Royal Academy Diaries II

The Commoner ⚜ Ch. 3

Claire hurried through the castle to find the dance hall. The soaring blue and gold archways were beautiful, but every hall looked the same. Were it not for the paintings on the walls, she would have thought she was going in circles. Finally she saw someone going the same direction and decided to ask for help.

"Excuse me, do you know where the dance locker rooms are?" she asked hopefully. 

The young man nodded. "I'm headed that way."

"Perfect. Mind if I tag along?"

He shrugged, and she struggled to keep up with his fast pace. She noticed his jacket had a silver emblem. It must be more important to the pecking order here than she'd thought. They stopped in the hall between two beautifully decorated doors, and Claire noticed the gold motif of a ballerina on them.

"This is it. Girl's are to the right," the nobleman said.

"Thank you so much." As he walked into the other dancer's locker room, she was surprised. But perhaps there would be a chance that she'd get to see the handsome noble more often. 

Smiling, she went into the locker room, stopping to stare at the opulent room. Expensive murals were painted high above the gold-trimmed lockers. "Wow..." she muttered. Quickly, she slipped into one and changed into the uniform white tutus for class. 

Someone was just walking out on the other side of the room, and she hurried after them. This second door let out into a curving hallway that ended with three very similar doors. 

Claire sighed, ready for trial and error. She opened the door on the right first, suspecting it might go by year one through three. "Is this the first year class?" she asked.

"No, that's right behind you," someone answered.

"Thank you." Trying to not be embarrassed, she tried the door on the left. Inside, she saw the nobleman that had helped her, as well as another familiar face. "Amiko?"

The girl looked up from stretching and waved her over. "Claire, wasn't it?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I think you're in the dorm just across the hall from me."

Realization dawned and she smiled. "I think you're right. Come on, Madame Selina will want us at the barre when she comes in."

Claire followed her over to the gold barre and admired the beautiful framing on the mirror for a moment. She started a few stretches before the instructor walked in.

"Ah Edmond," she said, looking to the nobleman, "good to see you at the Arts Academy. I've been anxious to begin working with you." Glancing to her right, she saw Claire. "Ah, and the first year prodigy, was it? Accepted into the ballet program and the theatre? Most impressive."

"Hope you can hold up under the pressure," a girl beside her whispered.

"Welcome all of you to the Royal Arts school. I am Madame Selina of Austria. If you are here, it means that you were exceptionally talented and recommended. As such, I will expect the best from each of you, and if you want my respect or special consideration, you must earn it. Now, I want to teach you the routine warm up that we use. The sooner you can learn it, the better. Plus, I want to see what I have to work with. Please form a grid formation and take the first position." She clapped, and the dancers hurried to their places.

As Claire watched Madame Selina's demonstration, she thought the warm up was rather simple and easy. Performing it would require attention to precision if anyone wanted her special attention.

"Ready, and five six seven eight."

Claire remembered the steps easily, performing them with ease and grace. Around her however, were students who needed a bit more practice.

"Again," Selina instructed. 

Someone bumped into her this time, going the wrong direction. She tried not to chuckle, falling quickly back into sync with the others. As she performed, she felt relief, freedom, she felt right. This is where she wanted to be, doing what she wanted to be doing - and she knew she was doing it well. She would pass her royal classes, but the stage was where she would excel.

Once they'd gotten the short routine down, Madame Selina nodded. "Thank you. Please be seated where you are." Everyone sat, panting slightly, while the instructor brought over a sheet of paper. "Now one of the things the company needs to do is select which ballets to perform throughout the year." The dancers all started twittering in excitement, and she chuckled. "Alright quiet down. So, last year the company performed a number of the classics, including: Sylvia, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and La Bayadere. For this year, as always, the older classes will help decide which ballets we do. So far they're liking Jewels, Raymonda, Pharaoh's Daughter, and Le Corsaire. As always, there will be smaller recitals in between."

"I like those," Amiko whispered. 

Claire smiled. "I do too."

Selina cleared her throat. "I'm so glad to hear that you seem excited. Now we just have a few minutes left of class, and there is something that I always like to ask my first years: What is your inspiration? Can we do down the lines please?"

There were varying answers as they went around the room. 

"Creating art."

"Achieving perfection," Edmond said.

"A Spanish dancer from my hometown."

"Amelia Erhart," Claire answered.

Selina paused in her graceful pacing in surprise. "Oh, she is your inspiration for dancing, Miss Hudson?"

She nodded. "Yes Madame. She was brave and worked hard to achieve her passion, no matter how out of reach it may have seemed. Honestly she's been an inspiration in all that I do since I learned about her."

"Oh, how curious. Thank you. Miss Catina?" 

"I too want to strive for perfection," the next girl said, glancing afterwards at Edmond.

He didn't acknowledge the connection or her attentions. 

Claire wondered what it would take to get him to open up?