion, but I hear we have a guest joining us. If I may give you a few options..." Lacy trailed off as she wandered deeper into the closet. I peeked around the racks of clothes. There was a circular couch in the middle of the room, complete with a vanity and a screen room divider nearer to the wall. I sat myself down on, uncomfortably readjusting the bathrobe I had been given to cover myself. It all felt off to me. The excessiveness of the entire thing. I had spent fifteen years looking into the windows of places I could barely afford, but here I was, sat on a plush velvet couch in a silk bathrobe surrounded by a nation's worth of clothes.

"I took the liberty of taking catalogue of the items in your wardrobe when I was assigned to you this morning, my lady, but dare I say, I've barely scratched the surface!"

I could hear the excitement in her voice. I chuckled and swung my legs around to face her way. She was buried in fabric. She grunted as she hauled each item of clothing onto a hanging rack by the room dividing screen. I scratched my head in confusion. I thought this was a casual dinner.

Though the decision was made very quickly, I couldn't really say that I had been much help. The dresses were all spectacular. Definitely too spectacular for the dinner I had in mind. There was nothing casual about the hand-sewn beads on the piece I was wearing. Quite the opposite, it seemed to attract more attention than needed. The light caught on the bejewelled design that sprawled across my mid torso and wrapped around my waist towards the back, reflecting back on the silky fabric itself in kaleidoscopic rays, making the dark fabric seem dynamic as I moved through the room. I had to stop Lacy from getting carried away. She had tried to convince me into a 'proper' gown, one that would have ensured my being laced into a corset.

I thanked the stars for the arrival of Madame Huxtable, who quickly ushered me into the hallway after appraising the look that Lacy had put together for the night. She gave a little approving nod, and the girl practically combusted with pride. There was little else for me to notice about the hallways. Or maybe I was just distracted. My heart thumped in my chest at the thought of the dinner. I desperately wished that it would have been without all this added flair. That perhaps it would have made it easier to strike up conversation if we could at least role play a normal mother and daughter relationship.

As we stopped in front of the dining room doors and I waited for Madame Huxtable to lead me in, I huffed lightly. No, I thought to myself, that would be ridiculous. We had never been a regular pair. Our relationship could never be the kind of normal I had in mind. I had lived fifteen years believing in a pipe dream, living off of a promise made by a woman whose likeness had faded from my memory with the passing of time. To be thrust into this world and to re-learn the truth felt uncanny, to say the least. There could never be any normalcy between her and I for a long time to come.

"Darling, you look splendid!"

I looked up and the doors had been flung wide open, and I now stood in a warmly lit room, the fireplace crackling in the far wall behind an elongated mahogany dining table, where the feast that they simply call 'dinner' was laid out. Glazed roast meats, fish, vegetables, puddings and tarts. A selection of wine and alcohol bottles aligned on a cart by the table, ready to be served by a well-dressed man I could only assume would be the maître d'. There, standing by the fireplace and holding a glass of red liqueur, was my mother, hair half-up and wearing the most ridiculously gorgeous dress made of pink chiffon and silk that I had ever seen. By her side, Lord Zevlin. The bastard sure cleans up well. As if he needed to look even better.

I fidgeted with my nails, unsure of how to behave. To react as if I belonged in this blatant display of wealth and nobility. It felt as though every part of me was out of place. An ignorant Earthling playing dress-up with an expensive dress and hiding behind a big name. My shoulders too slacked, my spine absurdly bent, and my stance altogether just wrong. I squeezed my hands into fists, digging my nails into my palm. Dwelling in these thoughts and retracting into a shell would be the easier way to deal with this. But I couldn't let myself be the weakest in the room, even in minor matters such as this. I needed to remind myself that at one point, I truly belonged here. The little spoiled princess of Alvere Palace roaming around the halls dragging the weight of the prophecy behind her. I took a deep breath and gave myself a little nod. Surely, I can be at least half as confident as that little girl.

"Thank you, mother. As do you."

"Lord Zevlin will be joining us for dinner, seeing as he helped us tremendously today. I hope you don't mind."

She was nervous. She brought the glass to her mouth, and I watched carefully as the red liquid slipped past her shaking lips. I couldn't help but want to laugh a little. She didn't want to have to talk to me alone again.

"Of course not," I smiled. "He saved my life today. Multiple times."

I approached the two of them, manoeuvring around the table and coming face to face to the Azurellian lord. "I haven't had the chance to thank you for that, yet. I apologise for being so rude in the infirmary."

He pressed his lips into a firm line. There was pride in his eyes. So much pride. Just take it, I thought.

"No need. It was my rudeness that caused you offence." He bowed his head slightly. "And it's my duty as a future guardian of Azurelle to protect the Ivalei with my sword. You don't have to thank me."

"Zevlin, what nonsense. You have my immense gratitude, and needless to say, Avillion and I are greatly indebted to you for your services today," my mother said. She placed her hand on my shoulder and the warmth against my cold skin made me shiver slightly. I looked to her, and she had plastered on a wide smile. "I hope to see the two of you get along better. You will be spending some time together in the academy, after all."

"I keep hearing talks of this academy. What is it?" I asked.

My mother took one last sip from her glass and smiled nervously. "We should sit down."

Great. More explaining.