Elisia
The next day the duke called me into his office. As Aug got me ready I look down at my arms, my left one has a cut running down my arm my right still looked bruised and swollen. It must be more hurt after the party yesterday.
"Are you alright m'lady?" Aug asks. I nod.
"What colour would you like?" She asks pointing to the dresses. I sigh sadly as I look at all of the beautiful dresses in my wardrobe.
"The black pants and burnt orange blouse," I say looking longingly at the dresses.
"M'lady? Are you sure you don't want to wear a dress?" She asks laughing.
"I would kill to wear one of those Aug, but the outfit is a protest directly to my father," I say softly.
"Do you at least want to wear a corset?" she asks. I look softly at the lovely corsets laying on the bed.
"Yeah, I think one should be okay," I say walking over to my choices. I grab a brown muted one with silver leaves on it.
"Good choice M'lady," she said helping me with it. I leave my hair down. I look at myself in the mirror and grin. He's gonna hate this.
I open my door and walk without an escort to the duke's office. With only one curt knock I open the door.
I'm exactly on time so he can't complain that I only knocked once or that I'm early. I don't bow to him as I enter the room. Inside I see him working on some paperwork.
"You called for me."
"I did but I do believe I called for you at 12:00," he says.
"And it is exactly 12:00 right now, you'd notice if you got your nose out of your book instead of complaining about my arrival," I say and look at the time 12:00 exactly still. He lifted his head and looked at the clock. He grimaces as he realizes I'm correct it is now 12:01.
"If anything, you are late," I say shrugging. I walk up to his desk and ring his bell. Instantly Herman comes in.
"Yes, your highness?" He says bowing.
"Bring us some tea would you?" I say sitting down across from the duke. Both look at me completely shocked. Herman looks to the duke.
"Do. not. look. to. him. I am a member of this family, and I may give you orders as I please. Now shall I have you fired or are you gonna get me my tea?" I say crossing my feet. Herman says nothing more as he dashes from the room.
"Elisia! What on earth are you doing?" The duke demands.
"I'm making myself comfortable, you called me into your office and didn't offer me tea. That's rude of you. So, I thought I'd correct your misbehaviour as well as get rid of your extra ear at the door," I say shrugging.
"Elisia, stand up at this once," he says. I look at him and raise an eyebrow.
"You're going to make a lady stand?" I say shaking my head.
"You are no lady, look at you," he shouts. I chuckle softly at him.
"I am merely dressing for comfort, I compromised and wore a corset," I say pointing to it.
"That is no way for a lady to dress," he says marching around the desk. I look at him from my seat and grin at him. I'd never seen him move faster as he pulls the chair from beneath me. I barely had time to stand.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to hurt me," I chuckle as we stand across from each other.
Without another second of hesitation, he draws his hand back. I ready myself for the slap. As his hand sails through the air, the door opens, and Herman comes in with the tea.
The slap sends me flying and I crash into Herman. I bit back a shriek as the tea comes down with me. The glass shatters and scolding tea is dumped onto me. My right arm screams out in pain from the fall.
Glass embeds itself into my hands and arms. My cheek burns and my vision blurs.
I try to push up off the floor but can't gather the strength. The duke speaks.
"If you ever disrespect me like that again I'll kill you," he says and starts to leave the room. As he reaches the door he says something I almost don't catch.
"I want you out before I leave for Vernal. Take only what you need. They'll provide you with everything else. Herman, have this place cleaned before I get back this evening," he said putting on his hat and leaving.
I look at the ground slightly confused. What the hell does that mean? Is he kicking me out, marrying me off, or...no way, is he sending me to knights school?
Herman also leaves the room; I assume to grab cleaning supplies. I manage to pull myself off the ground. I look down at myself. Tea will surely stain this shirt the corset will be fine. I have glass covering both arms and hands. And a few minor burns from the hot tea. My left cheek is starting to swell and burn.
But all I can really think about is that I may have just gotten into Knights school. I fly from the room and rush into my room. Maids scutter around me giving wide eye looks.
Inside my suit, Aug is stitching something I can't quite make out.
"I think I just got into Knight's school," I say excitement lacing my voice.
"That's fantastic-" She starts and turns towards me her eyes growing wide. I look at her confused and catch myself in a mirror. I cringe it was much worse than I thought it was. My face looks like when I get hit by a baseball bat playing softball when I was 10.
"What on earth happened to you?"
"The duke slapped me into a tray of tea. That's not the important part!" I say rolling my eyes.
"Doesn't that hurt?" she asks.
"Eh, it does but I'm sure I'll go through worse during training," I say shrugging.
"Sit down, I'll grab a pair of tweezers," she said dashing into the bathroom. I sit at my vanity and start plucking the bigger pieces out with my fingers. I flinch every time I pull one out.
"Actually, I'll draw a bath for you," she says starting the water. I roll my eyes and put my hand out for the tweezers. She sighs and hands them to me as she grabs me a new outfit.
"You really ought to be more careful," she says shaking her head.
"I didn't really plan that part," I say shrugging. I pull out a piece that got into the cut from a couple of days ago. That one burned and brought a tear to my eye. My right arm was slowly starting to hurt worse and worse.
I focus on pulling all the glass out from my right arm. I gasp in surprise as Aug puts some cream on my face that cools the burning a bit. I sniff, is that mint?
"That should help with the swelling," she says shaking her head at me. I give her a lopsided smile.
