Darkness had surrounded the castle and the crescent moon glowed like the sun, brightly. Ana was sat in the dinner hall at the table, which was a golden, wood and marble mix. It was dotted with fruit, bread, more vegetables and other forms of food.
The chairs were uncomfortable with no cushion. The reason Ana complained was because the seat was made of pure gold and, a little secret, is it's not that comfortable to sit on. Yet the whole family sat silently eating their dinner. A deconstructed and glammed up fish, potatoes and broccoli with a cheese sauce. Delicious as usual and the chef had done it again she thought as she stuffed more in her mouth. There was not complete silence in the room yet it was silent enough to be ridiculously awkward. The sounds of cutlery scrapping the plates like nails on a chalkboard.
Ana's mother and her locked eyes as Ana gave her a weak smile through the food she had stuffed in her mouth. Her mother smiled back almost saddened. She then broke the awkward silence looking at her brother "Gregor, I expect you to take care of your little sister on her first few days at school. Show her around the castle, you know how nervous she gets," she said looking somehow beautiful as usual. Cinderella. She was sat with her blonde hair tamed in a classic and smooth bun on top of her head. Her dress was a pale yellow, which to others dismay was her favourite colour. Not pale blue sadly. A small tiara, jewelled and shining, sat upon her head as she dined.
"Mother, I am sure she is more then capable of doing that herself," Gregor replied timidly. A boy, basically a man in about a month but she didn't want to think about that. He had ginger short hair, alittle curly yet no where near as wavy as hers. He was much paler then Ana with soft freckles dotted around his face. He hated that school and failed to hide it. He looked over at Ana and smiled before shoving another piece of broccoli in his mouth.
"And she is not nervous," Father demanded not looking up from his dinner. Mother looked at him as she usually did, like she'd given up on him. So much for love at first sight. "She will go to that school and make our family proud. Then hopefully everyone will forget what happened last year with Gregor's fails," he said in a argumentative tone looking up at Gregor from his dinner but not moving his head, like a Kubrick stare. Less threatening. Gregor responded by lowering his head in shame "And Gregor you will be responsible for Anastasia. End of,"
Gregor paused his movements further as Ana looked over at him. "Father I'm sure it was not that bad as Greg-" Ana started before she was cut off
"No! Gregor made a fool of us last year and if anything were to happen to you our reputation would be down the drain. Do you understand?" He said almost shouting in an angry tone. Ana was not actually sure what he was so angry about.
"No I don't father. I don't think I do understand," she stated leaving the room silent. All eyes were all of a sudden we're on her, even the servants who lined the edges of the room. Talking of she signalled one over to fill up her glass with water as they did she spoke "I am more then capable to look after myself," she took a drink from her now full glass of white wine as she smiled and nodded at the man as a thank you. She did love her servants some times "Surely after the deans visit you have more faith in me. Professor Dovey said I would start the term strong and above everyone,"
"Ana it's not we don't have faith in you and your academic achievements. Your father worries for you as the school is not what you expect," Cinderella said as Ana's father sat in a state of shock. Probably because she talked back to him. Ana responded with frowning her eyebrows in confusion to Cinderella's statement "The school is madness, especially in the lunch rooms if it is still how I remember it. Evil and good in the same room. You can imagine the fights occurring,"
Ana laughed imagining the fights of all the lands favourite villains and heroes. Not real fights, silly school playground fights with everyone chanting fight fight fight fight! She giggled before she spoke "I can take care of myself mother. I appreciate your concern yet I'm not just a princess I have many more skills then you-" She started before she was cut off
"Gregor will look after you," her father calming stated slouched in his chair like a three year old after a temper tantrum. That's what she called his angry bursts, temper tantrums "End. Of,"
"But father I-"
"End of!" He shouted standing up and bashing his fists against the table in a rage. "My word is final you hear me! Final! Gregor will look after you, protect you. I don't get what is so hard to understand about that," Ana's mouth hung open in shock and fear as her body moved away from him and her hands let go of her cutlery as the metal clashed on the table. She picked up my glass of wine and simply got up from the table and walked to the nearest door "I never said you could leave this table and goblets are not allowed upstairs young lady!" He shouted after her expecting a better response then he got.
"I don't care," Ana shouted back with a empty tone as she walked to the servant that had the jug of wine in their hands. "Thank you I will take that," she said as they gave it to her. There was silence behind her as she scurried away to another room far away from this one.
