Pursuits (Wattpad Reading List choice)

Chapter 10: First Impressions

The hard church beds of Magda's Tower made for poor sleep, and Hannah was up before dawn, before the drone of gulls and groaning ships, before anyone in the tower had even started on breakfast. She washed up in the half-dark, tugging on her good blue dress, the same one she had worn to the Averys when she had thought Kurt available and attainable. How stupid she'd been.

She gently fingered her hair, wondering if there was any hope for her to look less like a village girl and more like a modern lady. She gazed into the washbasin, studying her hair and face. Nope. Not a chance.

Still, the blue dress did look nice, and the fabric was cool, a good choice for late spring. She padded out of the room, gazing down the hall. There were a few murmurings on the lower floors, so at least she wasn't the only one awake. Perhaps she should explore the church a bit. She didn't exactly have much else to do. Certainly no more chores.

She headed downstairs, getting polite nods from passing nuns. There were a few worshippers in the common room, seated and praying, and she made sure to pass silently towards the doors.

Outside, the sun still hadn't shown, and there was a soft gray light over the ground. She headed towards the wild side of the grounds, standing at the edge of land that faced out to sea. The tides pulled in lazily, dull waters frothing on the shore, bringing dirt, stones and seaweed. Further down, she saw two riders trotting on the beach – a man and a woman it looked like. Nobles, lovers.

She turned away, spotting a bench under an oak, an apparently forgotten piece of stone with curly, vine-infested legs. She dusted off the seat, then sat down to wait for the sun. Slowly, gold would settle over the city, glinting off spires and windows. Somewhere in the guards' station, Rio would probably be stirring too, getting ready for the day's training. She wondered what they would do once he came, if he would be taking her anywhere?

There was the echo of a bell from inside, and she stood up in interest. Breakfast? It was a little early, but who cared? To think, no need to cook her own meals for a while.

She headed back inside the tower, surrounded by a hungry, buzzing crowd. She tried to find Sister Vicki, but couldn't see her anywhere. She glanced at the desk in the main hall, but it was empty. Slowly, she inched along with everyone else, ending up in the dining hall. It was a massive room, filled closely with dark benches overseen by low-hanging candelabras. She followed the nuns to the front, where some younger girls were doling out fishy porridge. Not exciting, but it had a good smell. Her Ma always said smell was half the taste.

To eat, Hannah chose the empty end of a far table, facing the windows. Through spindly branches, she could see clouds skimming the tops of giant houses. There was a shift next to her, and a pair of nuns sat down.

"Here you are, Hannah," one of them said, and she was relieved to see it was Sister Vicki. "I was looking for you."

"I was looking for you too."

"Well, at least you came down and got your food quick. Looks like you're settling in just fine."

"I am, thank you."

She spread a hand, gesturing to the other girl. "This is Sister Dana. Dana, you remember Rio? This is his sister, Hannah."

"Oh, yes, I spoke to Rio once," she said, fumbling with a set of papers beside her food. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," Hannah answered.

"You'll have to forgive her," Sister Vicki said. "She still has yet to finish a paper due for class today."

"If only I could get just a little more time," Sister Dana moaned.

"She always says that. Don't make the mistake of thinking this new for her."