Chapter 10: The Challenge
The following few months were spent in a blur. Everything was moving so quickly. Every second of Sarah's day was taken up by lessons for all sorts and her duties of chambermistress. Anne began to show Sarah the slightly less important aspects of ruling like minor paperwork, and Victor began to instruct Sarah in her magical abilities. She was adept at projecting and shielding. She was now able to hide all but her strongest emotions from her face, and cast images on any reflective surface. With Henry, her knowledge of the Underground increased at a steady rate, but it was evident that even after she is to become queen, she will have to continue her studies. Damn schooling! Her most difficult lessons, however, were of the Art. Mitchell never gave her a break. She constantly had to prove herself over and over again. He taught her how to dress, eat, walk, and dance.
"Why do I have to know how to dance?" She asked.
"Dance is the natural way to learn rhythm. And knowing rhythm is the secret to seduction. If you can dance, then you can move and make your partner move to the rhythm of love." He swung her around and pulled her into his chest, leaning down to her ear he whispered, "Do you understand my meaning?"
Sarah looked up, she was flushed and panting. Her body was alive! "Teach me!" she begged feverently, wanting to feel the very essence of life in her veins.
He laughed, "Not yet, love. What would her majesty say if I had ruined her plans for you? And Jessie? Don't forget her now. Her heart would break." He spun her away from him again, seeing her hair whip around her flushed cheeks. "I love being alive!" she gasped and giggled, her arms high in the air.
After that, it was only Victor who danced with Sarah. She didn't know why, but he had not the same effect on her as Mitchell had. That wasn't important now. After a few more weeks, her blood began to cool until her passion was almost never known by reddened cheeks. When the men touched her, she wouldn't blush, instead she parted her lip and tossed back her head as she was taught, looking at the man holding her through half lidded eyes.
The first time she had pulled that little trick with Mitchell when he was showing her the points of pressure below the ribs on a woman's side, Jessie gasped and fled the room followed by Mitchell, leaving Sarah with Victor for the remainder of her lesson. She just smirked at him, then sat down and started her meditation exercise for the rest of that night. Later she learned that Jessie was very much attracted by the show of passion between Mitchell and Sarah, she just had to leave. It was that night when she gave herself to Mitchell; be damned with the ceremony! The next day all hell broke loose between the couple.
OXO
"I can't believe this! It's not supposed to happen this way! We are supposed to be joined! How the hell could this have happened?" The yelling was coming from the gym. Sarah stood outside the room, listening intently, when, all of a sudden, the door was flung wide and Jessie followed by Mitchell came running out of the room.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her into his body, looking her in the eye. "It's not too late! Let us join, now! It's still acceptable. No one has to know!" Jessie wretched herself away from him and faced Sarah.
"No one knows huh? Hey Sarah guess what?" she said in false cheer. "I'm going to have a baby! The baby will be a bastard for the rest of its life but hey I'm still going to be a mommy!" She burst into tears and fled once more. She stared after the crying girl, unable to do anything about it.
"Mitchell?" Her tone asked one hundred and one questions but she only voiced one. "What's going to happen to her?"
He looked down the hall where his lover had departed. "We will be joined and live together like planed before." He turned to Sarah. "Here, in our culture, it's not a good thing to have children before a couple is joined. It's … more or less... forbidden. If the queen decides, we can be exiled, and the child will be killed." He sighed, "It is not like this for the rest of the races, but if our children don't have joined parents… unpleasant things will happen to say the very least. Please don't ask! It's highly confidential and we are not permitted to speak of it." He walked slowly down the path Jessie had taken.
She felt sorrow for the two. They did nothing but try and help her. Now, it seems, because of Sarah, they were in way over their heads. She went into the workroom to try out the new steps for the dance they had been working on. It was complex and imaginative, allowing the person to feel what they desired to feel.
She wove a spell of compassion and allure in the empty room, not noticing when the silent figure came in through the doors. Once the dance was complete, she stood in front of said figure. It was Annetha.
"You dance beautifully, Sarah. Tell me how your lessons go." She swept her long arms to the side and walked gracefully to a padded bench.
