Bladed Wings Read online

  It was exactly my size, Trina had to help me because it was done up not with a zip but with tiny pearl buttons all the way up the back.

  “We are allowed to select our own jewellery and bows but watch out if you choose the wrong ones. After you have been here awhile, like I have, you get a sense for what to wear with what. Here, this pink chiffon gown should be accompanied by a delicate choker of pearls and the mother of pearl shoes.” She said in her best impersonation of the Lady.

  We were rolling around in a fit of hysterics when Monica came in to tell us that dinner was being served in ten minutes in honour of some new guest, “but I haven’t seen any guests” She added.

  Trina pointed out to her that she was starring right at a guest, before telling me with a smirk that Monica was a little slow.

  “I am not,” she called from the bathroom, “I’m just stressed. Not that you would know anything about that, would you Trina.”

  “We have what is commonly referred to as Queen lessons tomorrow, and we are having a special guest teacher. But crikey if we only have ten minutes until dinner, we had better hurry.”

  Trina told me that the dress and jewellery was only half the outfit. We also needed to have perfectly made up hair, nails and skin. This meant nails should always be painted and chip free. Skin should not be to shiny or without any glow, and hair should always be shiny and ‘up’, never left to ‘fend for itself’. I found out that I knew nothing about makeup or hair, my style was mud and a ponytail. Trina and Monica took it in turns helping me in between getting them selves ready. Nine minutes later I was being given a very hurried tour of the manor as we sprinted down the hall.

  “This hallway was donated by the Countess Victoria in 1806 but was later redesigned by Lord Andrews, her husband.”

  “This carpet was imported from a palace in the middle east that burnt down during World War III. It is supposed to represent a bed of roses but I think that it looks more like a river of vomit.”

  “How…puff…floors…are there?” I was having a much harder time running than the others. I was just not used to heels.

  “Four, but the Lady wants another two. You should try to run on your toes, it’s a lot easier. “Try not to bob your head so much, you will wreck your hair and we are not allowed to run so try not to look so red” added Monica

  I tried to kick her but tripped on my dress.

  “Ha missed, ok stop here and fix yourself. Trina your ribbon is crooked.”

  We had stopped around the corner so that no one saw us running. The dinner hall was small but very extravagant. At the tall wooden doors were two men in black tuxedos. They bowed as we passed, I curtseyed in return but Monica and Trina walked straight past.

  “Lill, try and control your puffing or you will get us all in to trouble!” Trina hissed out of the corner of her mouth.

  The room was a luscious gold and cream colour. In the middle was a long wooden table laid with gold-rimmed plates, crystal goblets and candles down the centre. Above it was an enormous sparkling chandelier.

  “That was ‘donated’ by the Lady’s great grandmother. I use the term ‘donated’ lightly as the rumour is it was stolen from her great grandmother.”

  Most of the girls where taking their places around the table, I could see Linda down the end looking very prim and proper in her pink gown.

  We all stood behind our chairs and waited. A few minutes later Lady Cassandra glided in. She waved her hands and motioned for us to sit down. As one, the girls stepped to the left, forward than to the right sitting gracefully on the edges of their chairs. I tried to copy but tripped on my dress and landed rather loudly on the lap of the girl next to me thumping the table to try and steady myself.

  I could feel my face heating up as I quickly climbed back onto my own chair. Trina was shaking in a silent fit of giggles.

  The lady clapped her hands twice and a procession of waiters swept out of the kitchen carrying large silver platters stacked with roast chicken, hams, potatoes, buttered peas and crusty dinner rolls. The platters where placed in the middle of the table, making my mouth water. I lent forward to grab a slice of ham but stopped when I noticed that no one else had moved. They were all looking at Lady Cassandra.

