IGIWS: FIRST DRAFT: Ch.306 Protecting Elaine's Innocent Ears

Elaine was standing around her new mother's room. With time to herself, she finally digested everything that has happened to her and the rollercoaster ride that was today. From thinking that a Dark Elf was going to enslave her to becoming her adopted sister. It was making her head spin.

'D-Did I really get adopted!?... A-And a royal elf at that!' Elaine thought. 'What is this feeling?! My chest is pounding... My heart is racing. Is this happiness? This is what it feels like to have a mother?... No! I need to keep a level head. Yes, I'm still just a commoner. And no matter how many fancy things are put on me I'm still just a—'

Elaine thoughts stopped when she glanced to her right and saw a standup mirror with a bit of her reflection.

'No, no, no... There's no point at looking at myself. I'm sure I look ridiculous. Yes, I'm sure I do...' Elaine thought to herself as she glanced at the door to the bathroom where Yuliana was relaxing before carefully looking back to the mirror. 'I mean... Maybe I should see how ridiculous I look... Just for a quick peek. I'll just look and—'

Elaine stood in front of the mirror, and her jaw dropped.

"What the...?" Elaine said in disbelief. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a bun and the tiara on her head looked perfect on her. The green dress she was wearing was hugging her figure perfectly. Elaine's face had a beautiful natural look that looked like her was wearing makeup, but she didn't. Her cheeks were pink and her lips had a nice gloss. The necklaces, and bracelets complimented the whole look. She looked absolutely stunning. Whatever fear she had about showing off her Half-Elven ears was gone.

'Am I looking at the right reflection?' Elaine thought. 'This has to be a mistake. Surely it's just the lighting... I'm a commoner. Not royalty. Not even nobility.'

"Elaine, is everything okay?" Yuliana called out from the bath.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine. Sorry," Elaine said as she snapped out of it. She looked at her reflection again only to be greeted by the same stunning young lady.

'I don't look half bad, actually...' Elaine thought, her mind trying to process the sight before her. 'N-No... I mean!... Maybe I don't look too ridiculous... But what would Mary say? She'd probably laugh at me, and Sid... He... I don't know what he would say...'

Elaine looked away from her reflection trying to ignore it and tried to focus on something else. But no matter how hard she tried her eyes always ended up drifting back to the mirror, and the beautiful image of her reflected on its surface.

She bit her bottom lip and looked at the bathroom door again and then to the door that went to the hallway. It was as if she was making sure the coast was clear. Then she quickly looked back at the mirror, her eyes locking on the reflection staring back at her.

'Okay... I'll admit it. I look pretty damn good in this dress...' Elaine thought to herself as she smiled, and her heart raced. 'Hm... I wonder how I should act if I see Sid. Maybe this.'

Elaine squared off her shoulders, straightened her posture, and looked forward. She put one hand on her hip and tried to look cool and collected. But she switched to the other side, then put both hands on her hips, and struck a sexy pose. She blushed and shook her head.

"N-No. That's not it. It's gotta be this way," Elaine said and cross one arm over her rib cage underneath her chest while bringing her other hand to her chin and tilted her head slightly while fluttering her lashes. "H-Hey, Sid... Y-Your looking good today—Gah! No!... I sound so not me!"

Elaine shook her head and was walking around the room slowly and she was getting used to the heels. She would glance at her reflection after every lap and then she would strike a pose every once in a while.

"Hmm... Okay. This could work. Yeah. This could work. I've got this!" Elaine whispered with more confidence each time.

As the seconds turned into minutes, the young half-elf girl grew more and more comfortable with herself and her appearance. She finally stopped her pacing, looked at her reflection one last time, and struck one more pose where she dipped her right shoulder and bent her right leg a little and stuck out her chest. Her face looked like she was uninterested with half lid eyes and a slightly gaped lips.

"Oh?... Hey, Sid... I didn't notice you there. You look handsome as ever..." Elaine whispered. "If you like... Are free sometime, maybe we could do something... together?"