"It was going quite well, I'm getting the hang of the Art but I don't know how things will turn out now…" with that she explained the entire incident that morning.
Annetha sat quietly for sometime then spoke, "Life will be full of hardship for the two. I don't think they will be here much longer, we may have to find you another instructor."
"What? They have to leave? You're going to exile them!"
Annetha sighed, "No I'm not. But they will have to leave and be joined in Mitchell's tribe. It's just the way things are done." She drummed her fingers on her chin, "about a new instructor... it might be better for you to stay with Victor, if he's willing..."
Sarah nodded then sighed. "I was hoping that I could continue on alone now. I mean, I felt what I did just then. It was like life was dripping off my body like sweat does. It was absolutely amazing."
"You did that, yes. But think for a moment Sarah, if you had more instruction think of what you would accomplish. It would be masterful."
"I don't think I could advance any farther. I'm ready!" Sarah stood with her hands on her hips, staring Annetha down. Anne looked unimpressed.
"Don't be so overconfident, Sarah. Defeat is a sour thing."
"Honesty is not overconfidence! I know I have what it takes! Really." She almost pleaded with the queen. This way, Mitchell and Jessie don't have to worry about leaving me in the dust. And besides, after last night I think I have the basics down. Now it's all up to a little practice, and god knows that there are enough Fae here to practice on! They will even be willing.
Annetha's voice snapped her out of her own thoughts. "Would you consider it a challenge then?"
"A challenge? To… physically prove myself?"
"Yes." She smiled, "to physically prove yourself. One man, only one of my choosing. If you succeed, then I'll never doubt your ability in this area again," her eyes had crinkled dangerously, sending chills up Sarah's body. But her pride in her body and newfound skills got the better of her.
"I'll do it! Who is he, or don't you have someone in mind yet?"
Annetha's smile turned into a full-fledged smirk. "I'll tell you when it is time."
Sarah's brow creased and she felt the beginnings of dread. "Okay, but can you tell me when that time will be at least?"
Annetha's smirk widened, "In one month we are planning your introduction and there will be a grand ball. I never miss out on the chance of having a party, after all. That would be the perfect time."
Sarah nodded, understanding. In one month's time… What am I getting myself into? How much do I really trust Anne? Well for one thing I don't like the look on her face. Annetha turned around, and walked to the far end of the room. She turned once more to face Sarah. "I think its time I gave you a small lesson myself." She frowned slightly. "You're still too open with your emotions. I want you to think of a box, or a door. Anything that you can close and place a lock on. Put all your emotions into that space and lock it. It's important when you are going into your prospective position. Try it."
Sarah tired, but every time she trapped the image of a chest in her mind, it faded and the tighter she tried to keep it, the faster it was gone.
"Don't fight it. And if one image doesn't suit you, try the next." Anne's voice came in softly, as if she didn't want to startle the younger girl.
She tried the image of the door next. This time she succeeded in opening the door but as she tried to close and lock it, it broke apart. She stamped her foot and screamed through clenched teeth in frustration.
"Change the matter of the door. If you can't have a wooden one, try a steel or stone door."
Once again Sarah gathered the image of the door in her mind. She created it out of lead, a kind of tribute to Superman. He never could see through lead so it should be able to keep her emotions in. She closed it and a hollow bang filled her mind.
"I did it! It worked!" she clapped her hands in delight and Anne glared at her.
"Yes you did it, but it only really works if you can keep your expressions free of the same emotion you just locked away. Try it again, this time don't let anything show on your face."
Sarah did the exercise a few more times until Anne was finally convinced. But she was a natural born actress so she caught on quite quickly. As she lay in bed that night, she thought about the up coming month. Annetha wanted her to do something that would make her cross some unseen boundary. She didn't know what it was but she had a feeling about this. What that feeling was she couldn't say. And then everything with Jessie and Mitchell happening. It was hard to accept. They would be married, well "joined" as they called it. What would happen then, who knew? If Sarah were at all religious she would say that God would know, but whether there were one or a thousand gods in the world, one thing was certain; She had a deep, unmoving feeling that it was supposed to happen.
Sarah did not care for this feeling in the slightest