Heart of the Guardians: Adoring Destiny by Adrianna Adore (best books to read for self improvement txt) 📕

as they made them as stunning and elegant as they possibly could in the time they had. They told them what to expect at the dinner, it was formal and would be held in the palace with lots of stuffy bureaucrats and glad-handing politicians wanting to make a good impression on the new King.

“I’m going to make a total fool out of myself,” Claire moaned, but they assured her she would be just fine and started telling her juicy gossip about most of the men and women who would be there. Someone was working on each of her feet, two more ladies were bent over her hands shaping the nails as another sponged her and massaged the customized fragrances into her skin.

Mrs. Schwartz barged in and the giggling died immediately.

“Marissa will be here in seven minutes,” she said. “Have her presentable by then.”

“Who’s Marissa?” Claire asked as the women hurried her out of the bath and toweled her off.

“I’m not done!” One of them wailed and sat on the floor, took her foot in her hands and finished sculpting the final toenail.

Claire balanced on one leg as she was dried and wrapped in a luxurious robe then led out to a salon chair set up in the kitchen area. She didn’t have time to wonder where it came from before two more ladies hurried her into it and immediately tilted her head back to the shampoo bowl and started washing. Dana was already under the spray being rinsed as a spikey haired woman stared intently at her. When her assistants’ towel dried her hair they stood by, awaiting their next instructions.

“How much time do we have?” she asked.

“One hour and eleven minutes if they can run to the ballroom in heels.” Mrs. Schwartz answered. “In one hour and fifteen minutes his grace and his lady will be announced.”

“There will be no running,” a beautifully stylish middle-aged woman with multicolored hair said, as she breezed in, her own entourage in tow.

“Marissa.” The spikey haired woman said, acknowledged her with a nod.

“Shaunte.” Marissa replied, as she studied Claire’s curly auburn hair still wet from the shampooing.

“No time for color.” Shaunte said.

“No time for straightening.” Marissa replied and fingered a lock of her charge’s curls. They had both had a salon day in Lichtenstein so their hair was in good condition, no split ends or frizzies.

“I think up for the dinner, down for the dance,” she said.

Shaunte cocked her head left then right at Dana’s dark hair that was mostly straight and was easy to manage.

“Twisted edge fishtail braid worn in a bun for dinner, let it down for dancing.”

“Matching hair sticks?” Marissa asked.

“In ebony with emerald inlay for Claire and dark blue sapphire for Dana,” Shaunte agreed.

“Let’s make it happen girls, we have thirty minutes.” Marissa clapped her hands twice and the assistants rushed to get what was needed as the two women stepped behind the girls to start working.

They closed their eyes and let it happen, let themselves be pampered and plucked and when Maurice’s assistants returned with nail polishes, they obediently held out their hands for the subtle shades to be applied. Shoes were slipped onto their feet to ensure they fit and a makeup crew asked if they had any allergies and then stood by, their kits open and ready to go to work.

“I’m a little bit afraid,” Claire admitted, as the men and women busied themselves transforming the Kings’ guests from pretty but plain young ladies into stunningly beautiful women that every eye would turn to see.

“Don’t be, honey,” Marissa said. “You will be on the arm of the King and have his ear. You can do no wrong. Everyone there will be kissing your ass and wanting to be your friend. If you dumped a bowl of soup over your head, most of them would do the same.”

They giggled at the thought.

“But please don’t. I’m creating a masterpiece here and random bits of vegetables wouldn’t improve it.”

“Maurice has entered the palace.” Mrs. Schwartz announced over the excited chatter. “He’ll be here in six minutes.”

“Bring me a mirror,” Marissa said and held it in front of Claire.

Her eyes widened as she saw the pile of auburn hair stacked delicately on her head with curls hanging artfully down both sides of her face.

“See these?” she asked and pointed to the ebony sticks with the emerald inlay that matched her eyes. “When dinner is over, you will be going out to the village to meet with the people. It’s more of a casual affair and by then everyone will be quite intoxicated. Pull both sticks out and your hair will fall perfectly for a night out on the town. Dana, yours will do the same.”

“I can’t believe this is happening, I never dreamed…” Claire broke off, her eyes filled with unshed tears and her voice breaking with emotion. “Thank you so much.”

Marissa placed a kind hand on her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze.

“You’ll be fine,” she said. “He really likes you. He’s never done anything like this for anyone else.”

Mrs. Schwartz shot her one of her infamous glares. The Kings’ personal business should not be talked about.

Marissa ignored her. “I’ve been cutting his hair for twenty years,” she continued. “In fact, I was trimming it when I got the call to come up here. I believe he is smitten with you. He actually cared what he looked like and asked if he should change his hair, comb it differently or cut it shorter. He’s never given a tinkers dam before and I think it’s because of a certain green-eyed lass.”

“OUT, OUT, EVERYONE OUT!” Maurice yelled as he barged through the door and started directing his people where to put the cases and garment bags they were carrying.

The room emptied quickly, no one wanted to be on the harsh side of his tongue.

“Dancing first,” he said and pointed to various cases and bags that were quickly opened.

“Why are you still wearing those robes?” he demanded. “Off with them.