Free City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster Page A

they were artists, and skilled ones. If the House of Flowers was dedicated to perfection and the House of Jade to discipline, the House of Beauty was devoted to loveliness in every form. Everything beautiful here came from the girls. All the food had been arranged by the novices, as had the bouquets of orchids and lilies that dotted the long table. Each novice was an expert in the art of creating beauty, especially when it came to her own. They were trained not to waste a word, a movement, a look, to present themselves in the best possible way.
    Because of their ability to create flawless environments, girls from the House of Beauty were in high demand, and the House was full of novices. They were the favorites of wealthy merchants and noble families who did not need their sons to marry for political power. Every girl here was certain to be picked.
    When Nisha caught Rajni’s eye, the House Mistress waved her over.
    An important part of Nisha’s job at this time of year was making sure that every House Mistress had everything she needed in advance of the Redeeming. A House could underestimate the amount of supplies it needed. Nisha’s task was to fix that, or better yet, to ensure that the supplies didn’t run short in the first place.
    Fortunately, Rajni needed only a few small accessories that had to do with the girls’ costumes for the masquerade: more ribbons to tie masks with, extra eye paint, and more hairpins. Nisha jotted the list down on a small piece of parchment and left to find Matron.

9
    MATRON WAS STANDING in the largest of the Council House kitchens talking to the cook about preparations for the masquerade. She nodded to Nisha when she saw her. “I’ll be right with you, Nisha.”
    The kitchen was large and bustling, with earthen ovens, a fireplace, and several cracked wooden tables. The back door was open as servants came in and went out, bringing food from the storage cellars. The heat from the ovens fought with the draft from the open door, making the air move on Nisha’s skin.
    Matron gave the cook her last instructions and approached Nisha. “Are all the Houses ready for the Redeeming, Nisha?”
    “Almost.” Nisha handed her the list of items that Rajni still needed.
    Matron read the list, her brow creased in thought. “You might check the House of Flowers for ribbons. The girls at the House of Pleasure will probably have enough kohl to give some to Beauty.”
    Nisha nodded. “It’s going to be the hairpins that are difficult. There are never enough this time of year.”
    Matron’s smile crinkled her eyes and made her look years younger. “I know. No matter how many I order to be made, they always seem to disappear. It’s as if you girls are eating them.” She handed the list back. “Just do the best you can. If all else fails, we can tell Rajni that wearing your hair down is the latest fashion in the capital.”
    Nisha giggled. “She’ll love that.”
    “And how are the girls?” Matron asked. “Are they all still excited about the Redeeming? Any problems?”
    “Not in the House of Beauty,” Nisha said, pushing down the usual niggle of guilt that came from telling secrets that weren’t hers. “Just the usual nervousness. Lots of talk of clothing, giggling about who they might meet, that sort of thing. The girl who’s serving tea in the Council House tomorrow seemed a bit anxious.”
    “Ah, yes. That would be … Lilamayi?” Nisha nodded. “I’ll see if I can give her some encouragement before she goes in.” She looked hard at Nisha. “You seem uncomfortable.”
    Nisha shrugged. “The eavesdropping bothers me. It’s like I’m stealing something from them and they don’t even know it.”
    Matron let out a sigh. “I understand. That’s never been your favorite part. But what you do is important, you know that.”
    Nisha knew. Many times she had been able to spot an unhappy novice before she went too far in her training. In each case, once Matron knew about it, the girl