"Thank you, Aug," I say. She nods and cuts the water off. She helps me into the water which is also mint-scented. Aug takes the tweezers from me and starts pulling the rest of the glass out. She grabs my arms softly.
"Does your right arm still hurt?" she asks.
"Yeah, I think whatever progress it made was just undone again. I fell pretty hard," I say flinching as she moves my arm to get a better look at the glass.
"Do you really think you're going to knights school? Did he say it clearly?" She asks changing the topic.
"Well, he told me to be gone before he left and only to take basics and leave the rest," I roll my eyes.
"So, he didn't say it outright?" She says.
"No, but I'm sure he'll use Herman to deliver the rest of the information," I shrug.
"I think I got it all out," she says. I nod and run my hands over where the glass was to check for more. I nod.
"I think it's all out. Thanks again Aug. I think I'd be dead already if it wasn't for you," I say looking away from her and blushing lightly.
"Oh, M'lady you need not be so dramatic," she says laughing.
"I'm not being dramatic, I'm serious. I'm really going to miss you when I get to knight's school. I'm scared they might fire you. If they do come to me, I'll find a better job for you. Maybe working at the place or something. I think Princess Penny likes me enough, that I could recommend you as a maid and she'd hire you," I say looking to Aug as she washed my hair.
"I'll be fine here, M'lady. They won't fire me," she says. I turn fully to her.
"But for my peace of mind promise if they fire you, you'll tell me so I can help you," I say locking eyes with her. She nods a wide smile on her face.
"I promise, I will Elisia," She says shaking her head, "Now turn back around so I can finish washing your hair." I nod and shut up.
She finishes helping me wash up and get dressed. I still feel awkward about it, but I can't do it myself.
As I finish getting dressed, a knock sounds through the suit. Aug rushes over to get it.
Ollie is standing there his lips curled in a grin and hands at his side. I look at him confused.
"What are you doing here, Oleander?" I ask.
"Mom just told me that the duke is sending you to Knights school! Just as you were finally starting to get interesting," He huffs.
"Come in," I say as I sit at my desk Aug comes over and starts wrapping both my arms in bandages.
"What the hell happened to you?" Ollie asks.
"The duke decided to show me a lesson," I say shrugging.
"Yeah, Mom said he was going nuts about the party last night before bed," Ollie says laying on my bed.
"Your bed is so much comfier than mine," he says. I raise an eyebrow at him.
"How is that even possible? Surely, your bed is better The Duchess makes sure you only have the best," I say watching him get snuggly in my bed.
"That's what I mean it's much too soft, yours is a good balance. Mom thinks I should only have the softest comfiest beds. I prefer my bed a bit stiffer," he says yawning softly.
"You're more than welcome to sleep in my bed while I'm gone, but I'll need it when I come home," I say shrugging.
"Awesome!"
"You have free access to anything in my room, I don't really value anything in here."
"That's sad," he says rolling over to look at me.
"It's the truth," I say fidgeting with my necklace.
"Why do the Duke and Alfonse hate you so much?" He asks.
"I think it's because they think I killed my mother. Plus, I look like a spring. They're afraid they'll lose face if they care for me. I'm not quite sure," I say shrugging.
"Well, I don't hate you. So, make sure to come to visit me once and a while, okay?" He says looking away his face red.
I look at him, I bet he doesn't have many friends having lived so far away. I never thought about it, but he must be lonely. He only really has his mom to talk to.
"I will, I'll visit you as often as I can," I say he nods softly and looks back at me.
"Can I visit you too?" He asks his eyes wide.
"Of course," I say. Making a list of what I need when I leave.
"When do you leave?"
"Sometime before the Duke leaves for Vernal," I say. Aug leaves the room for a moment.
"Do you think Alfonse will be a good duke?" Ollie asks.
"No, but I think the Duchess will help him greatly," I say.
"Hm, you have no faith in him?"
"No, he's much too cruel of a person," I say.
"Yeah I agree with that, I don't think he's even said a word once to me," Ollie said another loud yawn sounds through the room.
"He only speaks to me when he has to, I don't ever remember having a civil conversation with him."
"That sucks," Ollie says his words starting to slur.
"I mean it's not too bad, now that you're here, I guess," I say and walk over to him and pull the blanket over him. Aug comes back in with a tray of snacks and tea.
"Oh, he fell asleep," she says softly.
"Yeah he must be tired, I dunno what could've worn him out like that but it's nice to see him. I always wondered what he was like," I say shaking my head.
"He seems lonely," Aug says.
"It sucks that his mother hid him from us for so long, I'm sure he's better for it in the end, I wouldn't want Alfonse and the Duke to rub off on him," I say shaking my head.
"You're right about that. Those two are horrible," Aug says.
"Yeah, they are," I say watching Ollie's chest rise and fall.
"OH! I almost forgot Herman gave me these to give to you." I look and one of them is from the knights' school and the other has a royal seal on it.
I open the knight's school one first and it's a list of things you'll need to bring with you. It's pretty bare-bones stuff like extra clothes, stationery, a few textbooks, and some other items. Another form falls out asking for shirt and pants sizes and things like that. I hand that part to Aug she'll know better than I do.
I open the other and it's just as penny promised an invitation to tea. I grab my pen and respond to it instantly accepting the invitation.
"Oh, and one last thing, Herman said that you are to meet young lord Evergreen and his Highness October every other day starting tomorrow for sword practice," she says. I look down at both my wrapped hands and groan. That's gonna be fun.