*for those who don't know the theme will be steampunk so I don't confused people. 

 

21

---

 

It was a chilly afternoon, cloudy too. Even though there was a sharp breeze rushing through the entire city, I left my bedroom window open. It was the only window in my room so I was thankful that it was large and gave me a nice view of the plaza and market down below. Further beyond the market I could see the tops of other homes and buildings peeking out with their dewy shingle roofs. My favorite thing to look at though was the sea, not too far off into the distance but not too close either. Just close enough to tinge the air with saltiness but not close enough to hang with the intense fishiness. I stood over my bed fixing it, smoothing out the comforter so it went around the bed evenly. I stopped and looked up when I heard a small commotion coming from my open window. Must be down from the plaza. The cheers were low at first then slowly got louder and louder. The wind kicked up and the sheer baby blue curtains billowed towards me, like arms beckoning me to take a look. I walked over the the chair turned so it's arms side faced sideways out the window and touching the window sill. My hair whipped all around me wildly and I tucked one side behind my ear. As I sat down in the chair the cold wooden parts of the frame made my skin prickle with goosebumps. Shivering I brought my knees up to my chest and hugged them. It didn't provide much warmth but it was soothing resting my head and watching what was unfolding down in the plaza. It took a minute because of the crowd but then I realized why there was such a commotion. No wonder people were cheering, another girl had turned twenty one today. You can tell when a woman turns twenty one because she's paraded through the streets in an ornate red dress. A pink one when she turns eighteen. Sometimes even on an expensively decorated chair or carriage. She was highly decorated meaning she came from a prestigious house. She sat on a mahogany wood chair inlaid with gold and jewels and four burly men held up each leg. The townspeople and servants below her were throwing confetti and rice as a symbol of good luck.

And she needed the luck alright for as happy as such a celebration looked it was quite sad, but that is how women like us lived nowadays. And by women like us I mean the ones who weren't wanted but were too pretty to lead a "normal" life. In this town girls were either abandoned or given up to houses as we simply like to call it. These houses rest on a sort of caste system where the most prestigious and well known houses farmed their girls until they were twenty one and were then sold to whoever bought their ities for the most money. The more prestigious houses have the best care and the prettiest girls, for the most part at least. For the not so pretty abandoned girls live in lower class houses. Lower class houses take and use any girl at any age and sell them for their worth. They lay cluttered in a district of the city one should never go to, and even I have never been there. Thankfully I was on a more winning side. The house I lived in was prestigious enough for its name to be known but the mistress was still pining to get more and more recognition each day. She had a dream to be the mistress of the most richest and well known house in the city, unfortunately she doesn't care how many people she has to step on to fulfill that dream. Tae Hee they call her, but she slaps us if we call her anything other than just mistress. That is the sad truth of our lives. To most people we are just pieces of meat, pretty meat, but what choice do we have? I often wonder whether my parents even wanted to keep me or were they just evil enough to doom me to such a life. What I wouldn't give to live a normal commoner life instead of being stuck in a palace painted prison. I watched the girl get carried down the Main Street out of the square to be paraded around the rest of town for all to see with the crowd pushing and shoving to get behind the spectacle. Soon her red clad figure became smaller and smaller until she disappeared altogether and I was left wondering how my ceremony would be like. After all I was turning twenty one in a month. Thinking too much on it gave me anxiety, so I pushed the thought away to the back of my mind. Closing my eyes I focused on the chilly breeze and the sound of the ocean waves in the distance. 

 

---

 

I don't know how long I was asleep but a knock from the door jolted me up from my dreamless nap.

"Boa?! What are you doing?! Are you sleeping again?"

Before I could answer my friend Narsha burst through the door.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" She crossed her arms and gave me an exasperated look, smoldering eyeliner and all. She threw her hands up before I could answer.

"Don't deny it because you still have drool on your face."

Embarrassed I sat up as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand "N-no I swear I wasn't."

 

"Ugh." She shook her head and went straight to my wardrobe and threw the doors open.

"I'm supposed to dress you today and you're lucky because the other wardens wouldn't have been so kind on you for falling asleep. Again." She spoke over her shoulder.

My relationship with Narsha was a unique one. When I first came here she was a girl like me accept she was already had years ahead of me as a teenager and was experienced in the ways of the house. She could've taken the path I did but she became a warden of the house instead, tasked with watching over the girls and making sure everything and everyone was kept in order. The other wardens weren't much friends to the girls. Narsha was the only one who could relate to what we were going through. She and I connected pretty easily and we've stuck together since. 