  Trina was giggling again and finding it very hard to keep a straight face. The lady clapped and the waiters picked up the platters and swept out of the room. My stomach gave a loud growl in protest. Trina’s eyes were starting to water as she bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud which I could tell was definitely not allowed in the silent dining room. The look on her face was so funny that I forgot about the food and began to laugh. Trina couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out with such a loud laugh that made me laugh even harder. One or two of the girls started to smirk but Lady Cassandra soon put a stop to it.

  “Young ladies! How dare you disrupt my table with such childish behaviour. Control yourselves immediately or leave.” She seemed to crackle with rage, yet she never raised her voice.

  I bit down on my cheeks and took a few deep breaths and although I couldn’t stop smiling, I managed to stop laughing. Trina stopped straight away. I could see that she had a lot of self-control, and practice.

  The rest of dinner was uneventful. Thankfully the food was brought back out, but in individual portions on our plates. The other girls kept glancing at me to see what I could do next which made me more nervous. More than once I lost a pea in my lap from my shaking hands.

  After dinner we went back to our rooms. There was a pink envelope on my pillow, my name was printed on the front in very curly black letters. Trina walked in after me and groaned.

  “I thought that this would happen, wonder what strange and unusual punishment she has thought up for us today.” Trina had an envelope to, I suppressed a feeling of dread and slit mine open.

  “Ohhhhh” moaned Trina reading hers.

  Dearest Lilly,

  I hope that you are enjoying you stay with us so far. I have taken the liberty of selecting some suitable gowns and coats for you to wear whilst you are with us; I trust that they are of a suitable fit.

  I must admit that I was slightly alarmed by your display at supper tonight. However I believe that this was simply the result of bad manners taught to you by your father. I know you will understand why it is thus necessary for me to request that you go and see Madam Rossmerta our etiquette expert every Wednesday at 9am for instruction on how to behave in civilised society.

  Sincerely yours Lady Cassandra

  I could feel my face growing hot. How dare she insult Daddy like that, she didn’t even know him. Angry tears started to well in my eyes. Trina was reading my letter over my shoulder her mouth becoming wider with shock as she finished it.

  “That mouldy old cow! I have received some foul letters from her before but this just takes the ticket! Want me to smack her for you,” she finished punching the air.

  Her outrage calmed me a little and with her offer to punch ‘the cow’ I even laughed.

  Lights went out at 9pm so we changed into some horrible white night dresses covered in lace and ribbons and Trina helped me to set my hair into ringlets with more ribbons before climbing into bed. As Trina removed her own dress to get changed I noticed a long shinny burn extending from her navel nearly to the middle of her back.

  “How did you get that?” I asked pointing to it.

  She looked down at is as though she didn’t know what I was talking about.

  “Oh, I was burnt when I was little.” She replied pulling her nightgown down over her head.

  “It looks pretty bad, what burnt you?”

  She took her time replying, fumbling as she tied her own hair up.

  “Lava that I thought was cool on the side of a volcano, turns out it wasn’t as cool as I had thought,” she smiled un convincingly at me than climbed into her bed and closing her eyes, I knew that the conversation was over.

  Chapter 4

  The next day I awoke to rain lashing against the windows as the wind ho
wled through the cracks in the walls. I rolled over to see the time, 8am. With a sigh I climbed out of bed and splashed my face with water in the hand basin.

  The room was dull and dreary, the lights had not been lit and despite the storm raging outside it was dreadfully humid and muggy. I found a summer dress in the wardrobe that came to just below my knees. I slipped the blue silk over my head and breathed in whilst I zipped it up under my arm. I found the pearls that I had worn last night and some semi flat shoes to go with it. I was just leaving the room when I heard someone stir.

  “You had better not leave the room like that,” the voice whispered sleepily, “ Madam Rosmerta will have a fit, not to mention what the Lady will say.” It was Trina. She rolled out of bed hitting the floor on all fours.

  “If your going to wear that dress you have to have petticoats and stockings on.” She yawned.

