Choosing My Dimension

15. Castle Duties

15. Castle Duties

*Christine's POV*

"Arms out, please." I held them straight out, level with my shoulders. "Thank you."

I was standing in the middle of the dressing side on a pedestal being measured by seven different people. The one man was down by my feet, measuring them for shoes.

Lindsey had been in my room when I'd come in two hours prior, but she'd gone since then.

"Emily, are you nearly done?" I asked politely. The head seamstress had introduced herself as Emily.

"One final measurement and we should be," she replied, wrapping the tape measure around my arm and neck.

"Finished!" Everyone moved away from me and Emily smiled. "Thank you, Natalia. I should have at least a sample dress for you by tonight." I'd already picked out a style.

"Thank you." I smiled and they left.

That had gone on forever it seemed!

Jacob walked in with a smile planted on his face. "I never did ask," I said, "where does the Italian accent come from?"

"I lived in Italy for five years, and when I moved back, I couldn't shake the accent. Not that I really tried, Lindsey likes it."

I nodded. He said, "So, Natalia, how are you settling in?"

"Well. It's been a long two hours since I arrived though. And since I've stopped growing, I never have to do that again. What's next?"

He held his arm out and I looped my arm through it. "Now you observe a political scandal. Do you know much about politics?"

I nodded. "I know Republican and Democratic. And I know bits and pieces of how the government works."

"Well our system works almost like that, but instead of the two factions that you just named, we're divided between male and female. There is some debate about who the stronger sex is, as you can imagine."

I chuckled. "Where I'm from, men like to think that they control everything, but then women order them around most of the time. There are very few households where the men are the heads of the families."

"It's similar here. Before marriage, the two decide who is going to be the head. It's almost equal here between men and women."

I nodded. "What will I be watching?"

"Two men and a woman robbed banks and jewelry stores all over the country. Today's trial is to determine who the leader is."

I nodded again. "I'm just to sit in the corner and watch then?"

"No," he chuckled, "you can sit by me. If you have input you'd like to give, just tap my arm."

I nodded yet again, feeling certain that I wouldn't be of much help.

We entered a room much like the large room I stood in when I met the Order, but this time there were no windows behind the chairs.

He led me past the table and up the platform, gesturing for me to sit in the chair to the left, which was the smallest.

Wordlessly, the Order filed in, sitting in designated chairs and shuffling papers. Jacob whispered to me, "We just observe this part. The Order conducts the trial."

I nodded again.

The two big doors in the center of the room opened and I watched, straining my neck to see details about the criminals. The woman looked shy and uncertain, and kept glancing over at the men. Both of the men carried themselves proudly, as if they were too good to be here. They all shared dark skin and black hair, the men's hair cut short against their head, the woman's bobbed.