She was wearing tight pleather pants and black high heeled boots that boosted her up a good four inches. She wore a navy blue tank and I could spy the glittering chain of the ruby pendant she always wore. Sometimes I looked out of place with her outfits but gave it a nice splash of taste. Her hair trailed down her back and was artfully styled to be a wavy sort of straight. Her perfectly trimmed edged bangs framed her eyes lined with smoldering eyeliner as she gave me a disappointed look. 

"These won't do."

 

"Won't do? What am I supposed to be wearing?" I stood up from my chair and turned it so the chair was seated out facing the window. 

 

"The mistress will be back soon. Probably to talk to you about your celebration for next month. She will want to talk to you about buyers and the parties she will present you at."

 

"I figured this day would come." I sighed and and sat on the eye of the bed. "You guys have been pampering me up a lot lately."

 

"Oh please don't honestly tell me you didn't see it coming. The mistress wants her girls perfect for their buyers. She'll do anything to get her perfectly manicured hands on the highest bidders check. She would even go as far as to use a skin wand on some of the girls even though they have no wrinkles of course." Narsha turned holding up a lacy petticoat. "We need you in a dress nothing to Victorian or fancy just a nice simple figure hugging dress."

 

"Is she taking me somewhere tonight."

 

"I don't know I'm just supposed to dress you. She gets all secretive ya know? I'm starting to think she's getting more and more paranoid of spies."

 

"Spies?"

 

"She's stepped on an awful lot of people so I don't blame her. You can't say she isn't good at what she does."

 

"No in fact she's scary good at stepping on people."

 

"Literally or figuratively?"

 

"Will answering both get me kicked out?"

 

Narsha threw her head back and laughed as she strode over to the walk in closet on the other side of the room. Her heels clicked musically right along with her.

"Your secret is safe with me. Now could you do me a favor and shower? It's almost two p.m. and you still have drool on your face."

 

"I don't have drool on my face ok." I stood up and walked over to my dresser pulling out a pastel pink under dress to slip on after I showered. "Any idea if anyone is also bathing?"

 

"No idea I didn't take the long way up here. Heels remember?" 

 

"Right."

 

"Hey don't be nervous."

 

"Nervous? About what?"

 

"I know you're nervous about seeing the mistress and turning twenty one. It's written all over your face."

 

"I'm not nervous I just....I honestly don't know how I feel. I just prefer to stay in the background."

 

"Well you sure as hell won't be in the background for the next month and a half. She personally put me in charge of tending to your every need. Am I a maid now?"

 

"You wouldn't survive one day in the maids dresses."

 

"I hate those kinds of dresses. Too much fabric, too heavy, and don't even get me started on the metal boning of the corsets. I like pants. Despite the heels I move twice as fast in pants than dresses."

 

"You love dresses." I giggled.

 

"I love slim fitting dresses whenever I feel like dancing."

 

"Will you be dancing at my celebration?"

 

"Only if you let me."

 

We laugh and she shooes me away to bathe while she finds me something to wear. The good part about being in a prestigious house, you get tons of clothes whether you're a clothes person or not, so she has a full dresser, wardrobe, and closet to choose from. 

 

I close my bedroom door behind me and end up in an empty white washed corridor. It's eerily quiet for this time of day so I assume everyone is off doing their own thing. Aside from the white walls and ceiling the corridor is lined with expensive rich navy blue carpet with gold designs printed into it running up and down the entire hall. A marble statue of a nymph from Greek mythologies is posted right across from my door eyes watching with sad curiosity. I take a second to admire the statuesque woman. Dress and hair flowing over the petite body. She holds a pitcher tipped over teasingly as if to make a mess on the floor. I ask the statue in my head what's it been like all these years just watching. I move my eyes to the giant arched window to the left of her. The view gives way to a wall but looking at the sky it is still cloudy and darkening, signaling the rains are back for the season. 

I turn and walk down the hall to the baths, I could take the long way out onto the grand staircase in the main atrium but I opt for the elevator. The gilded elevator sits just at the beginning of the hall to the left of the doorway onto the grand staircase. I press the button and in two seconds it rattles and dings the cage like elevator floor into place. From the outside it almost looks like a gold painted illuminated bird cage, fitting for the elegance of such a place I guess. I slide the gate open and step inside. I slide the gate closed and a gold painted frame rises up around me forming a large dome and clicks in place at the top. The automated voice recognizer chimes in softly. 

 

"Where to ma'am?"

