In the year 1889, in London, England, the Queen made a momentous decision regarding the education of the young elites of her country. For up to this point in history, only young boys were allowed into the top academies and schools, for they were the ones who would support their future families and businesses. As such, women were the ones to stay home and care for the children and manage the household affairs or attend special academies to train them in the proper ways to be a lady. However, after meeting her niece for the first time in over fifteen years - she had not seen her since she was three - she was pleasantly shocked to find a remarkably intelligent, beautiful young girl who was to become the new Marquess of the family DeVair after the deaths of her few remaining family members.
In order to support her niece in every way possible as she stepped into her role as a business woman and head of house, it was decided that top private schools would be opened to girls of the highest birth.
Weston College was the first of the schools to be changed to accept both genders. Four girls were admitted in the very beginning to become the female prefects of the houses. One for Scarlet Fox, one for Green Lion, one for Sapphire Owl, and one for Violet Wolf.
This event marked a new age in history and would change its course forever, but the changes in the eight prefects would be even more noticeably drastic.
Especially as students start to disappear.
And even more so as they turn up dead.
~X~
Weston Preparatory College for the rich and powerful, a sprawling campus with towering gothic buildings and beautiful commons. One of the most prestigious private academies in London at the time and the one that definitely had the highest tuition. All in all, not a bad school by any stretch of the imagination. Aunty could have picked as worse one.
Yeah, I'm a girl and the niece of Queen Victoria and one of the four noble girls to be chosen to head up this godforsaken movement. But I do get to have a decent education for once in my life, so I can't complain too much.
However, I still don't entirely understand the logic behind her decision. It was just so…I don't know, split second. She didn't seem to think about it at all before she announced, oh, by the way, I'm integrating the schools. I mean, jeez.
~X~
"I'm very sorry for your loss, Avalon. My dearly departed sister and her husband will be sorely missed by everyone." Aunt Victoria whimpered, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.
I looked her in the eyes and took a quick, sharp breath before replying, "I know. They were incredible people and I can only hope that I will do my father justice as the Marquess of the DeVair family." Well, I doubt that I'll be able too, but I might as give her some comfort.
"Of course you will, dear." She said reassuringly with a pat on the shoulder, "But I do have a question. Have you ever had any formal schooling?"
"No, I can't say that I have."
My suspicions about this entire situation were justified the moment when my Aunt got that strange gleam in her eyes that indicated she was going to try something that would probably not be entirely well liked by the elite of England. "Don't worry, my dear child. We can rectify all of this immediately!" Victoria exclaimed.
"And how might we do that?" I asked cautiously, almost not wanting to hear the answer.
"You'll go to school!"
Oh dear God…
~X~
I do believe I laughed in her face after that little declaration, saying something along the lines of that is never going to happen. Not in this lifetime.
Well, I underestimated the old hag and now I'm here at the gates of Weston College, waiting for my friends to show up so we can enter together. I picked at my black nail polish, while I remembered when we were chosen for our houses.
~X~
We had just walked into the Principal's office, which was missing something rather important.
Its Principal.
The Vice-Principal was sitting at the desk, though. I believe he said his name was Mr. Agares or something of the like.
"Well, ladies. I'm sure you are aware of the precarious position you hold in this community as the first women to get a formal education at a private school. Each of you was chosen through very special criteria, your family's status, your level of intelligence, your physical abilities and your talents in the arts."
We all knew that and I'm sure all of us couldn't care less about it. I merely pulled the hood of my cloak down over my face a little more.
"Audrey Deveraux."
Audrey was a very formal, very uptight person. She had studied martial arts and swordsmanship since she was old enough to support the equipment. Her hair was long and golden and she kept it pulled tightly back in a severe bun, tan skin, she was tall - probably about 6'0" - and she had quite a bit of muscle from all of the rigorous exercise that I couldn't ever imagine doing. She also acted more like some old lady than an actual teenage girl.
"You will belong to the Green Lion House."
Oh, and she's betrothed to the prefect boy of Green House, Herman Greenhill.
"Deirdre Smyth."
There is only one way to describe this girl, vain. With a capital V. Though she does have something of a right to be. She's immensely pretty, with flaxen hair, fair skin, a tiny build - even smaller than me - and her manners were nothing short of a lady's. Also, she's going to marry the prefect of the Red House, Edgar Redmond.
"You will belong to the Scarlet Fox House."
"Jezebell Beaufort."
Also a very pretty girl. Shiny brown hair, tall, smart as any boy, fair skin, and polite and quiet. The model British noble wife. Well, except for the intelligence level. Engaged to the Blue House prefect, Lawrence Bluer.
"You will belong to the Sapphire Owl House."
"Avalon DeVair."
I'm a rather simple girl. Black hair with whitish streaks, violet eyes, medium height, pale white skin, gothic make-up (black eyeliner, eye shadow, nail polish, etc). I'm smart, but more suited to be an artist than a bookworm. My art has already been showcased in some of the world's largest galleries. Though I think the most interesting part about being me is that I terrify most people to the point where they don't approach me at all.
