The Capitol (1)

Knock knock.

"Little Miss, it's time to wake up," Lily said as she opened the door. She made her way to the bay windows and pulled back the curtains, letting the soft rays of sunlight shine through the glass panes.

Today was the day Little Miss would be going out to town with Madam and they must not be late.

"Mmmm," could be heard from underneath the bed covers. Little white arms could be seen stretch out from the covers and a satisfying crack resonated in the room.

"What time is it?" Elaina asked sleepily, still not fully awake.

Lily smiled softly at her before walking up to the bed to pull down the covers. "It is currently half past 7. Today's breakfast will be served at 8 and after you and Madam will be leaving for Town at 9. Please go to the bathroom to get ready while I prepare your clothes."

Her eyes widened in surprise, having forgotten that today she would be able to explore what her new world offered her, before she scrambled out from the bed and ran towards the bathroom.

She forgot that she hadn't used the bathroom yet and had to figure out how to use everything. She cursed in her head before deciding there was nothing to be done other than to try.

She removed her nightdress, throwing it into the basket she assumed was for laundry, and headed into the shower.

The shower was enormous and behind thick panels of frosted glass but had no defined shower head. Instead of knobs or taps in the wall that would control the water, there were red and blue glowing stones with unknown symbols on them. A grey stone lay between the two-colored ones with no symbols on it.

Elaina pushed the grey stone first and like she expected, water came pouring down from the ceiling. It was odd, considering there were no spouts like how a waterfall shower was like, but considering how there was magic in this world, not completely weird. The water was quite chilly and made shivers run up her spine, so she quickly pressed the red stone, hoping that it would warm the water.

Soon, the whole bathroom was covered in a warm mist, fogging up the mirrors and the glass walls. Elaina quickly washed up after the water reached a toasty level and hopped out of the shower. As her foot stepped outside, a white towel magically appeared on the rack next to her. Startled, she reached out and wrapped it around her, choosing not to wonder where it came from.

She walked out of the bathroom, comfortable with it because Lily was a girl and someone who took care of her and saw that Lily had laid out two dresses on the bed.

The first dress was red in color with black undertones. It was intricately designed with lace and seemed akin to what a gothic lolita would wear in her original world. The second dress was a light blue color, and unlike the previous dark dress, this one was light and airy. Even as it lay on the bed, it's simple and airy design seemed like it would be able to be blown away.

"Which dress would you like to wear today?"

"I want to wear the blue one."

"Of course," Lily said as she put the red dress away in the closet. She came back and motioned the Little Miss to sit at the dresser.

Once Elaina sat down, Lily began pulling out objects from the surrounding drawers. Lily began drying her hair, using magic and her hands to direct hot air onto the hair, before tying it up in a delicate bun. Strands of hair fell to frame her face, making her seem more precocious.

Lily gently pulled the towel out her hands, handed her undergarments, and went to the bed to get the dress ready for wearing. Elaina blushed slightly before rushing to put them on, going towards Lily when she was done. She raised up her hands and the dress was placed gently on her body.

Looking into the mirror, Elaina saw that the dress did indeed flow all around her body, giving her a more youthful and carefree look. It was so light and airy, it made her seem like a fairy.

She spun around a few times before Lily led her out of the room and into the breakfast area. They went down the magnificent front stairs and towards the right. Many rooms were passed before they entered the breakfast area, where her mother and father were already sat down.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she said as she walked towards them.

They smiled at her dotingly. "It's fine darling, you needed all the rest you can get. Please bring the food in."

Servants carrying trays of food entered from one of the doors and began laying out breakfast. Muffins, pancakes, eggs, bacon, and various sweeteners and jam soon filled the table, making Elaina's mouth water.

"Dig in dear," her father said with a smile when he saw his daughter eye the food hungrily. Everyone at the table grabbed what they desired and ate harmoniously, no words were spoken but everyone was content in just eating with each other.

It wasn't long before they ate their fill and were happy. The used dishes were brought out and tea was brought in.

"So, what are your plants today my love?" her father asked her mother as he sipped some tea.

"I want to go into Madam Rousseau's to get some more dresses for us, you know we have the Lancaster's ball coming up soon, and perhaps we might go into the cobblers. I do need to swing by the bookshop, darling, to pick up some of the books I ordered but other than that, it all depends on what Ela and I are feeling."

"Mother, can we go into the jewelry shop?"

Her mother looked surprised, before smiling. "Of course, we can darling! I can't believe I was going to pick up dresses without jewelry. We can go after we look at the dresses."

"Can we go now? I want to see the pretty dresses and designs!" Elaina felt childish as she said this, but when in Rome. Adapting had always been her strong suit and it was easy to pretend she was a child again.

"Is it the carriage ready, my love?" mother asked father as she patted her mouth daintily.

"I do believe it is. Shall we all head out together?"

"Let's go!" Elaina said as she got out of her chair. She pulled her parents' hands and dragged them out the door.

"Well now, it seems someone is excited to go to town today," father said as he took the lead. He led them towards the ornate front door and outside where a grand carriage lay.

It was made from black mahogany, with a huge crest depicting a golden lion on the side of it. Ribbons and little designs were scattered along the outer edges of the carriage, giving it a regal air. Four white horses were hooked in the front, with a person sitting behind them to direct them. A footman stood on the back of the carriage and a simpler and smaller carriage lay behind the main one, meant for the bodyguards that would follow Elaina and her mother.

"Now, be careful to stay close to your mother at all times. Don't wander off without letter her know and make sure to have lots of fun," father said as he knelt down in front of her. He patted her head softly, gave her a hug, and watched from the front steps as her mother led her into the carriage.

Inside the carriage was surprisingly comfortable. Instead of hard wooden seating like she expected, pillows adorned the seats and made it seem like she was sitting on a cloud. Her mother sat opposite of her while Lily and her mother's maid entered in last, sitting next to their respective master.

The carriage started rolling along, and it wasn't long before the grounds of the estate were replaced for rolling greens. Occasional houses and estates would come into view, but it was mostly mother earth that greeted Elaina's eyes.

Soon, more and more buildings popped up into view. The dirt ground transitioned into stone and more and more people began crowding the streets.

They had entered The Capitol.