She hurried up to the roof. Up too many flights of stone stairs spilling lots of the wine on the way up. If someone were to find her just follow the trail on wine on the floor. She made her way further up the tower closest to the sky finishing the wine in her goblet before pouring another one lazily. As the marble and stone turned to old wooden stairs and floor. Her heels clicked along the floor as she began to walk again. She felt the breeze of the wind as she walked up the last flight of stairs going in a circle upwards.
She finally got the the top as she walked out towards the stone safety rail and looked over it. She place the jug on the wall carefully before lifting herself up and onto the ledge. She carefully moved herself to the other side as she grabbed the jug and sat down before placing the now half full jug beside her. Ana's legs dangled over the edge of the ledge as they blowed in the wind. She looked down admiring how high she was and the adrenaline almost building up in her stomach from the thrill. The skirt didn't help her sit down comfortably as it was huge, neither did the corset as she tried to slouch comfortably yet all her back could do was stay straight. She took the last sip from her glass looking out into the gardens and seeing the servants move around the castle frantically from this high. Seeing them through the hundreds upon thousands of windows in the palace. Probably looking for me she thought.
She gracefully started to hum a made up tune as the cool night wind blew through her hair softly and past her face. Ana reached back to her hair and took out the ribbon from the back of her hair letting her blonde hair fall down loosely over her face.
A little bird sat next to her. Maybe a dove, it was white with a small orange beak. She didn't mind birds but they are really annoying when they start pecking you she thought, as it started to do just that. It snapped the middle hoop of her skirt. Ana jumped at the loud snap. "Fuck off!" She shouted as she waved her hands for it to move and covering it with a few drops of wine left in her cup.
"Anastasia!" She heard someone shouted from the stairs. She just hoped it wasn't her father. Luckily it wasn't, it was Gregor. "You know if anyone had heard that they would have had you thrown in the dungeon,"
She laughed "you wish" looking up at him leaning against the stone railing behind her. Ana looked up to see him confusingly looking around to see no one.
"Where actually are you?" He asked still looking around smiling. She casually raised her hand and waved, almost hitting him in the face. "What are you doing down there?" He asked more worried
"Enjoying the breeze, Gregor. You should try it sometime," She said in a calm tone.
"I'm good thanks. Knowing me I'll topple over the edge," He laughed as sat on the stone wall and crossed his legs before Ana turned.
"Wait help me up," She held her hand up as she jumped off the wall quickly and grabbed her hand. Ana turned her body and was now kneeling on the ledge. She stood up almost fully before her shoe got stuck on her dress. Ana used my other hand to move the dress but the wind continued to blow hair into her face.
Suddenly, her foot slipped and she fell. Gregor gripped her hand more tightly as she screamed. "Pull me up!" Ana screamed trying not to let go of him.
"I'm trying," he struggled as the wind blew quicker. Ana felt one of her shoes become loose from her foot and fall off as she looked down. It was a long way down. That adrenaline had now multiplied as she felt her hand become slippy. Ana turned her body to no longer look at the floor and grabbed his arm with my other hand as well.
"Come on, Gregor! You have got this! Pull me up!" She encouraged as he still failed to pull her up. She let one of her hands loose from Gregor's as she grasped the edge of the wall and started to pull herself upwards. Her foot finally felt the ledge as she pulled herself up with not much help from her brother. She was finally able to pull herself up and over the wall. She landed on her front on the wooden floor and he fell back into the wall. She noticed he banged his head on the wall behind "Are you ok?" Ana asked laughing subtly.
"Are you ok?" He said more worried about her. There was a silence of both of them confused before Ana stared laughing more hysterically "What are you laughing at?" Giggling a little too.
"Someone's going to find a random shoe in the garden tomorrow," She laughed more lifting her dress to show she only had one shoe. They both started laughing before it died down. She walked back over to the wall to get the jug but couldn't find the goblet "and apparently a goblet,"
She walked back over and sat with her back to the wall next to him. She offered him some but he replied "You know I hate alcohol,"
"Suit yourself," Ana said taking a huge gulp of it from the jug.
