It rained the night before and in the morning the world was washed anew. The leaves of the trees glistened and their foilage was a vibrant green. It was such a fine day. The guards standing in front of the gates of the Nobilis mansion found themselves relaxed. Some were yawning. Contrary to the laid-back mood outside, the servants in the mansion were running to and fro.

Nobles would usually wake up late and they would prefer their breakfast in their beds or rooms. However, the Nobilis family was a different case. Breakfast was of great importance. It was a family rule that all members had to eat breakfast together. It was also customary for them to be up at six in the morning. Their breakfast was fixed and expected to be ready at 7:30. It was thirty minutes past six.

"Is she awake?" an anxious maid asked.

"She hasn't summoned us." the other maid replied.

"Is she not up yet?!" Lilac, their senior, asked with her delicate brows knotted.

They both shook their heads. Lilac sighed. Without even knocking on the door, she stormed in.

"Pardon me my lady, but we can delay no- " Before she could finish her sentence, she was greeted by a calm, demure and elegant girl in her teens sitting on a sofa in the receiving room. She was fully-dressed in a light blue gown without laces, beads, flowers or designs. Its only adornment was a thick gold band on her slender waist.

"You are late." A gentle, unhurried voice, broke the stillness in the room. She ran her slender fingers through her long, silky hair. "I have been waiting for you to do my hair, Lilac."

Lilac found herself in a daze. The face was the same. The height, the lithe figure, the soft, snowy skin, the golden hair - everything was the same. But why were the temperament and aura different?

Her mistress, Lady Eventide Altair Nobilis, was a famous beauty of the Western Kingdom. Be it status, wealth, talents and appearance, she ranked one of the highest.  However, her "perfection" and the endless pampering of her family had turned her too proud and vain.

In the past, her mistress had to be awoken more than ten times until she would finally rise. She would summon her handmaids and let them take care of all her needs from bathing to the pair of shoes she would wear that day. She needed not to raise a single finger on everything in her daily ablutions.  All she had to do was admire her reflection in the mirror.  The entire process usually took two hours or more. The rest of the family had to wait for her and no one seemed to mind.

"Lilac?"

"My lady... That dress is rather plain."

"Is it?" Eventide touched the fabric of the skirt. It was made of soft silk and dyed naturally using some rare blue flowers. The flowers had a faint, sweet scent. The fabric retained the scent. That's one reason the fabric's price was astronomical. And yet, in her maid's eyes, the dress she was wearing was plain. She sighed.

"Help me with my hair," she asked of Lilac.

"Yes, my lady."

While sitting in front of the mirror, Eventide found herself staring at her reflection. The deep lines on her face were not drawn yet.  Her skin was soft, her eyes bright. She knew she was very beautiful. But in that life, her beauty was a distant dream. She was dressed in drags and had to tread the ground barefoot. Her hands were rough in labor. She cut her hair short for she no longer had the ability to care for it. Those years she lived in exile and the bitterness before turned her into a hag.

"Am I...beautiful?" she murmured.

"Yes, my lady. You are very beautiful. Probably the most beautiful in the kingdom." Lilac replied without thinking.

She touched her face. A trace of self-mockery passed through her eyes.

"Indeed I am." She caressed the silk flowers in the vase of her vanity table.

"After a stormy night, the world celebrates a brand new day. Only the trees weep for the fallen flowers. People sing praises of how cool the wind is, but not a single soul condemns it for its cruelty to the flowers."

"My lady?"

"It is... Forget it. Hurry along. I do not wish to keep everyone waiting."

PoisonFairy

This is my first time writing here and to tell the truth, rebirth story, for me, is a challenge. Leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you!