No, I really hate this.
Standing with a stack of books balanced on my head, a stick on my back to 'fix my posture'.
"Now smile, and walk slowly. Being a royal is not all fun and games, you should thank his majesty you even get to learn from me." Mrs Friedricks says, she's a stick thing wrinkly old lady, with a very distracting hairy mole on her forehead. It's just there. Like a third eye. Freaky.
"Attention!!!" She snaps me out of it.
"I know you can't possibly help your birth circumstances, quite unfortunate but the other half of your blood is actually pure and noble, the noblest on the continent. I would like to say that cancels out your other attributes.
That hair too, it's so unruly. I've told you over and over to atleast straighten it." She walks towards me and tries to hold my hair.
"Stop," I firmly hold her arm.
"As I've said, Mrs. Friedricks, I inherited this hair from my mother. I won't tamper with it. I think it's rather beautiful, and your opinion doesn't matter. You're just here for etiquette lessons, alright?" I say, increasing the pressure on her arm.
"Understood, class is over for today," she concedes, walking away with a subtle rub of her arm.
As soon as the door closes softly behind Mrs. Friedricks, I let out a sigh of relief.
"How dare that scarecrow-looking hag?!" Stacy rushes to me, removing the stick taped to my back.
"How dare she?!! With those not-so-sly insults!! Does she think she's royalty now after spending much time with the Empress?! I want to poke her in the eye!!" Stacy fumes while preparing me for my next class. She's so cute.
"She might as well be. She's been the Empress' nursemaid and nanny since she was born. She's practically her mother now. Let's go," I say, turning and heading towards the balcony, my least favorite class. I'd rather spend more time with Mrs. Friedricks than be there.
*
Embroidery class, aka a bunch of noble ladies come to gossip and talk about eligible bachelors. They probably don't think highly of me because of that 'tripping' incident a month ago (chapter 2).
I walk onto the balcony and head for my inconspicuous chair at the corner of the room. Stacy unloads my material and heads to stand with the group of other maids outside.
Unlike the other ladies, I haven't been embroidering since I was practically a toddler, so I can't afford to slack off.
The other ladies and my two 'sisters' ignore me, carrying on with the most boring of conversations. They are teenage girls, I suppose. I really shot myself in the foot at that family dinner, didn't I? If I hadn't opened my big mouth, I would be lazing around in my room, eating some fruit.
Why can't we learn something interesting like swordsmanship or archery? I know it's 'unladylike'. For a place that worships a female goddess, they are not very progressive.
"Sister Lucina, did you hear me?" Stella snaps me out of my thoughts. I sigh and look up, why can't I be left alone?
"No, would you repeat yourself, please?"
"I heard from mother that etiquette lessons have been a challenge for you. She said something about you being unfit for royalty. I certainly don't believe that, and neither does mother. I've never had a problem with Mrs. Friedricks' lessons. I could offer some pointers," Stella says, offering her gracious help. She's really good, she's insulted me, made herself seem better, and showed off her 'kind' qualities in one sitting.
"My, you're so kind, Princess," Lady Starforge says, and the rest of the noble ladies chime in. They are like parrots, I can't remember them, only Lady Starforge because she's Duke Starforge's only daughter. The Starforge family are exiled half-dwarves who founded this kingdom with the first Empress of Salona, Selena (the Empire was named after her).
I glance at Rose, who is basically a wallflower. I've never heard her say more than a few words at a time.
Then, I look up at Stella, who is being shrouded in compliments by her group of lackeys.
"When Selena prayed to the moon, and Goddess Luna appeared to answer her prayers, she blessed her with her divine power, turning her eyes grey and her hair as pale as moonlight, reflected by the snow. It was a sign that she was Luna's beloved. When I look into the mirror, I'm reminded of the fact that I'm the descendant of Luna's beloved. Mrs. Friedricks' opinions matter not when my physical appearance is proof that I'm royalty," I say with a smile. Stella flinches, and with her blonde hair, I suppose I hit a sore spot.
"I mean, if Sister Stella were placed into a sea of blonde noble ladies, you would look like any other noble lady to people who have not met you before. For me, though, you could tell I'm Solana royalty from a mile away."
Stella's face is practically fuming in anger now. Oops.
"I apologize, I may have spoken out of turn. Forgive me, Sister," I say, looking down to keep working on my embroidery. I hear footsteps leave the room and the door shut with a bang. The group of lackeys quickly follow after her.
"You're holding it wrong," a voice says from behind me.
I look back and it turns out the embroidery teacher was around.
I can't slack off, I guess.
The embroidery teacher is from a local ladies' academy, a commoner who proved her worth through her abilities. I suppose she's decided to just do her job and not get involved in anything else. I like that about her; she's here to earn her money and not be involved in politics. I respect that.