"Actually give me some," He said before she gave him the jug. There was a silence. It wasn't awkward it was calm before Gregor asked "So how are you actually feeling about tomorrow? I bet you didn't actually tell father how you felt,"
"I didn't no," Ana laughed "well... I'm nervous obviously. Who wouldn't be? They have such high expectations of me,"
"As much as I hate that school. You have nothing to worry about. You will fit right in with the princesses. They aren't much like you but they will look up to you. You are stronger then you know Ana. Remember that," He said in a comforting tone. Not like Mothers or Fathers (like father had a comforting tone), Gregor actually meant it. "Also Father made an arrangement with the Dean that I would go with you to get in day instead of going on my first day,"
Ana rolled her eyes "of course he did. I'm going to need more of that," signalling for the jug back. He passed it back before she took another sip. "You know you do not need to follow me around,"
"I was going to let you have your space actually," he said truthfully "I think we would get on each others nerves if I stayed with you all the time. Yet if you need me at anytime let me know," Ana nodded in response with too much wine in my mouth to respond verbally "Now you have school tomorrow..." he started attempting to grab the jug out of her hands.
"No do not do this to me," I complained "You sound like mother,"
"Not father then," he laughed successfully taking the jug from her hands and placing it on the wall.
"No father shouts a lot more. He would just shout, Bed!" They both laughed at Ana's statement as Gregor helped her up to her feet. She leaned against the wall to take her existing heel off of her foot because she didn't want to even attempt walking with that. As funny as that would be. Gregor grabbed the jug from the wall and guided her back down stairs.
Both siblings laughed and talked through the castle, getting lost once. They obviously weren't drunk yet the wine had taken it's toll on them. Their cheeks began to get rosy and they giggled like children.
They finally arrived outside Ana's door with a now empty jug in her hand. "Thank you Gregor. You really are a good brother," She smiled and hugged him.
"Now get some sleep please and do not do any more dumb stunts. I won't be there to save you next time," he said coming out of the hug and holding her shoulders. Anastasia smiled weakly and laughed
"Ok ok. Technically that wasn't my fault though. If only that bird hadn't snapped that hoop," she laughed. Gregor shook his head and opened her door and basically pushed her inside.
"Good night Ana, get some sleep," He bowed jokingly
"Good night Greg," she curtsied still laughing before he closed the door. She was left alone in the dark of her room as she threw her lone shoe in the darkness. As she slowly began to twirl around her room, dancing. She once again hummed an unheard tune as she danced to it. She stumbled across her room and into her desk and giggled as she banged her thigh against the wood.
"Anastasia?" She heard Lyra's voice from behind her.
"Hello!" She said startled as she snapped around to see Lyra at her door. "Your frightened me Lyra,"
"Sorry M'lady. I just need to dress you for bed," she said walking in the room with her candle.
"What if I do not want to get changed yet?" Ana questioned half laughing. At this point she wasn't even sure what she was laughing at.
"Ma'am are you drunk?" Lyra asked raising an eyebrow
"No just alittle tipsy. I think drunk is a bit of a stretch," She stated walking over to her as she set down her candle "also please tell the gardeners that I have lost a shoe and a goblet in the gardens. I'm not sure where it is. If they could look for that that would be just wonderful,"
"Yes Anastasia. If I may speak freely m'lady?" She asked removing the pins from her dress and releasing the sleeves and back part of her dress.
"Yes Lyra speak!" Ana said smiling as her eyes followed Lyra around to her closet
"Why is there a shoe and a goblet in the garden?" She asked making her way back over to Ana and removing the front bodice part of her dress.
"I almost fell off the ledge in the east wing tower," Ana told her casually as she spun around quickly "oh and I'm fine Gregor was there to help me but my shoe fell off," Lyra listened as she undid her skirt and petticoat as they fell to her feet. She noticed the broken hooped skirt as and examined it "it was a bird. Bloody birds,"
"Anastasia, language a princess should not be using," she said disappointed as she loosened the ties on the back and front of it. Ana stepped out of all of them as Lyra took all the dirty laundry to the door and the broken skirt
"Sorry Lyra," she said "I'm going to miss you you know,"
"I will miss you too Anastasia. I do hope you have a good year there. You will be back before you know it," she stated before coming back to loosen her corset, finally. Ana breathed dramatically as the relief of the corset becoming looser was amazing. She slipped it off and Ana immediately jumped onto her bed in a starfish position on her front. She heard Lyra laugh before saying "good night m'lady,"
"Goodnight!" She said muffled by the pillow in front of her face.