Chapter Eight

Thalia woke to someone knocking on the door.

It was interfering with her precious sleep and it honestly was the best sleep she'd had in ages. Sitting up in bed and stretching her arms deliciously, Thalia stared in the direction of the door.

But she found herself looking at a wall. A blank light yellow wall.

Wait.

The door was meant to be there.

With a jolt out of the bed, all of Thalia's memories of the past few days came back in a flash. The letter, the little girl, the magical book, time travel and the prince.

The person behind was knocking continuously and when her still delirious brain recognized that she wasn't in her small rental apartment and that she could be in danger, she felt a trickle of fear.

Who could it be?

Was it the guards? Have they come to arrest her again?

While she was being released she had a a thought simmering at the back of her mind that beheading still existed in this era and it was meted out for crimes against royalty and crimes that concerned being a rebel.

Now that fear came to mind again.

Was that why they had treated her so well? The palanquin, the exquisite suite and the large princess bed. There was no reason for them to give such princess treatment to a criminal or suspected spy.Thalia was already frantically searching for an escape route when she heard the tiny voice.

"Ma'am?" A soft voice said from outside the door, the voice was so soft and gentle. Something about it made her pause in her tracks to the window.

She walked towards the door cautiously and with quiet steps. Looking through the peephole she didn't realize was there before, she breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw a woman's face. At least even if she was sent to harm her in this foreign place she could stand a chance against her.

Thalia opened the door a tiny bit and peeped through it at the girl.

"Ma'am, I'm Ann and I was sent to help you get ready for dinner," The girl explained.

Thalia scanned her for any weapons or threat and it didn't look like there was any. From her apron, to her headscarf, socks and total uniform Thalia could tell she was a maid. She was a palace maid dressed the traditional bway that was only used as a costume in the modern world.

"Oh… okay," Thalia said, opening the door wider for her, "come in."

Ann was carrying a basin and a huge box that looked like it contained a lot of things.

"Would you like to take a bath?" Ann asked her an obvious question. She could swear she saw an eyebrow raise on Ann's face when she took time to reply. Her face looked like she was saying, 'You're surely not meeting the prince in this state right?'

"Of course I would love to," Thalia answered, throwing in a nervous laugh at the end.

Ann walked towards a door in the room and opened it to reveal a beautiful vintage looking bathroom. She entered and began to fix and arrange some things while Thalia turned away to survey the room once again. It had a big window Thalia didn't notice before because of the large curtains draped over it.

When Thalia returned to the bathroom door to watch Ann, she found her cutting some flowers on the sink. It was starting to look like a set up for a princess's bath in a historical movie. Water, clear as crystal, flowed from a beautiful golden tap into the tub.The air was filled with the faint scent of exotic flowers, including roses which Thalia loved.

Ann reached for multiple vials of fragrant oils, carefully measuring each drop before adding it to the water, creating a fragrant scent that enveloped the room. Rose petals, plucked with utmost care Thalia noted, floated prettily on the water and as the bath reached its desired depth, Ann turned to the Thalia, her eyes seemingly seeking approval or questions.

"Is there any other thing you need for the bath ma'am?"

"No!" Thalia almost shouted, then she added more quietly, "No dear." What more would she want when she had this carefully prepared, heavenly scented, magnificent bath, and it was indeed what she needed the most to feel better, "You've done enough, thank you so much."

"Oh, okay. I'll be waiting in the room while you bath so I can help you get dressed for your dinner with The prince." Ann curtsied and withdrew leaving Thalia astonished.

Thalia couldn't remember any bath she'd had that was better than this one. It was simply the best. It felt like a dream. The candles Ann lit made the atmosphere welcoming, the rose scent and petals calmed her down.

It was perfect.

Going from the rough prison to the highest form of luxury she'd ever experienced was crazy.

Maybe she didn't even want to go back to her time.

Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all.

Thalia stepped out of the bathroom feeling refreshed like she was reborn. Her skin was clean and felt soft as silk. Ann was waiting right beside the door for her carrying some clothes in her hands.

"This is your dress for tonight ma'am," she said, stretching her arms out to show her the dress.

"Okay, thank you." Thalia stared at the rich looking black material. It was folded but Thalia could tell it was beautiful just like everything she'd seen in this strange world. The prince too.

Excluding the prison.

How she could still stay so calm in all of this, Thalia didn't know. The prison, the palanquin ride, the princess-like room and bed, the bath, everything felt like a dream. Maybe that was why she was going with the flow.

After helping her with some light makeup, Ann brought the dress to her. Thalia moved to take the dress from Ann but she stepped back a bit, "I will help you put it on ma'am."

Amidst every crazy thing that had happened how could she handle allowing someone to see her naked? "I can put it on myself… right?"

"Well you could ma'am but it would be a hell of a struggle. The dress surely needs a helper when putting it on."

Thalia sighed, "okay then."

"There goes my privacy," she muttered under her breath when she removed the towel.

With gentle hands, Ann fastened the delicate silk buttons of the dress, each one glimmered like a diamond against the rich black fabric. The maid's nimble fingers carefully adjusted the lace sleeves, ensuring they framed Thalia's shoulders perfectly.

When they were done and Thalia looked in the giant mirror, she couldn't help but gasp.

The dress was unbelievably beautiful.

It was so beautiful she could cry.

It was a black mermaid silk dress adorned with intricate lace details. It was crafted from the finest silk Thalia had ever seen. The dress enveloped her body, enhancing her curves and giving her a streamlined figure.

A loud sound rang through the room all of sudden and startled Thalia.

"What was that?" She asked Ann.

"That was the dinner bell, it's time for you to meet the prince."