She looked at her reflection and smirked seductively. She loved the sight of her reflection smiling back at her, and she would have been locked into place forever if it wasn't for the doors from the bathroom and entrance opening up at the same time.

"Wha!" Elaine gasped and was blushing heavily as she ran to a chair to sit on it. But she was clumsy in the high heels and loosing her balance ever once in a while before making it to the seat.

"Hey, Elaine. Ready for—!" Yuliana and Nieren both stopped mid-sentence when they saw Elaine sitting in the chair awkwardly with a crimson-red face.

"W-What?... I wasn't doing anything..." Elaine mumbled.

Nieren was the first to respond, and she couldn't hold in the laughter any longer. She busted out laughing, holding her sides.

"What? What's so funny, huh?!" Elaine said trying to sound angry, but it only came out like a cute whine.

"Pfft... Hehe... Nothing, nothing." Nieren said. "But, um, if you want to learn some pick-up lines then ask Rya. She has a ton."

"What's a pick-up line?" Elaine said trying to act dumb.

"Never mind... Hey, Mom. Do you want me to get a maid to help you with your—"

All three of the elf women's ears twitched in unison as they heard moaning coming from the King's chambers.

Elaine had a puzzled look on her face as she has heard similar moans in her life but she didn't know why a man and a woman would make such noises.

'Huh?... I haven't heard those noises ever since Mary and I snuck out of the orphanage a year ago... Why does it sound like they are in pain, but they only seem to enjoy it?' Elaine thought as she tilted her head and put her finger on her chin.

Yuliana panicked and rushed over to her vanity and quickly opened a couple of drawers looking for something.

"Where is it! Where is it! Hah! Found it!" Yuliana exclaimed as she pulled out a small drawstring pouch that wasn't bigger than her palm. Yuliana opened it up and dumped the contents out in her hand. The were Yuliana's specially crafted wooden ear plugs that she enchanted to block noises out for her and her daughters. Nieren always refused them while Rya took a pair that were Nieren's. But she made some spares just in case she lost hers or Nieren asked her for a spare.

"Mom? Is someone hurt?!" Elaine asked as Yuliana rushed over quickly and plugged her daughter's ears.

"No, dear. They're fine. Some humans really like to give each other deep massages, and that's the noises they like to make sometimes... Ha ha?" Yuliana said. "Just keep these in and they will help you block the noise. A-And wear them at night... A lot of humans give each other deep massages, especially at night. And us Elves need are beauty sleep, okay?"

"Okay... So they aren't hurt or anything?" Elaine said.

"No, dear. They're fine..." Yuliana said with a nervous smile. "But humans are far more random than beastkins when it comes to mating. Gah! Why don't they have mating season like most of the other species," Yuliana muttered under her breath.

"What was that, Mom?"

"Nothing, dear. Here's I can use some help putting on my dress. Won't you help me while your older sister gets Miss Tessa to help me with my hair."

"Yes, mom," Elaine nodded and followed her new mother to the large closet and watched her mom get her clothes.

Meanwhile, Nieren held back her laughter and went to find Miss Tessa. 'Geez, Mother... Elaine is fourteen. She's going to find out about mating soon enough. Hells, I found out when I was fifteen,' Nieren thought as she left her mom and Elaine alone.

***

Nieren came across a human maid in her early 20's named Tessa. Tessa had shoulder-length wavy chestnut hair and dark eyes. Her normal duties were to straighten up the guest room living quarters, making sure the rooms were clean. But every since Crown Prince Quinus returned home with these elven women she's somehow been roped into becoming Yuliana's new maid.

"Excuse me, Miss Tessa, my mother wants you to help her with her hair," Nieren said as she walked up to the human.

"Oh, yes, Lady Nieren," Tessa smiled at her. "Your mother is going to dine with his Majesty and the royal court. I've got just the thing in mind for her hair," she said before quickly walking with Nieren towards Yuliana's bedroom.

Nieren followed the human maid as she walked into the room and saw Elaine trying to put on her mother's dress.

"Oh, my, let me help you out, Lady Yuliana," Tessa said as she rushed over and helped the young half-elven woman with a white dress.

