Mai smiled. "Oh but of course! There's no need to thank me," she murmured. Ayreesha returned with the rest of the things that Mai had asked her to bring, and Mai thanked her softly before sending her off. As Mai rummaged around, she could feel the eyes of Liviana's handmaidens on her. Though they hid it well, Mai could tell that they were rather tense. [i]I suppose that's to expected. I know I would be, if I were in their shoes.[/i]

Mai processed Liviana's words. [i]Liviana wants eyeliner like mine? I could make that work, yes...and brighter gold eye shadow will not be a problem. As for the lipstick, I know I have a delightful shade of burgundy that would be perfect for her coloring.[/i]

"Alright, I can do that," Mai answered with a soft smile. She turned to Liviana's handmaids-who were introduced as Aelia and Claudia-and gave them a wry look. "I would very much appreciate it if you two lent me a hand," she said gently. "I do not think that I am capable of doing everything by myself in time for the ball," Mai continued with a light laugh.

They set to work. First, foundation-layers and layers of it, in an effort to bring some color to Liviana's pale cheeks. Mai soon found that the handmaiden named Aelia was particularly skilled at cosmetics, though she was a touch too...cautious, if you will. [i]I'm assuming that she is the one responsible for Princess Liviana's make-up every day?[/i] Mai mused to herself. Then, Mai and Aelia carefully brushed eye shadow over Liviana's eyelids. Mai first set down a coat of soft dark grey, before brushing on a layer of bold, metallic gold that shimmered quite eye-catchingly when it caught the light. The edges of Liviana's eyes remained predominantly soft grey, and Mai worked with Aelia to blend the two colors smoothly. 

Eyeliner pencils and liquid eyeliner tubes in hand, Mai slowly and carefully created the winged eyeliner look that Liviana had requested. After that came (waterproof) mascara-and a good deal of that too, which made Liviana's eyelashes appear long and thick. Finally, armed with an eye shadow that was the same color as Liviana's eyebrows and another eyeliner pencil, Mai filled in the younger princess's eyebrows to give her the defined eyebrows that were currently in style. 

Mai paused and surveyed her handiwork before grabbing a set of brushes and a couple of blush palettes. With Aelia's help, Mai brushed on a base layer on top of the coat of foundation that had been laid on earlier. She then moved on to contouring Liviana's cheekbones, making them stand out more than they already did (Mai found that Liviana's small stature did nothing but emphasize her delicate bone structure). Last but not least, Mai put a clear gloss over Liviana's lips before painting them a deep, burgundy red. 

Now that the make-up was done, they moved onto hair. Claudia stepped forward, and the two brushed out Liviana's hair until it gleamed. [i]Liviana's hair is always pinned up, and her hair styles always incorporate some sort of braid,[/i] Mai thought as she worked. [i]It's a very Lusitanian look. I suppose that we should stick to that for the ball, but what she normally wears is definitely missing something...it doesn't give off a particularly regal vibe on Liviana. If she had been taller and looked older, yes, I would say that it is suitably refined and dignified...but Liviana does not happen to be particularly tall nor look particularly old, so we shall have to settle with something different. Perhaps a style that highlights the length of her hair? It is quite long, and there is so much that can be done with long hair.[/i]

After a brief consultation with Claudia, they settled on a half-braided style that left the bulk of the hair hanging down the back. First, Mai straightened the other princess's chocolate-brown locks. Then, they began to actually style Liviana's hair, with plenty of hair gel on hand. Claudia's fingers were quick and nimble, and Mai let the handmaiden handle most of the detail work. Mai placed a hair piece that resembled a tiara made of golden laurel leaves on the back of Liviana's head where the "braided" portion began. 

Mai took a step back and surveyed the hair. [i]Hmm. It's a bit plain as is, though nobody in the entire world can dispute that it looks very nice on Liviana. What to do, what to do...? Ah! I have an idea.[/i]

Mai rifled through the various bags and boxes in Liviana's quarters, finding nothing but cosmetic products. Mai turned to the handmaidens. "Do you know if Princess Liviana here has brought pearls with her to Aciras?" Mai questioned. "If so, I would be very much obliged if one of you could bring me the thinnest string of pearls you can find."

Aelia and Claudia searched for strings of pearls, and soon enough, Mai had what she needed. Each strand was so thin that it was almost invisible, and the milky white pearls were also very small. "Thank you. This is perfect," Mai said. She then unclasped each necklace and wove the pearls into the length of hair that hung down Liviana's back. Mai smiled. "There. I think we are done," she proclaimed. Mai stepped aside to give Liviana a clear view of her reflection in the vanity mirror. "Do you like it?" she asked. [i]I must say, she does look a lot more regal than she did this morning, though the make-up and hair is only half of it. Her facial expression, the way she holds herself, her posture-it all makes her seem rather uncertain. I do not know if I can do much about that, but maybe I can try.[/i]


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