Better in some respects

A hot breath warms your ear as a chipper, mischievous voice whispers, "It's time to wake up princess."

You groan, as you almost always do. It's far too early. Regardless of what time it is, it's still far to early.

You hear the sound of a sponge being soaked in water and then squeezed out. "Come on, don't make me use the water to wake you."

"Oh Farinna, some days I could just stab you," you mutter as you pull back the blankets. Your chambermaid knows that she can get away with almost anything at this point and that includes drizzling water on your ear if you refuse to wake up. She's done it twice, almost to prove she could and would.

The air is still frigid, even if winter is suppose to be ending. But that's no excuse to be dirty. Not for a princess. Other servants bring the water in and Farinna just waits, knowing what a deep sleeper you are, before making her threats.

The water is nice and warm, though the thin film of water evaporating off your skin is intensely cold. Curse every one of your ancestors who decided to make a tower so narrow that there wasn't room for a chimney and fireplace for any of the rooms. Doubly curse the later ancestors who decided it was too much trouble to tear it down and rebuild it!

With both you and Farinna scrubbing quickly you manage to get yourself nice and clean before freezing to ****. Now well awake you take your turn helping Farinna bathe. Yes, a princess probably shouldn't do this, but normally a princess would have several chambermaids who would help each other. More importantly you started doing this so that Farinna had to bathe here. As a lady of lower rank she's able to use a common bath down in the basement. As the princess of the realm you can't. At least if you nearly die of frostbite every morning she can do the same.

After you'd done it a few times the two of you really bonded. It's silly how effective a little shared suffering can be at building camaraderie. Still shivering in her slip Farinna asks, "Are you going to open it now?"

Oh yes, the mirror! All your early morning 'activities'{if C01_Anton = true
}, those dreams of Anton making you his{elseif C01_Breggan = true
}, those thoughts of Breggan helping you 'confess your sins'{elseif C01_Seranno = true
}, dreaming of the sly old count using all his age and experience to sate you{elseif C01_Frederik = true
}, dreaming of the huntmaster taking your breath away{elseif C01_Ilsa = true
}, that shameful dream of wantonly seducing your demure young lady friend{elseif C01_Dorian = true
} as you pictured a man you've never met romancing you like the fabled prince charming{endif} pushed the thoughts of the mirror out of your mind.{if C01_Anton = true
}

'He's a good, adventurous man. Let him take his brother's place and take you on a voyage to paradise.'

As before you push aside your naughty thoughts. You can't daydream about any of that! You shouldn't even think that when you're alone.{elseif C01_Breggan = true
}

'It's one of the far away Gods or your soft, welcoming body up close, here and now. What man would choose a God?'

As before you push aside your naughty thoughts. You can't daydream about any of that! You shouldn't even think that when you're alone.{elseif C01_Seranno = true
}

'Anyone who runs up and down hills has enough stamina to make good use of your nubile body.'

As before you push aside your naughty thoughts. You can't daydream about any of that! You shouldn't even think that when you're alone.{elseif C01_Frederik = true
}

'It will be so much fun seeing how he makes you sit up and beg.'

As before you push aside your naughty thoughts. You can't daydream about any of that! You shouldn't even think that when you're alone.{elseif C01_Ilsa = true
}

'How demure is she really? She's got to be as **** for attention as you. Some kisses and cuddles, a few flowers from a 'secret admirer' and she's yours.'

As before you push aside your naughty thoughts. You can't daydream about any of that! You shouldn't even think that when you're alone.{elseif C01_Dorian = true
}

'You'd better get a sketch of this guy quickly. Joanna will be thrilled you remembered her dear brother. Just don't tell her what you did with him in your dreams... yet.'

As before you push aside your naughty thoughts. You can't daydream about any of that! You shouldn't even think that when you're alone.{endif}

You approach the big covered rectangle and take the dangling card in hand. You re-read the card, with it's talk of 'the old style' and 'truth and beauty'. It also, of course, contains a very well worded selection of condolences for your loss. You give the cord a tug and the big knot that rested beneath the card unravels. The weight of the thick fabric draws it open and the ropes and cloth slide off the frame, dropping to the floor.

The mirror is beautiful, an almost perfect reflection of you in smooth silver and near flawless glass. It takes your breath away. You run your hand along the heavy black wooden frame, itself covered in intricate carvings and glossy varnish. The mirror has to be two and a half feet wide and likely five feet tall. The freestanding frame elegantly raises the mirror about a foot off the ground too, which means even a woman of your unusual height has no difficulty seeing your reflected self from head to toe.

"Gorgeous," is all you can say.

Farinna appears in the reflection, with a giddy smile and a twinkle in her eyes. She hugs you from behind. She's so much shorter than you that all you can see in the mirror is a second set of arms coming out from behind you and wrapping around you just beneath the bust.

"I've got an idea," she says. She goes over to your dresser and picks up the mirror you've had for years. It's only about two foot by two foot, which is an impressive size on its own. But compared to this monster that thing looks like a baby mirror. It's small enough that Farinna can move it with some effort. She maneuvers it behind you and angles it so that you can see your own bum in the mirror.

"Oh, what is it with you and bums. Lady Cole, some would call you a naughty girl."

Farinna giggles and says, "Yes, yes, but take a good look. If you pull your slip tighter. Yes, like that. That's the view men in the castle have when you take a walk."

You can't resist her enthusiasm. And you have to admit that your bum is smaller than many. It's tight and dainty.

'Mmmm, yeah, just bend over at the waist and you could have a red blooded man walk right into a wall,' says that devious part of your mind.

You smirk at your reflection. Maybe it's true. Now to reward Farinna a little. Keeping your one chambermaid happy is important. "Here, give it a try," you tell her as you step away.

"Oh gosh, wow," she says. She puts down the small mirror and steps up in front of the huge one. From the side you see her jaw drop as she looks at it. "It's so flat, it's so... flawless. The color is so perfect. Did you notice that? The color compared with your other mirror."

You hadn't, but when you pick up the small mirror and hold it as Farinna held it, to give her a view of her bum, you notice the yellow shade it gives everything.

Farinna pulls her slip really tight and even smacks her bum with her hand. She laughs as she watches the ripples run across her backside. "Oh, I can see why men want to do that to barmaids!"

She's always been a little concerned at the size of her rear. Given how much shorter she is than you she expects to have a small bum as well. A 'saucy' bum is what she says she wants, though she never dares say that around Madame Zelande. Instead, seemingly regardless of exercise, she's got a larger bum than you do - something you once told her was because she probably got spanked more than you as a child. You don't know why she's worried, it seems to you the men of the castle pay rapt attention when she chooses to wear a gown with a tighter backside.

"You're so strange sometimes," you say, but Farinna's good spirits are infectious and you find yourself giggling for no reason.