"Ah, thank you, Miss Tessa... This young girl is my new daughter. She isn't familiar with these types of dresses," Yuliana said as she was holding up her long emerald green hair above her shoulders, so Tessa could slide the dress on her.

"Oh, no problem. Here. Hold this Lady Elaine. Make sure you don't lose it," Tessa said as she pulled the dress around Yuliana's body.

Elaine caught the long strip of silk fabric that looked like a scarf.

"That's a belt. You're going to put it around your mother's waist," Tessa said, as she fastened the buttons on the right side of the dress.

"Oh, okay," Elaine said, as she tried to put it on her mom, but Tessa took it from her.

"You do it like this," Tessa said as she put the long white scarf-like belt around Yuliana's waist. She then folded it over a few times and wrapped it around her waist. "Then, you fold it over and wrap it around like this. Now, hold this part and tie the two ends together. Like this."

"I understand," Elaine said, as she watched Tessa finish putting the belt on her mother.

"And, you're all done, Lady Yuliana. How do you feel?" Tessa asked.

"Thank you, Miss Tessa," Yuliana smiled at her, before looking down and feeling the soft white silk fabric against her skin. "This feels wonderful. I never knew that human dresses could be so comfortable."

"We have to thank the dwarves of Ironside work that. It was their engineering that made the quality of our textiles to be better than any other species," Tessa replied.

"Yes, I seen some of the dwarves inventions when we were hiding in Ironside. I just never imagined that anyone could come close to the High Elves' clothing," Yuliana responded.

"Well, we all have our own style, Lady Yuliana," Tessa smiled as she finished helping her new master into the dress.

"That is true," Yuliana nodded as she looked at her reflection. She tapped her hair to make sure it was perfect. "I think I am ready, Miss Tessa."

The maid curtsied, "Is that all, My Ladyship?"

"Yes, I am good, Thank you," Yuliana said, as she smiled at Tessa and her daughters.

"I'm glad that you are satisfied with my work," Tessa bowed her head. "If you need me, I'll be around the guest wing for the next two hours, before I take my dinner break."

"I'll let you know if I need you," Yuliana said.

"Alright, then," Tessa curtsied again, before she walked out of the room, leaving the three Elven ladies alone.

"Well... Hopefully Rya will return soon and we can have Elaine meet the—"

Yuliana's and Nieren's heads tilted slightly as if they were trying to hear something in the distance. Elaine was confused by their reactions and she was about to ask them what was going on when her mother sighed in relief.

"They were quicker than normal," Nieren said in surprise as the moans of the King and Queen ended.

"What are you talking about—"

"Your older sister talking about the birds in the garden, Elaine! Pay no mind to it," Yuliana said quickly.

Elaine just gave her an odd look.

"Hah hah?... A-Anyway, you can take out your earplugs, sweety," Yuliana said, and her daughter looked at her with a baffled expression.

"Okay?..." Elaine said as she slowly removed her wooden earplugs from her ears and put them in the special bag that her mother gave her.

"Keep these on you at all times and put them in when I say so okay?" Yuliana told her.

"Why?" Elaine asked.

"It will keep your ears from hearing certain things. Now go and get ready to meet everyone," Yuliana told her daughter.

Elaine felt a nervous lump in her stomach. She still found it hard to believe that she was going to meet the Royal Family after being an orphan for all her life until now.

"Okay... But I'm still confused by all of this..."

"Just listen to mother, Little Sis," Nieren said with a small smile. "You'll learn as you go along."

Elaine's eyes widened, and she blushed.

"I hope so..." Elaine whispered to herself.

"Stop that. One thing about being a princess is acting like one. Believing is half the battle," Yuliana said sternly.

"Right, I'll try harder, mom," Elaine nodded.

"Now, chin up, and follow your Sister's and my lead. You'll be fine," Yuliana ordered.

"Yes, Mom," Elaine nodded, and she followed Yuliana and Nieren out of their mother's chamber and made their way to the living room next to the dining room as they wanted for everyone to arrive.