 

"The baths."

Another click and the elevator rattles down. I look around at the gold painted frame, most likely pure silver painted gold so as too not look so cheap, the bars were interlaced with a designs of birds and flowers almost giving off an unearthly feminine experience for an elevator ride. The mistress was a tasteful and powerful figure but she still withheld her feminine ideals. The elevator came to a halt and with another click the frame retracted downward opening up the way for me to go out. Sliding the gate shut behind me the elevator clicked and rattled away again. I was put in a much more smaller circular atrium designed from top to bottom in mosaic form depicting another Greek fantasy. A forest dotted with nymphs in the trees and sirens in the ponds. There was a large white door on the other side and an oculus at the top of the atrium that lit up the room naturally. As I neared the door I could hear giggling from the other side meaning other girls were also bathing. I pushed the doors open and the sweet smell of sweet pea and citrus wafted in my face. Bath bombs. 

A normal commoner bathroom was big enough for one person, maybe even two. But this bathroom, if you could even call it that, was big enough to fit 20 circular porcelain tubs. There were two rows of ten lined up neatfully stretching across the room. The bathroom itself was completely tiled. Fluorescent navy blue tiles on the walls and white granite tiles on the floor. The room was brightly lit by the two giant arched windows on either side flooding the room with natural white light and giving one view down into the gardens and the other towards the front courtyard. Flowers of all kinds cluttered the bathroom in extravagant glass vases, enhancing the sweet clean smell. Three baths were full and bubbling over with steam steadily rising like smoke on the overhead mosaic.

Suzy and Joy were the ones giggling, , and splashing each other with bubbly water tinged pink from the bath bombs they used. Yura sat in another tub close by covered in bubbles with her head, arms, and crossed legs hanging over each edge visible. Her fiery red dyed hair was twisted up in a towel into a turban and she looked at the two splashing each other annoyed. 

 

"Well well well look who's finally awake." Suzy spoke over her shoulder. 

 

"Now now her big day will be soon upon her." Joy giggled splashing Suzy again. "Give her some slack."

 

"Rude!" Suzy splashed joy right in the face. 

 

"Careful now, that soapy water gets in one of your eyes I'm not dealing with the tears." I speak over my shoulder walking towards the large vanity. When dark the giant windows have the curtains drawn and the vanity lights are normally on. The lights surround the long mirrors perimeter stretching from one wall to the other. The vanity takes up an entire wall divided only by the chairs that mark one station. It includes a marble sink and counter top fluttered with glass vases full of fresh flowers daily. I see the girls towels and toiletries already placed sporadically across the vanity. I chose one station near the end brushing flower petals off the counter top and place my things next to the sink. 

 

"Hey watch where your splashing!" Yura hissed. 

 

"Oh don't be such a drag Yura!" Suzy said sinking back into her tub water. I watched joy do the same in the mirror as I removed my underdress. 

 

"You'll be needing a skin wand before you know it if you keep frowning like that." Joy wagged her finger. 

 

"Boa can you believe these two?" She spoke ignoring them. 

"It's like they haven't even hit puberty yet."

 

"Be nice." I walked over to the bathtub across from Yura and the water.

"They could be much worse, trust me."

 

"Hey don't talk about us like we aren't here!" Joy pouted and I walked over to a basket near the window plucking a bath bomb from it and tossing it in the water. The bath bomb began fizzing as soon as it hit the water turning it a lovely shade of lavender. I walked over a squatted down beside the tub twirling my finger just under the lukewarm water. The water stirred clockwise creating a mini whirlpool of bubbles. 

 

"So." Suzy started resting her arms on the edge of the tub and restring her chin giving me a sneer. "You excited to celebrate your coming of age? Tell us what it's like."

 

"I bet she gets her food before any of us do." Joy did the same action as Suzy. 

 

"Leave her alone you nosey es." Yura rolled her eyes at the two.

 

"Don't be so bitter." Suzy cooed.

"You're just mad because you're being forced to become a warden."

 

I could tell what Suzy said caught Yura off guard so I cut in "listen it really isn't that big of a deal."

 

"Not a big deal? It's what we are literally living for! Our lives rest on the idea of living comfortably with a rich handsome husband."

 

"That isn't true." I rolled my eyes and lowered myself into the water, a warm lavender scent encased me. 

"There's more to living than being sold. Don't tell me you actually agree with what you said."

 

"Oh I hope my buyer is rich and we can have many children!" Joy gushed. 