  She stumbled over to the wardrobe and pulled out two petticoats and a pair of beige stockings. By the time I had pulled them on I was running late. As I ran down the corridor I realised that with the stockings and petticoats on I was just as hot as if I had worn a full-length gown.

  There were soft thumps and rustlings coming from behind the closed doors of the dormitories. I slowed to a fast walk to make sure no one saw me running and continued down the corridor.

  Trina had told me that Madam Rosmerta taught from the small lounge, which was on the first floor, fourth door on the right.

  I got to the first floor at 9:10am. I counted the doors across and went in, it was a classroom. Panicking slightly I tried the other corridor. Two, three, I straightened my dress, lifted my chin and prayed it was the right door.

  The room was a lot smaller than I had imagined. It was dark and gloomy like the rest of the manor, but had a faint glow from the many lamps cast around the room. Wooden bookshelves and large tapestries covered the walls with woollen rugs covering the red carpet. Madam Rosmerta a pale sickly looking woman who wore much to much rouge on her cheeks, was sitting in a pale blue chair resting a cup and saucer on her lap.

  “You are late my dear. I can see that I have more to teach you than I had anticipated, please sit,” she gracefully swept her hand towards the chair opposite her.

  I sunk into it sliding down to rest against the back. Madam sighed and placed her cup on the table beside her.

  “Ok we shall start form the basics. Please try to remember and act upon every thing that I say. Now chin up, back straight, shoulders back, stomach in, don’t scowl. Ok, now come to sit on the edge of the chair, a bit more, good, lay your hands gracefully on your lap, gracefully I said. Now take your left foot and place it behind your right foot and cast them slightly to one side, like so.” She arranged herself in her chair looking very elegant and fixed a very false smile on her face. I tried to copy her but found it rather more difficult. My legs started to shake from the effort required holding them together and my back was aching terribly.

  “Humph,” she muttered before standing and sitting again. “Now My dear I want you to try and imitate what I just did.”

  I stood, wobbled, and fell back into my chair.

  “Try it again, but this time as you release your left foot place it lightly beside your right one. Allow your hands to fall by your sides and remember your posture. Now try it again.”

  She had me do it another three times before she was happy.

  We moved on to drinking next. Picking up cups, sipping and placing them back down. There where different things to remember if the cup was full, empty, too hot, too cold, if it had tea, chocolate or water and even if it was in a glass, mug or teacup.

  Next we walked, well I walked, whilst she prodded and poked my back to make me move the way she wanted.

  She did the same as I curtseyed first for an equal than for a superior. I couldn’t tell the difference but Madam insisted that royalty would chop my head off if I did it the wrong way. Once she was satisfied we sat back down and begun speech lessons.

  “How do you do Madam, may I take your cloak?” I said.

  “Well I see you have at least some manners, that was very good. Now try, ‘please have some tea’”.

  We continued this way for what seemed like hours. She got distracted quite often a vague look to her eyes as she launched into long boring stories of times when she was in the royal court. I sat and gazed absently out of the window whenever she started up. The storm was growing fiercer, the room had grown so dark that the main lights had to be turned on.

  Thankfully it was not quite so humid anymore but I was still sweating. I only hoped it was not marking my dress or I am sure madam would have a lesson for me on hygiene.

  As the storm raged on it blew leaves and rubbish past the window, than came larger objects like branches and even a hat and parasol! I was wondering why anyone would be out in this weather when something caught my eye. A crow was flying across the forest flapping like mad trying to keep in the air but was being battered and blown in circles. I must have made a sound because madam stopped what she was saying and looked out of the window to see what was had captured my attention.

  “Yes it is quite a storm isn’t it. We haven’t had one like this in a long while. But enough of that we must concentrate on getting you ready for Friday.” She said.

  I tore my gaze away from the window. “I’m sorry, maybe you have already told me, but what is happening on Friday?” I asked using my best manners.