Oh and I'm engaged to my best friend, the prefect of the Purple House, Gregory Violet.
"You will belong to the Violet Wolf House."
Well, no surprise there. At least I get to focus on my painting without insane distractions.
~X~
"Avalon!" Deirdre called from a ways off down the road. I spun and saw her waving like a madwoman, while dancing down the street. Jezebell and Audrey weren't far behind. And luckily, they weren't acting like they should be committed.
It took about a minute before Deirdre actually reached me and assaulted me, knocking me to the ground. Somehow, she managed to land in my lap perfectly upright. Ugh.
"Hello, Deirdre." I muttered, countering her loud, ostentatious voice.
"Hello, Avalon! Are you excited about today? I am. I get to see Edgar and go to school for the first time as the student in charge! I'm so happy, I could cry! I just can't wait for school to start!" She said, barely pausing in between sentences for a breath, "Oh, I bet you just can't wait to see Gregory! I know you've missed him. Oh my gosh! I'm cutting off the blood flow to your legs aren't I! I'm so sorry, I'll get up now!" And she put her hands on my shoulders and pushed herself off of me.
At least I could feel my legs now, even though it hurt slightly as the blood began to circulate again. I stood up with the help of Audrey and brushed the dirt off of my trousers. Yes, trousers. The Vice-Principal actually gave us the choice to wear a skirt-suit or wear the traditional uniform of the school. Old habits die hard though, I guess, seeing as I was the only one wearing them.
At least I'm not stuck in one of those floor-length monstrosities.
I opened my mouth to ask Jezebell and Audrey if she had been like this the entire way over, but before I could get the words out, Jezebell giggled, "Yes, she has. If anything she was worse before she saw you."
"Of course she was. Ava's whole emo look would suck the joy out of anything." Audrey laughed.
"At least I don't look like a guy with long hair." I shot back albeit a bit quieter. Honestly, could Audrey and Deirdre be any louder. Well, I got one quiet one out of the three. Jezebell seems to understand my annoyance with loud noises, even if she doesn't get my hatred of the sun.
Oh, well.
Behind me, the school gates were pulled open just as the bells began to chime seven. I turned back to the girls and pulled my hood back up from where it had fallen when I was tackled.
"Shall we go?" Audrey asked.
"Let's do this!" Deirdre exclaimed happily and she raced in before the rest of us could respond. I just looked at Jezebell and she shrugged.
So we entered the school we would be living at for the next year. The grounds were crawling with boys that looked completely star struck at our appearance within the school, well, either that or shock and anger. I don't think they've quite decided yet.
All four of us ignored them though. I personally remained in the back of our little group while Deirdre danced ahead and crossed onto the lawn.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" A boy called out, running up to us, "Only prefects and those with the prefects permission can cross the lawn and what are you girls doing in our school?!" He seemed incredibly flustered as he realized we were girls, but held his ground still. Not bad.
If everyone wasn't staring at us already, they were by the time he'd finished yelling at us.
"Well, it's a good thing we're prefects then, right?" Deirdre sang, still spinning around like an idiot.
"Mmm, I suppose so." Audrey answered offhandedly, staring the boy down.
"Who are you?" Jezebell inquired, asking the question that was on all of our minds.
"I'm C-Clayton of the B-blue House. Y-you still h-haven't said what you g-girls are doing here." The poor boy - um, Clayton - stuttered, still obviously intimidated by our presence.
"We're Weston College's newest students, duh." Deirdre explained seeming a little annoyed with the brat.
"But you're girls." He stated as if that should explain his point all by itself.
"I do believe that we've known that for several years now, Clayton was it?" Audrey sighed.
"Yes and this is an all-boy's school."
"Not anymore, by order of the Queen Victoria."
"B-but-,"
"Oh, do please shut up. You're beginning to irritate me by repeating yourself over and over again. Find something more original to say or leave. You are making a scene and are making every one of us late to dormitory check-in." I interjected, feeling frustrated and bored with this arrogant jerk's argument.
He really did start when I spoke up this time. I don't even think he even registered that I was here in the first place. Clayton merely stood there slack-jawed, staring at me in disbelief. Honestly, you'd think he'd never seen anyone like me before and he attended school with Gregory.
"Y-you never did say who you were." He squeaked. My presence intimidated him. That's good.
"Did we not? Oh, pardon us. How terribly rude. We're-," Jezebell started, but before we could finish we hear a chorus of our names.
"Audrey?"
"Deirdre?"
"Jezebell?"
"Avalon?"
"What are you all doing here?" All four voices chorused at once.
We turned to face the original four prefects of the school. Herman Greenhill, Edgar Redmond, Lawrence Bluer, and Gregory Violet all stood there slack-jawed, staring at us. Well, everyone except Gregory. He just stood there wide-eyed.
Clayton stood there between us, eyes darting between us and the guys.
"What the heck is going on here?"
What a great question.
~X~
A/N: This chapter is officially rewritten! Yay! Now, I'm going to be rewriting the others as well and posting them soon enough. Hopefully Ghost Legion will turn out better this time around.
Happy reading.
Love,
Beaten and Bruised