 

"Children?" Suzy wrinkled her nose.

"How many?"

 

"Hmmmm..... Thirteen?"

 

There was a long awkward pause and Yura turned to narrow her eyes at joy.

"Do you hear yourself? You know like when you speak?"

 

"Honestly." I sighed. "I don't feel any different, I mean I have about a month left but I honestly wish I wasn't turning twenty one. I just want to live a normal life."

 

"Then why don't you just run away?"

I jumped at Yura's question and had no idea how to answer. Suzy got up from her bath abruptly, pink tinged water and bubbles streaming down her body. 

 

"Well frankly this conversation bores me. I think I'm clean enough, I have to pick out an outfit to wear tonight anyways." She got out walking over to the large vanity and plucking up a pink towel.

"Tonight me and Joy are visiting the girl who just turned twenty one today. I know you heard it. The celebration was deafening!"

Before I could ask who it was that turned Suzy was already walking out while Joy scrambled out of her bath to get her things following Suzy.

The large entrance doors clicked behind them as they hurried out and then it was just me and Yura. I sank lower in the bath water until it reached my lips and I locked eyes with Yura. She sat back and rubbed her temple as if she had a headache. 

"Don't mine them, those two have the collective intelligence of a toothbrush."

 

"What did they mean....by you being forced to become a warden?"

 

Yura looked down at her hands then got up from her bath quietly walking to the opposite end of the room. The wall on the end of the room was covered in a series of paintings to mimic the ceiling of the Sistine chapel almost. There was a lever on one vacant corner. Yura pulled on it and a latch on the ceiling opened up and a silver wire holding a towel was lowered into her hands, then retracted back up to the latch as it slid shut. 

 

"There are certain things in this house better left unknown. Chances are any of the rumors floating around are false and most likely started by those two bimbos." She said wrapping herself in her towel. She removed the towel from her head and her fiery red dyed hair cascaded around her shoulders. She gave a soft smile while she dabbed at her face. 

"Maybe one day when you're old enough I'll tell you." She said sarcastically walking to the bathroom doors. She waved saying goodbye and then it was just me left.

 

---

 

"Geez what took you so long?!"

 

"Sorry sorry." That was probably the millionth time I apologized to Narsha. I almost dozed off in the bath until I realized what was meant to happen tonight and scrubbed myself down. Narsha made a somewhat neat whirlwind in my room but I could tell she conjured up an outfit that was beat fully laid across my bed. A black strapless dress that was satin and had corset boning around the torso meant to give such effect when tied in the back. The skirt flowed elegantly across the bed while the bodice lay stiff yet elegant as well with it part lace. Narsha was hurriedly picking up clothes and expertly folding them and placing them on hangers. I rarely ever wore whatever was stocked in the closet so a lot of the things she was putting away I've never even worn. 

 

"This is what I'm wearing?" I wrinkled my nose. Although beatific I didn't quite find it my style. 

 

"Don't sound so disappointed. Here get into it and let me lace you up." Narsha turned her attention back to the pile of clothes she had in her arms and nonchalantly threw the wad to the back of the closet. I knew I'd be cleaning that up later. 

I put on the dress from the bottom up maneuvering my way into the pitch black fabric. Narsha swiftly came over and expertly laced me into my dress, the steel boning pressing the fabric tighter and tighter against my skin. Narsha didn't give me much of a say so she tightened the dress until it fit me to her liking. 

 

"See? Perfect. Perfect hourglass shape."

 

"Who am I even impressing?"

 

"No idea. You might not be meeting suitors. doesn't make it any less important does it? Now sit."

Before I could respond Narsha tugged me over to the mirror stand and sat me in the small cushioned chair. I yelped at how difficult it was to sit in such a tight dress, it took all the breath out of me. I'd have to get used to it just like the makeup Narsha was busy patting on my face. She was working at lightning speed patting on eyeshadows and powder. I was never one to wear much makeup, frankly I found it confusing and time consuming. 

 

"Just don't make me look like a clown."

 

"Are you doubting my skills?" She said slightly annoyed.

"I'm hurrying because you took so long in the bath anyways." I heard the soft clack of the brush being put down and soon she was quickly running a brush through my hair. I opened my eyes and was pleased with my makeup, not to intense, and just right. 

"It's going to be raining soon so it would do you better for your hair to be up. Hmm....pony tail or bun?"

 

I scrunched my nose "pony tail."

 

She quickly swept my hair up in a high pony tail and secured it. With the hair being away from my face the makeup framed my eyes perfectly. 

