The Spoilt Beauty And Her Beasts

"Okay, ladies—I think we’re all set!" Isabella beamed, holding up a clay gourd capped with woven bark and sealed with thick sap.

A cluster of women sat before her, eyes wide, heads tilted like curious birds. Their dark hair was woven in thick braids, some adorned with feathers, shells, or simple beads made from seeds. Most were crouched or cross-legged, fidgeting excitedly with their own makeshift soap gourds.

Isabella stepped aside, gesturing toward a basket of materials. "So remember—scrape a little beesap into the gourd, seal it tight, then hang it up from your ceiling beams using vine rope. That way, the soap stays upright and dry. No dirt. No bugs. No curious lizards licking it while you sleep."

A few women gasped, murmuring to one another in hushed voices. One smacked the side of her leg like she just realized why her last gourd mysteriously disappeared.

Isabella smiled wider.

Her eyes swept over the group as they mimicked the tying motion she’d demonstrated earlier. It was crude—some knots still looked like they’d unravel at a strong breeze—but they were getting it. For a people who used to just smear ash and sand over their bodies in rivers, this was real progress.

She crouched beside a log where she’d laid out more of her impromptu beauty kit. "And this"—she held up a blackened paste wrapped in soft leaves—"is charcoal paste. For your teeth."

The women blinked. One leaned forward and sniffed it, then jerked back dramatically. Another poked her tongue out and whispered something that made the others laugh.

Isabella didn’t even try to hide her grin. She unwrapped a slender stick she’d chewed at the end—her makeshift toothbrush—and gave a quick demo, scrubbing her teeth while the women stared in half horror, half awe. She spit to the side, wiped her mouth, and said, "See? Clean. Fresh. Strong teeth, no stink-breath. The chewing stick helps."

There was a collective ooohhh as the group nodded with growing enthusiasm. Some began scraping their own sticks with charcoal.

A warmth swelled in Isabella’s chest.