Chapter One: A Fortunate Marriage
The day the Marquise Sorrel married once more was a joyous one for those who knew and loved her. It was also the day which spearheaded a major revolution in the thoughts of the people of Farbeni. Sorrel married someone of a color beneath hers, a white man. Even if he did hold some rank as Ambassador, marriage between a red-noble and a white-commoner had not taken place within the memory of even the oldest of court records. The marriage, in itself, was historic. Such a marriage was an omen for the future.
Despite all this, it the marriage took place for no other reason but love. Sorrel loved the ambassador, and the ambassador loved her. There was nothing more to it. If that caused the stirrings of political revolution, they were too much in love to notice.
Something Sorrel did not know about her husband, Monroe, was that when he would come to her enormous home, he would not come alone: Monroe had a daughter. Sorrel, despite her controversial marriage, was very haughty. As much as she was willing to forgo the fact that her husband's rank was many degree below hers, she was not willing to accept another such one. So when they returned from their honeymoon to her estate, and Sorrel discovered she had one extra daughter, a girl a few years younger than her own, by name of Ash, she was less than pleased.
However, she was unwilling to upset the happiness of her husband, so for a time she put up with her Ash's presence.
After a month, however, Sorrel could abide Ash no longer. But what could she do? Monroe would not tolerate it if his beloved daughter were mistreated. Even though it was Sorrel's right to do with Ash as she pleased, she loved her husband too much to let him see his daughter humbled. So she devised a plan, one she knew would work. She approached her husband.
"My love, I have some words to speak with you concerning your daughter," she said sweetly.
"Tell me, then. I wish to know what you would say," he said.
"It seems to me she is of the right age to be sent to school, and I feel it would be most beneficial to her. She is the same age my girls were when they went. What say you, for I will not send her if you do not wish to be parted with her," she said craftily. She had picked the words carefully, knowing which ones would work in her husband to her advantage. He remained silent as he thought about this proposal.
"I agree, lady. I think a lady's education would benefit my Ash very well," he said.
Sorrel smiled. "I knew you would say so!" she said. "We shall send her within the week," she said.
"As you wish, my love."
"May I tell her, Monroe?" Sorrel asked.
"Of course," he kissed her cheek. She smiled, and left the room.
Ash resided in her father's wing, and Sorrel had little trouble finding her. She was in her own chamber, working on a piece of embroidery. "Get up," she commanded coldly. Ash looked up, but was unsurprised by the hostility in her stepmother.
Ash had always felt that her stepmother detested her. Obediently, she stood and curtsied to the grand lady. "What may I do for you, stepmother?" she asked.
"Do not call me that," Sorrel said harshly. "From this moment on, you will call me, 'my lady' and nothing more. You are to pack your things, but only such things as you cannot do without, at once. Send a servant to me when you are finished," she said, and left the room before Ash had time to ask her where she was being moved to.
Ash did as she was told, and packed only her beloved objects, which fit nicely into one bag. She sent a servant to her stepmother, who promptly came. "Pick up your things and follow me," she ordered. Ash did so, following Sorrel, who led her to the servants quarters near the wing she shared with her daughters.
"The servants quarters, my lady?" she asked.
"That is correct. I will not abide a useless white-commoner living idly in my home. You will earn your keep, as every other white living on my lands, do you understand? You will find a uniform in the drawer there. Every morning at dawn, you will report to Hilde, who will give you your list of duties for the day."
"What has my father to say about this," Ash said, a hint of anger in her voice.
"He believes you are being sent to school," she replied, and began exiting Ash's quarter. "One more thing," she added. "From now on, you may speak only when spoken to, understand?" Ash nodded, and Sorrel left.
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**Author's Note: Here is a list of the social ranking:
Green: pale skin with greenish undertones, any hair and eye colors. Lowest class – slaves, serfs.
White: milk-white skin, any color hair and eyes. Middle-class – government officials, soldiers, servants, merchants, etc. Can attain wealth and notoriety, but not nobility.
Black: black hair, black eyes, tanned skin, lower-level nobility.
Red: pale skin with red undertones, any color hair and eyes, upper-level nobility.
Blue: pale skin with blue undertones, red hair, any color eyes, royalty.
The idea for this system of skin colors is mainly based on this dream I had a couple weeks ago. I don't remember exactly what happened, but I just remember this guy, he was someone important, and he had red hair and blue eyes and his skin was tinted blue. I didn't intend for it to turn into this whole racism-based-on-skin-color kinda a thing, but as I've been writing, that's the turn it took. Hope you all like it, and not just for the social-political aspects