"My job here is done." Narsha dusted off her hands then shrugged.

"For the most part anyways. I'm supposed to you down soon."

 

"You haven't changed yet? You aren't coming along?"

 

"Of course not. That only happens rarely. I should warn you though the mistress is bringing along Lee Byung Hun."

 

I huffed and answered back sarcasticall "the master of shadows huh?"

 

"God. Why he gave himself such a lame title I will never understand. He's the definition of a rat, relaying information back to her. I don't know why she trusts him."

 

I struggle to stand up out of my seat and gave Narsha a sheepish look.

 

"You're going to have to work on getting up gracefully."

 

"It isn't my fault it's this dress. Why this one?"

 

"It's simply and y. I can't rely on you to dress yourself." She laughs and walks over to the door. 

 

"Thanks." I call after her frowning. Narsha opens the door and beckons to me. 

 

"Come now it's time to go."

I took a deep breath and walked, the outside hall was lit meaning it was dark outside already. Narsha closed my bedroom door behind her and we walked over to the cage elevator. 

 

---

We had been waiting in the main atrium for a good five minutes. The mistress was never one to be on time for others. She came on her own time, whenever she pleased, and it was always like that. No one questioned her, especially not us or she would punish us in her own passive aggressive way. 

 

The atrium was eerily quiet tonight but shortly after realizing I heard heels in the distance. 

"Speak of the devil." Narsha muttered. I shot her a look then looked upwards at the grand staircase. The staircase diverged into an east and west wing and a central hall leading straight from the main stairs. I could tell it was the mistress approaching, her heels like gunshots against the marble floor. She appeared and stopped at the top of the staircase dressed in a silky read dress. She had her hair swept up in a neat up-do and some of the skirt fabric gathered in one hand, showing that if she let go it would pool around her and trail behind her slightly. Her dress was scarlet like fire but silken and hugged her just enough to make it look like she was encased in blood. The dress was strapless but ended around her neck like a collar. She wore a flash necklace and a multitude of rings, she was stunning, and she would surely command a room to look at her. 

After a moment I realized Lee Byung Hun as he walked up from behind her, he worse his usual creepy smile. 

 

"Narsha you cleaned her up very well."

Narsha bowed at the mistress's compliment. 

"Mistress Tae Hee as do you look lovely. However it is raining."

 

"Umbrella's will do." She flicked her wrist then glanced behind her at Byung Hun. 

"Hun-sshi get me and Boa a coat would you?"

 

"Understood." He bows and descends the stairs. Shortly the mistress does the same, slinking down the stairs at her own pace. 

Narsha follows him probably to get umbrellas as well. They were quick and came back by the time the mistress stood next to me. 

"You look lovely dear."

 

"T-thank you." I stuttered. I always had trouble forming words around her. For a smaller woman she was very intimidating. I glanced at her face and she wore a bit more makeup than I. A soft red blended into black eyeshadow, smokily framing her almond shaped eyes. Her lips were painted a brilliant matte red like the most delicate of rose petals. She had a small hand bag with her and dug into it fishing out a small device that looked like a golden pocket watch, it fit snugly in the palm of her hand. I watched her as she clicked a small button on the side, sure enough it wasn't a pocket watch at all but a high tech compact. The device beeped and unravelled like a metallic lotus, and inside it glowed blue as the actual mirror slowly lifted out and hovered in front of her face. She used her free hand to dig back into her hand bag and fished out a slim silver wand. She also clicked another button and the tip began to glow blue. A skin wand. She turned her face to the left slightly and positioned the skin wand by the corner of her eye. She was very vain and took great care in her appearance, so she was probably worrying about non existent wrinkles. She swirled the skin wand in a circle once and her skin filled in slightly but barely changed. I liked the lines on some peoples faces that didn't use skin wands, I felt imperfections added character. 

She put the skin wand back in her purse and pressed the button on her compact which retracted the mirror, also placing that back in her purse. 

"When you're my age you have to take great care in appearance."

She looked at me and smiled. 

"Enjoy your youth, beauty may not be everlasting but it can be preserved for as long as possible."

 

Before I could respond the two were back again, Hun with two long trench-like coats, and Narsha with two umbrellas. These umbrellas were made from electrum which made the umbrella double as a weapon. The mistress and I turned our backs and Hun draped a coat over both our shoulders then took the umbrellas from Narsha. Narsha bowed as the mistress turned to go. She bid us to have a good night as the elaborate carriage rolled up and rode way once we got in.