  “Why, haven’t you been told? Perhaps the lady was going to tell everyone tonight at supper. Well, no hurt in telling you a little early; there is to be a banquet in honour of the royal family’s visit. It will be ever so grand…” A vague smile spread across her face and her eyes misted over as she launched into another story about how she had met the Queen.

  I sighed and went back to gazing out the window, I was just wondering what had happened to the crow when I saw it being swept past a window on the other side of the manor. It blew over the forest and made one last effort to stay up before being thrown below the trees.

  “I am dreadfully sorry, but I have just remembered I promised I would call my mother when I arrived,” I said as a hurried excuse and ran from the room before she could answer. I raced down to the kitchen, the cooks looked up in alarm as I ran through to the back door. I grabbed an old brown cloak from the peg before dashing out. I heard a voice call out behind me to come back but I was already half way down to the lawn by the time they reached the door.

  I was forced to slow to a walk as I fought against the wind. I knew that I shouldn’t be bothered with a silly bird but the storm was growing and I knew that it would be killed if I didn’t find it.

  The wind was howling through the trees, I grabbed hold of a branch to keep from being blown over as I searched the ground.

  The wind blew off my hood as I reached for the next tree, I turned my face away as a gust of wind blew leaves and dust up off the forest floor. The small black form of the crow appeared beneath a pile of leaves as the wind swept them off its limp body. I forced my way over and threw my cape over it so that it wouldn’t hurt me if it woke up. Holding it against me I worked my way back towards the Manor.

  I was half way up the lawn when a violent gust of wind blew up, knocking me off my feet I crashed down with a thud on my hip. I cried out as searing pain swept up my side. I rolled over and buried my face in the cloak. I could feel the warmth of the crow in it. A branch swept past my shoulder and I knew that I had to move or risk being hit by something flying past. Pulling myself onto all fours I pulled myself slowly up the slope towards the Manor. The storm was growing fiercer by the second. The pain stabbed at my side with every move I made. Another gust of wind blew up under me throwing me back. I flung my arms out to stop from flipping over. A strong arm grasped my hand and practically threw me up the hill and into the waiting arms of two of the kitchen boys.

  “That was an incredibly stupid thing to do young Miss, what on earth were you thinking!”

  Sanad the grounds keeper was pulled in beh
ind me, looking at me with kind but strong eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, my eyes welling up. “I thought I saw one of the other girls out there and thought she needed help.” I hung my head in mock shame and hoped he believed me. He considered me for a moment then his weathered face softened a little, his eyes creasing at the corners in what I thought might have been a smile.

  “Well I’m sure you did what you thought was best, but next time tell one of us and we can go looking for her instead. It is our job to care for you and we are trained to face storms and the like. Can you stand?” They steered me into a chair beside the door. One of the kitchen boys came over with a bag of ice and tied it to my side with a cloth, blushing furiously as he fumbled to fasten it.

  “Now Miss, you are to stay here and rest, we will not tell the Lady of your flight for we will get in trouble also, but you are to stay until you can walk properly so no one will suspect.” The boys went reluctantly back to their cooking, stealing sidelong glances at me as they worked, leaving me to rest by the warm oven.

  I waited a few minutes to ensure they were busy before retrieving the cloak from the floor. I gently un-wrapped the cloth to find that the crow was no longer there. The boys would never allow me to go back and look for it and I couldn’t ask them to look or they would think that I was an even bigger fool. I resolved to say nothing and hope that the crow was safe wherever it was. I stayed for an hour or so in the kitchen, the boys bringing over hot drinks and smiling over at me as they worked. I was glad when Sanad said that I could go after hobbling across the kitchen for him to show that I was alright.

  I was excused from dinner that night after saying that I felt ill and needed to rest. Trina didn’t believe me for a second but brought me some pastries that she had smuggled from the table.

  “So what is really wrong with you?” she asked when the Monica was asleep. I considered lying again but thought that if she had called my bluff about being sick she would probably know that I was lying about this to.