When Fire meets Earth เมื่อไฟพบดิน

"You are to go down to the dressmaker and get my clothes, I have a ball to attend tonight." Lady Amara told Arya.

Arya gulped nervously. The dressmaker was in the high society part of town. She would definitely see people she knew there.

"What is it? Do you not want to go?" Lady Amara asked.

"I want to go ma'am, how can I refuse an errand?" Arya asked.

"Good, go now. Then you have to come back and do my hair and makeup." lady Amara ordered.

"Yes ma'am."

Arya went to town in the carriage the servants used for errands.

She was nervous, she remembered the look on everyone's face at her execution.

"they don't matter...they don't matter." she chanted to herself.

The carriage stopped in front of the dressmaker. Arya took a deep breath and stepped out.

Looking at her, one would never be able to guess that she was a bundle of nerves.

She was Arya, and she had faced this people once and she would do it again.

She pushed the door open and walked in. The conversation in the room went to a standstill.

Everyone gaped at her. This was the first time they were seeing her since the failed execution.

Arya saw Wanna and Lady Warawut (she refused to refer to her as mother) in the corner. They were probably here to get clothes for the ball.

No emotions showed on her face, she reined in all her trainings of composure and carried herself with dignity.

"How may I help you?" the dressmaker asked.

Arya gave her the note from lady Amara.

"Lady Amara Rattanakul sent me to get her clothes."

The dressmaker sneered at her.

"So you are her servant?"

"Yes I am, are the clothes ready?"

"wait here, I will get them." the dressmaker replied and went away.

"So the once mighty Arya is now a servant and warms the bed of another servant?" one of the young ladies asked.

Arya recognized her, she was one of the cruel girls at college and now she was hanging onto Wanna.

She laughed inwardly, life could be really unpredictable.

"Don't you have anything to say?" she asked Arya spitefully.

Arya smiled, "I am just a lowly servant, I have no right to say anything to a noble lady."

Her attacker couldn't say anything in response. She simply fumed in anger.

"Hi, Arya, how are you doing?" Wanna asked her.

Keeping her face completely emotionless, Arya curtesied.

"I am fine Miss Wanna, this lowly servant is at your service."

"Let's go" lady Warawut said, pulling Wanna with her.

Arya hid a smile. Wanna was going to learn that Lady Warawut was anything but a caring person.

She looked around waiting for someone to say something but nobody said a word. She left the store with her head held high.

She got home and did other chores for lady Amara until it was time to dress her up for the ball.

As soon as she brought out the dress from the bag, she knew there was trouble. The dressmaker had ruined the dress.

Arya knew she should have checked it before she left the store but she had forgot.

"What happened to the dress?" lady Amara asked.

"there seems to be a problem."

"what! What am I going to do now? The ball is in less than an hour and I don't have anything to wear. I know I shouldn't have trusted you." lady Amara lashed out at her.

"Please calm down my lady. I can fix this."

"How?"

"Lady Warawut never made me trending dress styles. It was up to me to modify my clothes. I am very good with designs."

"Okay, fix this. If I don't go for the ball. What I would do to you is best left imagined."

Arya nodded, she got a sewing kit and in less than ten minutes, she was done.

Lady Amara looked at the newly modified dress.

"This looks even better." she grudgingly complimented Arya.

"thank you my lady."

Arya started her work on the hair.

"This isn't my normal style." lady Amara complained.

"This would be even better."

"This makes me look younger and prettier. What other magic tricks do you have up your sleeves?" she asked Arya.

Arya smiled and said nothing as she brought out the makeup.

She noticed immediately that it had been tampered with.

This was obviously Pim work. She searched deeper in lady Amara's things and brought out an old makeup box, it was covered in dust.

She cleaned it and opened it.

"Why are you using this? This is old. Use my recent one."

"Trust me, my lady. This is one of my magic tricks." Arya told her.

Arya used the makeup on her.

Lady Amara gasped when she saw herself in the mirror.

"Arya, you are a marvel. I look twenty years younger."

"You look beautiful my lady." Arya told her.

Arya helped her get downstairs where Lord Adisorn and his sons were waiting.

"You look so beautiful mom." Nam told her.

"Thank you." lady Amara replied.

"You look different, more beautiful." Lord Adisorn told her.

Arya could have sworn lady Amara blushed. Was it possible for old people to be in love, she wondered.

"well, I have Arya to thank for that." lady Amara told her.

"thank you Arya. At least my wife looks like herself once again." lord Adisorn told Arya.

"I am just doing my duty." Arya replied.

"Can we go now?" Akkhi asked in a bored tone.

"You and Phayu have said nothing about my look." lady Amara reminded them.

"You look really beautiful mother." Phayu told her.

"You look ravishing mom, I am sure all your friends would be green with envy." Akkhi told her.

"Now we can go." lady Amara told them.

"I think Thornin is back, you can leave Arya." lord Adisorn dismissed Arya.

She curtesied to them and left.

Arya went back to the room and true to lord Adisorn's words. Thornin was back, dinner was on the table and he had a smile on his face.