dress stained crimson

chapter 4

( • FLORENCE • )

"Hello, sister." Louis says as I exit my room. "You excited for your princess lessons?"

"You fail to amuse me."

"That's fine. I amuse myself." He grins. I continue walking, and he follows me.

"I'm assuming you're happy." I say. "You're eighteen. No one is able to control you and what you do. You could go to the end of the Earth and not one person in this palace, or outside of it, would have the power to stop you."

"Well, since Harvey is king he probably could."

     "But he wouldn't. If I decided I wanted to up and leave this place, I would be dragged back by the strings of my corset." I say. "Then I'd be forced to go to more etiquette lessons with stupid Ms. Smith."

     He laughs. "Careful, Florence, she may be able to hear you."

     "Splendid." I respond. "I hope she knows how much I hate her!" I yell the last three words with hopes that she hears me and cancels our lessons because she is so offended.

     When I walk into the library, though, she is there and my hope is squashed. Her beady eyes search the room until they land on my older brother and I, and she sighs, already irritated.

"Sloppy posture, unpleasant facial expression, crumpled clothes, messy hair." She says as we walk toward her.

Louis snorts a laugh from beside me. I swat his arm, and she sighs.

"You do not hit your brothers, you respect them." She tells me.

"Yeah. Don't hit me, respect me." Louis teases. I glare at him. "Well, now that I've walked my dear baby sister here, I better get going. It's lovely to see you, Ms. Smith."

Ms. Smith smiles.

I roll my eyes at my brothers charm and sit down on the couch as he leaves. As soon as the library doors open, Ms. Smith smacks her ruler on the bookshelf behind her. "Up!"

I sigh and stand.

"Let's start with this disgraceful posture." She grimaces. "Shoulders back, chin up, hands by your side when you're walking. When you're being talked to, especially by your brothers, keep your eyes down on the floor. It shows respect."

I roll my eyes.

She gently slaps my cheek, and my eyes widen. "Do not give me attitude either. This is not a joke."

"Of course not." I smile. "Jokes are funny. This is just sad."

She arches a thin eyebrow. "Children are only referred to me when there are little to no other options. Your brothers are becoming impatient with you."

"Oh no."

She glares at me. "Don't worry," she says, smiling, "we'll work the bad attitude right out of you."

     "Work?"

     Her only response is her widening smile.

( • • )

"Drag these hay bales from one side of the room to the other with the rope for an hour, and I want you to keep your posture the entire time. Each time your shoulders drop or your head falls, the time will restart."

     "I sincerely hope you are joking."

     "I am not, Florence." She replies. We look at each other for a minute, disbelief running through me. What kind of meaningless task is this?

     "That is entirely a waste of time. No thank you." I say.

     "I wasn't asking if you'd like to do it, I am telling you that you will. You want to make your brothers proud, do you not?"

     "I don't really care what I make them, Ms. Smith. It seems as though you have more care toward their opinions than I do. Are you getting tired of your husband after all these years, so much so that you're aiming for my older—"

     She slaps me again, this time harder. My eyes widen and I press my hand to the place she hit. Then anger irks within me as I push her backward.

     "You are the most insufferable old hag I've ever had the displeasure of meeting." I say before turning around and running out of the barn.

     I stomp back toward the palace, then through the halls until I get to the one my bedroom is on. I'm outside my door when I hear Harry's demanding voice. "Why aren't you in your lessons?"

     I turn around quickly, and then I direct my glare onto him. "That teacher is a horrible witch!"

     He becomes visibly irritated, squashing all hope that he'd be on my side.

"What did you do, Florence?"

"Why must you always assume it's me? She hit me! Twice! And she tried to make me move a bunch of hay around!"

     "Why did she hit you?"

     "There is only one possible answer, brother. She has extreme control issues." I tell him. "I'm afraid the only thing I think we can do going forward is put her inside the mental institution on the other side of town."

     He narrows his eyes.

     "Honestly, Harry, I do think she is a major danger to our society. As the only princess of our country, my best advice is—"

     "Go to your room, Florence." He orders. "I'll come retrieve you when I have figured all of this out."

     I pause. Then I crack a smile and curtsy. "Of course, brother. Whatever you say, since I am an obedient princess who does not need etiquette lessons from someone who should be in the noble graveyard."

     "Florence." He warns.

     "Ta, ta." I say before opening the door to my room and stepping inside.