So, apparently, Rapunzel wasn't the only witch in this school. Toothiana was too.
As Astrid stood gaping at her, the headmistress stood on a rock, balancing herself perfectly, with a vase in each hand, and about twenty books on her head.
Oh, and she was also on one foot.
The only other spectator there was Toothless, the sweet dog who had knocked her down on the first day.
"I can do this," Toothiana explained, "Because I am in perfect with the environment around me, and at ease with my body."
"That's because," Astrid countered, "You're not surrounded by people who make you feel like a complete nothing."
"No one can make me feel inferior. Not without my consent" was her very cryptic and frustrating response. She stepped down. "Alright. Your turn."
"Miss Toothiana, there's no way I can -"
"Not if you don't believe you can. Now, come on, thirty seconds, right here, on the ground."
Thankfully she didn't have to use the books, but even just the vases weren't a walk in the park. She took them in each hand, and slowly, shakily, stood on one leg.
"That's it!" Toothiana's words of encouragement cut through the air. They didn't seem real to her. At all.
"I can't do it," Astrid mumbled, already stumbling, and then she said, louder, "I can't do it, Miss Toothiana!"
"Of course you ca-"
Astrid shrieked, and fell with a thud, forward onto her face. There was a pain on her right cheek, it was going to bruise, she was sure of it.
Her tutor had dirt on her face from the vase. "Well, I see we have our work cut out for us."
Toothless barked.
"Alright, now all you have to do is dress the mannequin, and then you're done. Understood?"
"Understood," Astrid replied, accessories in hand. She couldn't fail this, all she had to do was put on a measly bow, hat, and necklace, and then she was done.
"Begin...now!" Toothiana set the timer.
Astrid's fingers flew to set the bow. Her finger got tangled in a string and she started over, scowling. After the second time, she merely tied it over her finger, and then pulled it out, leaving the bow very messy.
The hat was thrown on the wrong way (the design was facing the back of the mannequin's head) and then she stated on the necklace. It slipped as she was about to clasp it and, although, she caught it in the nick of time, putting on a necklace would no longer be seen as a simple task.
She turned around to demonstrate it to Toothiana. The woman shook her head and held up the timer, frowning. Her time was already up.
Astrid slumped.
Walking across a room with a gown on? Easy, right?
No, not easy.
For the hundredth time that week, she fell.
Honestly, what did serving tea have to do with being a lady royal? She helped with the decision making, no? Nonetheless, this was easily the one she was looking forward to the most. After all, she had been a waitress before this.
But as she poured the tea into the cup, her headmistress (who had insisted to be called Tooth) shook her head. "Not like a commoner, Astrid. Like a lady royal."
"What's the difference?" she groaned.
Toothiana, oh, Tooth, spent half an hour telling her what exactly the difference was.
And another half hour showing it to her.
She balanced a vase on each hand. Finally. Tooth put a book on her head. She fell.
She fell.
Astrid fell.
Nursing her latest bruise, Astrid sat in the library, defeated. She wouldn't, couldn't, shouldn't -
Toothless walked up to her with a book in his mouth, his tail wagging encouragingly.
She took a good look at him, and put the book on her head.
The history of the school was fascinating. Every single book she read would go on her head, and then she'd walk around in the library, which was usually vacant save for her, Toothless, and occasionally, a few other girls.
The timer started. First, she put the hat on, and fluffed it out. The came the necklace. Carefully, no rushing, she clasped it behind the mannequin, no need to panic.
The bow was last. Over, under, under, over, and it was done. She turned around smiling, only to be met with Tooth's surprised face.
She had beat the timer by ten seconds.
She was dancing across the room, twirling and loving it. She skipped around with her long dress spinning in a dizzying circle, creating a pulsing glow around the girl.
The rock was stepped on, the vases were held, and the books were stacked.
Astrid stood, on one leg, just as Tooth had before. She had done it.
The total count of witches in this school was now a satisfying number of three.
I am literally so flipping proud of myself for writing this so quickly. And also quite excited, because NEXT CHAP OUR BROWN-HAIRED DORK MAKES HIS DEBUT APPEARANCE YAS
