The Cadre of Embers

Chapter 8

    "My new trainer will be here tomorrow?" Althea cut her off. Monique nodded happily. She hoped this new girl wouldn't be rude. She could hardly take the sarcasm Meg fed her in the dining hall, she wasn't sure she would be able to handle double.

    "Just let me know at dinner if you have any questions and I will be happy to answer," Monique said before bouncing on her heel down the corridor from which she came.

    Without another word, Althea stepped into her room and let out a long sigh. As she laid down onto her bed, she wondered if this new trainer may really be able to do what Monique had not been able to... if they would somehow be able to help her invoke that power. And although she knew it was selfish... a part of her hoped they wouldn't.

...

    Althea didn't remember falling asleep, but when she awoke, the ache in her head had lifted. She sat up in her bed, still wearing the elastic training attire from earlier, the air around her felt unnaturally still. It was quiet, but that was normal, considering the rooms connected to hers were for guests and had remained vacant for the entirety of her stay here. She peered over at the ticking clock, it was nearly time for dinner.

    Steadying herself, she stood and opened her wardrobe peering inside at the dresses she'd gotten for herself the week prior. It was Sunday so she slipped out of the tight training garbs and into a simple evening gown. The deep burgundy dress hugged her body nicely. It was made of satin and contained boning in the waist similar to a corset but without the tight constriction. The back draped down leaving a lot of her skin exposed but she had grown to like the feeling of the warm summer nights air on her skin. She much preferred this style to the layered, frilly, splashy gowns of the modern times. She cringed thinking back to how her aunt had attempted to force a white wig atop her head. Why a woman would want to hide the beauty of her youth away like that was beyond her.

    After spritzing herself with a light, sweet mist she'd gotten from the institution's apothecary, she made her way to the dining hall. Over the course of the time she'd been here, she'd gotten much better at navigating her way around the large labyrinth of hallways in this place. The main floor contained the dining hall, a large ballroom, an art gallery and the servants kitchen. The four floors above that were a mix of bedchambers, powder rooms, and storage rooms. And above them all, on the top floor of the institution, was the massive library where she spent her afternoons. The two floors under the main lobby were the servants chambers, and below that was the infirmary where she had initially awoken upon arriving here.

    As she neared the large archway leading into the dining hall, the chatter echoed into the hallway as it usually did. Standing just outside of the room, leaning against the wall in a grey tailcoat and matching fitted trousers, stood Jasper. She hadn't seen him in over three days, and even when she had last eaten with him at dinner, he seemed otherwise consumed with his own thoughts. Not at all interested in her as he had been that night when he spoke of how she made him feel.

    She didn't know why this hurt her as much as it did, after all he was not courting her, they had never even shared any real intimate moments together, but something within her had still cracked apart at his disinterest. And those words he'd spoken weeks ago, about protecting her and caring about her... had those been 'interpreted wrongly' by him too?

    Looking in the opposite direction, she made to ignore him as he had her. If he didn't wish to talk to her, she'd not force him to. No, she'd make it all the more easy.

    Althea walked quickly by him, the tail of her long silky dress flowing freely behind her. And just as she thought she'd gotten by unnoticed, he called out her name in a questioning tone.